Chapter 1000 Prelude
In the grand palace above the gray fog.
Through Enuni’s prayer point of light, Klein saw the scene inside his valet’s room.
As his vision pulled out and slowly extended out, he began taking in all of Böklund Street. Among buildings covered in fresh flowers and grass, Intis parasol trees that shielded the sunlight slowly swept past. There were slow-moving carriages that were elegantly or beautifully adorned, and youths dashing quickly on bikes.
Finally, Klein locked onto Unit 39– Member of Parliament Macht’s residence. He then lowered his field of view and began observing every animal and human to see if there was any black-haired, black-eyed, monocle-wearing man.
Phew… There’s no switching or grafting of fate… Nearly ten minutes later, Klein heaved a sigh of relief.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, a carriage drove into Macht’s residence and stopped at their doorstep.
A young lady with curly black-green hair and bright, dark-brown eyes alighted from a carriage. It was none other than Hazel who had returned
home.
She was wearing a dark green dress that didn’t expose her shoulders. Her lips were slightly pursed, and she wore a relaxed look with a hint of joy.
Upon seeing Hazel in such a state, Klein’s heart skipped a beat.
This was definitely abnormal!
From Klein’s point of view, the rat demigod had only two outcomes after meeting Amon’s avatar. She either had a trump card and managed to escape successfully at the cost of being heavily injured, or she had turned into a Beyonder characteristic to strengthen Amon’s avatar. And regardless of the outcome, there was no way Hazel could find her teacher. She would definitely be in grief and pain, feeling dispirited and sad. So how could she be relaxed and happy?
With her taking the risk to head to the manor in the suburbs to inform her teacher, she’s not a cold and selfish person… Her present state indicates that she has confirmed that her teacher, that rat demigod, is fine. She has even been rewarded, perhaps obtaining all kinds of knowledge about the supernatural world… This is in conflict with my theory of the rat demigod’s outcome. No, it’s not in conflict. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth… Klein leaned back into his seat and came to a conclusion:
Amon had not only obtained the rat demigod’s Beyonder characteristic, but he had also stolen her fate and had replaced her identity!
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, to Hazel, her teacher hadn’t encountered any mishaps and would only need a period of time to lie low… After making the confirmation, Klein silently exhaled and felt a little relaxed.
To him, the most terrifying aspect of Amon was that no one knew what form or identity “He” would use to appear. It could be possible that Member of Parliament Macht would one day wear a monocle, or that insects in the garden would turn around with monocles on their faces. Therefore, after grasping the identity Amon might use to appear, Klein couldn’t help but feel more assured.
As for Amon’s performance being problematic in front of Hazel, Klein believed that it was impossible. After all, Amon was a King of Angels that was fundamentally good at deceit. Even if “He” mentioned something that differed from what the rat demigod had said, “He” could easily use the excuse of it being a test with what “He” now said being part of her formal education to fool her.
Of course, based on Pallez Zoroast’s depiction, Amon definitely wouldn’t appear as a rat demigod, so I shouldn’t be careless… Klein did some observations before retracting his gaze and leaving the gray fog.
Inside his room, he sat on a reclining chair and drank some black tea with a lemon slice. He half-closed his eyes and considered how he could deepen his relationship with Qonas Kilgor.
After an unknown period of time, Klein suddenly opened his eyes and activated his Spirit Vision.
At the demigod level, he could already activate it at will.
Almost at the same moment, Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. One of them had a letter in its mouth.
“Who’s letter is it?” Klein asked as he reached out his right hand.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Sharron…” Reinette Tinekerr’s other head answered.
Miss Sharron? She should be making her final preparations for the advancement. Why would she suddenly write to me? Klein was slightly puzzled as he received the envelope.
After he opened it, he found very little content. There was only a simple line:
“Emlyn White is seeking out the Rose School of Thought.”
Emlyn is seeking out the Rose School of Thought? Klein pricked up his brows in surprise.
His opinion of Emlyn was a Sanguine who was afraid of trouble. Unless necessary, he didn’t even wish to head out. So how could he actively search for the Rose School of Thought?
This definitely isn’t Emlyn’s own will… Yes, Emlyn had mentioned that some important figure of the Sanguine was meeting him… This is a new mission that the Sanguine gave him? It’s very possible! However, why didn’t he mention it in the Tarot Club? Oh, it was focused on the punishment operation, and he had other clues, so he temporarily kept it from us? Klein thought as he leaned forward. Under the watch of Miss Messenger’s eight eyes, he took out a piece of paper and a fountain pen from his coffee table.
He wasn’t curious about Emlyn’s clues, because it was an obvious matter.
Since Miss Sharron knew that Emlyn was seeking out the Rose School of Thought and had asked their mutual friend, Detective Sherlock Moriarty, about this matter, it meant that this Sanguine had likely asked the help of the black market arms dealer, Ian, from the Bravehearts Bar.
Composite Start
Composite End
This also meant that, in Emlyn’s previous commissions, he must’ve noticed Sharron or Maric; otherwise, it was impossible for him to mention the Rose School of Thought to an ordinary person.
I don’t know enough about the Apothecary pathway. I can’t determine how Emlyn discovered a Wraith or Zombie… Klein crossed his right leg as he placed the letter on his thigh and began scribbling:
“This is likely a mission the Sanguine’s upper echelons gave Emlyn. They hate the Rose School of Thought members who believe in the Primordial Moon, and they have directed this anger at the other factions of the Rose School of Thought…”
Upon writing this, Klein paused and added, “I suspect that the Mother Tree of Desire has the intention of encroaching onto the authority of the Moon domain, but I’m unsure why the Primordial Moon believers would join the Rose School of Thought. This secret existence seems to have a very complicated relationship with the Mother Tree of Desire. They are at odds, but they have also cooperated. It’s hard to tell…”
Putting down his pen and folding the letter, Klein looked at Miss Messenger who had been waiting. He asked with a chortle, “How did you know that I’ll be replying?”
One of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads succinctly answered, “Inkling…”
Right on the heels of that, the four blonde, red-eyed heads spoke one after another, “You…” “Seem a…” Little livelier…” “Recently…”
“Your expression…” “Has also…” “Become much….” “Richer…”
As Klein pulled out the box that was connected to his golden pocket watch, he took out a gold coin from it and said with a self-deprecating smile, “Repeatedly wearing a thick mask isn’t good for one’s mental health. I realized that after becoming a demigod.”
Therefore, unless he was in situations where he needed to disguise or hide his feelings, he limited the use of his Clown’s power to control his emotions.
Composite Start
Composite End
Reinette Tinekerr didn’t say a word as the heads bit on the gold coin and letter before vanishing.
Watching Miss Messenger leave, Klein leaned back slightly and inwardly muttered,
I wonder if Miss Sharron and Maric will use the Sanguine to deal with the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund…
Miss Sharron is probably focusing her time and efforts on her advancement. She might not involve herself, but I can’t be sure about Maric…
Emlyn changed into his Church of Earth Mother priest robes, and then wore a red coat and a silk hat before walking out the Harvest Church. He then got into a rental carriage by the roadside.
After saying his destination, he casually cast his gaze out the window.
At this moment, Emlyn sensed something as he abruptly moved his body, leaving shadowy afterimages in his wake as he moved to the side.
Then, he saw a figure appear out of nowhere.
It was a young man whose coat wasn’t buttoned, revealing the white shirt and black vest within. His brown hair was a little moist and messy as though he hadn’t combed it in a while. His brown eyes were filled with temperance, as though he was restraining certain urges deep within his heart.
Upon seeing this pale corpse-like face, Emlyn tipped his chin and said with a smile, showing no signs of nervousness, “You have finally come.”
“Aren’t you afraid that I’m a member of the Rose School of Thought that’s here to finish you off?” The young man’s figure turned somewhat transparent.
Emlyn scoffed and said, “Would I not be aware of the Rose School of Thought’s history? Or matters about the betrayal of the temperance faction and their escape?
“Well, how do I address you?”
“Maric,” the young man replied. “Is this the information you received from the upper echelons of the Sanguine?”
Emlyn was taken aback as he tsked.
“You are smarter than I thought.”
He used such a remark to confirm the other party’s guess.
Maric slowly drew a breath and leaned forward slightly.
“How did you notice our existence from Ian’s side?”
Emlyn leisurely leaned back into the carriage and said with a smile, “Humans have the smell of humans. Wraiths have the smell of wraiths.”
Maric fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “You Sanguine wish to deal with the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund?”
“The important members,” Emlyn replied by making an emphasis.
“If that’s the case, we can use ourselves as bait to help you fish out the Rose School of Thought members. However, I need confirmation.” Maric rubbed his eyes and said directly, “I know you are unable to make the decision. You can first return to seek permission from the Sanguine. After you obtain their assurance, you know where to find us.”
Having said that, he handed a dossier in his hand.
“This is from Ian. It’s the initial feedback from tracking Ernes Boyar. Many bounty hunters have completed this together.”
Emlyn received the dossier and nodded in a rare look of solemnity.
“Okay.”
Chapter 1001 First Movement
When the Wraith in front of him was gone, Emlyn White retracted his gaze, untied the thread on the dossier, and pulled out the documents inside.
As he read through them, Emlyn had a rough idea of Ernes Boyar’s routine.
This Sanguine Viscount had a routine which was rather random-staying at home, out visiting exhibitions, partaking in wine tasting at manors in the city outskirts, shopping at department stores with female companions, or sketching female models. He was like the typical wealthy man.
However, Ernes had recently been visiting St. George Borough every other day to monitor the renovations of the furniture factory he had invested in. It was a bid to ensure that it could quickly resume work.
This way, the Sanguine Viscount’s lifestyle became repetitive. The places he visited, the paths he took, and the places he had lunch were repeated every other day.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn pressed down on his temples, seriously filtering out three venues which were suitable for the operation.
The first was inside or at the entrance of the furniture factory owned by Ernes Boyar. The second was Saint Hierländ Square where he stopped along the way home for a meal and to feed birds. The third place was Backlund Bridge. Unless Ernes was willing to take a huge detour, he had to pass by this area when traveling between his home and St. George Borough.
These three spots meet the requirement of having plenty of people, making it chaotic. However, Backlund Bridge has too few entrances and exits. With the two ends locked down, one can only leave by jumping into the river, an act only chosen by idiots… Saint Hierländ Square comes under Saint Hierländ Cathedral, core to the Church of Steam in Backlund, and even the entirety of Loen. It’s akin to the second Holy See. It meets Mr. Hanged Man’s suggestion. It can effectively prevent conflicts from escalating, and it can interfere with any subsequent divination and investigations… Emlyn gradually had an inclination.
And once a living being had an inclination, they would unknowingly seek more reasons to affirm their choice, and Emlyn was no exception, without a doubt. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that Saint Hierländ Square met almost all the requirements.
First, Ernes wouldn’t stay in the area for too long. He would have lunch at a restaurant with Sivellaus cuisine since he was born in Sivellaus County.
Secondly, there were several tracked carriage stops in the vicinity, making the area filled with traffic on foot. With most of them being people from the lower or middle class, accidents often happened.
Thirdly, with it as the origin, one would enter the area south of the Bridge if one didn’t head to the Backlund Bridge. It would then be closeby to the Harvest Church.
Finally, at noon, the Saint Hierländ Cathedral would spew steam, turn its levers, and chime a clock. It was inevitable for everyone’s attention to be attracted.
It’s confirmed… Emlyn quickly made up his mind. Raising his right hand and adjusting his bow tie, his red eyes were filled with anticipation.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, he suddenly frowned, sensing that something wasn’t right.
Saint Hierländ Square was just perfect for the job!
It was so suitable that almost all the conditions were met!
Will Ernes be wary against my revenge? Why would he allow himself to stay in such an environment for such long periods of time? Even if he’s stupid enough to not realize it, wouldn’t the earls warn him? The corners of Emlyn’s mouth curled up slightly as he understood the reason.
Saint Hierländ Square was the venue the Sanguine upper echelons had designated “for him”!
Heh… Emlyn chuckled, keeping his mouth curled.
He decided to request Mr. Fool to have a gathering for the few members and also invite Mr. Hanged Man to discuss the plan in detail!
This was different from the framework that they had previously decided upon. They needed to consider every detail and consider every problem!
At fifteen minutes to twelve, St. George Borough, Saint Hierländ Square.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In a private room on the third story of a restaurant northwest of the square.
A figure stood in front of the window, holding a cup filled with scarlet blood-like liquid. He was leisurely looking at the fountain nearby and the crowds that came and went.
He was a lanky person, wearing a formal suit meant for banquets. His light-colored hair that was nearly silver and his bright red eyes combined together to give him a sense of coquettish handsomeness. There was a constant faint smile lining his lips.
“My lord, will it really be fine? Emlyn seems to be different from before. This can be seen from his recent hunt of the Primordial Moon believers.” A middle-aged man in a dark suit walked to the window and said with some hint of worry.
The man who had been politely addressed cast his gaze at the square where Emlyn White stood. He was listening to a violinist busking on the street as he chuckled.
“Our preparations are enough even against a demigod, much less a kid who hasn’t even become a viscount.
“Besides, we don’t really plan on doing anything serious. Our only goal is to identify and make confirmations. This is a lot simpler than preventing certain people from escaping.”
As he spoke, the man with the light hair and bright red eyes raised his right hand slightly, rotating the ring on his left ring finger.
The ring was made of silver, and embedded in it was a strange gem with a ghostly-blue hue.
Composite Start
Composite End
On a carriage driving towards Saint Hierländ Square, Ernes Boyar had his right hand over his left. He naturally rotated the ring on his ring finger that had a ghostly-blue gem embedded in it.
He casually looked out the window and saw a trackless carriage slowly drive over from afar. A paperboy slightly taller than 160 centimeters had a sling bag across his chest as he peddled his papers along the street. Quite a number of bicycles had replaced the carriages that were often seen last year. They darted through the crowds in St. George Borough.
Here, the number of workers wearing light blue or grayish-blue uniforms with hats had far exceeded the number of people in formal suits and top hats.
Ernes retracted his gaze as he chuckled. He had no fear about what would happen next. He even looked forward to
it.
He believed that he had made enough preparations.
He wore Oath of Rose on his left hand. It allowed him to share what he saw, heard, and smelled with Earl Mistral from a distance away. It made sure that nothing would go wrong while ensuring that their objective was met.
In his inner pocket where his silver pocket watch was, there was a Moon Paper Figurine. These could suffer a single lethal blow or an attack that targeted his Soul Body. It ensured that he wouldn’t suffer any serious injuries or death within a short span of time.
He also wore Alcohol Nemesis, a diamond brooch. It kept him brimming with energy with lucidity in his thoughts. It raised his resistance against spells that acted on the Body of Heart and Mind.
By his waist was a belt named Moonlight Sash. It could effectively reduce Sun and Lightning damage.
Composite Start
Composite End
These mystical items were the accumulation of Ernes’s wealth or were bestowed by Earl Mistral. It made sure that Ernes was a “target” that could hardly be quickly finished off or controlled.
With the Sanguine Viscount’s natural resistance against Nightmare-type influences, Ernes was nearly without weakness. Even against a demigod, he could put up a fight as long as the latter didn’t reveal their Mythical Creature form.
The only problem is that the negative effects of all these mystical items are quite excessive… Ernes’s facial muscles twitched, but he quickly composed himself.
The Oath of Rose would make his thoughts appear in Earl Mistral’s mind from time to time. And if he kept wearing it for a week without removing it, the pair who had the matching rings might very well end up in love, regardless of gender or race.
Moon Paper Figurine was an expendable item. It had nearly zero side effects apart from making the body slightly cold.
The Alcohol Nemesis brooch’s problem was that it would deal continuous damage to one’s liver and brain. If it was worn for excessively long periods of time, it might result in one losing one’s thoughts and logical reasoning. Therefore, one had to take it off for fifteen minutes after every half an hour of equipping it.
Once Moonlight Sash was worn, it made all senses much sharper, making it easy for one to see and hear things one shouldn’t see or hear. At the same time, the wearer would feel itchy at intermittent intervals.
Let’s hope they don’t cower in fear and that this doesn’t drag on… Ernes Boyar checked on his condition once again, casting his gaze of anticipation at the Saint Hierländ Square’s entrance nearby.
On the other end of Saint Hierländ Square, Emlyn White, who was taking in the sights of the buskers on the streets, suddenly looked up at a bird that flew over.
Following that, he raised his hand to press down on his top hat. Bowing his head slightly, he briskly walked to the middle of the square, approaching the fountain.
In this process, Emlyn’s figure kept moving as he mixed into the crowd.
However, this failed to avoid Earl Mistral’s tracking.
This Sanguine Earl with silver hair rotated the ghostly-blue gem ring on his left ring finger and coldly said, “Take note.”
At the entrance of Saint Hierländ Square, Ernes Boyar grew increasingly pumped. He knew that the operation was about to come-finally.
Emlyn still chose Saint Hierländ Square after all… Ernes cast his gaze out the window once more, warily watching the pedestrians on the street, the trackless public carriages that were about to pass him, the ordinary paperboy who was peddling his papers, and the elegant windows of the surrounding houses and shops.
He didn’t believe that Emlyn’s potential partners were hiding in there, because there were even more, better spots in Saint Hierländ Square that made it conducive to take action. However, he still kept up the required level of wariness.
Suddenly, his body lunged forward slightly as he nearly got out of his seat.
The carriage he was on had stopped without any warning!
Right on the heels of that, the horses that pulled the carriage seemed to be in a nightmare as they raised their front hooves, struggling wildly, flipping the carriage to the ground.
During this process, Ernes Boyar actually had ample space, time, and strength to help the carriage driver control the berserk horse. However, he didn’t do so, because he saw a transparent wolf-shaped specter jump over from outside the window. It had thrown a rose within its body.
A rose!
Ernes Boyar’s eyes widened as the carriage toppled.
He hurriedly jumped to the side and out the carriage as he made an illusory and incorporeal black chain extend out of the void. It wrapped around the wolf-shape specter!
With a soft poof, the wolf-shaped specter dissipated without a struggle.
And when Ernes Boyar found his footing, he stood there motionless, his eyes turbid.
He had already been pulled into a deep sleep.
In a trackless public carriage that passed him by, a black-haired, green-eyed young man wore a thin trench coat. His back was facing the middle of the street as he focused on reading a notebook with a green-bronze hardcover.
Around him, the other passengers were either reading the papers or chatting. Some were looking out only to see the berserk horse quickly recover.
With a whoosh, the black-haired, green-eyed man flipped the page of the notebook.
The trackless carriage continued forward and gradually distanced itself.
Chapter 1002 Second Movement
Saint Hierländ Square, in the northwestern corner, at the third story of a restaurant.
When the wolf specter with the rose appeared in front of Ernes Boyar, the silver-haired, scarlet-eyed Mistral retracted his gaze from Ernes Boyar. Darkness suffused from behind him as countless tiny bats flew within.
Bribe… Just as this Sanguine Earl silently muttered this single word, he “saw” the toppled carriage, “heard” the neighing of the horse, and “smelled” all kinds of smells. However, he wasn’t able to instantly find the origin of the disturbance and accident.
At this moment, his “vision” darkened as his “eyes” seemed to lose the ability to take in light. The din in his “ears” also halted!
Earl Mistral chortled inwardly as he immediately fused with the bats behind him, re-materializing beside Ernes Boyar.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, in his black “vision,” a point of light appeared.
This point of light rapidly expanded as it grew brighter and brighter. A golden figure with twelve pairs of pitch-black wings walked out of it!
The pairs of wings spread out, blanketing Mistral’s “vision,” causing light and darkness to mix. This created mysterious and complicated symbols that didn’t differentiate themselves within the golden figure. It was both holy and corrupted, both light and dark.
Angel! Mistral’s pupils widened slightly as he couldn’t help but take a step back, terminating his previous thoughts.
In confusion, Ernes Boyar rapidly snapped awake when he saw a pair of limpid eyes that resembled crystalline gems or a lake. He felt a copy of the newspapers being stuffed into his hand.
In those emerald-green eyes were ripples. Deep within the emanating ripples were twirls of a vortex that seemed to suck in the soul of anyone who lay their eyes on them.
Ernes Boyar instantly became engrossed in it as he couldn’t move his eyes away.
Then, he heard a gentle and ethereal female voice in his ears:
“Take this newspaper and follow Emlyn White…
Composite Start
Composite End
“Take this newspaper and follow Emlyn White…”
This voice was layered as it resounded within Ernes Boyar’s ears. It drilled into his brain, sinking deep into his heart.
Ernes Boyar nodded in a daze, sensing that there was more, but he couldn’t hear it clearly.
The paperboy with a sling bag diagonally across his shoulders swiftly turned around and agilely passed through the bicycles, mixing into the crowd that came and went.
This “boy” had a pretty face as “his” messy hair drooped down and hid “his” brows. As “he” walked, “he” took off a black fishnet glove that “he” had worn at some point in time, stuffing it into “his” sling bag filled with newspapers.
As the wind blew, “his” clothes shrank as a spot on “his” exposed arm protruded out.
A few seconds later, Ernes Boyar suddenly jumped back from where he stood, doing so as though he had been trying to dodge something.
No good! I was influenced by a Nightmare’s ability! Just as he found his footing, his pupils dilated as he looked around his surroundings in a state of high alert, prepared for any impending attacks.
Although Ernes Boyar was perplexed about how easily he was pulled into a dream, he knew that it wasn’t time to consider the details. What followed next was key. He couldn’t afford to be distracted.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Ring!
A few bicycles passed him as they used their bells to warn the gentleman in the middle of the road to make way.
Ernes Boyar narrowed his eyes as he glared at him, his muscles under his clothes ready to deliver their might.
Ie
These few bicycles circled around him as the pedestrians came and went, some slowing down their footsteps and pointing their fingers.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
Twelve gongs were heard as the white steam spewed out from the chimneys of Saint Hierländ Cathedral. The holy hymns of praise resounded as the gears and levers got to work.
On the square, everyone stopped in their footsteps. At that holy moment, they either closed their eyes in prayer or were listening silently, regardless of whether they were believers of the God of Steam and Machinery or not. Only the pigeons that were being fed flew up and soared into the sky.
Gong Gong! Gong!
Composite Start
Composite End
As the gongs sounded, no one moved. Even Earl Mistral, who was inside a private room at the restaurant, stood there motionless with a heavy expression.
His “vision” had already recovered, but all he saw was workers wearing grayish-blue or light-blue clothes and bicycles of the same make. Apart from that, he discovered nothing. Furthermore, Ernes Boyar hadn’t been injured at all.
Of course, he had guessed that the paperboy was problematic from the newspaper in the Sanguine Viscount’s hand. However, he didn’t attempt to carry out a pursuit.
Clearly, the power that had borrowed the level of an angel didn’t belong to a Low- or Mid-Sequence Beyonder. This also meant that Emlyn White’s faction had at least a demigod hidden in the vicinity. Mistral believed that once he took action, he was bound to be stopped or even incur retaliation.
In a situation of being easily detected while not knowing where his opponents were hiding, Mistral believed that it spelled trouble. Carrying out a pursuit in such cases only exacerbated the matter.
Furthermore, to the Sanguine, this was only a test. If the faction backing Emlyn had mobilized a demigod, they could detain that powerhouse thanks to Ernes Boyar’s protective measures. And through Oath of Rose, Mistral could confirm the attacker’s identity. They had never thought of escalating the matter into an intense conflict. In their plans, it only involved Earl Mistral stopping the other party to prevent Ernes Boyar from suffering any harm.
In the present situation, they had lost the initiative. To forcefully carry out a pursuit might highly likely result in a demigods’ battle. And in Backlund, around Saint Hierländ Cathedral, this was equivalent to suicide.
Besides, to Mistral, since the other demigod hadn’t personally taken action and had only provided auxiliary help, to personally take action and make a pursuit would be a loss of decorumand an insult to his reputation as a Sanguine Earl.
Humph! I want to see what happens next! Mistral’s facial muscles twitched as he rotated the ghostly-blue ring on his left hand once more.
After the twelve gongs, Emlyn started walking again. He circled past the fountain and arrived at the other end of Saint Hierländ Square amidst the landing pigeons.
Composite Start
Composite End
He then saw Ernes Boyar, who had his back hunched slightly, afraid to even move half a step. He saw the toppled carriage, the horse that was flicking its tail, and the carriage driver who wore a look of pain.
Emlyn walked over, took out a wallet, and pulled out 100 pounds. He handed it to the carriage driver and said, “This is your compensation.”
“Ah?” The carriage driver wore a blank but pleasantly surprised look.
The rental carriage wasn’t his. He was only an ordinary employee. After the carriage was damaged because of the horse being startled, he experienced a brief moment of feeling the pinch. Following that, it was anxiousness and despair that ruled over his mind.
Based on the so-called contract and other similar accidents he had seen over the years, he was responsible for all of this. This meant compensation from him and, with his income and family situation, meant bankruptcy!
During that short moment, all kinds of thoughts had surfaced in the carriage driver’s mind. They were mainly of three types. One was to scare the frozen gentleman and get him to pay compensation. This prevented his family from falling apart, with his children having to slave away at the factories at a young age. Another option was to immediately bring the horse to a gangster and sell it. Then, he would return home and leave Backlund with his wife and children. The last option was to arrange for his family to move from the place they rented. He would then plead with the owner of the carriage, hoping that he could repay it in installments. If the person wasn’t agreeable, he would rather be thrown into jail than reimburse him a single penny.
Now, having 100 pounds suddenly hit him left his mind groggy. He was at a loss for words.
100 pounds was enough to buy a brand new rental carriage and even more!
Emlyn ignored the carriage driver and looked at Ernes.
“Everything’s fine now.”
Aren’t you the biggest problem? How can it be fine with you here? Ernes lampooned as he rotated the ring with the ghostly-blue gem on his left hand.
For some unknown reason, he felt that he should believe Emlyn White and even approach him.
Emlyn shot a glance, suddenly turned around, and walked briskly into an alley.
Ernes subconsciously opened up his stride and followed closely behind. He kept holding onto the newspaper in hand.
The two Sanguine moved at extremely fast speeds, with one running and the other chasing. However, they didn’t dare reveal anything extraordinary.
When Earl Mistral sensed that the two Sanguine were beyond the reach of his spirituality, he used the connection between the paired Oath of Rose rings to follow behind unhurriedly.
Emlyn occasionally made detours, taking shortcuts and occasionally returning to spots they had been before. It made it difficult to guess where his destination was. As for Ernes, he was like a bull having seen a red cloth. He refused to give up as he followed closely behind.
Unknowingly, the two Sanguine arrived at Rose Street which was south of the Bridge.
At this moment, Emlyn suddenly sped up. He wasn’t afraid that others saw him producing after-images as he dashed right into the Harvest Church.
Ernes did the same.
Not good! From afar, Earl Mistral was just about to descend upon them to stop the subsequent developments when Ernes’s figure vanished inside the Harvest Church’s entrance.
Kacha!
A tile at Mistral’s foot instantly shattered.
After entering the cathedral, Ernes came to a realization. He then saw a figure wearing a brown priest robe stand up at the front of all the rows of pews. He appeared like a mountain.
At the same time, the entire cathedral turned heavy as if it was a jail. It seemed to fuse with the land itself.
Ernes’s mind buzzed immediately as another voice sounded in his mind:
“After you awaken from the first hypnosis, throw all the items on you to Emlyn White.”
Amidst shuffling sounds, Ernes took off his sash, threw out the brooch, and slammed the various items towards Emlyn White. This included his silver pocket watch and a wallet filled with
cash.
Pa!
The newspaper in his hand fell to the ground, throwing out a paper card that was stuffed within.
On the paper card was the goddess of justice sitting on a chair and holding a sword and scale.
It was the tarot card—Justice.
Chapter 1003 Ritornello
After throwing everything other than his clothes, Ernes Boyar was stunned for a moment before he snapped to his senses.
What am I doing? What did I do? This Sanguine Viscount finally recalled the matters he had deliberately forgotten— those pair of emerald-green, limpid eyes.
A psychological cue, no—hypnosis… Ernes Boyar looked around in anger and irresistible horror, instinctively taking in the situation he was in.
His gaze then landed on the mountain-like figure. He saw Father Utravsky with his thin and sparse brows.
Instantly, Ernes Boyar had all sorts of thoughts run through his mind and collide with one another. He quickly came up with one intense thought.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t put up any resistance, and he immediately said, “I’ll come here to do a month of volunteer work!”
Emlyn’s predicament had long been spread amongst the Sanguine in Backlund. Ernes Boyar was well aware of Father Utravsky and knew that, even if he were to put up a fight, it was difficult for him to escape the fate of doing volunteer work. He might as well surrender and choose conditions that were more beneficial to him.
At the very least, I shouldn’t have any cues planted in my mind and end up converting my faith to Earth Mother… This thought flashed through Ernes’s mind. He discovered a lantern in Utravsky’s hand, and inside it was a strange candle that seemed to be covered in human skin with protruding lumps.
Under the candlelight’s faint illumination, Ernes’s pupils widened again. He only had one thought on his mind remaining as it kept resonating:
Another psychological cue…
At that moment, he felt the gloominess thicken in his heart.
“Alright,” Utravsky nodded and agreed to Ernes Boyar’s request.
Emlyn held back his smugness and pleased smile. He then looked at the items he had caught, looking like a farmer who had just reaped a bountiful harvest.
In a private room on the third story of a restaurant northwest of the square, the lights darkened as a huge shadow appeared.
Composite Start
Composite End
Tiny bats flew out of the darkness and quickly clumped together.
Smoke rose up as the silver-haired, scarlet-eyed Earl Mistral appeared at the spot where the bats had appeared. Everything around him had been restored to normal.
His servant, a middle-aged man in a dark formal suit immediately stepped forward and asked with a bow, “My lord, are you having your meal now?”
He couldn’t tell if things had happened smoothly, or if something had gone wrong, much less about the success of the outcome from the earl’s face. However, he didn’t dare inquire.
Mistral nodded and said, “Yes.”
He walked to the table with a composed look, took off the ring with the ghostly-blue gem, and sat down without showing a chink in his disposition. It was as though he had headed out to feed the pigeons.
This rich smell is rather unique, but it’s not bad… In the private room neighboring Earl Mistral, Klein was wearing a very ordinary face as he commented on the Sivellaus cuisine delicacy—lamb tripe.
This punishment operation was an attempt by the few members of the Tarot Club—one that didn’t need The World or Mr. Fool’s interference—but considering how Miss Justice and The Moon Emlyn had zero experience in such matters and lacked experience in other matters, he had come to the area incognito as a final safeguard.
He had previously used his marionette to pray to The Fool while he entered the attached bathroom of his private room to head above the gray fog. Using the corresponding point of light, he had taken in the entire square and its surroundings.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He kept holding the Sea God Scepter the entire time, prepared to deliver a lightning strike to prevent any problems once he discovered anything amiss.
However, he ultimately didn’t do a thing. Everything happened more smoothly than he imagined.
There was no need for him to consider the experienced The Star Leonard, but Miss Justice, who was participating in such matters for the first time, had exceeded his expectations. She wasn’t nervous at all, not showing any signs of panic!
Indeed. A Sequence 6 of the Spectator pathway is far greater than Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders of the other pathways when it comes to controlling emotions. Even if she felt uneasy, she would’ve resolved it with her Beyonder powers before the operation… Klein nodded indiscernibly as he continued sampling the other delicacies.
Outside the window, on Saint Hierland Square, it became filled with lively music, an eclectic mix of the flute, violin, accordion, and seven-string guitar.
A rental carriage was slowly circling around the perimeter of Saint Hierland Square.
Leonard Mitchell, who was prepared to return to the north bank of the Backlund Bridge, took one look at the pigeons in the middle of the square before asking with a suppressed voice, “Old Man, what’s your take regarding the outcome of this operation?”
After he pulled Ernes Boyar into a dream, he flipped Leymano’s Travels and activated Angel’s Embrace. He then left the scene on carriage, unsure of the subsequent developments.
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast snapped back, “In the Fourth Epoch, there’s such a saying—believe in the might of deities.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This means that this matter has received the tacit approval of Mr. Fool, so it’s bound to succeed? However, Old Man doesn’t know much about the Tarot Club. Mr. Fool is a witness most of the time, so there’s no so-called tacit approval… Leonard mumbled inwardly before diverting the topic:
“Why doesn’t this saying feel complete?”
He had never informed Pallez Zoroast of the exact situation of the Tarot Club. All he did was give mention of the general situation of the Tarot Club and inform “Him” of the matters that had been approved by Mr. Fool.
Pallez chuckled and said, “Indeed. There’s also a second half of the saying: Do not trust ‘Their’ benevolence.”
Believe in the might of deities, but do not trust “Their” benevolence… Leonard repeated in silence as he looked down at the notebook with a bronze hardcover.
He then muttered wistfully, “This is really akin to a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. Furthermore, resolving its negative effects is relatively simple.”
Before this operation, consideration was given to the fact that Beyonders of the pathway involving the Moon domain, as well as the darkness, had relatively stronger resistance against Nightmare-related effects. Leonard had originally planned on borrowing Creeping Hunger from The World Klein Moretti. However, after some subsequent discussion, Miss Magician mentioned the traits of Leymano’s Travels, giving him a better option.
Hence, Klein, who was originally responsible for Angel’s Embrace, lent him Creeping Hunger for three hours. Various useful Beyonder powers were recorded, such as Bribe—Weaken.
“This is something from the Abraham family,” Pallez Zoroast said with a sigh.
Leonard had long known of this as he nodded indiscernibly. He then asked, “Old Man, do you have the means of weakening or controlling the negative effects of the mystical item I previously mentioned?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“You call that a mystical item? That’s something that requires sealing!” Pallez first reprimanded Leonard. Then, he said, “Didn’t you say that it has a living characteristic? That makes it much easier to resolve.”
Leonard felt relieved as he cast his gaze out the window again, taking in the sight of Saint Hierland Cathedral, which had parts resembling factories.
In Phelps Street, North Borough, in the vicinity of Saint Samuel Cathedral, at the entrance of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
After changing her clothes, Audrey got off a carriage like an ordinary girl.
She had already gotten rid of her paperboy attire at a hotel room that had been prepared ahead of time. And that room was reserved by someone under Emlyn’s instructions. It had nothing to do with her.
At this moment, there were people coming and going at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation’s entrance, but Audrey walked over without any hesitation.
No one looked at her, as though she lived in another world.
Audrey briskly walked into the foyer, went up to the second story, and headed for the director’s office. And everyone who she walked past seemed to join her in playing a game, pretending as though they hadn’t seen her. They weren’t puzzled about why this unfamiliar girl was inside.
Audrey was just about to enter the office when she suddenly heard a familiar voice inside:
“Miss Audrey, this is the amount of donations we have gathered this week…”
Audrey couldn’t help but curl the ends of her lips as she gently nudged the ajar door and walked in.
Inside the office, a staff member was holding a stack of documents, showing it to the person behind the desk.
Sitting behind the desk was a golden retriever with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses hanging by her neck.
It sat at the director’s seat, casually flipping through the documents, and said, “That wouldn’t be an issue.”
The staff member then took back the document and smiled at the golden retriever.
Then, I’ll take my leave, Miss Audrey.”
Behind her, Audrey held back her laughter as she walked to the sofa. She silently watched the staff member leave without interrupting the golden retriever from reading the other documents.
Susie seriously read the different documents, afraid that something wrong would happen to her acting; thus, affecting Audrey’s matters.
After a while, she suddenly looked around in puzzlement.
“Audrey, are you back?”
How did you notice?” Audrey stood up from the sofa and appeared within Susie’s sights.
For this operation, she had specially spoken to Susie. She got the latter to replace her at work in the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation. Then, with the golden retriever in tow, she hypnotized all the staff members who would interact with her that day, making them treat Susie as Audrey.
As for any possible visitors, she told her staff that there would only be guests in the afternoon.
And the signal to snap out of the hypnosis was the cathedral bells at two in the afternoon.
Susie jumped off the chair after seeing Audrey, saying in exasperation, “It’s almost two.”
That’s right… Audrey inwardly made a silly face as she rushed into the small lounge and changed into her clothes. She then used Lie’s Flame Controlling powers to bum her previous disguise.
After returning to her office and sitting at her seat, she felt completely relaxed. She clasped her hands together and lightly pursed her lips.
To be frank, she had always been nervous. However, she had successfully cast Placate on herself before the operation, preventing any slip-ups.
It’s quite interesting now that I reminisce over it. We even discussed how we would compensate those who were affected… Audrey, well done! A smile beamed on the blonde, green-eyed beauty as it grew brighter.
After this operation, she realized that her Hypnotist potion had digested by a significant amount. Furthermore, she had also confirmed one thing: The mystical item, Hand of Horror, which came with Bribe—Charm worked perfectly with Hypnosis!
Yes, I also learned that Mr. Moon’s name is Emlyn White… He didn’t bother hiding the matter, because he had to tell me. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have achieved our goals… Yes, yes. Perhaps just giving the name of the cathedral was enough, but that will still expose his identity… I’m still feeling some anxiety. I was too stiff when hypnotizing. I actually used words that were too direct during the first level of hypnosis… Audrey cast Placate on her slightly agitated feelings as she reviewed the entire operation, hoping that she could draw from the experience and lessons of today.
Gong! Gong!
Saint Samuel Cathedral’s bells chimed, indicating that it was two in the afternoon.
Many staff who were inside 22 Phelps Street at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation had their bodies tremble after hearing it. Following that, they continued with their work as though nothing had happened.
Gong! Gong!
Amidst the cathedral’s bells, Klein, who had transformed back into Dwayne Dantes, once again walked to 160 Boklund Street’s balcony and took in the situation of Macht’s house.
At this moment, a carriage passed by his residence’s entrance and drove to the end of the street. Suddenly, Klein felt his perception trigger as a scene surfaced in his mind.
A gray rat was leaning against the carriage’s window, leisurely watching the street scenery.
Chapter 1004 Third Movement
Gray rat… Klein’s eyelids twitched as he didn’t hesitate to turn back into his half-open room, leave the balcony, and enter the master bedroom. He then entered the bathroom.
He moved at an adequate pace, doing so as though he had been repeating this entire process like a daily routine.
Locking the bathroom’s door, Klein took four steps counterclockwise and passed through the gray fog filled with ravings and roars, finally taking his seat on the high-back chair of The Fool.
And before this, he made his valet, Enuni, who was standing by the corridor, softly pray to Sea God Kalvetua.
Using the corresponding point of light, he beckoned for the Sea God Scepter and began expanding his vision. He then locked onto the carriage that was driving towards Macht’s residence—39 Boklund Street.
And this time, the person leaning against the glass window and leisurely taking in the scenery was no longer a gray rat but a young man wearing a silk top hat and black trench coat.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He had black hair and black eyes. His face was thin with a broad forehead. He wore a crystal monocle and had a faint smile on his lips. He was none other than the Blasphemer, the Angel of Time, son of the Creator—Amon!
Although Klein was already mentally prepared, his anxiety made his entire body feel chilly.
Amon had clearly appeared in “His” original form, but after stealing the rat demigod’s destiny, “He” appeared as a gray rat in everyone’s eyes without incurring any suspicion.
He and his brother, Angel of Imagination Adam, had certain powers which were similar. It left terror in the mind of others the more they thought about it, but it was intrinsically different!
If not for the gray fog and not for my deeper control of this place, I wouldn’t have discovered it either… Klein felt a mix of joy and alarm as he expanded his vision to seek out Amon’s avatars.
Compared to the grafting of destiny, the signs of Parasitizing was a lot clearer.
However, Klein didn’t notice anything this time.
Be it the other passengers in the carriage, the horses that towed the carriage, or the surrounding trees and air, there wasn’t any sign of Parasitizing!
This is different from what Leonard’s grandpa said… Shouldn’t the appearance of one Amon mean the accompaniment of many more Amons? “He” is clearly aware that “He” was discovered by a Bizarro Sorcerer of the Church of Evernight, and “He” suspects that Boklund Street is under surveillance. Therefore, “He” only sent a single avatar to investigate the situation? Klein frowned as he came up with theories. He was a little unsure of how to handle the current development.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, he recalled Pallez Zoroast mentioning that as long as one avatar was resolved, “He” could eliminate all the Amons in Boklund Street. And now, there was only one Amon in Boklund Street, a perfect time to take action!
I’ll first hear what the expert’s opinion is… Klein immediately conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow’s figure at the other end of the long bronze table and made him reverently and piously pray.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, please inform Leonard Mitchell that Amon has appeared at 39 Boklund Street, but there’s only one…”
While Gehrman Sparrow made the prayer, Klein didn’t stop monitoring the carriage. He saw Hazel in a light-colored dress alight and enter her foyer.
Amon, who was wearing a monocle and black trench coat, walked behind her with complete composure. Despite not having any concealment, the servants didn’t notice him at all. It was as though there was only air or some inconspicuous creature behind Miss Hazel.
Occasionally, the female servants would look at the ground and jump in fright. Just as they were about to scream, they would forget what they were about to do after their mouths opened.
Amon passed through the foyer and walked up the stairs. Pinching the crystal monocle, Amon stuffed “His” hands into “His” pockets.
Ringed transparent worms began squirming out of “His” body as they crawled in every direction before vanishing.
This left Klein’s scalp tingling. He recalled Pallez Zoroast’s description of Amon’s Parasitizing power: a plague-like infection!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hazel had been in an excellent mood recently. This was because her teacher hadn’t truly gone mad. Everything that happened previously was only a test, and she had passed it with flying colors.
This made her gain plenty of knowledge about the supernatural world. She learned the essence of the potions and grasped the acting method. She also gained the opportunity to advance to Cryptologist.
She was currently a Sequence 7 Beyonder!
So the world actually has such a magical side to it… I wonder when I can become a demigod and shake off my mortal coils… Hazel glanced at the hanging wall clock and rubbed her sunken tummy. She decided to get her mother to bring forward the high tea session today. After all, there weren’t any guests.
At noon, she had used the excuse of heading out for a meal to bring her teacher back. She also took the opportunity to act and hadn’t had anything to eat.
Upon thinking that, she glanced at her teacher who was sprawled on a leather cushion on the sofa. The gray rat had raised its front paw and pressed on its right eye.
“Do you need any food?” Hazel asked reverently.
The rat lowered its front paw and answered unhurriedly, “There’s no need.”
“Alright, Teacher.” Hazel turned around and walked forward, opening the door to her bedroom.
Composite Start
Composite End
Her lady’s maid was standing along the corridor, leisurely looking at the balcony at the end of the corridor as though she was admiring the afternoon sky.
Hazel indiscernibly frowned and said, “Guard this place. Don’t let anyone in.”
The lady’s maid shot one glance at her and smiled.
Yes, Miss.”
Only then did Hazel leave her bedroom and head for the activity room on the second story. She found her mother, Ma’am Riana.
This lady with the same black-green hair received a pair of gem-embedded glasses with a gold chain hanging from it from her lady’s maid. It was more an accessory than an eyesight-correction tool.
“Don’t tell me that you don’t like it?” Hazel asked in puzzlement.
The corners of Ma’am Riana’s mouth curled slightly.
“I like it now.”
As she said that, she wore the glasses.
Composite Start
Composite End
As Hazel was just about to say something, she heard footsteps approaching.
She turned her head to find her father, Member of Parliament Macht, coming home early.
“Father, didn’t you say that you’d be at the Military Veterans Mess?” Hazel asked in passing.
There wasn’t anyone there today.” Macht raised his right hand and pinched the two sides of his eyes.
Hazel thought nothing of it as she nodded.
“Perfect, we haven’t had high tea together in a long time.”
“That’s right.” Member of Parliament Macht and Ma’am Riana laughed at the same time as a faint smile appeared on their lips.
At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard, who had just returned from Saint Hierland Square, threw himself onto the sofa as he lifted his feet onto the coffee table.
Having not received any “information,” he believed that the punishment operation had come to a perfect end, allowing him to look forward to the spoils of war.
“Old Man, didn’t you say that the Sanguine Viscount had many mystical items on him? Can you tell me what they are?” Leonard softly asked in puzzlement.
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast harrumphed.
“Items of that level aren’t worth my notice.”
Leonard was just about to press further when his vision suddenly blurred. He saw the boundless grayish-white fog and Gehrman Sparrow’s blurry figure, as well as his prayer.
“…Amon has appeared at 39 Boklund Street, but there’s only one…”
Amon has appeared? That quickly? Leonard, who had already relaxed, retracted his feet immediately and sat straight up. He became more anxious than before the punishment operation began.
He hurriedly informed Pallez Zoroast of Klein’s words and asked, “…Old Man, what do we do now? Begin the operation? But there’s only one Amon avatar!”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for two seconds before saying, “If there’s only one Amon, it implies that ‘He’ has other motives, but none of that matters.
“In the Fourth Epoch, there’s a saying—there’s no point crying over spilled milk. Since it has begun, we can’t falter. If we delay this any further, Amon will attempt to influence the entire street. When that happens, ‘He’ will definitely discover Dwayne Dantes’s abnormality.”
Klein returned to the real world and walked out of the bathroom.
He had already made the corresponding preparations. He had Creeping Hunger on his left hand and an emblem carved from obsidian in his right.
Then, he made Enuni snap his fingers and use Flaming Jump to enter 39 Boklund Street—Member of Parliament Macht’s house—with the appearance of Gehrman Sparrow.
Control of the Spirit Body Threads was instantly transferred to Klein, but this only seemed to sink into the vast ocean without any reaction.
He had lost control of his marionette!
This… Klein’s eyelid twitched as he heard the door to the master bedroom creak open.
It was Enuni.
This youth with Loen and Balam blood in him had pushed open the door and walked in, completely outside of Klein’s control.
He then took out a crystal monocle from his pocket and rubbed it with his sleeve. Then, he leisurely wore it on his right eye.
He then looked at Dwayne Dantes, the corners of his mouth curling up.
“Found you.”
The mood in the bedroom froze as Enuni, who was pinching on the monocle, continued, “Flora Jacob’s destiny was filled with too many abnormalities, and they mainly came from this street. This piqued my interest, and I spent some time to distinguish and seek out the source. It took me so many days to find you.
“I’m no stranger to this mirror, and I can control it, but I’ve never seen it ingratiate itself so much towards one person. This really is an interesting matter. Perhaps, I should steal your destiny and see why that is the case? Ah, right. You likely do not know of its origins. It’s in no way simple…”
Chapter 1005 Fourth Movement
Wearing a monocle, Amon, who wore the appearance of Enuni, didn’t seem like an infiltrator or assailant. Instead, “He” appeared like a visitor as “He” eagerly mentioned all the preparations “He” had done, as well as Arrodes’s origins.
“He” paused before “He” could finish “His” sentence. Dwayne Dantes opposite “Him” had turned into a dirty gray rat.
The rat raised its right claw, pressing at its eye.
At the same time, in the garden of 160 Boklund Street, with his thin and cut, black-haired, brown-eyed face, Gehrman Sparrow appeared in the middle of a bunch of roses.
Back when Amon was saying something highly enticing, “He” had secretly split off a Worm of Time in an attempt to invade Klein’s body in order to Parasitize him. However, Klein had been on high alert the entire time. He detected this attempt via the changes in his Spirit Body Threads, so he rapidly created a marionette at the critical moment and swapped locations!
Silently, Amon, who looked like a mixed-blood youth, appeared in front of Klein.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Behind “Him,” a twelve-ringed transparent worm fell from the third story and returned to “His” body.
And at that instant, the earthworms in the garden’s soil, the insects in the woods, the rats in the shadows all crawled out, either swarming towards Gehrman Sparrow and Amon or were fleeing from this region.
The main reason why Klein had patiently listened to Amon was to use that time to create marionettes!
To a Bizarro Sorcerer, they were only complete with their marionettes!
Amon still wasn’t in a rush to take action. “He” pinched the monocle embedded deep in “His” eye socket and looked around, saying with a smile, “Your actions often expose your problems. To a master of deceit, everything that you did was enough for me to detect your weakness.
“In such a tense and dangerous situation, you actually chose to convert rats, insects, birds, and earthworms into being your marionettes without considering your servants. What does this tell me? It says that you have outstanding moral standards. You still view yourself as human and are unwilling to harm them.
“Upon grasping this point, even if my avatar is inferior to you, it’s still easy to break you down. You wouldn’t even be capable of dying even if you wish for it.
“Ah, right. You can stop your attempts at secretly controlling my Spirit Body Threads. This is because you’re controlling the Spirit Body Threads I stole. They belong to your butler, your maid, and your coachman. If this continues, I’m afraid you will feel a deep sense of guilt.”
Even Spirit Body Threads can be stolen? No, it’s more like grafting… Klein’s expression froze slightly as he terminated his control of Amon’s Spirit Body Threads.
Composite Start
Composite End
He had been patient, allowing Amon to drone on with his drivel, mainly doing so because he was secretly trying to turn Amon’s avatar into his marionette.
To a Bizarro Sorcerer, battles like this, where he stalled for time and exerted his influence in secret, should’ve been something he was best at and something he enjoyed the most. Unfortunately, he had encountered Blasphemer Amon, the current pinnacle existence of the Marauder pathway. Even if he was only facing an avatar, he could do nothing about “Him.”
Klein actually suspected that Amon’s words were a ruse, but he wasn’t able to see through it. He didn’t dare take the risk.
During such times, he needed the help of a Spectator!
“For you to say so much, I doubt it’s solely to think of the means to Parasitize me, right? You should know that, before severely injuring me, it’s very difficult to Parasitize a Bizarro Sorcerer who can see Spirit Body Threads,” Klein calmly said as he wore Gehrman Sparrow’s face.
Amon immediately chortled.
“You’ve finally noticed it.”
“You’re trying to steal my destiny?” Klein swapped locations with a marionette once again, constantly making his actual body appear in different corners of the garden.
“No.” Amon shook “His” head, keeping “His” hands in “His” pockets while leisurely saying with a smile, “If a magic mirror like Arrodes is willing to listen to your instructions and deliberately ingratiate itself towards you, it means that you aren’t as simple as I imagined. I’m not a Beyonder of the Tyrant pathway, so I wouldn’t be so rash as to directly steal your destiny. Heh heh, I suddenly have a feeling that directly replacing you would result in something I don’t wish to see happening.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“How did you know Arrodes is ingratiating itself? Flora Jacob’s destiny shouldn’t have something like that.” Klein appeared on a tree.
His different marionettes continued changing their locations.
Amon pulled out one hand and pinched “His” chin and said, “Didn’t I say why? I spent time to gather information and seek out the source. Oh, I went to the Church of Steam and had a chat with Arrodes. It wasn’t too frank, and it was willing to be tortured by me rather than reveal your true origins. Unfortunately, that was inside the Church of Steam; otherwise, I would’ve directly Parasitized it and learn of everything.”
Even living Sealed Artifacts can be Parasitized? If Arrodes strictly abided by the rules, based on its answers in the past, “He” isn’t too sure of my actual situation and only has certain guesses… Klein’s eyes widened. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Amon laugh and say, “You really don’t seem to be in a rush. What are you waiting for?
“Do you not know that my pathway’s Sequence 2’s name is Trojan Horse of Destiny? Although I’m only an ordinary avatar, I do have some powers that I can use, such as tinkering with your destiny, making certain errors appear for a certain period of time. For instance, no one will notice it no matter how much you cry for help.
“Heh heh, that also means that, even if you were to trigger the Evernight Emblem in your hand, you will only be able to get the effects of Concealment, and you will not be able to transmit your intentions of seeking help, regardless of your prior agreements. Also, even if you were to shout for help or create an explosion, the pedestrians and servants in the room wouldn’t be able to hear a thing.
“This is the reason why I was talking so much. For an ordinary avatar, certain matters take time.
“Alright, it’s your turn to answer my question.”
Klein didn’t answer as he kept switching positions with his marionettes. However, Amon kept appearing in front of him as they continued their “conversation.”
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, he made one of his marionettes ask, “Since you’ve already completed the controlling of destiny, why aren’t you taking action?
You also seem to be waiting…”
Before this Gehrman Sparrow who was a thin “paper figurine” could finish his sentence, there was a strong gust of wind from afar.
Leonard, in a black trench coat and a black silver-inlaid cane in hand, flew to Boklund Street!
Klein, who had appeared to Amon’s side, immediately said, “This is what I’ve been waiting for!”
As he said that, he triggered the Evernight Emblem that he had been clasping tightly.
Simultaneously, he snapped his left hand’s fingers, igniting the tallest tree in the garden, making its scarlet flames soar into the sky.
And this huge, obvious bonfire, that would’ve been noticeable at a glance from across the street, was noticed by no one, be it the maids wiping the windows on the first story or the pedestrians strolling beneath the Intis parasol trees. Even in midair, Leonard Mitchell ignored this scene, rushing for 39 Boklund Street at high speeds.
And at this moment, Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice sounded in this Red Gloves’s mind:
“Turn back. Head to Unit 160.’
Composite Start
Composite End
Although Leonard was puzzled, his experienced self didn’t ask why when it came to supernatural matters. He immediately swung the direction Word of the Sea pointed and changed directions.
In the garden of 160 Boklund Street, Amon raised “His” head as “He” pressed the crystal monocle on “His” right hand, chuckling.
“This is also what I’ve been waiting for.”
“He” ignored Gehrman Sparrow as his smile grew obvious. He continued speaking in irresistible delight, “To be able to discover the abnormalities of fate in this region…
“It’s ‘Him； Pallez!”
As “He” spoke, this Blasphemer changed “His” actions and adjusted “His” monocle.
At this moment, a strange gloom fell over the entire street. It was as though the entire place had been separated from reality, turning into a secret.
In the activity room of 39 Boklund Street, Hazel looked out the window and muttered in puzzlement, “Is it about to rain?”
This wasn’t anything important, so she retracted her gaze and reached out her hand onto the three-layered tray for high tea.
Then, she saw her father, Member of Parliament Macht, strangely open his right palm.
Glimmers of light condensed out of thin air, forming into a crystal monocle in his palm.
Macht then wore this monocle on his right eye.
This… Hazel had already sensed something amiss as she frantically looked at the others in the room.
Her mother, Ma’am Riana, took off the accessory on her nose and wore a monocle that she had taken out of somewhere. The servants standing beside her all took out a similar monocle and wore it on their right eye.
Thud!
Hazel stood up instinctively as she retreated repeatedly, toppling the chair over in the process.
This sound alarmed everyone in the room. Macht, Riana, and the servants turned their heads to look at Hazel.
Bit by bit, a smile suffused the comers of their lips.
“Ah!”
Hazel broke down as she let out a shrill scream.
This scream passed through the house and through the garden, drawing the attention of the pedestrians on the streets. At this point, Amon had already lowered “His” right hand from his monocle. Looking at the figure in midair,
“He” said with a smile, “Pallez, it’s already 1350 of the Fifth Epoch. The technique of relying on the gathering of avatars to raise one’s level is already outdated.”
Behind “Him,” Klein didn’t waste any time as he reached into his pocket as though he was drawing a gun while he made Creeping Hunger turn transparent. A transparent book condensed in front of him.
However, Amon simply raised his hand and the glove vanished.
However, along with the human-skinned glove’s disappearance, Gehrman Sparrow also did.
Pa!
Landing in Amon’s palm wasn’t a glove but a rat, a rat that had died after becoming a marionette.
On the other side of Amon, Klein, who wasn’t wearing a hat but was wearing a shirt and vest, appeared. He then threw out the item he had previously taken out, and he threw it at his target.
It was a paper crane.
Chapter 1006 Finale and Ending
It was an ordinary paper crane, bursting into scarlet red flames just as it flew out, scattering ashes in the process.
Amon, who had been looking up into the sky, suddenly turned “His” head and looked at the paper crane who was a vessel of flames. “He” then raised His” palm again.
A cold glint had lit up in the eye beneath the monocle.
Suddenly, the flames on the paper crane’s surface vanished. Klein and his ability to swap locations with his marionette vanished. Likewise for Flame Controlling, Flaming Jump, and Air Cannon!
In that instant, he had six Beyonder powers stolen—four of which were rather important ones!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If Amon was able to make a few more thefts, then Klein might’ve even turned into an ordinary person.
This was “Theft” at the angel level!
Amidst the extinguishing flames, the paper crane slowly floated.
Backlund, Dr. Aaron’s house, in a black pram.
Wrapped in silver silk, Will Auceptin rubbed his mouth and eyes, grumbling, “Life is just so hard…”
Before “He” finished “His” sentence, “He” took out what looked like a cane from somewhere. It was embedded with clear gems.
Pure bright light lit up, illuminating the calendar in the room clearly.
Today was Tuesday[1].
160 Boklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantes’s garden.
Composite Start
Composite End
The paper crane which was already charred and incomplete suddenly froze in midair. Complicated chrome-colored symbols appeared out of it, instantly taking on the form of a huge, illusory, scaleless snake.
The dense patterns and symbols on the surface of the gigantic silver snake formed a wheel that was connected to each other. Around each wheel were different symbols.
With a sweep of the cold, bright red eyes, this giant serpent soared into the sky and stayed above Boklund Street. It curled its body and bit its own tail.
Its shadow blanketed the entire street like a mysterious and ludicrous wheel.
Suddenly, Macht, Riana, and several servants in 39 Boklund Street’s activity room wiped the smiles from their faces. They raised their hands in unison, taking off the monocle on their faces, allowing the monocles to turn incorporeal in their hands before transforming into beams of light.
Immediately following that, they wore their eye accessories once again and pinched their eye sockets, either leisurely looking out the window or returning to their former state.
Hazel sat on the ground watching this scene. As she shook her head, feeling the world crumbling around her, she used her hands to hold her body up while rapidly retreating.
The cold glimmer in Winner Enuni’s eyes vanished. The crystalline monocle was left cooked, and he no longer wore that supercilious look.
In addition, something in his body seemed to be extracted as a clear, thick, but transparent and mysterious Worm of Time took form above his head.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And amidst Concealment, this Worm of Time quickly transformed into a figure with black hair, black eyes, a broad forehead, and a thin face.
This wasn’t time reversing itself on Boklund Street, because Klein and Leonard didn’t suffer any of its effects. It was Amon having “His” condition return to a few minutes prior to this!
Snake of Fate. Reboot!
Although Will Auceptin had predicted that there would be some changes in Fate, things had happened slightly later. However, “His” influence that descended from afar came in such a timely fashion.
In order to gain this Snake of Fate’s help, Klein had not only fed “Him” five different flavors of ice-cream, but he had also agreed to further compensation. The outcome of their negotiation was that Klein had to think of the means to create at least two items that could allow Will Auceptin to briefly regain some of “His” strength while in “His” weakened state!
When Amon suffered this unexpected blow, Klein didn’t hesitate and drew Death Knell. He cocked it, gently pushed the cylinder, and aimed it at his enemy.
Bang!
He staidly and decisively pulled Death Knell’s trigger, shooting out the Control Spirit Bullet he had long prepared.
A black stream of light flashed out, striking the illusory Amon figure with the sharp bonnet and classic black robe—the Worm of Time. This was even thicker and clearer than all the Worms of Time Klein had previously seen before!
Composite Start
Composite End
The light scattered as Amon’s figure quivered in midair and froze without being able to wear any expression.
And at this moment, Leonard, who had already arrived overhead, followed Old Man’s instructions. Standing on Word of the Sea, he floated in midair, slightly spread out his arms, and relaxed his Spirit Body.
Both his green eyes immediately reflected a slightly gloomy, twelve-ringed transparent Worm of Time in each one of them.
These two Worms of Time had their heads and tails connected together, forming a similar loop.
As the loop slowly spun, they projected a huge ancient mottled illusion behind Leonard.
This illusion looked like the surface of a wall clock carved from stone. There were twelve segments, each segment was either grayish-white or bluish-black. They were clearly demarcated from each other, and the symbols were all different. With just one look, Klein had the feeling that life was speeding past him.
Gong!
A bell gong that seemed to travel across time from ancient history resounded through the spacious secret world. Everything before Klein seemed to slow down, including the Amon figure above Enuni.
An indescribable invisible surge appeared, sweeping around that Amon figure before hurling it towards that huge, illusory stone-carved wall clock.
What was actually a Worm of Time—Amon’s avatar with a monocle—suddenly extended a hand, aiming it at Gehrman Sparrow.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, Klein saw the skin on the back of his hand rapidly dry up as they wrinkled up, producing unobvious aged spots.
The speed at which Amon’s illusory figure was being pulled away slowed down, but the process couldn’t be interrupted. Finally, it contracted into the form of a ringed worm and was thrown towards the illusory, ancient stone- carved wall clock behind Leonard.
Gong!
Another bell gong sounded as the grayish-white and bluish-black clock’s surface had an additional mottled hand.
This hand quickly rotated a few segments, speeding up the sound of the gongs.
Inside 39 and 160 Boklund Street, all kinds of resplendent glimmers of light flew out, pulled and attracted by that ancient, illusory, stone-carved wall clock.
Law of Beyonder characteristics convergence!
“He” had used the connection between the avatars and “His” higher level to strengthen the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence!
Gong!
Several streams of light from different spots in Backlund flew over.
After everything calmed down, Klein’s current appearance appeared in his mind.
He had more white hair than black. His forehead and the corners of his mouth and eyes were covered with obvious wrinkles. His skin had sagged with several aged spots. He looked like an elderly gentleman, ready to pass away at any moment.
At this moment, the clock’s gonging sounded again.
The grayish-white hand on the ancient, illusory stone-carved wall clock began spinning counterclockwise!
One tick. Two ticks. Three ticks. Klein saw his skin rapidly recover its luster as the spots faded and vanished.
In just seconds, he recovered his original appearance. Life had seemed to begin flowing in him again.
Powers at the angel level are almost godlike… I only suffered some repercussions of it, and I nearly died of old age… I wonder if I can revive under such conditions… Klein observed his condition and hurriedly look up and said to Leonard Mitchell, “How should the people Parasitized by Amon be rescued?”
At this moment, the ancient, illusory clock behind Leonard rapidly faded away, turning into glimmers of light that drilled back into his body.
Leonard cocked his head slightly as though he was listening to something. After a while, he said, “The Beyonder characteristics of the Worms of Time in them have been sucked out. The remaining parts have either been absorbed or have some remnants left behind. However, it wouldn’t result in having an excessive influence on them. Uh, Old Man said that it won’t be excessive, but it might be from the viewpoint of an angel. In short, they can pray to the deities they believe in and see if they can obtain a complete purification. However, without them explaining what exactly happened, the deities might not give a response. If you’re afraid of any remnant effects, you can consider guiding them to pray to… uh, that existence. All the items that come from that will be yours.”
Perhaps having personally “experienced” a battle at the angel level, and having seen the Snake of Fate’s spectral form, Leonard’s agitation and trembling could hardly be suppressed in an instant.
The people on this street are basically the believers of the Goddess, so how can I get them to pray to The Fool? I don’t wish to be thrown into the foggy town… Uh, the Goddess is very aware of this matter. They will likely receive a response if they were to pray to “Her.” Then, I can get Her Eminence Arianna to return the Worms of Time that they cough out to me… Uh, I can give “Her” some… As Klein’s thoughts raced, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
He then asked in passing, “Will there be any side effects after a complete purification?”
Although he had some experience from Little Sun, this youth of the City of Silver wasn’t an ordinary person.
After listening for a moment, Leonard said, “A little. As it’s a deeper level of Parasitizing, even if ordinary people were to experience a full recovery, there will be some level of influence left on them, such as them liking to wear monocles.”
“…Alright. Head back first. Leave the rest to me.” Klein nodded and was glad that the parties involved in this battle weren’t the kinds with obvious destructive might. Otherwise, it might not only be Boklund Street, but all of North Borough might not be left intact.
In Pritz Harbor, a black-haired, black-eyed, thin-faced young man wearing a monocle rode on a bicycle as he leisurely returned home.
He wore an obvious smile as he opened the letterbox and took out the newspapers and letters inside.
After entering the house, the young man pinched the monocle on his right eye while tearing open the letters, reading their contents as he walked. This continued until he found a letter without any name on it.
“If all connection to ‘us’ in Backlund is lost, it means that Pallez Zoroast might very well be hidden in the vicinity of North Borough’s Boklund Street.
“Don’t ask us why we’re taking such risks. Life often requires some excitement, joy, and anticipation.”
[1] Author’s Note: To make the plot run smoothly, the details of a Tarot Gathering was skipped. As for Will’s prediction, a deviation happened because of Amon’s ability to bore through fate.
Chapter 1007 Dealing With The Aftermath
On 160 Boklund Street, after watching Leonard fly out of the world of Concealment with the Word of the Sea in one hand, Klein turned his attention back onto his surroundings.
He first observed Winner Enuni. He originally imagined that he couldn’t use the marionette that had been Parasitized by Amon, but to his surprise, he realized that he could control his Spirit Body Threads again!
This… Klein was first stunned before he came to a realization.
When Snake of Fate Will Auceptin used Reboot to reverse Amon’s condition in time, it also made the things “He” Parasitize experience similar changes. Hence, Enuni had turned back into his marionette!
As expected of the strongest power of a Monster pathway’s Sequence 1… Klein heaved a sigh of relief before allowing his figure to fade away from where he stood.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He “Teleported” back to his master bedroom, leaving a bunch of marionettes around to defend against any accidents.
Right on the heels of that, Klein entered the bathroom and headed above the gray fog. He used Enuni’s prayer light and began observing the entire street with the Sea God Scepter in hand.
Without a doubt, his focus was on his residence and Unit 39. He found Butler Walter, Housekeeper Taneja, Member of Parliament Macht, Ma’am Riana, and many servants having remnant signs of being Parasitized. They appeared somewhat in a daze.
As for Hazel, she was on the brink of total collapse. Her hands were on the ground, having pushed herself backwards into the corner. Her back was leaning close to the wall as she huddled into a ball, trembling.
Macht and company had noticed something wrong with her. They surrounded her in concern, hoping to know why.
However, Hazel would scream loudly whenever they attempted to approach her. She would resist violently, so all they could do was stand meters away, wearing a panicked and helpless look.
During this process, they would, from time to time, nudge their glasses or pinch their eye sockets. This only served to leave Hazel even more horrified. She appeared to be on the brink of losing control.
Klein felt horrified when he saw this scene above the gray fog. He imagined a scene:
Daddy Amon, Mommy Amon, Maid Amon, Footman Amon were circling around Hazel, trying to soothe her nerves but were helpless. They wore the same expression and the same monocle with different clothes.
Composite Start
Composite End
Even if Hazel were to hold out and not lose control, she would definitely develop mental problems. At the very least, she would be in a half-crazy state… Klein’s thoughts raced as he lowered the Sea God Scepter and returned to the real world.
Boklund Street and the several streets remained enshrouded in darkness. It exuded a serene, tranquil, and profound feeling.
This was a world that had already turned into a “secret.”
Klein took down a hat, wore it on his head, and “Teleported” to a director’s office in 22 Phelps Street—Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
Audrey had already changed into a light-green dress and was daydreaming with a fountain pen in hand, reminiscing over every detail of the punishment operation in the afternoon. Susie, on the other hand, had gone out for a stroll.
Suddenly, this noble lady sensed something and looked up.
A black-haired, brown-eyed, thin-faced figure with cut facial features was rapidly reflected in her emerald, limpid eyes.
This figure wore a white shirt, black vest, black trousers, and black leather boots. He had a cold expression, his body was bent slightly as he held one hand over his top hat.
Audrey was first taken aback before she recalled who this person was.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Gehrman Sparrow!
Although she had never met him before, she had already seen his extremely lifelike picture on the papers and wanted posters.
Klein realized that he hadn’t changed back to Dwayne Dantes based on Miss Justice’s reaction. However, he wasn’t too mindful of that. He released his hand from his top hat and straightened his body. He said with a nod, “There’s something that requires your help.”
His disguise had also been stolen by Amon. But after a Reboot, it was returned to him. He just didn’t have the time to change back into Dwayne Dantes.
Mr. World, who’s already a demigod, needs my help? He’s in need of therapy because of some mental problem? No, it doesn’t seem to be the case… Audrey pursed her lips as she put down her fountain pen in anticipation and curiosity. She stood up and gave a serious reply:
“No problem.”
Klein didn’t waste any time and walked over. Grabbing her by the arm, their figures faded away as they vanished from the spot.
Instantaneously, they appeared outside the activity room at 39 Boklund Street.
This is “Teleportation? Audrey’s eyes turned slightly as she instinctively wanted to ask something. However, when she felt the heavy atmosphere and the screams, her face immediately wore a solemn look.
Composite Start
Composite End
“There’s a patient?” she asked without much doubt.
It’s really easy to talk to a Spectator. There’s no need for much explanation… Klein tersely acknowledged and said, “Yes, she encountered a supernatural incident and suffered a terrible fright. She’s on the brink of losing control.
“Do you have the means to not be seen by the people inside?”
There was no need for him to say his last sentence, as a large-scale illusion was enough to resolve the problem. Furthermore, after receiving the blessings of Concealment, ordinary people likely didn’t retain much of their corresponding memories. However, after witnessing Adam’s powers of invisibility, Klein was rather curious if Miss Justice had such skills at Sequence 6.
Mr. World is feeling curious… That’s really rare… He doesn’t seem to be wearing a thick mask and has changed to a thinner one. He’s a really good patient who heeds medical advice… Audrey’s chin moved slightly as she nodded.
“Yes.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Gehrman Sparrow who reached out for the handle and pushed open the door after receiving her response.
Member of Parliament Macht and Ma’am Riana completely ignored this beautiful girl as they discussed in a panic about hiring a doctor. As for Hazel, she remained curled in a corner, trembling vigorously like an abandoned baby animal.
“Miss Hazel…” As a senior Spectator, Audrey didn’t have the problem of forgetting others.
She observed Hazel’s condition and frowned slightly. She turned her head and said to Gehrman Sparrow, “Uh, Mr. Sparrow, can you briefly explain what she encountered?
Composite Start
Composite End
“Only with sufficient knowledge can I quickly resolve the problem.”
Klein was already prepared as he quickly and succinctly explained, “She’s a Beyonder of the Marauder pathway, a student of a demigod who had nefarious thoughts. Her teacher attracted Blasphemer Amon’s avatar and ended up getting herself killed, her destiny and identity were stolen.
“As such, Amon infiltrated her family, Parasitizing her parents and servants. Just now, while we were eliminating Amon’s avatars, she realized that her parents and servants had all turned into Amon. Uh, she didn’t know that ‘that’ was Amon, but she understood that it was a strange existence.
“If you have anything you wish to understand at a deeper level, things which do not involve the psychological treatment, you can always ask during the next gathering.”
Blasphemer Amon? Mr. World and company have eliminated Amon’s avatar again, no—avatars? Audrey was somewhat shocked as she instinctively glanced at Macht and company. She couldn’t imagine that they had once been Parasitized by Amon and had turned into “Him.”
To have everyone Parasitized… Audrey recalled Mr. World’s words and felt more afraid the more she thought about it. She felt her entire body turn cold as she couldn’t help but think of herself if she were in Hazel’s shoes.
This left her somewhat stifled as she subconsciously cast Placate on herself.
“Is the supernatural world always this cruel and terrifying, or is it just occasionally?” After calming down, Audrey muttered softly.
She didn’t wait for The World Gehrman Sparrow’s reply, because from what she had seen at the Tarot Gathering, she knew the answer very well: Always!
Looking back at Hazel, Audrey walked over, filled with pity. She crouched down and first used Placate.
Hazel looked up blankly and saw a perfect, flawless face, as well as that pair of emerald-like eyes.
At that instant, she seemed to return to the ball of that previous night, having witnessed this lady “descend” like an angel.
She instantly calmed down. She saw ripples rise up in that pair of limpid, green eyes. They were serene, calm, and deep.
“There’s no need to be afraid. Calm down. Everything is already over…” Audrey used Hypnosis to directly communicate with Hazel’s Body of Heart and Mind. She heard hysterical screams and the horror that was taller than mountains and deeper than the ocean.
Taking into account Hazel’s condition and encounter, she quickly came up with a plan for treatment. She directly Hypnotized Hazel and made her forget today’s encounter and the existence of her teacher. She was only capable of vaguely remembering her identity as a Beyonder and other general knowledge.
Hazel gradually calmed down before she slowly fell asleep.
“After you awaken, that terrifying experience will no longer exist, and I was never here.” Audrey used a gentle voice to complete the last step of the Hypnosis.
Following that, she slowly got up and observed Hazel for a few seconds.
She pursed her lips and whispered without turning her head, “I made her temporarily forget the corresponding memories, but that memory remains. It’s just hidden deep down. In future gatherings, I’ll continue treating her, guiding her to slowly remember and accept this memory. Only then can her mental problem be completely resolved.
Otherwise, perhaps a familiar action or sentence will jolt her awake. She will then break down once again, and perhaps it will result in a direct loss of control.”
Miss Justice is becoming more and more professional… Klein sighed as he asked cautiously, “Then you will have to Hypnotize all the people who were Parasitized. They are not to show any hobbies that don’t originally belong to them, like the wearing of monocles.
“Also, let them pray to the Evemight Goddess after fifteen minutes to obtain complete cleansing and purification.” Audrey nodded with abnormal seriousness.
“No problem.”
Klein immediately stood to the side, watching this noble lady “cue” everyone who had been Parasitized in this house with the greatest feelings of pity.
Chapter 1008 Splitting
Minutes later, Klein—with the face of Gehrman Sparrow—walked out of 39 Böklund Street with Miss Justice Audrey and headed for places where the other Parasite victims were.
After a few silent steps, Klein suddenly looked ahead and said, “It’s not rare to see such matters happen among unaffiliated Beyonders. Without any suitable guidance, it often implies that they’re constantly dancing at the edge of a cliff with the possibility of falling at any time.”
Audrey tersely acknowledged and said after a few seconds, “I know. Compared to before, I’m not as… not as…”
She deliberated for a moment before breaking into a grimacing smile, as though she had found a suitable adjective she required to mock herself.
“Naive.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Phew… She then exhaled without hiding it as she looked ahead. “If I had known that the mysterious world was so cruel and terrifying last June, I might not have raised the request of becoming a Beyonder.”
Klein turned his head slightly and took a look at the noble lady’s face. He asked in a seemingly casual manner, “If I were to give you the chance now to completely leave the mysterious world, would you accept it?”
Audrey was taken aback as she slowly pursed her lips and said, “No…”
After giving such a response, she seemed to relax a little as she smiled and continued, “Under the premise of knowing how cruel and terrifying the mysterious world is, the me from last June would’ve given up being a Beyonder. But the me of this year wouldn’t.
“This might be the price of growing up.”
“I understand what you’re getting at.” Klein continued forward at the same pace as he said, “After those victims are completely purified, a number of them will spit out Worms of Time. They can be used to create Fate Siphon charms. It’s a demigod-level item that can switch the fate between two parties for a short period of time. When the time comes, I’ll give you one as payment for today’s treatment.”
Audrey was about to decline it before she fell silent again. She then nodded gently and said, “Okay.”/ wu xi a w or l d . si te
Just as she said that, she suddenly paused. She turned her head to glance at Gehrman Sparrow and smilingly said with a mixed expression, “I know why you just asked me that question.”
Klein chuckled without giving a direct answer.
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey retracted her gaze and immediately felt a lot better. She asked as though they were having a chat, “I participated in the punishment operation at noon, and I dealt with the Amon aftermath in the afternoon. Today is really a ‘Tarot Day’…”
Her words were a double entendre as she said with utmost wistfulness.
From her point of view, noon was a cooperative operation that involved five members—The Moon, The Star, Judgment, Justice, and The Magician—with different levels of involvement. In the afternoon, the Tarot Club’s The World and Justice had involved themselves in the elimination of Amon’s avatars in different ways. This was indeed a day to remember, and in a sense, it could be considered a “Tarot Day.”
Klein nodded in agreement at Miss Justice’s words, but he didn’t tell her that The Star Leonard had also been involved in the afternoon operation. Furthermore, he was the main force in the operation.
“Amon’s avatar must’ve been difficult to deal with, right?” Audrey finally found an opportunity to raise the question.
She stared at Gehrman Sparrow, making no attempt to hide the curiosity in her green eyes.
Klein smiled.
“If I had done it alone, you wouldn’t be seeing Gehrman Sparrow, but Amon here instead.”
“Having your destiny and identity stolen?” Audrey asked in enlightenment.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein tersely acknowledged.
“We’ll discuss the specifics in the future. In short, to eliminate all of the Amon avatars in Backlund this time, we had mobilized angels.
“If you were to encounter Amon’s avatars in the future, never believe that you have the means to handle ‘Him’ alone. Immediately find an opportunity to seek help. Yes, ‘His’ trait is the wearing of a monocle. He enjoys pulling off harrowing pranks…”
Angels were mobilized… I wonder if it was that Death Consul or the angel from the Fate domain, or… Audrey looked up at the sky and saw the clouds frozen in midair. They appeared like props under the dark background.
Like an attentive student listening to a teacher, she seriously nodded and said, “I will keep that in mind.”
The two continued walking, occasionally silent, occasionally breaking out into a conversation until they entered 160 Böklund Street.
After a few minutes, inside the activity room of Hazel’s house.
Macht and company suddenly had the strong urge to sit in their seats, raise their hands, and place their clasped hands before their mouth. They then began to piously pray and chant the Evernight Goddess’s honorific name.
After an unknown period of time, they coughed in unison until their tears and snot flowed out.
Composite Start
Composite End
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Without realizing it, they separately coughed out worms with twelve translucent rings.
The moment these worms fell to the ground, they vanished without garnering any notice.
Similar things happened in other places of Böklund Street, but everything was quickly restored to normal. And the darkness had faded away at some point in time as the clouds began churning again from the sweeping winds.
Amidst her parents’ coughing, Hazel slowly regained consciousness. She was puzzled as to how she fell asleep on the sofa during high tea.
She felt that she should’ve been in an excellent mood, but she just couldn’t bring herself to smile. She felt as though there was a feeling of indescribable sadness and pain bearing over her heart.
Upon seeing her parents’ concerned gaze landing on her, not only wasn’t she touched, she even felt a little fearful. She trembled like an introvert who wasn’t accustomed to making contact with others.
Hazel knew that this wasn’t her personality, but she couldn’t control herself.
However, she didn’t find it weird or puzzling as she continued enjoying the high tea pastries.
Macht and Riana felt the same. They had a nagging feeling that there was something hazy about their memories, but they just couldn’t recall what.
Composite Start
Composite End
160 Böklund Street. In the master bedroom which had its curtains drawn.
A figure suddenly outlined itself across the coffee table. It was the barefooted Ariannaleader of the ascetics, matron of the Evernight Cloister, head of the thirteen archbishops of the Church of Evernight. She was wearing a spartan robe with tree bark as her belt.
In the lady’s eyes, the gray sideburned Dwayne Dantès was about to leave the sofa. On the coffee table in front of him were nine transparent ringed worms.
“Good afternoon, Ma’am Arianna,” Klein said with a solemn bow. “Thanks to your help, Amon’s avatars in Backlund have all been eliminated. You can choose a portion of these spoils of war.”
He had previously prepared a marionette beside every person who had been Parasitized, and he used an Illusion to bring these Worms of Time back.
After hearing him, Arianna tapped her chest four times in a clockwise fashion and replied in a pious manner, “Praise the Lady.”
“She” didn’t decline the offer or stand on ceremony. She reached out her right hand, and two Worms of Time flew up and landed in her palm.
“Amon must have certain guesses about this. You still have to be careful in the future,” Arianna said simply before her figure vanished inch by inch as though she had been erased.
Watching this archbishop leave, Klein sat down and picked up a pen and paper, writing to Leonard Mitchell.
He wanted to ask what other effects the Worms of Time had other than creating Fate Siphon charms!
He believed that he couldn’t turn all the remaining Worms of Time into Fate Siphon charms, as it would be too monotonous. It made it easy to be countered, and it prevented him from handling different situations. Therefore, he had to consider other possible uses.
With the Worm of Time as a vessel, he could use the powers stirred from other symbols, patterns, and labels that differed from The Fool. This would likely result in different effects from the Fate Siphon charm. And this was something Pallez Zoroast was an expert at.
After writing his letter, Klein took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew at it.
Reinette walked out of the void with the four blonde, red-eyed head in hand. The eight eyes paused before looking at the remaining seven Worms of Time on the coffee table.
Miss Messenger looked at it for three full seconds before retracting “Her” gaze. She then bit on the letter and gold coin which Klein handed over.
“Still 7 Pinster Street,” Klein succinctly said.
Reinette Tinekerr’s remaining three heads replied, “In the future…” “You…” “Can seek…” “My help…” “In such…” “Matters…”
“The payment…” “Will be the…” “Spoils of war…”
Klein was taken aback as he said, “Alright.”
After Miss Messenger returned to the spirit world and vanished from his room, he frowned and muttered, Since she can recognize the Worms of Time, it means that she knows that this battle might have escalated to the level of angels…
She wasn’t afraid at all…
Miss Messenger is stronger than I imagined?
7 Pinster Street. Leonard received Klein’s letter from Reinette Tinekerr’s mouth.
He still felt a hint of excitement as he eagerly unfolded the letter and read it.
After the messenger left, he immediately asked with a suppressed voice, “Old Man, there should be other ways to create charms, right?”
Just now, Pallez Zoroast had given him two Worms of Time from Amon as today’s reward for the risk he took.
In Leonard’s mind, the slightly-aged voice replied with a smiling tone, “Of course, once I sleep for a while and digest what we received this time, I’ll teach you. It wouldn’t take too long. Also, do not go to Böklund Street any time soon.”
“Why?” Leonard asked in surprise.
Pallez Zoroast chuckled and said, “All of Amon’s avatars in Backlund have been eliminated, and it is in no way a trivial matter. The number of people who can do that is just a handful. So, do you think ‘He’ will have some guesses?”
This… Leonard’s nerves tensed up again.
Pallez continued, “However, there’s no need to be too worried. ‘His’ true body wouldn’t be able to enter Backlund, and having recovered quite significantly, I don’t have to be too worried about ‘His’ avatars. In addition, I’ve found a piece of information from Flora Jacob from ‘His’ memory fragments. Somewhere in Backlund hides the treasure of the Jacob family.
“We shall wait until the end of the year for the gathering. There, we will seek out and cooperate with the other descendants of the Jacob family to excavate that treasure trove to share the items inside. When that happens, even if Amon gathers a large number of avatars, raising it to almost the level of a Sequence 1, there’s no way he can truly defeat me. Heh heh, to ensure balance, Dwayne Dantès can also be involved in it.”
Chapter 1009 Payment Is Always Exacted for What’s Bestowed
Leonard immediately felt very relieved when he heard Old Man Pallez.
He cast his attention back to the angel-level battle that happened in the afternoon and asked rather curiously, “Which pathway’s angel does that giant serpent phantom belong to?”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a moment before saying with a sigh, “Snake of Fate. The councilor of the Life School of Thought. A Sequence 1 angel.
“I never expected ‘Him’ to join them…”
Councilor of the Life School of Thought? “He” has also become a Blessed of Mr. Fool? The corresponding card is the Wheel of Fortune? Leonard’s eyes widened as he realized that Mr. Fool’s faction seemed comparable to the seven orthodox Churches. It was truly unfathomable.
Death Consul… Snake of Fate… Incomplete messenger… There are three angels under Mr. Fool… It’s no wonder Klein was able to become a demigod so quickly… Just how long has it been and I’ve already been embroiled in a battle at the angel level. It’s really unimaginable how things will develop in the future… Leonard held the letter and sat on the sofa. He felt another sense of urgency towards digesting his Soul Assurer potion and advancing to Spirit Warlock.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He had been busy placating the souls in the Backlund region recently, but due to the numerous missions, he was still far from completing them. He couldn’t find an excuse or opportunity to visit Tingen City to steal the powers from that drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun’s blood. Furthermore, the arrival of Amon’s avatars had been quicker than he had expected.
South of the Bridge, Rose Street, Harvest Church.
Emlyn White, who had changed into a brown priest robe, stood in front of a long table with candle stands. He watched Ernes Boyar working hard at wiping the altar before he raised his right hand and casually pointed.
To the side. Left side. That spot’s dirty.”
Ernes Boyar, who also wore the clergyman attire of the Earth Mother, shot an angry look at Emlyn, but he still listened to his instructions and re-wiped the area he hadn’t wiped seriously.
“I know you’re very mad. It’s how I felt when I learned that you deliberately hid key information from the ancient castle intel you sold me,” Emlyn said with a smile, completely unfazed by his glare. “Also, I forgot to inform you. I’m also a viscount. It happened last week.”
Sanguine Viscounts corresponded to the Moon pathway’s Sequence 5 Scarlet Scholar. The advancement ritual required the illumination of the full moon. Apart from that, one had to gather different metals, gems, and Beyonder creature blood that represented the different moon phases. It was rather complicated.
However, Emlyn had long obtained the promise from the Sanguine upper echelons that a free advancement ritual would be held for him. He could advance easily once the full moon came.
As for the digestion of Potions Professor, he had completed digesting it without putting too much effort into it. This was because he often taught commoners who were willing to learn at the Harvest Church to learn about herbs and medicine, and even combinations of some special potions. And apart from usually collecting dolls, researching history, and doing volunteer work at the cathedral, he loved thinking about the different potions and considering how they could be used in different battle situations.
Composite Start
Composite End
“…You’re a viscount?” Ernes Boyar abruptly stood up straight as he wore a flabbergasted look.
Among the Sanguine, as they were all long-lived, they had quite a huge population. The number of Beyonder characteristics was limited, so advancing was a very difficult endeavor. One had to be in a long line before they had the opportunity to advance. However, Emlyn White had only been a Baron for half a year!
Ernes remembered that it took him six years to go from Baron to Viscount. This was because his father had suffered an attack from Artificial Vampires. His passing left him the inheritance.
“Of course.” Emlyn’s smug smile grew obvious, but he remained restrained. “I obtained a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristics from Artificial Vampires.”
Ernes Boyar looked at Emlyn, momentarily at a loss for words. He felt that he had suffered a heavier blow than needing to do volunteer work at the Harvest Church.
Your expression is rather interesting.” Emlyn tsked and said, “Perhaps one day, you’ll have to address me as lord when I become an Earl.”
“Preposterous! What arrogance!” Ernes blurted.
I’m already very humble. I didn’t mention I would become a Duke or even a Princeps… How am I to be the Sanguine’s messiah without being an angel? Besides, in our Tarot Club, Mr. World has already advanced to become a demigod. Ma’am Hermit won’t take much longer. This will definitely be a club filled with demigods… Emlyn chortled without arguing with Ernes like he usually would. He took on an attitude that whatever Ernes said was beneath him.
Of course, he also understood that the advantage the Sanguine had after the Scarlet Scholar stage no longer existed. Becoming an Earl was in no way easier than an Artificial Vampire advancing to Shaman King.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The digestion of the Scarlet Scholar potion is still relatively simple. All one needs to do is sincerely like the moon, worship the moon, and study the moon. This is what most Sanguine do usually…However, the corresponding ritual is in the hands of the demigods. Without their approval, even if I were to obtain a Shaman King Beyonder characteristic from The Sun, I won’t be able to become an Earl… Emlyn might be arrogant, but he knew very clearly what was required of him subsequently.
There were two core powers of Scarlet Scholar. First, it was to create an environment that was advantageous to them. When the enemy wasn’t good at spirituality or things related to the spirit world, they could create the effects of the full moon. On the contrary, they would also make the moon vanish if necessary. Second, it was to gain an instantaneous blink and a spectral form state under a certain area of the moon’s illumination. Even if they were smashed to bits by an enemy, they could still reform themselves under the moonlight.
And the strength of these powers was derived from one’s comprehension and research of the moon domain as Scarlet Scholars.
As for the strengthening of darkness-related spells, the enhancements of potion effects, and the resistance towards Nightmare-like influences, they were just supplementary.
Ernes was enraged by Emlyn’s attitude. Just as he was about to speak again, he saw the mountainlike half-giant, Utravsky, walk out from behind the cathedral.
He hurriedly bent his back and bowed his head as he continued cleaning the altar.
Emlyn White also picked up his cloth and the candle stand, wiping its surface with great proficiency.
In the silent atmosphere, he thought of something: If he were to leave the Harvest Church now, would the upper echelons of the Sanguine force him to hand over the mystical items and supernatural props he obtained from Ernes.
This… I really have no reason to reject their request, because some of the items don’t belong to Ernes in the first place… Emlyn thought about it seriously and decided to return to the room later. He would set up a ritual and sacrifice the spoils of war he received to Mr. Fool. When the time came, he could split it with the other members like The Star and Justice.
Composite Start
Composite End
Uh, Oath of Rose cannot be sacrificed. It’s only one part of the pair. Whoever obtains it will be discovered and identified by the wielder of the other ring… I’ll just treat it as a spoil of war. I’ll hand it over to Marquis Nibbs tonight. I should be able to exchange it for some rewards… As for the rest, I won’t participate in the splitting… Emlyn very quickly came up with a plan.
As for whether the Sanguine upper echelons would bear a grudge over this, he wasn’t too worried. This was because he would also mention in passing about the cooperation that the Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction had requested while handing over the Oath of Rose.
This matter had happened last week. He had planned on informing the Sanguine upper echelon, but in the few minigatherings, The Hanged Man had advised him to do so after the punishment operation. It would accentuate his importance and mitigate any anger or resentment.
Striking with a stick, and offering a carrot? At that moment in time, Emlyn suddenly had a deeper understanding of the suggestion.
160 Boklund Street. Inside Dwayne Dantes’s bedroom.
The spoils of war received are pretty good. A diamond brooch that can raise one’s energy and maintain lucidity while resisting spells that act on the Body of Heart and Mind. A paper figurine that can prevent any fatal damage and Psychic Piercing. A belt that can produce Sun and Lightning damage. A wallet that contains more than 300 pounds… After receiving the sacrifice and returning to the real world, Klein silently sighed as he sat in front of his study desk. He then took out a transparent maggot.
Upon seeing this maggot, he felt his head ache, recalling the pain of having his Soul Body fracture.
This was a Worm of Spirit that he had fractured from himself. It was to be made into the payment given to Snake of Fate Will Auceptin.
He already had an idea on how to replicate the item which could briefly allow someone to restore their strength. It was to use the Worm of Spirit as a vessel and copy the complete symbol from before to garner a response from the mysterious space above the gray fog.
For this, the outcome of his divination was that it would be rather successful.
Composite Start
Composite End
That item’s true essence is actually one of the powers of the Seer pathway’s Sequence 3, Scholar of Yore. To borrow a portion of one’s power from one’s past self… Responding with The Fool’s identity would definitely work…
The only problem is that the corresponding dimensionality, mystery, complexity, and danger of the symbols cannot be directly engraved on different metal plates… According to Will Auceptin, I have to use Cogitation and draw on my spirituality to draw it on the Worm of Spirit…
If it succeeds, I’ll make myself one. I’ll look at myself from the past and see if it will be Klein Moretti’s childhood or myself hanging in the cocoon above the door of light… If it’s the latter, it’s best if I can confirm how long I’ve been hanging… Klein entered a Cogitation state while in thought. Then, he kept constructing symbols with his mind, allowing his spirituality to repeat this process outside as it penetrated the Worm of Spirit.
This was a complicated and difficult task. If he wasn’t careful, it might lead to failure.
As the invisible symbols fell and augmented the Worm of Spirit, Klein suddenly trembled. The Worm of Spirit ignited by itself and turned to ashes.
Looking at his empty palm, Klein felt a headache. After a long period of silence, he silently muttered, Life sure is difficult…
Chapter 1010 Consultant Fee
After rubbing his forehead, Klein was just about to split another Worm of Spirit when he suddenly saw Reinette in her dark, complicated-looking dress walk out of the void and stand beside the desk.
In the mouth of one of Miss Messenger’s heads was a neatly folded letter.
“Who’s it from?” Klein asked in passing.
Reinette Tinekerr’s remaining three heads replied, “The…” “Mushroom…” “King’s…” “Superior…”
Mushroom King? Klein was stunned for a full two seconds before realizing that it could be Frank Lee.
And Frank Lee’s superior was Admiral of Stars, Cattleya.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The ‘Mushroom King’ is Frank Lee?” Klein asked in confirmation as he reached out to take the letter.
With the four blonde, red-eyed heads’ hair being held, they were made to bob up and down as though they were nodding.
Miss Messenger even gives others nicknames… That’s not right. Frank doesn’t just specialize in mushrooms. His “domains” include cows, malt, fish, Rose Bishops… It’s because Frank has had a breakthrough in his mushroom experiments, so Miss Messenger saw a boat-full of mushrooms? Klein couldn’t help but draw a breath as he hurriedly unfolded the letter.
He was worried that the letter was Ma’am Hermit’s plea for help.
Of course, he wasn’t too anxious because, at the most critical juncture, an experienced pirate like Admiral of Stars would definitely choose to pray to Mr. Fool.
This letter did come from the Future’s captain, Cattleya. On it were neatly written words:
“… The Queen has already confirmed the time and place. Wednesday, 11 p.m. Same place.
“…I’ve no idea what you said to Frank Lee, but I can tell that he has been very excited recently. He has done many experiments with the Artisan. He said that he would be able to produce another phase of results in three-to six-months time. He also made it clear that if he were to obtain the Druid potion, he could save on making many intermediary objects and directly produce the final outcome. All I can say is that I wish you the best.
“…I hope that everything will come to an end before the Artisan completely breaks down. He has already begun regretting his faith in the Primordial Moon…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Should I be happy that the securing of the City of Silver’s food supply has progressed, or should I be worried about accidents? Klein rubbed his temples and decided to put the matter aside. After all, Ma’am Hermit, who was almost about to become a demigod, was watching Frank. If some unexpected development really happened, she would definitely seek help.
Phew… Having finally confirmed his meeting with Queen Mystic, he heaved a sigh of relief and flicked his wrist, burning the letter in scarlet red flames.
After watching Miss Messenger leave, he continued splitting a Worm of Spirit when he suddenly frowned. He felt that the desk and the letter’s ashes in the trash can were abnormally off-putting.
Subconsciously, Klein got some tissue and wiped the desk before covering the trash can.
After doing all of this, he looked at his dirtied hands and stood up. He headed for the washroom and turned on the tap.
As he washed his hands, he caught sight of the toilet beside him through the corner of his eye. He frowned bit by bit again.
“Today’s cleaning wasn’t done well enough…” Klein softly muttered and suddenly sensed something wrong with him.
Amidst his thoughts, his spiritual intuition quickly explained why he was feeling this way.
This was a side effect of using Death Knell!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he had already become a demigod, allowing him to have a qualitative change in his Spirit Body and attain godhood; the corresponding negative effects had been reduced by more than 90%. The terrifying weakness of germaphobia ended up becoming a trait of cleanliness OCD.
Likewise, the period of weakness dropped from six hours to one hour. And the thirst that Death Knell gave him was no longer as obvious.
“Thankfully…” Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he skillfully pulled out the toilet brush from the side.
Eleven in the evening, above the gray fog, due to Emlyn White’s request, all the members who had involved themselves in the punishment operation- Justice, The Star, Judgment, The Magician, and The Hanged Man
-appeared inside the ancient magnificent palace.
“These are all the spoils of war.” Emlyn threw 3,000 pounds that he had just sacrificed in the middle of the table and explained, “One of the mystical items was Oath of Rose. It’s a paired ring, allowing the wearers to be able to share their senses and thoughts with one another within a normal-sized city regardless of the distance. It’s very valuable, but only one of the rings was acquired. It would spell danger for anyone who takes it. Therefore, I handed it over to the Sanguine upper echelons and received 3,000 pounds in return.”
He originally thought of keeping the 3,000 pounds as his spoils of war, but he decided that it was better to sacrifice it and make it be one of the options.
After a pause, Emlyn introduced the other items, listing their uses and negative side effects. He had even added more to the description-knowledge stemmed from his penchant for Sanguine history and some shared by Ernes Boyar under Father Utravsky’s watch.
He is doing it with the intent of flaunting… Otherwise, with Mr. Moon’s character, he wouldn’t say so much… Oh, the reason for him being relaxed is due to Mr. Fool’s absence… Audrey watched as a bystander without saying which item she wanted.
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger glanced at the spoils of war and said to Emlyn, “Have you met the Sanguine upper echelons? Has the hunting of the key members of the Rose School of Thought been confirmed?”
“Pretty much. I’ve also established contact with a member from the temperance faction. However, he wishes to carry out the operation after September.” Emlyn didn’t hide the truth, believing that Mr. Hanged Man could provide useful pointers.
Indeed, Alger nodded and asked, “It has to be after September?
“This means that they are waiting for something that will drastically change the situation…”
Klein, who was waiting for the mini-gathering to end somewhere else in the ancient palace, suspected that it had something to do with Miss Sharron’s advancement when he heard that.
According to Miss Sharron, she should’ve been able to attempt the demigod ritual in July… Don’t tell me that this ritual will last at least a month? If that’s the case, it’s quite different from the other pathways… Klein had a theory he wasn’t too sure about.
“Possibly.” Emlyn thought for a while before agreeing with Mr. Hanged Man’s words.
Following that, he surveyed the area and said with a smile, “You can begin choosing.”
Audrey had Mr. World’s promised Fate Siphon charm, and Leonard had obtained the corresponding rewards from Old Man Pallez. They appeared rather calm with the spoils of war “offered” by the Sanguine Viscount. None of them rushed to speak as they politely waited for the others to go first.
In addition, they had either experienced an angel-level battle in person or witnessed the horror brought about by Amon’s avatars. Furthermore, they had confirmed that the Tarot Club contained potent forces, and they were suffering from some level of mental fatigue.
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio looked to her right before looking forward. Seeing everyone being so modest, she broke the silence.
“I was involved in a very simple part of this and didn’t take much of a risk. Furthermore, Mr. Moon has already paid 60 pounds in advance. I’ll just take the cash in the wallet.”
As she spoke, she took the handcrafted wallet, took out the cash, and counted it.
“335 pounds.”
Emlyn surveyed the area and nodded when no one objected.
“Okay.”
As for the handcrafted wallet, Xio threw it in the middle of the table and returned it to Mr. Moon to handle it himself.
With Xio taking the lead, Fors said, “I only lent out Leymano’s Travels and didn’t take on any risks. I’ll take that Moon Paper Figurine…”
Compared to the mystical items, such expendable Beyonder items were relatively lower in value.
However, to The Magician herself, she wouldn’t have selected a mystical item even if she was qualified. This was because she could hire the corresponding member to Record it if she needed a particular power of the mystical item. As for Moon Paper Figurine, an expendable item that could take a fatal blow and Psychic Piercing once, it couldn’t be Recorded. It was definitely the first choice for someone who feared for her life.
After saying that, she waited for a moment. Only when no one objected did she take the Moon Paper Figurine.
Emlyn then cast his gaze at Miss Justice. Leonard extended his hand and said with a smile, “Ladies first.”
Audrey didn’t decline the offer as she swept her gaze across the items on the table. She pointed at the diamond brooch and said with a smile, “I’ll take this.”
She had heard Mr. Moon mention that its name was Alcohol Nemesis. It kept the wearer brimming with energy with lucidity in their thoughts, giving them resistance to influences on the Body of Heart and Mind.
Thankfully, I had first used Bribe-Charm to be safe, and with Ernes still being in a half-conscious state after waking up from the dream, I wouldn’t have been able to Hypnotize him… This item is also useful to me. At the very least, it will give me another layer of protection when facing the higher-level members of the Psychology Alchemists… I don’t have to worry about the negative effects if I don’t always wear it… Audrey thought thankfully as she retracted her gaze from the diamond brooch in satisfaction.
After the selection, Emlyn didn’t give Leonard the chance to speak as he directly said, “This Moon Sash is yours.”
From his point of view, the Moon Sash was worth more than 5,000 pounds, something more valuable than the 3,000 pounds in cash.
Actually, I was leaning towards taking the 3,000 pounds… I have to buy the Word of the Sea, and the price is still 10,000 pounds after Klein gave a discount… After spending that, I’ll only have 650 pounds in savings… Leonard ultimately didn’t reject it as he nodded.
“Okay.”
Emlyn finished distributing the spoils of war and picked up the remaining 3,000 pounds in cash. He then split a stack and pushed it to the side.
“Mr. Hanged Man, this is your payment. 1,000 pounds.”
“You should call it the consultation fee.” Without Mr. Fool present, Fors was also a lot more relaxed.
Alger didn’t stand on ceremony as he nodded, reaching out to take the stack of cash.
“The compensation for the carriage driver will also be borne by me.” Emlyn surveyed the area in a rather good mood.
11 p.m. on Wednesday, at the south entrance of the Backlund Bridge.
A figure quickly phased into existence in the night sky, with one hand on his hat and the other hand by his buttons.
He had black hair, brown eyes, and sharp facial features. This strongest adventurer with the cold expression was none other than Gehrman Sparrow.
Chapter 1011 Roselle“s Other Warning
It was late at night with the thick clouds concealing the moon. It was dark across the Backlund Bridge.
Just as Klein “Teleported” here, he saw green pea vines descend from the sky like a storm that enveloped his surroundings before he could look around.
They intertwined and quickly formed a forest. They stacked upwards in layers, making it impossible to see its peak.
Klein released his right hand’s grip on his top hat and familiarly followed up the path paved by the vines.
It didn’t take long before he saw a naturally-formed swing made out of green plants. He also saw Queen Mystic Bernadette who stood beside the swing.
This eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle had a head of long chestnut hair. She wore a blouse with laced flowers that formed a bow tie. She matched it with a gray dress that went past her knees and a pair of Wellington leather boots. She also wore a bonnet with a hanging black fishnet.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You’ve grown faster than I had imagined.” Bernadette’s blue eyes behind the black fishnet reflected Gehrman Sparrow’s figure.
Klein replied without any change in expression, “Praise Mr. Fool.”
As he said that, he inwardly lampooned, This is what it means to strive to be stronger, relying on oneself rather than on others!
Queen Mystic nodded slightly as she said with a gentle but emotionless voice, “I know why you want to see me.”
Without waiting for Klein to say a word, she tilted her head slightly and looked at the vine swing beside her. She said in a tone as calm as a lake that had countless undercurrents beneath it, “I feel that he hasn’t really perished completely.”
…Does that mean you believe that Emperor Roselle hasn’t died completely? He lives somewhere in this world, with a chance for him to return? Klein didn’t expect to hear such a straightforward and sensational words right at the beginning of their conversation. Although he easily controlled his expression, he was somewhat at a loss for a reply.
At the same time, he noticed that Bernadette referred to Emperor Roselle as “he” instead of “He.” Regardless if they were using ancient Feysac to speak or the normal daily language used in Loen or Intis, they were completely different words.
This means that deep down in Queen Mystic’s heart, Emperor Roselle isn’t an angel, but a father… Klein calmed down his emotions and deliberated before asking, “Why do you have such thoughts?”
Bernadette retracted her gaze from the vine swing and said with the same gentle voice, “Towards the final stages of his life, although he was crazy and radical, everything he did had preparations in place. I believe that he must’ve prepared something for himself.
Composite Start
Composite End
You should know that he attempted to switch pathways in his later years and tried for the vacant Black Emperor throne. This required him to build nine secret mausoleums in the form of pyramids.
“After he died in the White Maple Palace, the Churches of the Eternal Blazing Sun and Steam jointly found eight mausoleums and destroyed each one of them. However, the ninth mausoleum remains to be discovered. No one knows where it’s hidden.
“If he had already become Black Emperor, he can definitely awaken inside that mausoleum. If he fails, I believe that there’s a possibility of using it for his resurrection…”
Bernadette’s voice softened as she spoke. Towards the end, her voice was ethereal and nearly indiscernible.
You aren’t that confident either… It’s mostly a kind of hope and expectation… Klein sighed.
Suddenly, he recalled the words by King of the Five Seas Nast.
Emperor Roselle liked to stand in front of a particular floor-to-ceiling window and look to the west.
From Roselle’s diary, Klein knew that “He” had discovered the Abyss’s entrance in the Fog Sea west of Intis. There, he had found a primitive island and believed that it was filled with oddities and was worth exploring.
Could it be that… Emperor Roselle built the last secret mausoleum in the Abyss or on that primitive island? Klein thought for a moment before smiling.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
You seem to understand the Black Emperor pathway very well.”
He suspected that Emperor Roselle had left the Black Emperor card as a bookmark and had used Bernadette’s name in ancient Feysac as the activation incantation because he partially wanted to inform his daughter of the corresponding ritual. In the end, Bernadette had seemingly grasped the information via other means.
The lips behind Queen Mystic’s fishnet veil produced a slight curl.
“I’ve already investigated this matter for more than a century. And to figure out the details, I’ve suffered the infusion of knowledge from the Hidden Sage.
“I can tell that you, and Mr. Fool who’s backing you, have a deep understanding of this… I’ve always been curious why you’re so interested in his matters.”
From the current situation, and in terms of seniority, you could call me uncle… The emperor and I might very well be “roommates” who had been hung up for many years… Klein lampooned to relieve his emotional upheavals. However, he replied in a calm tone, “You can raise this question to Mr. Fool.”
He didn’t plan on telling Bernadette that the ninth secret mausoleum might be somewhere in the Fog Sea, very likely to be on the primitive island, or in the Abyss. It was more suitable for The Fool to answer the question.
Queen Mystic wasn’t surprised by Gehrman Sparrow’s response. She cast her gaze west to a certain spot far away.
Although he couldn’t see Bernadette’s gaze, Klein could vaguely sense that this lady was looking at the place where she had her childhood. She was looking at her spiritual home, the home where she could no longer return to.
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, in the green vines and deep darkness, there were a lot of subtle emotions and dreams that hid deep in the heart, fermenting.
In just a matter of seconds, Queen Mystic retracted her gaze and gently said, “After my matters in Backlund ends, I’ll pass a few pages to Cattleya and get her to ask the question on my behalf.”
“Why don’t you ask next week?” Klein didn’t hide his puzzlement.
Bernadette calmly replied, “I feel that the answer will affect my mood, and a bad mood will result in my failure.”
A failure because of a bad mood? What sort of matter has such strict requirements? A clash with a demigod of the mind domain? Or perhaps, after she resolves the knots in her heart, will she have the confidence to attempt to become an angel? Klein nodded in thought without pressing.
This was a secret of hers, something that it was best not to ask about unless necessary.
Queen Mystic then said, “When he wrote those few diary pages, I was sitting opposite him. I wanted him to teach me how to interpret and write those symbols. He didn’t agree to it and only ruffled my hair. Back then, I was already of age…
“I can tell that he was worried, apprehensive, and in a difficult position when he wrote those pages. Finally, he told me that if I can really become an important figure of the mysterious world as Zaratul predicted, I must make sure to remember—be careful of the ‘Spectator.'”
Be careful of the “Spectator”… Klein couldn’t help but inwardly repeat Roselle’s warning.
He believed that the emperor wouldn’t be broadly referring to the Beyonders of the Spectator pathway. He was definitely pointing to a particular special existence, some special matter, or both.
Composite Start
Composite End
Emperor Roselle was a member of that ancient secret organization… That ancient secret organization’s founder and leader is… Klein’s eyelids twitched as he didn’t dare to think any further, afraid that a particular existence would hear his thoughts.
“Perhaps there are detailed descriptions on that diary page,” he said, hoping to see that diary page as soon as possible.
“I know.” Bernadette nodded.
She didn’t continue on the topic. After two seconds of silence, she said, “I should thank Mr. Fool and you on Cattleya’s behalf. Obtaining the blood of a Snake of Fate is very helpful towards her future.
“Although the advancement ritual of a Mysticologist doesn’t have any requirements on the Mythical Creature’s pathway, the best choice is still the Fate pathway. This will make it a lot easier for her when she advances to Sequence 3.”
“Why?” Klein asked with the mindset of learning new knowledge.
After all, it was impossible for a Blessed to know everything. Even a true god was incapable of that!
Bernadette’s eyes turned slightly vacant.
“Another way to call ‘prying into the secrets of fate’ is ‘clairvoyance.’ The Mystery Pryer’s Sequence 3 is called Clairvoyant. This also why I’m in Backlund.”
Due to a particular future prediction? Klein mused, having a guess and some level of enlightenment, “Many pathways seem to have the ability of clairvoyance.”
The corners of Queen Mystic’s mouth curled up slightly as she sighed and said, “In ancient times, many Beyonder creatures believe that gathering similar powers would lead to a qualitative change and breakthrough, but all of them went mad without exception or lost control. Only after the first Blasphemy Slate appeared did all creatures realize that balance—the kind of balance needed to walk on t;he edge of a cliff—was key to the path of extraordinariness.”
Therefore, a domain’s powers can be scattered across many pathways, concentrating on a few main pathways while the other pathways share the remnants? Hmm, a negative example is the King of the North from Groselle’s Travels, Ulyssan… Klein fell into a deep thought without pressing.
After a while, Queen Mystic broke the silence.
“If you have nothing else, let’s end it here today.”
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “Alright, if you need any help, you can find me through Admiral of Stars.”
Bernadette nodded gently as her figure suddenly turned transparent before turning into a cluster of bubbles.
The bubbles scattered and flew off before vanishing immediately. The dark green pea vines retracted and vanished into the night.
Klein seemed to be held by an invisible hand as he landed gently on the Backlund Bridge.
He reached out his hand to press his top hat and surveyed his surroundings. There were rows of houses lining the banks, emitting faint yellow lights. Amidst the gushing sound of the surging river and the darkness of the night, everything appeared serene, silent, warm, and peaceful.
I hope none of this will be destroyed… Klein sighed as his figure quickly turned transparent and faded away.
Chapter 1012 First Day of September
“Dear Mr. Azik,
“Ever since September was ushered in, Backlund’s temperature has been dropping day after day. Recently, the elderly can already be seen wearing gloves when outdoors.
“Just like last year, the smog has begun to envelop the city. This would happen one to two days a week, or even more. Clearly, the environmental measures governing air pollution aren’t something that can be resolved in a year or two. It will take at least five years. Something that should be worth being happy about is that the pungent smell in the air has already lessened significantly. My Sanguine friend is very pleased with such weather.
“Another delightful change is that more and more students, postmen, and technical workers have bought bikes. The number of carriages on the streets has decreased, implying that the smell of horse feces and the stench it brings is no longer the main pollutant in Backlund’s air. Of course, they still occupy a rather important position. As you know, those ladies and gentlemen who think highly of their standing wouldn’t casually lower their own standards of 1泠邮 However, based on my observations, their kids are gradually having a growing interest in bikes.
“I’ve been leading a normal life during this period of time. I go to Saint Samuel Cathedral and the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation a few times a week, participating in their activities and continuously donating cash. I occasionally visit the turf club, watch plays and orchestras, or play cards or golf at the club. During weekends, I either participate in balls, banquets, or saloons.
“I forgot to mention that I’ve already bought a manor. It formerly belonged to Duke Negan and is called ‘Maygur.’ It has its own excellent vineyard and brewery, as well as a huge forest and plantation on it. It can be used for farming and hunting. Its main building has a huge rectangular shape with four stories. It has a large number of rooms, and a casual tour of the place without walking out the door would take me more than ten thousand steps. At the same time, it also has a large number of sculptures, oil paintings, decorations, and exquisite cutlery. It’s simply palatial.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Perhaps my description is a little exaggerated. After all, I’ve never seen a real palace. This is also the first manor that I own. I still remember my time in Tingen. I lived in a rental apartment with only two bedrooms with my brother and sister. Every day, we slept to the smell of coal.
“This was introduced to me by Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor. It cost me 20,000 pounds. You don’t have to worry about my financial situation. I made a huge sum of money from the Southern Continent, and I also sold some mystical items. Currently, I still have more than 17,000 pounds in cash and 15,000 pounds worth of gold bars, including various gold coins, soli, and pence.
“I’m rather satisfied with Maygur and have sent my former valet, Richardson, to be the land steward. It’s now autumn, and I’m going to invite guests to enjoy a pleasant weekend there. I hope Richardson can make adequate preparations.
“The mysterious world in Backlund hasn’t changed for now. I hope it will continue like this.
“The magic mirror I previously mentioned to you has been restored to normal. However, it seems to still suffer from post-traumatic stress due to the damage Amon had dealt it. As long as I question it about what happened, it will automatically change the color of its text and give an erroneous answer and repeatedly request me to compliment it.
“It also has different views on leaving the Church of Steam. It seems to have decided to stay a little longer, believing that it would be safer that way. It has even thought of showcasing its danger and become a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. I have to say that I’m always surprised with the way it thinks.
“Thanks to some of its answers, I’ve found a way to create pure darkness. It is to create it with a charm of the Evernight domain that has dreamworld properties. It’s considered a response of the Evemight Goddess and is categorized under pure darkness. In addition, after repeated tests, I’ve finally figured out the way to carve the godhood symbols through Cogitation and create the item I want.”
Upon writing this, Klein, who was sitting on the sofa while using his thigh as his table, stopped writing and rubbed his temples.
Repeated failures implied the repeated loss of Worms of Spirit, and every separation was a damaging blow to his Spirit Body. It took him a long time to recover.
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, in order to have redundancies to prevent any accidents, Klein never pushed himself to the limit. After separating three or four Worms of Spirit, he would choose to rest for a few days before beginning the engraving process. Such breaks took him this long to master the method and create a finished product.
Glancing at the rectangular “diamond” beside him, he saw layers of complicated symbols that extended into the void from the constantly refracting light. His head felt a little dizzy as though he was witnessing a part of history.
I’ll call it the Yesterday Once More charm… Klein retracted his gaze and continued writing:
“The coastal regions have had another storm brewing. The two Houses of the kingdom have entered the traditional phase of debating over bills. With the footsteps of the new year approaching and getting louder, it makes me worried for some baffling reason.
“May you recover quickly and wake up soon.
Your eternal student, Klein Moretti.”
Putting away the pen and folding the letter, Klein blew Azik’s copper whistle and summoned the skeleton messenger that stood nearly four meters tall.
Unlike before, this messenger had only shown its head and one arm. The rest were beneath the floorboards on the second floor.
This made it appear significantly shorter than Klein.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After all, I’m now barely considered a Blessed of Death… Klein handed the letter to the messenger as he watched it crumble into bones, gushing down into the ground like a waterfall.
After doing this, he picked up the Yesterday Once More charm on the armrest.
This was his first successful product, and he planned on using it first. After all, making it again was easy now that he had the experience.
As for whether borrowing strength from his historical self posed any dangers, Klein had already performed a divination above the gray fog ahead of time. He believed that if it involved the real Fool or the owner of the door of light, then he would have the mysterious space above the gray fog to block it for him.
And the result of the divination was that it was very safe.
After staring at the diamond-like charm for a few seconds, Klein no longer hesitated. He opened his mouth and said a single word in ancient Hermes, “History!”
He had attempted it in the real world and not above the gray fog because he was worried that the mysterious world would sever the connection to the past.
Amidst the echoing of the jarring word, Klein injected his spirituality into the Yesterday Once More charm.
Light that appeared like scattered fur lit up, illuminating the surroundings with bright and pure light.
Composite Start
Composite End
Vaguely, a scene flashed past Klein’s eyes:
It was him dancing leisurely with Daly Simone beside Ince Zangwill’s corpse;
It was the gray-sideburned and exceedingly handsome Dwayne Dantes;
It was Gehrman Sparrow pressing down on his top hat while landing on the Black Tulip thanks to the blessings of the wind;
It was the Sherlock Moriarty who struggled during the descent of the meteor;
It was Klein Moretti who summoned sunlight when he heard the baby’s cry in the Blackthorn Security Company;
It was the pale university graduate who raised the revolver and aimed it at his temple.
Beyond this, all the scenes vanished. All that was left was the grayish-white fog.
And only when the powers of the charm were exhausted did Klein find himself at the end of that fog.
Indeed, my transmigration is related to the gray fog, that mysterious space, and that strange door of light… This basically verifies it. I was sleeping in a cocoon in the past, hanging above the door of light. I’ve no idea how long I was in that state… Compared to his first time seeing the door of light, Klein, who had made the confirmation, remained calm as though he had long expected it.
Composite Start
Composite End
Phew. Next, I’ll make two Yesterday Once More charms for Will. This charm isn’t of much use to me… I won’t be visiting him this week. It will incur suspicion if I feed him ice-cream every week. Their maid is already looking at me in an odd way… Also, since I’ve mastered the Cogitation engraving method of the godhood symbol, I can bring forward the creation of the extraordinary bullets made with the Worms of Time. Yes, Leonard said that he will be visiting Tingen in the next few days. Let’s see if the power of the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem can be stolen… Klein rubbed his forehead and left the sofa.
At a previous Tarot Gathering, Leonard had already informed him of the four types of godhood symbols and magical labels he learned from Pallez Zoroast. They came from the Marauder domain, and it was said that one of them was capable of misdirecting the enemy, making them make errors in judgment. Another was to steal three Beyonder powers that the target had formerly used, beginning with the most recent power. The third would cause the enemy to lose plenty of vitality if the enemy could be affected by it, making them enter an aged state. Finally, one of them could create Worms of Time that didn’t live long. They would secretly Parasitize the target’s body and allow the charm-user to control them.
Among the seven remaining Worms of Time that Klein had, he had already made three into Fate Siphon charms and had given Miss Justice one and kept two. This also meant that he still had four Worms of Time, allowing him to try out each of the four effects. Of course, his intuition told him that the chances of a successful product weren’t guaranteed.
As for Leonard’s two Worms of Time, one had been made into a Fate Siphon charm. He had followed The World Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions to pray to Mr. Fool and had received a reply. The other relied on Pallez Zoroast’s help to create a Parasite charm.
After busying himself with a series of tasks, it was evening. Klein had five successes and one failure. He obtained two Yesterday Once More charms, one Parasite bullet, a Deceit bullet, and a Deprivation bullet.
The only failure was the Aging bullet, seemingly due to the inability to use sufficient powers from the mysterious space above the gray fog.
Looking at the three similar-looking bullets that were a mix of transparency or translucency, Klein heaved a sigh of relief. He took out Death Knell and loaded the bullet. In the revolver were three of his Control Spirit Bullets.
After clearing the altar, he walked out of the room and headed for the second floor. Upon entering the dining hall, he said to Butler Walter who was waiting for him, “Invite the guests to a hunting trip over the weekend in the city outskirts using the name list.”
“Yes, sir.” Walter was already prepared for this, remaining stem and serious.
Tingen City, 36 Zouteland Street.
Leonard got off the carriage as he looked at a newly built building with a mixed expression. He momentarily forgot to enter.
1013 Individual Growth
The 36 Zouteland Street of the past was just filled with a cement foundation, with each floor’s two windows forming the shape of an arch with their covers being shut. It had the architectural traits of post-1300s of the Fifth Epoch, and the natural lighting wasn’t very good.
After its reconstruction, the bottom floor had a small sheltered porch with two oriel windows that extended to the second floor. The thinner portion of the window frames had a wall and a decorative column that supported a thin stone beam. Above the oriel window was a parapet that connected straight to the third floor.
This was a three-story architectural style that had been made popular in recent years.
His thoughts seemingly going adrift, Leonard had a feeling that he had come to the wrong place.
After falling into a daze for about ten seconds, he stepped into 36 Zouteland Street with a silver inlaid cane. Following that, he walked up the stairs, turned around a bend, and saw the black door and vertical signboard:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Blackthorn Security Company.”
When he arrived, he seemed to gradually find a sense of familiarity. He sped up his pace and pushed open the ajar door.
A brown-haired girl who held the Tingen City Honest Paper up vertically on the desk moved the papers to the side when she heard the unconcealed footsteps, revealing a smooth forehead, light-brown eyes, and a pretty face.
“…Good afternoon, Rozanne,” Leonard greeted somewhat hesitantly.
Rozanne first wore a look of surprise before her expression fell. She said in an abnormally cold tone, “Good afternoon. “Congratulations on avenging Captain and Klein.”
Leonard widened his mouth, at a loss for a response. He didn’t even press down on his top hat despite his dislike of wearing hats.
He forced a smile and nodded slightly. Then, he went forward in silence, passing Rozanne, planning to enter the door beyond the partition.
Just as he was about to enter the office, he suddenly heard Rozanne say rather softly behind him, “Live well…”
Leonard slowed down his pace slightly before nodding his head heavily.
Composite Start
Composite End
When he entered the interior, he instantly saw Frye standing by the captain’s office.
This Corpse Collector still had a paleness that resulted from not being under the sun for a long while. He had black hair This Corpse Collector still had a paleness that resulted from not being under the sun for a long while. He had black hair
Leonard solemnly looked at him for a few seconds before exhaling, trying hard to coolly smile.
“Long time no see.”
“Good afternoon, long time no see.” Frye pointed to the captain’s office. “I’ve already received the telegram and know of your request. I’ll get two team members to carry out the operation with you. Also, you need to fill in a Sealed Artifact request form.”
Slightly surprised, Leonard said with a smile, “You’re the captain now? You aren’t as silent as before…”
Leonard had actually finished digesting his Soul Assurer potion and could advance to Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock, but to obtain the power of that drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun’s blood, he deliberately kept it a secret. He continued placating the souls around Backlund and finally, through his hard work, found an opportunity to come to Tingen.
Yes,” Frye said with a gentle nod. “Actually, I don’t like to speak much, but I have to do so as the captain.”
Leonard nodded slightly.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“When did you become a captain? Why haven’t I heard of it…”
“Recently,” Frye succinctly replied before giving an explanation. “Shortly after you left, I became a Sequence 8 Gravedigger. I finally advanced to Spirit Medium last month. And it just so happened that the previous captain was transferred away.”
“That’s fast…” Before Leonard could finish his sentence, he had punched himself in the head. “Look at my memory. I forgot that Klein had already shared some experiences with everyone.”
He lowered his right hand and said to Frye with a smile, “In that case, you still have room and time to make further progress. Perhaps you might become a deacon.”
Frye shot a look at him and retracted his gaze.
“I’ll likely not choose to continue advancing.”
“Why?” Leonard took a few steps out and came to Frye’s side, asking in puzzlement.
Frye looked up at the ceiling and said in a calm and heavy voice, “I wish to stay here.
“Protecting this place, always.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard fell silent and didn’t give a response.
He observed his surroundings and felt that there were quite significant changes, but there were also many things that remained immutable.
Frye fell silent for a while before saying, “I’ll dispatch two members to follow you.”
As he spoke, he headed for the basement. Leonard then subconsciously followed by the side.
The office right at the bottom had its door open. A few Nighthawks were in there playing cards—Fighting Evil.
When they sensed their captain approaching, they hurriedly put down their poker cards and stood up.
Leonard swept his gaze across them and saw two familiar faces. They were Royale, with her smooth black hair, and the white-haired, black-eyed Seeka.
At the same time, he also saw a few unfamiliar faces. He saw the pence, soli, and poker cards on the table.
For a moment, he felt his mind adrift as his vision blurred up.
In the Rorsted Archipelago waters, in a small harbor neighboring a fishing village, at the bottom of the Future.
Composite Start
Composite End
Frank Lee rolled up his sleeves and crossed his arms, seriously looking at the mushroom in front of him.
The mushroom, together with its cap, stood at a height of 1.8 meters tall. Its white surface had a few bright red spots that resembled eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Apart from that, its stem had protruding spores. They had thick and strong-looking white hypha that resembled tentacles.
Frank sized up this gigantic mushroom and surveyed the area, looking at the wooden walls, floorboards, and the mushrooms of different shapes and sizes before saying to Artisan Cielf, “Not bad. This experiment has made progress again. This mushroom has a strong inclination to reproduce, and this will make it hungry, making it eager to replenish itself with monster flesh and blood.
“Be it roasting or boiling, these can cease its activity, making it not as dangerous.
“Hmm, how does it taste? Didn’t you try it? The offspring that it produces have random flavors: beef, fish, and malt. Some are even filled with milk. One of them is enough to satisfy any requirements for breakfast. See, the crew no longer enjoy drinking anymore. There are mushrooms that can be plucked everywhere… I believe that when out in the wilderness, to fill one’s stomach, one has to carry dry rations and hunt wild beasts. That’s just too troublesome. If we can let our bodies grow mushrooms, wouldn’t it save the hassle?”
Artisan Cielf was a lot thinner than back when he was in Bayam. His eye sockets were deep and his eyes vacant. They were lacking in life.
Upon hearing Frank’s words, he seemed to recall something as his body trembled. He silently crouched down and opened his mouth, producing retching noises.
“Are you okay? I know it was tough on you. I’m really grateful for all you’ve done recently,” Frank said sincerely to the Artisan. “If it wasn’t for you, the mushrooms wouldn’t have such a strong inclination towards reproduction. Also, they have obtained abnormally strong vitality under the moonlight, allowing themselves to purify themselves. This effectively eliminated the poison that accumulates from devouring monsters. The only problem is that there’s no moonlight in pure darkness. This is the next problem that we need to resolve.”
Cielf didn’t say a word. After he finished vomiting, he immediately stood up and turned to rush outside. However, a thick and strong white hypha reached out and pulled him back.
“R-return my mystical items to me! I want to die with these mushrooms!” he yelled frantically, his voice softening as his mouth was covered.
At this moment, green vines rapidly retreated from a certain spot of the fishing village, as though it was growing in reverse.
Cattleya walked out of it, her eyes dark purple with some silver hints to them.
Her ears continued resounding with the illusory ravings of the Hidden Sage; however, she no longer found it terrifying. She didn’t find it unacceptable like before. Wherever she looked, there were countless indescribable figures looking as if they were shadows stacked upon each other, like an invisible gaze that was cast over from an unknown location.
Compared to the past, she could already see the unknown existence hidden behind the curtains. She could see the moons high up in the sky that were of different colors. They were either blood-red, silver, dark brown, or ghostly-blue, resembling eyes that looked down upon the land.
Cattleya’s mind hummed as she hurriedly retracted her gaze, afraid to look further.
She had already dissected the Snake of Fate’s blood and completed the ritual. Through that, she had obtained godhood, becoming a Sequence 4 Mysticologist of the Mystery Pryer pathway!
However, she remembered the Queen’s warning:
Among all the Sequence 4 Beyonders of the twenty-two pathways, Mysticologist was the “job” that encountered danger the easiest. It was because they often saw things that they shouldn’t see, hear things they shouldn’t hear, and be aware of secrets they shouldn’t be aware of.
Therefore, a Mysticologist needed to know how to curb their curiosity and control their respective actions in order to live long.
Removing the heavy glasses she hung on her clothes, Cattleya wore it, but all the various things she saw in the real world didn’t vanish.
She curled her lips in satisfaction in a self-deprecating manner. She knew that the item could no longer seal her ability of prying into secrets.
She closed her eyes before opening them. Her eyes had turned black, no longer having the mysterious dark purple and silver hues.
Phew… Cattleya heaved a sigh of relief and slowly walked to the Future as though she had simply gone out for a stroll.
She didn’t wish to announce her becoming a demigod, and she had no intention of quickly becoming the fifth royal over the seas. To her, this was a trump card in this dangerous world, one that she had to keep close to her chest.
South of the Bridge, Rose Street.
The carriage that Emlyn was on drove down the street when he saw the blurry figure in a white shirt and black vest with slightly messy hair appear opposite him. It was that wraith-like young man.
“Long time no see, Mr. Marie,” Emlyn said with an unsurprised smile.
Marie nodded slightly.
“I’m here to tell you that we’ve already made the preparations. We can discuss the actual operation.”
Chapter 1014 The Growing Group
“Alright,” Emlyn replied very calmly.
Marie didn’t speak further as his figure vanished.
He knew that it was impossible to come up with a specific plan in an instant. Emlyn White had to first seek the opinion of the upper echelons of the Sanguine; therefore, he didn’t stay.
This might be a chance for me to obtain godhood and become an Earl… Emlyn smiled as he watched the Wraith, Marie, leave silently.
He had yet to digest the Scarlet Scholar Beyonder characteristic. The so-called opportunity to become an Earl referred to the promise of obtaining a free ritual and the corresponding potion formula.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The carriage continued forward and stopped at the entrance of the Harvest Church. Emlyn looked at the grayish-white fog in the sky with a look of satisfaction, pressed down on his silk top hat, and unhurriedly alighted the carriage before entering the cathedral’s door.
After changing into his brown priest robe, he picked up a cloth and a pail of water and began seriously wiping the surface of the candle stands.
After Father Utravsky, who appeared taller, finished his morning sermon, Emlyn stopped working and grumbled, “Why was Ernes allowed to return?”
“He only requested to do a month of volunteer work.” Father Utravsky wasn’t annoyed by Emlyn’s repeated question from time to time, appearing extremely patient.
Upon thinking of his encounter, Emlyn immediately felt indignant. He couldn’t help but mumble, “He was forced to do volunteer work, not out of his own accord. He can’t be allowed to decide on the period. He needs to serve at least half a year!”
Father Utravsky replied with a smile, “He did well. He worked hard the entire month, guiding the devotees and copying the bible. I could clearly sense that he had already realized the value of life and the joy of the harvest.”
Emlyn’s facial muscles twitched slightly.
“Is he also—no, is he soon going to become a believer of Earth Mother?”
“No, I didn’t force him to change his faith,” Father Utravsky said gently. “I only taught him the teachings of Earth Mother and to sense the traces and fragments that life brings. I hope that he will recall the home for the soul, the mother’s embrace, whenever he feels lost.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn’s lips quivered, but he ultimately didn’t say a word. He lowered his head and continued wiping.
In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.
Fors sat on a high-back chair, her gaze focused on an empty glass bottle on the desk in front of her.
She had finally digested the Astrologer potion some time ago. Today, under Xio’s watch, she had concocted the Asmann’s brain and the ancient wraith’s cursed item into the Scribe potion. She mustered her courage and drank it.
At this moment, she felt her brain rapidly expanding. The grand folds and white matter rapidly increased as her body gradually blurred, separating into individual cells.
Those cells formed a haloed “door” that circled her brain.
Fors subtly heard the familiar ravings, but they were indistinct and blurry, preventing her from identifying the exact words at all. To the experienced her, it didn’t affect her in any way.
After an unknown period of time, Fors finally regained control over her brain and cells and could sense her body’s existence.
Almost at the same time, a large amount of knowledge resonated in her mind, making her understand how to use the powers of a Scribe.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The mutated “brain” reproduced the Beyonder powers used by the target before driving a portion of the vitalized cells to form corresponding symbols, patterns, and labels for complete storage.
This was “I came, I saw, I record,” which used one’s soul as a pen and one’s Spirit Body as the paper!
At present, I can only record one Beyonder power that has the influence of godhood. The higher the target’s Sequence, the higher the chances of my failure. Even targeted at Sequence 4,1 might not be able to succeed even once in ten attempts… I can record eight Sequence 5 and 6 Beyonder powers, and the effects are half of the original. I can record twenty Sequence 7 to Sequence 9 Beyonder powers with their effects being almost like the original… When the potion is digested further, I’ll enjoy an enhancement in all these aspects… Fors concluded the knowledge and her experiences before silently muttering to herself.
This appeared to overlap with Leymano’s Travels, but Fors felt that no one would ever find having too many Beyonder powers being excessive. Besides, the two were complementary. After all, she could rent Leymano’s Travels to other Tarot Club members and be paid with Beyonder powers. However, she was unable to rent herself out.
At Sequence 6, an Apprentice finally has sufficient combat strength! Fors reined in her thoughts as she sighed to Xio.
She then took a pen and paper and began writing a letter:
“Dear Teacher, “I’m very pleased to inform you that I’ve finally become a Scribe. I’m just one step away from my dreams of ‘Traveling’…”
After writing a few sentences, she saw Xio stand up and walk towards the door from the corner of her eye. She hurriedly shouted at her, “Hey, shouldn’t we head to a restaurant to celebrate?”
Xio replied in a stern manner, “Your overflowing spirituality is rather serious. You’ll need several days of Cogitation to keep it under control. Uh, you aren’t allowed to smoke or drink. Don’t overly indulge yourself in your emotions.”
Composite Start
Composite End
After the advice, she added, “I still have commissions to do. I almost have enough to exchange for the Judge formula.”
“…Alright.” Fors threw up her hands.
After leaving the house, Xio unlocked the chains and got onto a bicycle specially created for youths. She then rode towards Hillston Borough.
According to the intelligence she had previously obtained, Viscount Stratford had reserved lunch at a luxurious restaurant.
Upon reaching the restaurant, Xio secured the bike to a street lamp and found a secluded comer to observe the people passing by.
After an unknown period of time, a carriage drove through the thin fog. There was a coat of arms with a flower and two rings engraved on it.
Xio’s focus intensified as she watched the carriage stop at the restaurant’s entrance. She then saw the grizzled Viscount Stratford, who was in his forties, get off first. He then extended his hand to the passenger behind him like a gentleman.
It was a lady draped in a dark red cloak.
Xio couldn’t see the lady’s face and only noticed that the lady’s jaw was soft and her skin fair.
On the Blue Avenger at the Northern Sonia Sea.
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger Wilson’s feet left the ground as he floated behind the window of the captain’s cabin. He stared at the deck and distant waves outside.
Having already digested a portion of the Ocean Songster potion, he had reported to the Church of Storms two weeks ago and had accumulated enough contribution points to obtain a Wind-blessed potion and successfully consumed it. This also meant that he was officially a Sequence 6. Of course, he had to redigest the Wind-blessed potion, but that wasn’t too difficult.
The biggest problem is that the commotion created from digesting the Ocean Songster is too obvious… I should’ve bought that Word of the Sea and blamed the singing on it every time… Alger sighed silently, but he didn’t feel too much regret. This was because even if he wanted to buy it back then, he didn’t have the money for it.
Furthermore, he had figured out the way to digest the Ocean Songster potion.
I should be able to get the information soon and confirm who that Feysac navy officer that Mr. Fool wishes to investigate is… Alger retracted his gaze and floated back to the desk where there was a brass sextant.
At this moment, two sailors passed by the deck while belching.
“There seem to be sirens in these waters. I always hear their singing at night…” one of the sailors said in uncertainty.
His companion sneered.
“How is that possible? How can a siren sound so bad?
“It must be some noise produced by some sea monster!”
City of Silver, in the training field which wasn’t as crowded compared to during “daytime.”
A pile of blue ice was stacked there like a small mountain.
Derrick didn’t bring his weapon with him as he stood empty-handed in front of the mountain of ice, piously praying, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
After chanting the honorific name and making his request, he looked at the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad, walk towards the ice blocks from afar.
Colin, with two swords on his back, carried a bottle of light-emitting and hot golden liquid. He watched as Derrick exerted his strength to enter the ice block and bury himself inside completely without leaving a single crack.
A deep and hazy darkness descended. Even with the lightning streaking across the sky, it was unable to illuminate the interior.
In the blink of an eye, an indescribable surge appeared as though pairs of eyes were cast over from the depths of the darkness.
Colin Iliad could clearly sense that Derrick was in a deep slumber. Even though Derrick was being frozen in ice that normally didn’t melt and his body was trembling, he didn’t wake up.
Without any hesitation, he threw the potion bottle ahead of him. A wraith-like transparent figure floated above and enveloped it.
This figure passed through the blue ice and came to the cramped space where Derrick was. It took out the potion and placed it by Derrick’s mouth.
Just as this action was done, it immediately retreated and left the ice blocks.
Whoosh!
Colin Iliad suddenly drew his sword and cleaved behind him to his right. A monster, whose rotting body was covered in eyes, burst out into yellow pus.
It wasn’t known where it came from!
At this moment, Colin saw a radiant light emerge from the pile of blue ice. They scattered pure light, with a burning intensity, warmth, brightness, and vitality that was different from the surrounding lightning.
This filled Colin’s eyes as if the light had come from the Dark Ages.
This City of Silver Chief watched intently and was motionless for a long time until another monster emerged from the darkness.
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Little Sun is at Sequence 5 too… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he cast his eyes at the crimson star representing The Sun and cast it to another star.
That signified Miss Justice. Over the past month or so, she had completed many of the Psychology Alchemists’ missions and had exchanged her contribution for the Dreamwalker’s potion formula.
This also meant that she was about to meet Hvin Rambis again.
Chapter 1015 March of War
Backlund, at the residence of the furniture merchant, Hampres.
Audrey once again met the councilor of the Psychology Alchemists, Hvin Rambis.
This old gentleman remained warm and elegant, his white but lush hair was neatly combed. His blue, deep eyes seemed to contain infinite knowledge.
Upon seeing him, Audrey’s eyes wore a vacant look before she came to a realization. It was as though she had finally awoken from a long dream and recovered her lost memories.
She wasn’t surprised or puzzled by this at all, accepting this fact without any resistance as if it was something very normal.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Good afternoon, Mr. Rambis,” Audrey greeted with the etiquette that was flawless.
Rambis nodded slightly and replied with a smile, “Good afternoon, our girl.”
Over the past month or so, he had gradually adopted the idea that she was the “pride of the Psychology Alchemists” and the “most important girl.”
Audrey glanced at the diamond brooch at her chest and sat down with a smile, waiting for Hvin Rambis to speak.
In regard to the cue and guidance, she hadn’t been affected at all due to her preparations. At that moment, when she heard Hvin Rambis call her that, she wished to ignore everything, etiquette or whatnot, rolling her eyes without being afraid of being exposed. However, she ultimately held back without exposing any problems.
Hvin Rambis looked at Audrey for a few seconds before saying with the same smile, “You’ve done well during this period of time. As a reward, we’ve decided to give you the potion formula for Dreamwalker.”
As he spoke, he took out a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket and placed it on the coffee table. He then pushed it towards the noble lady.
Audrey pressed down on her skirt and got up slightly. She picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it in front of Hvin Rambis.
Her gaze first fell on the main ingredients before she quickly skimmed the ritual.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Main ingredients: One Dreamcatcher’s heart, one mind illusion crystal or a mature mind dragon’s complete brain.” “Ritual: Seek out a harpy in the spirit world and sign a contract with it. Then, holding one tail feather, consume the potion amidst intense feelings of either joy or anger.”
As though sensing Audrey’s puzzlement, Hvin Rambis explained with a smile, “A harpy has the ability to give nightmares. It can snap people awake from their dreams, so the entire ritual’s essence is to be immersed in a dream and be unwilling to wake up from it. Get pulled out of the dream via an external force, or else you might sleep forever or lose control and turn into a monster.”
Audrey nodded in thought.
“The requirement to consume the potion amidst intense feelings is to prevent myself from sleeping too soundly and deeply?”
Yes, you’ve already grasped the crux of the matter,” Hvin Rambis said with a smile. “If you don’t know much about the spirit world and can’t find a harpy, we can provide some help.”
If the ritual’s essence is for me to wake up from a dream, that means that the harpy isn’t necessary. The blessings of Mr. Fool’s angel can allow me to remain lucid in dreams. I can wake up whenever I want… Audrey’s green eyes darted about and said with looks of anticipation, “I can try it myself first.”
“Alright,” Hvin didn’t mind the girl’s desire to take risks.
He paused and said, “I have another matter for you. If you do it well, we will provide you with all the ingredients of the Dreamwalker potion.”
“What is it?” Audrey asked without any resistance, just like before.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hvin Rambis said with a slightly solemn expression, “Find out the attitudes of your father, Earl Hall, the present Duke Negan, Admiral Amyrius, and the other nobles about a relatively major war.”
“War…” Audrey repeated the word that she had often heard but found somewhat unfamiliar. She had a vague feeling that ripples had suddenly formed under the surface of a seemingly calm lake.
War… Above the gray fog, Klein listened to Miss Justice’s prayer and fell into deep thought.
He was unable to determine whether the Psychology Alchemists; Hermes, or maybe even Adam—who was lurking behind them—welcomed or objected to a war.
As for whether the Loen king, the prime minister, and a number of nobles and the Members of Parliaments wanted war, the answer was relatively clear.
Last year, The Hanged Man had once asked Miss Justice a similar question. Her answer was that the king and prime minister had the tendencies of being war-mongers, but they had chosen to first focus on internal reforms and settle the connections over various matters.
Now, about a year had passed, and all the policies that had been implemented were on track.
In other words, it was time to start a war to snatch back the interests which Loen had lost in East Balam!
It’s a revolutionary era. The strife between countries are intense, and once war begins, it’s unlikely that it can be controlled… Furthermore, Adam, Amon, and the other Kings of Angels have appeared one after another, have already retrieved key items, or are seeking breakthroughs. A storm is about to descend on the mysterious world, and danger is lurking… Klein sighed and returned to the real world.
Composite Start
Composite End
The next day, he first went to Saint Samuel Cathedral to pray according to his schedule and donated tens of pounds. Following that, he went to 22 Phelps Street, planning to participate in some of the business of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
The moment he stepped inside, Klein saw Miss Audrey Hall and a few of the foundation’s staff coming down the stairs and walking towards the door.
This noble lady was dressed very simply today. Her hair was tied up into a simple bun, and she wore no other accessories. Her dress was light green in color, and her sleeves had a circle of frills. There were no laces or tassels.
“Good morning, Miss Audrey.” Klein took off his hat as usual and bowed. He then nodded at the staff and greeted them.
After Audrey responded, Klein casually asked, “Where are you going?”
He knew that Miss Justice’s main role in the foundation was to seek donations from the various ladies and gentlemen in high society.
Audrey replied with a faint smile, “Visit the various universities and show some concern to the students we helped previously.”
Having said that, she blinked her eyes as her smile widened.
“Mr. Dantes, do you want to go together? Take a look at the children who had the chance of changing their fates due to your ideas and kindness. Oh, some of them are already young adults.”
Although Klein had never thought of obtaining anything in return from the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, he truly wished that these actions could help the target group. Therefore, he was rather concerned about the progress and the actual situation. He nodded with a smile after some hesitation.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I have no way of rejecting such an invitation.”
The group went out the door, and under Miss Audrey’s suggestion, they chose an untracked public carriage.
After getting into the carriage, Klein, in a gentlemanly-like manner, let Miss Audrey sit down first. Then, he sat opposite her and asked with a smile, “You seem to be very used to it?”
Audrey looked at the foundation’s staff beside her and said with a smile, “It’s not the first time. It’s impossible for us to take my own carriage every time we head out. They have to use public transportation.”
Upon saying that, she blushed in embarrassment and said, “The first time I was on a public carriage, I took out notes with one-pound face value. The lady who collected the money got me to buy a few copies of newspapers before going back to her.
“Oh, it’s cleaner than I imagined. The smell of the air isn’t that unbearable either.”
Klein nodded slightly and said, “This is because the truly poor are unable to take public transport like this. They’d rather walk. Under normal circumstances, they don’t have to head out, nor do they go somewhere too far.”
“Mr. Dantes, you seem to be familiar with such matters?” Although Audrey had guessed the reason, she still asked in front of others.
Klein smiled.
“Although I’ve never experienced it directly, I’ve seen too much of it.”
Audrey didn’t continue on the topic. Instead, she mentioned to the beneficiaries that they were visiting to confirm their education and living conditions.
Amidst their idle chat, they arrived at their first destination—Backlund University of Technology.
Based on Audrey’s identity and Dwayne Dantes’s social relations, they met the chancellor of the newly established university directly. He was a resident of 100 Boklund Street, Mr. Portland Moment.
This elder had a large build, a ruddy complexion, and a loud voice. Whenever he talked to his neighbor, Dwayne Dantes, and the distinguished Miss Audrey about the university’s establishment, he would complain about the Higher Education Commission from time to time.
Audrey and Klein listened with a decent smile and occasionally echoed his words.
Finally, they found an opportunity to raise the need to begin work.
Portland was just about to get his secretary when he suddenly heard someone knock on his office door.
“Please come in,” the chancellor said loudly.
The door opened without a sound. A black-haired, brown-eyed girl entered. She didn’t doll herself up and was rather thin. She had nice facial features, and she looked to be seventeen or eighteen.
Klein’s gaze suddenly deepened before he reined it in.
The girl hadn’t expected the chancellor’s office to have guests. In her anxiety, she hurriedly lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. They were about to leave anyway,” Portland said without minding it. “Have you finished the item I got you to make last week?”
,fYes.” The girl walked through the door and stood to the side.
Portland Moment then smiled at Dwayne Dantes and Audrey.
“Her name is Melissa Moretti. She’s very talented with machinery. I happened to chance upon her and got her to help in my laboratory. Of course, she can only do some miscellaneous chores for now.”
“Not bad.” The corners of Klein’s mouth curled up as he commended her with an obvious smile.
Audrey glanced at him and smiled.
There are always arrogant people who say that women have no talent in machinery, and this lady has proven them wrong.”
Portland laughed and shook his head.
“There’s no need to bother about such comments. Alright, I’ll get my secretary to help you in understanding the conditions of those beneficiaries.”
Audrey and Klein didn’t stay any longer as they left the office.
Once they were out the door, Audrey stole a glance at Dwayne Dantes, but she didn’t say a word.
Chapter 1016 News from the Numinous Episcopate
160 Boklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantes’s mansion.
Klein stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching as the rain began to descend along with the wind. The rain hit the ground and the glass, intersecting to form a mesh.
Ever since autumn, Backlund had started to rain again. It brought with it a lingering coldness and humidity.
Klein stood there motionless for a long time, watching silently into the distance through the blurry rainy scene, his eyes unfocused.
Only when his spiritual perception was triggered did he stop his wandering thoughts and turned his head to the side. Reinette, with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in her hand, had a letter as she walked out of the void.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Who is it from this time?” Klein asked Miss Messenger out of habit.
The last letter he received came from Sharron. The lady had told him that she had successfully completed the ritual and advanced to Sequence 4 Puppet of the Prisoner pathway.
Klein first sincerely congratulated her and apologetically informed her that he had already obtained what he needed and didn’t need to visit Calderon City in the spirit world anytime soon.
Of course, he also indicated that there was a huge secret there that might have something to do with him. He would probably head there one day, and when that time came, if Miss Sharron had the time or was willing, he wished to obtain her support.
For Klein, on the one hand, he might have to head there to find the future ingredients he needed for his advancement. On the other hand, he believed that the magical city that involved ancient Death, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace, also might contain the method to heal Mr. Azik’s incomplete Spirit Body’s. Even if this Death Consul didn’t have the means to advance, he hoped that by doing so, the former didn’t need to repeatedly suffer the torment of losing his memories.
Of course, Klein had prepared a plan for that. It was to wait until he advanced to Sequence 3 Scholar of Yore. He could prepare more Yesterday Once More charms for Mr. Azik, or he could imbue him with the corresponding Beyonder powers to speed up the recovery of his memories each time.
At that moment, Klein had already received a letter. Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads replied one after another, “From…” “That…””Undying…””Idiot…”
…Patrick Bryan of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction… Klein easily understood who Miss Messenger was referring to. This was because Patrick was the one who wrote the most to him over the past two months. He reported almost anything of slight importance and asked for instructions.
After a few times, Reinette Tinekerr gave him a nickname.
Composite Start
Composite End
Miss Messenger never showed interest in such matters before. I wonder when it began… Most of the people who write to me have been given nicknames except Miss Sharron… As Klein silently mumbled, he unfurled the letter and gave it a quick scan.
In the letter, Patrick Bryan said that the Southern Continent’s orders were no longer about getting him to make various attempts to awaken “Death.” Instead, they got him to prepare a special ritual and help the Death domain angel inside the mausoleum, Artificial Death faction’s leader, Haiter, recover. It was to allow “Him” to have the means to temporarily leave the “land in which ‘He’ sealed ‘Himself.'”
Such an order didn’t seem problematic on the surface, but it was a little sudden. However, Klein still sensed something amiss.
The Artificial Death faction of the Numinous Episcopate in the Southern Continent had previously made Patrick continue the strange but dangerous rituals to awaken Death. I managed to trick them by instructing him to use excuses such as the inability to gather the materials or the ultimate failure of the experiment. Now, they’ve finally suspected that there’s something wrong with Patrick? Klein nodded in thought.
He suspected that this was a test directed at Patrick Bryan, a test that pointed towards an angel!
An angel’s response to rituals covered the entire world.
Yes, it’s good as long as they don’t suspect there’s a problem with Artificial Death. After all, they’ve inherited a huge inheritance from the ancient Balam Empire. Who knows if they have a way to affect the Goddess’s progress in controlling the Death pathway’s Uniqueness. It could be a bane for both sides… Klein analyzed for a moment before heaving a sigh of relief.
As for the test by the Death domain angel, he didn’t think much of it. This was because The Fool could also direct power at the same level. With Angel’s Embrace, a disruption effect could be made. As long as the High Priest named Haiter didn’t descend in person and only exerted influence remotely, he could carry out misdirections in an ingenious manner.
After figuring this out, Klein flicked his wrist, igniting Patrick Bryan’s letter with scarlet flames. As he returned to his desk, he took out a pen and paper and wrote:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“…You may proceed according to your teacher’s instructions, but before the actual ritual, you must report this to me and gain my permission…”
As the interval between the receiving and sending of letters were short, Patrick Bryan likely remained in his original spot. Klein didn’t summon Patrick’s messenger and instead blew the adventurer’s harmonica and handed the folded letter to Reinette Tinekerr.
Amidst the drizzle, Xio draped a simple raincoat lined with tree sap over her and hid in the shadows, staring at the side door of Viscount Stratford’s residence.
It wasn’t even evening, but the street lamps were already lit up. They emitted a faint glow in the rain.
After a while, a rental carriage drove over from afar and stopped in front of the side door in a remote area.
The viscount’s valet that had been hiding immediately ran out, opening an umbrella.
He sheltered the cloaked woman down the carriage and quickly passed through the side door. As for the rental carriage, it remained in its spot without leaving. It had apparently been paid a sufficient amount of money.
Xio still failed to see the woman’s appearance, but she wasn’t disheartened by it. She patiently waited in the cold rain as though she had turned into a motionless statue.
She planned on attempting to tail the woman once she came out to confirm her identity.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was both an opportunity for her to obtain the Judge potion formula, and it was also the reason why she came to Backlund—to investigate the truth of her father’s death!
And it was because she was spurred by such motives that Xio had persisted in monitoring Viscount Stratford to this day. MI9’s other intelligence officers had already ended the mission due to the lack of any developments over the previous few months. Even the golden-masked man who had designated the mission hadn’t asked about this in weeks. Clearly, he didn’t place any importance on it.
Inside Viscount Stratford’s bedroom, a beautiful brown-haired girl wore a silk gown and sat in front of a dressing table. She was fiddling with the skincare and makeup products as if she had discovered a treasure trove.
Viscount Stratford, who was already middle-aged, wore a male nightgown and walked to the beautiful girl with his hair still moist. He smiled at her reflection in the mirror and said, “Shermane, you no longer need those to add to your beauty.”
“It’s just a type of female instinct.” The young girl named Shermane raised her hand with a smile, pressing down on the viscount’s palm that had been placed on her shoulder.
Viscount Stratford smiled gently and said, “When you touch them, you have a pure and innocent air to you. Heh heh, you make me discover my youth, like the days when I was only eighteen.”
Without waiting for Shermane’s reply, he continued, “My wife had already passed away for years. I always imagined I would live until the Lord beckons for me, but who knew that I would meet you. In a while, when the pressure accumulated in Backlund is relieved, I will find a chance to walk down the wedding aisle to the altar with you.”
“Wedding… You want to marry me?” Shermane was taken aback as she asked in disbelief.
Viscount Stratford smiled and said, “Meeting you is a gift from the Lord. Although you aren’t of noble birth, I’ve already married once. I don’t have to consider such matters anymore. Of course, I’ll think of means to raise your standing in society. Yes, I’ll first find a merchant to recognize you as his illegitimate daughter…”
He droned on about his plan until he saw Shermane’s eyes filled with tears in the mirror’s reflection.
Composite Start
Composite End
“The most precious thing about you is that you treat me ten times better than how well I treat you, and you don’t hide it.” Viscount Stratford smiled as he lowered his head and kissed the top of Shermane’s head.
Shermane opened her mouth, seemingly crying and laughing.
Only when the drizzle stopped and night fell did Xio finally wait for the woman in a dark red cloak walk out and board the carriage.
After memorizing the carriage’s traits, Xio tailed it from afar, using her Beyonder powers as a Sheriff and the empty streets at night to follow the target simply by walking or running.
She went all the way from Empress Borough to the Backlund Bridge area. Even with her stamina, she was almost at her limit, but thankfully, the carriage finally came to a stop.
Xio brightened up as she switched her target from the carriage to the cloaked woman and continued tailing her.
During this process, she was surprised that the woman had very good anti-tracking abilities. She would occasionally take detours and pause using obstacles.
However, this didn’t stump Xio, since she was already an experienced Sheriff. She patiently tailed from afar without coming too close.
Just as she sensed that the woman wasn’t too far from her final destination and that she was finally about to catch up to her, she suddenly caught the scent of a sweet, ethereal fragrance.
Xio’s mind went into a daze amidst the fragrance before she completely lost track of her target.
As for the fragrance, it had vanished as though it had never appeared.
Xio’s pupils widened slightly. She didn’t dare to search her surroundings for any traces.
Inside a rental apartment, Trissy, with a gentle and sweet face that made one unable to resist looking at her, looked at the mirror reflecting Shermane and said, “You seem to be in a good mood.
“How was it? This final mission isn’t too unacceptable, right?
“Once you complete it, you can leave Backlund and start your own life.”
Shermane was taken aback as her expression turned complicated as though she was disheartened. It was as though she had suddenly snapped out of her dreams.
She didn’t turn her head as her lips quivered while replying, “He said that he wishes to marry me…”
Trissy immediately pricked up her brows.
You mustn’t believe a man’s words during those times. You and I should know this very well.
“If he really wishes to marry you, he wouldn’t be wary of you. He will wish to have a child with you. Heh heh, did he do so?”
Upon hearing her question, Shermane’s mood turned sullen.
Trissy stood up and said with a smile, “I’m not stopping you from pursuing your love. If you wish to turn this temporary mission into a permanent one, you should think about what needs to be done.”
After ethereally finishing her sentence, she walked to the door and left the rented apartment.
While heading down the staircase, Trissy suddenly noticed her shoes. She chuckled and said in a seemingly self- deprecating manner, “Love…”
Chapter 1017 Maygur Manor
Backlund, Empress Borough, in the outskirts towards the northwest. This was a place that needed more than an hour via horse carriage. Maygur Manor was built by the side of the Tussock River, so it had beautiful scenery around it with flourishing vegetation within its confines.
Strangely enough, Backlund’s city areas had perennial rain with relatively few sunny days. However, in the outskirts, the clouds tended to be thin, and the sun was always bright. Despite the short distance, the two places had completely different weather. It was most obvious within the northwestern outskirts. It was even a rather famous grape plantation in the Northern Continent. And by following the Tussock River from this region northwest for another fifty kilometers, one would again encounter weather similar to Backlund’s city area.
Such situations left meteorologists puzzled. They couldn’t find any suitable theories to explain the reason. However, Klein had a vague guess.
In the Fourth Epoch, this was the capital of the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire. It was also here that Blood Emperor Alista abandoned “His” humanity and became a crazy deity. Therefore, it was normal that the weather and terrain had changed forever in those very small confines. Leonard Mitchell had once mentioned information about this during one of the free exchanges.
Furthermore as an area with a long history and signs of early human activity, this “Land of Hope” buried countless ancient ruins. It was very possible that they could have an influence on the weather.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The carriage drove into Maygur Manor, passing by the fountain pond and small garden that was surrounded by the main building. Finally, it stopped outside the main door.
Just as Klein got off the carriage with Butler Walter, he saw the land steward, Richardson, lead two rows of male and female servants by the door, awaiting their employer.
Compared to 160 Boklund Street, there were more servants here, but they were mainly lower-class servants.
Looking at Richardson wearing a spanking new suit, Klein nodded with a smile.
“Well done.”
Without waiting for Richardson to reply, he took off his hat and handed it along with his cane to his valet, Enuni, while asking, “Have you prepared the activity room for the ladies to chat and for men to play cards in?”
丨Yes, sir. IVe placed poker cards, tarot cards, and some board games. The piano, violins’ and other common musical instruments have also been moved inside,” Richardson answered eloquently.
Klein passed through the door and nodded.
“Where’s the smoking room for the gentlemen?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Like the ladies, it’s all on the second floor. They’re separated by five rooms.” Richardson didn’t need the servants in the manor to remind him. He didn’t even need to recall to give an answer.
To ensure that his employer’s first hunting excursion was flawless, he had taken note of every nitty-gritty detail. Although it exhausted him physically, he was excited mentally.
Klein asked about dinner and the guest rooms and confirmed that everything was in place.
Before long, he received the first batch of guests after Maygur Manor had a change of name—now known as Dantes Manor.
Member of Parliament Macht and his family!
“This place is much bigger than my Moose Manor.” Macht took off his coat with a smile and handed it to a servant while praising, “I’ve always heard of Maygur’s wine being of excellent quality, but I’ve never had the chance of tasting it. I can finally have my curiosity satisfied today.”
“I hope you won’t be disappointed.” Klein smiled modestly.
As a famous area for grape plantations in the Northern Continent, champagne, red wine, and white wine were considered the finest in Backlund’s northwestern outskirts. But with the manor here mainly owned by the nobles, self- brewed alcoholic beverages were typically not sold to the public. Therefore, it was almost unheard of. Only people from high society or those related to them would know of this.
Maygur was one of the most iconic manors. The wine that it brewed was widely praised by people in the know. Red wine of certain years was even offered at more than a hundred pounds a bottle by collectors.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, for Klein to be able to buy this manor for 20,000 pounds, he naturally had to agree to certain conditions. All the wine from certain years were to be taken away by Duke Negan’s servants.
Macht was rather clear about this and didn’t expect to drink famous wine commodities. He said with a laugh, “You can open a few bottles and pour a small glass of each for me. Let me decide which of the remaining wine is most spectacular.”
As a member of high society, he had never tasted the wine of Maygur Manor. The reason was simple: he was a member of the New Party, and the previous owner, Duke Negan, was the main sponsor of the Conservative Party.
“No problem,” Klein immediately agreed as his gaze swept across Hazel’s face.
Compared to July and August, this girl had clearly cheered up. She no longer felt apprehensive when facing strangers. Previously, it was as bad as not willing to participate in any banquets or balls. This made those familiar with her think she was sick.
And this was all thanks to Audrey. Whenever she met Dwayne Dantes at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, she had mentioned that she had recently met Miss Hazel Macht twice.
Such communication didn’t seem problematic at first glance since Hazel was a common acquaintance of Audrey and Dantes. Finding a topic about a common friend was common in idle chatter. However, Klein could read Miss Justice’s hints and understood that she had met Hazel twice at different balls and banquets and had treated her twice.
After getting Macht’s family settled in, Klein welcomed the second batch of guests for the weekend hunting trip:
Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor who had come with a friend that he had previously mentioned.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein knew this friend, but he didn’t know Dwayne Dantes. He was a steam car mogul, Framis Cage. He was one of the main investors of the bicycle project. He had relied on a lawyer suspected to be a Beyonder with the Lawyer Sequence and had bought the 10% shares from Sherlock Moriarty at a cheap price.
Since he’s related to a Lawyer, it can be explained how he’s an Earl of The Fallen’s friend… Klein went forward with a smile and hugged Brigadier General Qonas and Framis Cage.
“Welcome.”
He then stepped back and said to the portly, light-blue-eyed Framis who was a quarter Feysac, “I heard your steam car is very famous. Why didn’t you drive it over?”
Before Framis could answer, the manly Qonas Kilgor said with a smile, “No, you don’t understand him. He will never give up the chance to showcase his steam car.
“However, the car’s too heavy. On the way here, it fell into a ditch and couldn’t be pulled out. Thankfully, I never believed his claims and rode on a carriage myself, following behind him. Otherwise, he would’ve had to cover the remaining distance on foot.”
“The main problem is that our roads are terrible. They need to be renovated and rebuilt. They need metal tracks to be paved, just like steam locomotives!” Framis retorted and threw his hands up. “I was planning on seeking some investments from you. Haha, we can talk about it later.”
You were the one who invested in us previously, but now you’re asking me for an investment… Only then did Klein realize that he was a rather famous tycoon in the upper class of the kingdom!
He had donated shares worth more than 10,000 pounds and had purchased an expensive manor. He had also established connections with the military, so it was obvious he was rich!
But in fact, my current net worth is only fifty to sixty thousand gold pounds, perhaps a tenth of Miss Justice’s wealth… I wonder when I can really become a tycoon with a net worth of a million pounds… Klein thought in a self-deprecating manner. After some thought, he said, “It’s fine. I’m very interested in the fusion of machinery and steam. When I’m free, I can take a look at your steam car.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Spectacular,” Framis immediately said with a smile. “If I didn’t know that you had donated a large sum to the Church of Evernight, I might even think of you as a believer of the God of Steam.”
I’ve drawn the triangular Sacred Emblem on my chest in the past after all… Klein didn’t continue on this topic, afraid that Qonas would discover his intentions.
He pointed to the staircase and said, “Why don’t you head to the smoking room to try some of the prized cigar collections here?
“It wasn’t until I bought this manor that I learned that there was a room specially for storing cigars. Its temperature and humidity are maintained, but as you know, I can smoke, but I don’t like it.”
“Not bad. Do you have Chieftain?” Qonas Kilgor’s face suffused a smile.
“Of course.” Klein gave a positive answer.
There was only one goal in organizing this hunting trip. It was to hunt this brigadier general, deputy director of MI9. Therefore, he had taken into consideration all his preferences.
However, Klein wasn’t in a hurry to take action for this hunting trip. This was because he still lacked an understanding of Qonas Kilgor’s actual strength as a hidden demigod. He needed more gatherings and hunts to figure out his preferences, level of alertness, and the items he brought with him.
As a Magician, Klein didn’t perform unprepared!
In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.
Fors put down the book in her hand and looked at Xio who was pacing around the activity room. She couldn’t help but ask, “What are you troubled about?”
Xio shot her a glance and said, “I’m frustrated over whether to inform MI9 about Viscount Stratford’s close relationship with an unknown woman, or to keep it from them until there’s further development.”
“Why are you keeping it from them?” Fors first asked in return before giving her answer. “Viscount Stratford is related to your father’s death, but you normally lack the opportunity or strength to confront him, afraid of being exposed and affecting your mother and brother. And now, he might encounter an accident because of that unknown woman. He’s in a relatively easy to deal with state. This is your opportunity, so you’re being hesitant, right?”
Xio fell silent for a moment before saying, “Yes.”
Fors closed the book, stared at her friend, and said in a serious manner, “Since you’re hesitating, it means you’re already inclined towards one option.”
Xio slowly nodded and said, “Yes.”
Fors fondled her slightly long curly hair and stood up, extending her right hand, and said, “I already know your decision. Well, do you need help?”
Seeing Xio hesitant to give an answer, she laughed and said, “I’m a Sequence 6 Beyonder!”
Without waiting for Xio to answer, she looked around.
“If you’re worried, we can still seek additional help.”
She was implying that they could get help from the members of the Tarot Club.
Xio thought about it and exhaled.
“Not for now. Let’s try it first. Uh, let’s head out now and continue monitoring Viscount Stratford.”
“Now?” Fors was taken aback. “Alright. But before that, let me use the crystal ball to do some astromancy to confirm the level of danger.”
After some work, she held the pure crystal ball in one hand and said, “There’s a certain level of danger.”
Chapter 1018 Unexpected
Empress Borough, by the side of Viscount Stratford’s mansion.
Fors and Xio, who were dressed in black dresses, hid in a dark corner. They stared intently at the tightly closed metal gates as they patiently waited for their target to appear.
It wasn’t raining tonight, so they didn’t have to face harsh weather conditions. The carriage that remained parked by the side of the street lamps made it clear to them that their patience would be rewarded. It was only a matter of time.
After an unknown period of time, the gates produced a heavy metal groan as they slowly opened.
A figure in a black cloak appeared with its head bowed. The figure walked to the side of the carriage and nimbly boarded the carriage.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Is that her?” Fors lowered her voice and asked Xio.
She didn’t have Beyonder powers that could restore a target’s characteristics from a mere description, and she had never seen her before. Therefore, she couldn’t rely on her spiritual intuition or astromancy to make a judgment.
Xio nodded in affirmation and said, “Yes!”
As they quietly conversed, the rental carriage sped up and left the side gates.
Xio immediately left her hiding spot, prepared to use her Sheriffs Beyonder powers and the physical enhancement that being an Interrogator gave her to lock onto her target while jogging.
“What are you doing?” At that moment, Fors pressed down on her shoulder, foiling her plans.
“Track her!” Xio looked back at her friend in puzzlement.
Fors looked at the rental carriage that hadn’t completely pulled away from them and asked thoughtfully,
“Why are you tracking her for?
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, didn’t you say that the target has a rather powerful Beyonder protecting her once you enter the Backlund Bridge area?”
“That’s right.” Xio first answered the second question before saying, “Your question is very odd. The reason you track someone is to determine the target’s appearance, identity, and motives.”
Fors retracted her left hand from Xio’s shoulder and revealed a smile.
“Since the target is protected by a rather powerful Beyonder, it will be difficult for us to complete the tracking in the Backlund Bridge area. We won’t be able to find her residence and figure out her true identity. Do you wish to directly fight her guardian? Although you have me to help, are you certain about that person’s strength? How certain are you? Will it be very dangerous?
“Besides, once the battle begins, it will definitely alarm the target. This is the same as stopping the carriage midway and confronting her directly. It will foil your primary objective. It will alarm Viscount Stratford and prevent him from falling into a predicament that will offer you a chance to take action.”
“If we do it, then there’s a possibility of failure, but failure is certain if we do nothing,” Xio emphasized that she knew the situation well. All she wanted was to make an attempt and find an opportunity midway.
At this moment, the rental carriage had already turned into another street at the end of the road. Fors watched the back of it gradually disappear as she shook her head and smiled.
“No, no, no. We need to change our way of thinking!
“We should first attempt to figure out the target’s appearance. After daybreak, we can use her appearance to perform normal investigations in the Backlund Bridge area and then obtain information from other channels.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Your choice of words is very professional,” Xio said in thought.
“Of course. I’ve written detective novels before!” Fors answered without any sense of modesty.
“But how do I figure out what the target looks like without alerting her?” Xio raised the most critical question.
Prepared, Fors took out Leymano’s Travels and said with a smile, “Elementary. Using the Psychological Invisibility Miss Justice recorded!”
Although Audrey didn’t encounter any situations that required her to use Leymano’s Travels, she had rented it thrice out of curiosity. She studied the uses and traits of the Beyonder powers recorded, and she recorded her own Beyonder powers into it. This included the rather useful Psychological Invisibility.
As for her true identity, Xio and Fors were increasingly certain of it, but they didn’t directly ask or do any further investigations. That was the most basic form of respect towards other Tarot Club members.
After hearing her friend’s answer, Xio came to a realization and was instantly inspired.
Fors continued, “By using the Beyonder powers on this page, you will be placed in the sensory blind spots of all surrounding creatures. They wouldn’t be able to see you even if you were to jump around in front of them. That way, you can directly board the carriage and stand in front of the target, openly taking in her appearance and remember all her traits.
“Heh heh, I sometimes think that people who use Psychological Invisibility might end up being squashed to death by huge creatures that happen to walk past if they’re unlucky.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Uh, don’t make too much noise later. Don’t speak to any nearby creatures, or else you will garner attention. Let Psychological Invisibility be dispelled automatically.”
Yeah!” Xio nodded, then she raised another issue: “How do I prevent the target from discovering the sudden opening of the carriage door while it’s driving?”
Without waiting for Fors’s reply, she immediately pressed, “Did you record the Door Opening Beyonder power?”
“Guess?” Fors smiled as she handed Leymano’s Travels to her friend, telling her which pages Psychological Invisibility and Door Opening were on.
With this in mind, Xio immediately ran amidst the shadows, chasing after the rental carriage.
Before long, she saw her target. Her right hand immediately trembled as she made the bronze-green notebook reveal a yellowish-brown goatskin page.
She slid her fingers gently, and Xio seemed to see countless rippling light appear on the surface of a deep lake spread outwards.
When her vision returned to normal, she sped up and rushed to the side of the carriage.
To ensure nothing went wrong, Xio didn’t immediately take action. With a few wide strides, she overtook the horse.
She then turned around as though she was crossing the road. However, the carriage driver didn’t notice her, nor did he shout out to her or rein in the horse.
Composite Start
Composite End
After confirming the effects of Psychological Invisibility, she sped up and dodged the horse’s galloping and came to the side of the carriage.
After a brief observation, she flipped through Leymano’s Travels and revealed a white page covered with strange patterns and symbols. Then, she reached out her right hand and pressed it on the surface of the carriage.
Her figure instantly turned transparent as she appeared inside.
The woman in a black cloak was sitting diagonally opposite her as if she was in thought, staring at the glass window where Xio stood. However, she didn’t notice the bounty hunter who had suddenly infiltrated.
At such a close distance, even with her cloak lowered, Xio was able to see her face clearly. Furthermore, the woman wasn’t as careful as she was while walking outside. Her every action appeared rather casual as the hood was only at her eyes.
Instantly, her appearance was reflected in Xio’s eyes, overlapping with a face that still had some male characteristics. This was a Beyonder power of a Sheriff.
Xio’s eyes widened as she couldn’t help but shout, “Sherman?”
She could foresee that the woman who often entered Viscount Stratford’s residence was rather beautiful, but she never expected the woman to be her friend, Sherman. He was once a young man!
A man who wasn’t considered androgynous now looked beautiful. He had the charm of a woman!
At that moment, Xio couldn’t help but size up Sherman. She couldn’t associate her figure with the young man she used to know with each other.
If it wasn’t for her Sheriff Beyonder powers that allowed her to confirm that the person opposite her was Sherman, Xio definitely would’ve imagined that she had made a mistake. And even so, she still suspected whether the person wasn’t Sherman and was instead Sherman’s twin sister.
Upon hearing the surprised question, Sherman realized that there was another person in the carriage at some point in time—someone familiar.
Bounty hunter, Xio Derecha!
Having already changed her name to Shermane, she was first alarmed, but the words Trissy often mentioned instinctively appeared in her mind:
“You cannot meet people you used to know.
“Do you want your husband, your beloved to know of your former state?
“Only by completely severing your connections can you be reborn, doing so in order to save yourself!”
Such words quickly flashed across Shermane’s mind as a terrifying thought emerged in her thoughts:
“Kill her!”
This thought seemed to come from a demon in the abyss as it constantly whispered in Shermane’s ear as it resonated in her heart.
“Kill her!
“Kill this person who recognized you!
“Only by doing so can you truly escape the past and not lose the present!
“Kill her!”
Shermane didn’t answer Xio.s question. Her left hand slowly clenched up while slightly trembling.
Xio sensed the intense emotions running through the person opposite her and confirmed that it was Sherman. Immediately, she asked in concern, “How did you become like this?
“Where have you been all this time? Did you encounter something? Were you hurt?”
Shermane’s lips quivered as her left fist relaxed a little. She said with a sobbing tone, “I’ve already begun a new life.
Don’t disturb me again, alright?
“I-I don’t want to lose everything I have now. I don’t want to see people that I knew in the past!”
The more she spoke, the faster it became. It became obvious that it was a plea.
Xio was taken aback for a few seconds before staring at Sherman. Pursing her lips, she said, “Okay…”
She didn’t stay any longer and reached out to open the carriage window and jumped out.
Shermane silently watched this entire process and finally exhaled before she slumped into her seat like she had lost all her strength.
It wasn’t easy for her to control the demon in her heart.
At this moment, she saw a figure rapidly outline itself out of thin air beside her.
The figure wore a black, old-fashioned dress, but it didn’t diminish her beauty and disposition. She sat there silently without a word, but it was impossible to not look at her.
Demoness Trissy!
“Why didn’t you kill her?” Trissy asked with a smile, not revealing any gloominess. It was as like an idle chat where she would ask what she had drunk the previous night.
“S-she’s one of the few people who didn’t ostracized me. She even helped me…” Shermane replied in shock before frowning. “Why are you here?”
Trissy smiled and said, “I’m protecting you.”
Without waiting for Shermane’s answer, she said, “You seemed to be in a good mood when you came out.”
Shermane recalled what had happened and bashfully said, “Maybe, perhaps, I have a chance of becoming a mother…” As she spoke, she touched her stomach with her right hand, the corner of her lips couldn’t help but curl.
“I feel him k-kicking me…” Shermane suddenly froze and blurted, “How could it be so fast?”
She wasn’t sure if she could get pregnant today!
Upon seeing her reaction, Trissy smiled even more charmingly.
Chapter 1019 Patience
“How was it? Did you take a good look?” Just as Fors left the street where Viscount Stratford’s mansion was, she saw Xio walk out with a down and vacant expression.
Xio nodded hesitantly.
“I did…”
Having said that, she seemed to come to her senses and said in shock, “I know her—no, him!”
“Him?” Fors was confused.
Xio habitually observed her surroundings before saying, “He’s Sherman! The Sherman I told you about!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“H-he actually became a woman!”
Fors was stunned as she subconsciously asked, “Were you mistaken?
“Could she be Sherman’s sister?”
Xio firmly shook her head.
“No, she admitted it herself and even told me not to disturb her. She wants to bid farewell to her past!
“But… how did he become a woman…”
Fors’s eyes darted around as she suddenly recalled something. She said in thought, “It’s not impossible either… There’s a Beyonder pathway that allows a man to become a woman at a certain stage.”
She recalled Miss Justice mentioning something similar during a free exchange session.
“Ah? Really?” Xio’s widened as she asked in disbelief.
Composite Start
Composite End
Yes!” Fors had already recalled the exact conditions as she gave a rather confident answer.
“This…” Xio was momentarily unable to accept it, but she couldn’t find a rebuttal. All she could do was ask, “Which pathway is it?”
Fors replied, “Demoness!
“Uh, it’s the Assassin pathway.”
“Demoness… Sherman actually became a Demoness…” Xio repeated to herself.
Suddenly, her voice became louder.
“Could it be that she’s being taken advantage of?
“No, I must warn her!”
Just as she said that, Xio turned around and ran with great strides in an attempt to catch up with the rental carriage again.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, she couldn’t find the target after attempting to pursue it for a few blocks. Sherman and the carriage seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
Xio gradually slowed down and finally stopped. She looked at the bustling streets ahead of her with a complicated expression.
Behind her, Fors passed through a few walls and finally caught up to her.
“Gone…” Xio whispered.
Fors also cast her gaze forward and thoughtfully replied, “We were discovered…”
Without waiting for Xio to speak, she turned around and sighed.
“Let’s return and find another opportunity.”
Xio didn’t take a step forward as she continued standing there.
After a few seconds, she said under Fors’s puzzled gaze, “Since they discovered a problem, will they speed up their plans ahead of time?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“It’s possible! If they don’t wish for their plans to be foiled, they might attempt one final strike tonight before we’re prepared!” Fors immediately agreed with Xio. “Let’s return to Viscount Stratford’s place and hide in a more concealed spot. We’ll continue monitoring it!”
Xio immediately nodded and replied without any hesitation, “Okay.”
In the dock area, inside a warehouse with plenty of goods.
Shermane was sitting on a dirty wooden crate. Her hands were crossed behind her back as her body had thin but firm spider webs coiled around her.
She appeared as though she was encased in a transparent cocoon, unable to make a single sound.
“It’s not a bad thing for you.” Trissy stood in front of Shermane with a pitch-black flame that resembled ink burning in her palm. “At the very least, you can determine if he really loves you or is lying to you.”
Shermane was angry and afraid. She desperately used her whimpers to express her wish, but Trissy was unmoved. She turned her flame-wielding palm around and pressed it into Shermane’s stomach.
The flames seemed to have intelligence as they scattered like flowing water. Following that, they penetrated her skin and flesh in an attempt to drill inside.
Trissy’s smooth, black hair flared up in defiance of the laws of nature. They were being pulled by invisible hands as they extended out in every direction. It stained the surrounding air with a peculiar smell.
The strands of hair thickened as they scattered into distinct strands.
Composite Start
Composite End
Beneath them, dark beams of light surged, bringing about curses and words. They flowed rapidly, fusing into the pitch- black flames. Upon entering Shermane’s stomach, they quickly vanished.
Shermane’s face twitched uncontrollably, but she didn’t feel any pain. It was as though it was purely on reflex.
She soon calmed down as she saw Trissy’s figure turn faint and gradually turn transparent until it vanished.
Shermane’s pupils widened as she struggled again, but she was unable to break free from her restraints.
She tried again and again like a flood was rising, centimeter by centimeter, inside the silent warehouse.
After an unknown period of time, the door to the warehouse opened with a thud and slammed into the two sides of the wall.
A figure staggered in—it was the middle-aged Viscount Stratford.
He didn’t wear his white wig like he always did while outside. This revealed his rather high receding hairline and rather messy black hair. The latter was stuck together as though it had been drenched by a storm and was air-dried. But in the past few hours, the clouds were thin and the crimson moon high in the sky. It hadn’t rained at all.
Drops of sweat dripped down Viscount Stratford’s rather cut facial contours as there were countless black threads flowing beneath his skin.
His body was slightly hunched, and his facial muscles were somewhat twisted. His eyes were filled with pain and concern.
He surveyed the area and was delighted when he found Shermane. However, he turned anxious as he charged over without much confidence.
When Shermane saw him enter the warehouse, her face lit up as though it was covered in a halo.
She then revealed a worried and fearful expression as she attempted to shake her head frantically. However, her neck was held firmly by the spider webs that prevented her movement.
She reeled in anxiety, to the point of tears flowing out of her eyes, drop after drop—crystalline and frail.
Just as Viscount Stratford was about to reach her, a loud bang suddenly rang out between the two.
It was as though there was an invisible wall that separated him from Shermane, one that was couldn’t be surpassed.
“If you wish to break the curse and take her away, you have to answer my question without hiding anything.” At this moment, a figure quickly appeared in a comer of the warehouse.
Her facial features were charming, forming together into an abnormally sweet look. She resembled the lover that every young lad would fantasize about in his youth. She was none other than Demoness Trissy.
Without waiting for Viscount Stratford’s response, she raised her right hand and conjured a pitch-black flame.
Viscount Stratford’s face, hands, neck, and exposed skin instantly turned transparent as they protruded with blood vessels.
And in every blood vessel, there was a black flame silently burning as it flowed silently.
The pain in Viscount Stratford’s eyes immediately reached a peak, but it vanished the next moment.
His expression turned extremely cold as a jibing look appeared in his eyes. It was as though the one being cursed wasn’t him, but Trissy who was a distance away.
Trissy, who was in the corner of the warehouse, suddenly burst into black flames. Dense, countless spider webs appeared, but they couldn’t be lit up.
In the blink of an eye, Trissy was like Shermane, being sealed inside a transparent cocoon. She couldn’t move or escape.
In a ventilation vent high above the warehouse, a figure appeared. It was a woman whose age wasn’t obvious. She wore a simple and sacred white robe. She had black hair, blue eyes, looking sweet and beautiful, giving off an indescribable charm.
“Katarina Pelle…” Trissy seemed to expend all her strength before she shouted a name.
At this moment, Viscount Stratford grabbed at his body, pulling out an illusory doll covered in thick black flames.
He glanced at Shermane and smiled at Trissy.
“When it comes to matters related to life, I would never be careless. After that fellow, Sikes, died, I knew that it would be my turn one day.
“Heh heh, since you’re hunting me, it means there are obviously others who wish to hunt you. We’re very patient, afraid of scaring you away. We did nothing and waited until today.
“Also, your gift was pretty good.”
Upon hearing Viscount Stratford’s words, Shermane, who was still struggling out of habit, instantly stopped moving. Her expression turned blank.
Her eyes widened, but there wasn’t any focus. The look in her eyes seemed to sink deeper and deeper. “Love…” Trissy suddenly laughed, seemingly mocking herself.
She wasn’t nervous at all.
Maygur Manor. Night had fallen.
After settling more than twenty guests and preparing the hunting trip the next day, Klein woke up not long after he fell asleep.
His intuition had been triggered as a scene formed in his mind.
Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor, who was wearing a shirt and pants, had flown out of the guest room’s window in secret. He landed outside in complete defiance of the laws of nature.
This… I haven’t even taken action… He came here for his own goals… With a thought, Klein controlled a cockroach outside and turned it into his marionette. He then used its “eyes” to observe the surroundings.
Almost at the same time, Qonas Kilgor appeared.
After this demigod left Maygur Manor, he immediately distorted the “distance” and quickly arrived by the bank of the Tussock River. He prepared himself to cross it.
The cockroach watched quietly without any reaction.
He’s heading for the south bank of the Tussock River… What does he want to do… Does he have the preference of hunting in the suburbs so that he can attempt to conceal such actions? He also introduced Maygur Manor to me for this reason? Klein lay in bed and seriously analyzed Qonas’s actions.
After the MI9 demigod stepped onto the south bank of the Tussock River, Klein suddenly recalled a matter:
Back when he escaped the underground ruins where Ince Zangwill and company were, he appeared somewhere in the northwest of Backlund. This was the south bank of the Tussock River, making it rather close to where Maygur Manor was.
Chapter 1020 Means of a Demoness
As his thoughts raced, Klein suddenly switched positions with his valet, Enuni, who was in the opposite room.
And under a grapevine 150 meters from the manor’s main building, a slowly crawling centipede suddenly stiffened before it relaxed.
Almost at the same time, its body vanished from its location. Dwayne Dante in his blue and white checkered pajamas had appeared.
Klein had swapped places with his marionette again!
He decided to use this method to secretly tail Qonas Kilgor and figure out where he was going or what he was planning on doing.
Although he could only “move” 150 meters a time, and it took two to three seconds in between “moves” due to the process of turning the target into a marionette, this was more concealed compared to Flaming Jump or Teleport. It made it difficult for Qonas Kilgor to detect him.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After all, he was dealing with a demigod. Even in domains where one’s spiritual intuition wasn’t the best, a demigod wasn’t to be underestimated!
By the same logic, Klein didn’t rely on Creeping Hunger to hide in the shadows. This was because it was relatively slow even though it concealed him rather well. It was impossible for him to catch up to the demigod.
Under the dark night sky, from Maygur Manor to the south bank of the Tussock River, the rats, snakes, spiders, fish that were active in that stretch of land stiffened up and turned sluggish.
They were converted into marionettes one after another. With their help, Klein constantly “moved” without causing a stir. Soon, he arrived at the south bank of the Tussock River, and after catching up to Qonas Kilgor, he maintained a distance of one kilometer.
To a Bizarro Sorcerer, even if a marionette were to go beyond his range of control, it wouldn’t immediately escape from its controlled state or die immediately. Without a Bizarro Sorcerer’s consciousness as a catalyst, this process was rather slow and needed nearly ten minutes. Therefore, Klein wasn’t worried that he would lose Enuni, who was lying in bed, while he did his tailing. As long as he returned within ten minutes, he could continue controlling his marionette.
Silently, Klein followed Qonas Kilgor as they went upstream. Passing through the dense forest, they climbed up a mountain beside the bank.
At this moment, Qonas Kilgor, who wasn’t wearing a vest or coat, suddenly stopped. He checked his surroundings and widened the range of his search as though he was trying to claim his territory.
Upon seeing this, Klein didn’t dare stay any longer. He immediately switched places with his marionettes and retreated repeatedly, pulling away to a distance of nearly three kilometers from the deputy director of MI9.
At this moment, he gave up control of the marionettes ahead of him. The death of a few bugs wouldn’t incur any suspicion.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was all too common in the outskirts and in the forests!
King of the Five Seas Nast can create a fighting environment that’s favorable for him. Will Qonas Kilgor, who’s also a Black Emperor pathway demigod, have the ability to demarcate such a region. He can change, boost, and use certain rules and make whoever tails him expose themselves without being able to hide? It’s very possible! Klein warily took out a gold coin he placed in his pajama pocket. He ran it through his fingers and flipped it.
This time, he deliberately controlled his strength and didn’t produce a flicking sound. The gold coin flew up in silence and landed in his palm.
Without needing to look down, the gold coin’s face was naturally reflected in his mind.
It was heads!
This meant that the anomaly ahead contained extreme danger!
As expected of a demigod. Such abilities sure are enviable… However, do you think you can avoid my “tailing”? Klein scoffed inwardly and found an abnormally secluded spot and made himself turn into Gehrman Sparrow.
Following that, he clasped his hands and pressed it to his mouth, whispering:
“Blessed of the sea and spirit world, guardian of the Rorsted Archipelago, ruler of the undersea creatures, master of tsunamis and storms, the great Kalvetua…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After praying, Klein immediately took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog. He sat at The Fool’s seat and beckoned for the bone scepter with blue gems embedded at its tip.
Then, with the help of his prayer, he utilized the Sea God Scepter’s responding to believers and saw the area around Gehrman Sparrow.
He then raised his field of view and took in the surrounding area. Using this as the origin, he expanded his vision to five nautical miles. This was the limit of what the Sea God Scepter could observe with the help of its believers.
And this way, the area where Qonas Klein had designated—one that no object could escape his notice-appeared in Klein’s vision.
In the dock area, inside a warehouse with plenty of goods.
“Love…” After Trissy chuckled, her figure grew faint as though she was bathed in the luster of a lake at night.
In the blink of an eye, Trissy, who had been bound tightly with layers of silk by Demoness of Unaging Katarina Pelle, turned into an illusory mirror.
It was a full-body mirror taller than a person. Aqueous light shimmered within as a ghostly halo grew out of it as though it was a door leading to another world.
At that moment, it didn’t reflect the scene in front of it. Instead, it outlined a room.
Composite Start
Composite End
The room was dimly lit. The bed and furniture had been diced up into countless small pieces which were scattered everywhere. Only the central region was spick and span.
Trissy stood there, wearing a dark black dress. Her hair cascaded down smoothly as it fluttered in the wind, accentuating her face’s abnormal fairness. She looked like a female ghost as spoken in folk tales.
She wasn’t actually present and was using the illusory mirror to project her figure and strength remotely. It was as though everything was real.
Therefore, she wasn’t flustered at all when she was being controlled and hunted.
Upon seeing this scene, Katarina Pelle, who wore simple and holy white robes, didn’t hesitate to let out a shriek.
Invisible waves quickly spread out as her hair flared up, each strand clear and distinct. They were thick and dyed with a grayish-white color.
The illusory full-body mirror suddenly vibrated and shook as though it was on the brink of breaking apart.
And in the messy room it reflected, the fragments of the bed, desk, and chairs turned grayish-white, losing their luster as though they were rocks.
The brownish-yellow floor in front of Trissy turned into grayish-white rocks as it quickly extended towards the only human in the room like a surging tidal wave.
Trissy didn’t attempt to resist as she turned around and waved her hand back while leaping towards the open window.
Composite Start
Composite End
In midair, invisible spider webs that belonged to her phased into existence. They turned dark as they spread towards the grayish-white colors.
At the same time, the dark and profound full-body mirror produced one crack after another. Amidst illusory shattering sounds, it broke apart and vanished.
However, before the full-body mirror completely vanished, the grayish-white colors receded in a strange manner inside the petrified room, materializing into a figure.
The figure wore a simple, holy white robe and had luscious raven-black hair. She looked both mature and innocent, as though she had a pair of profound and childlike blue eyes. She was Demoness of Unaging Katarina who had just been inside the warehouse a moment ago.
Viscount Stratford could no longer see the situation inside the “opposite” room once the ghostly glow dissipated.
He retracted his gaze and cast it onto Shermane. He wore a mixed look in his eyes before he recovered.
“Trissy really was patient. To deal with me, she actually spent months to nurture a new Demoness.” Viscount Stratford shook his head with a chuckle. “What did she want you to gain from me?”
At that moment, with Trissy’s connection being severed, the spider webs around Shermane had loosened. They were unable to bind her and restrict her freedom.
This beautiful girl wore a blank expression as she replied with a vacant look in her eyes, “She wanted me to know who you are truly loyal to.”
Without waiting for Viscount Stratford to say a word, she asked hesitantly, her eyes making it obvious that she had difficulty finding the words:
“How many of those promises that you made to me were real?”
Viscount Stratford was taken aback before he chuckled.
“You’re probably the most silly and most naive Demoness I’ve ever met…”
Shermane’s expression froze on her face as the glimmer in her eyes that she found so hard to regain faded bit by bit.
Outside the warehouse, Xio and Fors were hiding in the shadows, observing the silent target area.
They had followed Viscount Stratford here!
Their patience had paid off, as they discovered this captain of the royal guards secretly leaving his mansion in the dead of the night, rushing to the dock area near the Backlund Bridge.
Using Xio’s power as a Sheriff, they followed him all the way here by keeping a huge distance between them. They had also confirmed that he had entered the warehouse in front of them.
In addition, they also sensed that Viscount Stratford’s condition had worsened as though he had been injured.
“Actually, we had the opportunity to take action while on our way here…” Fors looked at the warehouse’s entrance and murmured.
Xio replied without looking at her, “But you said it yourself that you have a nagging feeling that things aren’t that simple and wanted to wait.”
“This might be the intuition of an Astrologer. It might also be an act of procrastination…” Fors replied in a self- deprecating manner.
They didn’t say anything more as silence ruled once more. They continued waiting patiently.
At this moment, a pitch-black flame was ignited on the rammed earth in front of them.
The strange flames rapidly dispersed and kept close to the ground as it swept away. It then outlined a row of Loenese text:
“This is the chance you’ve been longing for.”
Xio’s and Fors’s pupils dilated at the same time. Then, they looked at each other, at a loss for words. After a few seconds, Fors finally couldn’t help but ask, “What do we do?”
Chapter 1021 Cross
Xio hesitated when she heard Fors’s question.
“We were discovered…”
They had said something similar before, but they were repeating it again now. However, it didn’t have the same meaning. Previously, it was referring to being discovered by the guardian or monitor when she recognized Sherman. Now, the crux of the matter was that their choice and corresponding actions were expected and arranged by the person behind the scenes. They had no secrets to speak of.
This meant that the chance that Xio had been longing for might’ve really appeared, but what lay behind this matter was inconceivable.
“If we follow the intention behind this ‘message.’ The final outcome will depend on whether she has good intentions, but that’s not something under our control,” Xio added from a rational angle.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The reason why she had used “she” to represent the person behind the scenes was because she had recalled the fragrance she smelled when she lost Sherman the other time.
Fors listened quietly and nodded in agreement.
Yes, we’re too passive in this matter. The best option is to leave this place…”
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked at the warehouse. She opened her mouth but didn’t say anything further.
She was reminded of the possible situation Sherman was in, and she suspected that “he” was in grave danger. However, she deliberately ignored it in the end and didn’t mention it.
To her, Sherman was a person who existed in Xio’s descriptions. He was no different from a character in a novel. If she had the strength and opportunity to save him in passing, she was willing to do so, but to bear the risk because of that and allow her friend to be rash, putting her life in danger was definitely not something within her considerations.
Xio nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll leave now.
“However, the person who left that ‘comment’ definitely wouldn’t be happy to see us do so. She will definitely hinder us.
“Uh, let’s do it this way. We’ll escape in different directions and make that person choose one person. Whoever successfully leaves this area will immediately cause a commotion and attract the official Beyonders.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why don’t we directly cause a commotion here?” Fors subconsciously raised a question.
“It will definitely be stopped or foiled!” Xio gave her excuse.
Fors nodded thoughtfully.
“Makes sense.
“Alright, let’s not delay it any further. Let’s begin.”
Xio didn’t say another word as she took out her transparent, nearly invisible triangular blade. With her back bent, she leaped out of her hiding spot and ran out of the harbor amidst the shadows.
The triangular blade was a mystical item she had spent 500 pounds through Ma’am Hermit to get the Artisan to forge with the ancient wraith’s powder and remnant spirituality. It was called Wintry Blade.
Anyone hit by this weapon—even if it were a gentle touch—would be frozen stiff. They would even lose control of their thoughts as though they were possessed by a wraith. At the same time, once the battle continued, Wintry Blade’s enemies would gradually have their thoughts turn sluggish and their actions become rigid and dull, even if they didn’t touch the triangular blade.
And Wintry Blade’s negative effects wasn’t that terrifying. Furthermore, there was only one—the wielder would slowly lose their body temperature and transform into an undead. Once a certain time limit was exceeded, this process would become irreversible.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, Xio had recently enjoyed jogging more or riding a bicycle at lightning speeds to generate heat to resist the loss of temperature.
But even so, she had only managed to extend the time it took before she kept Wintry Blade away from her body from three hours to four hours.
After running a certain distance, Xio turned back and realized that Fors had already passed through a wall and departed. She had vanished from where they were hiding.
After staring for two seconds, Xio bit her lip and suddenly turned around and changed direction.
She headed straight for the warehouse!
Soon, she arrived beside her destination, but she wasn’t in a rush to enter. She looked up and observed the area above her, seemingly trying to find another passageway, one that was less noticeable to the people inside.
At that moment, her keen senses made her turn her head and see a figure appear around the corner of the wall.
The figure wore a black dress with a head of brown, curly hair. She had a pair of light blue eyes. It was none other than Fors Wall.
Didn’t you leave?” Despite being surprised, Xio didn’t forget to lower her voice.
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors curled her lips and said, “Weren’t you fleeing too?”
Xio was momentarily at a loss for words. After a few seconds, she asked, “How did you notice it?”
You didn’t even mention Sherman. That’s completely unlike you! I’ve already prepared a reason to persuade you!” Fors quickly replied.
Xio was taken aback as she said with a complicated expression, “You didn’t have to come back.”
Fors ignored her and pressed on the wall of the warehouse and said, “If we keep talking, perhaps we will no longer need to be stumped because it would already be over.
“Man, I actually didn’t think of such a good idea just now. I should’ve immediately insisted on going with you to save her. You definitely would’ve persuaded me otherwise and would think of doing it yourself. If we repeated the conversation a few times, everything would’ve ended on its own.”
Xio gave her friend a look and, without any hesitation, stood by her side with Wintry Blade in hand.
Fors immediately flipped Leymano’s Travels and augmented her friend with Beyonder powers. Then, she put away the spellbook and grabbed Xio’s shoulder with one hand, pressing the other on the wall again.
While Xio was waiting for Door Opening, she realized that Fors hadn’t immediately used her powers.
This best-selling author took a deep breath and quickly said, “After entering, we’ll hide and observe. After confirming that there’s a chance to do something, we’ll take action.
Composite Start
Composite End
“If there’s really no chance, or if we can’t seize an opportunity for sure, we’ll leave as soon as possible. That way, we can at least avenge Sherman and not be buried alive with him!
“Only by being alive will all kinds of possibilities open up for us…”
Xio immediately nodded and replied in a stern manner, “Okay.”
Fors wanted to say a few more words, but considering how she had wasted some time and couldn’t afford to waste any more time, she “opened” the illusory door and passed through the wall with Xio, coming behind a row of wooden crates.
With her no longer being a greenhorn in such operations, she instinctively crouched down and pulled out Leymano’s Travels and flipped to a particular page.
Xio similarly didn’t dash in. She bent down and moved her eyes to a gap between the crates and observed the empty region.
The female-looking Sherman was sitting on a wooden crate without any signs of anger. Her brown hair was gently fluttering in the wind.
And standing in front of her was Viscount Stratford. This captain of the royal guards tightened his collar and was surveying the area, a mystery as to what he was looking for.
“Unfortunately, you’re only a Demoness.”
“Don’t worry. I will let you die without any pain. You will be completely purified.”
As he spoke, he took out an item from his inner pocket.
Xio used her enhanced vision from the Interrogator potion, and she clearly identified the item.
It was a cross accessory covered in bronze. There were a few sharp, jagged protrusions, looking as though it had once impaled someone.
Its style and characteristics were things that the various nations in the Fifth Epoch’s Northern Continent didn’t possess. It exuded ancient vibes.
Very good. You know that resistance is futile,” Viscount Stratford said as he pressed one of the fingers he used to hold the bronze cross onto the spike.
His bright red blood immediately flowed out and was absorbed by the spike, seeping into the object.
The mottled bronze on the cross’s surface disintegrated, revealing a corporeal form beneath that was a blob of light.
In just a second or two, the item Viscount Stratford held had turned into a resplendent cross!
It emitted a pure and flawless glow, illuminating the surroundings in an abnormally bright manner.
The wooden crate’s shadows quickly receded as the dark splotches on the wall evaporated like water.
Beside Shermane, the countless spider webs that originally belonged to Trissy floated up and struggled in the fire, melting in just mere seconds.
The light grew brighter, but they weren’t blinding. Black flames burst out of Shermane’s body along with crystalline ice. They turned dim, transparent, and eventually vanished under the illumination.
Within the range of the resplendent cross, there weren’t any traces of evil or abnormalities present. Not one inch of darkness remained!
Seeing Sherman’s expression slowly distort, Xio couldn’t help but shoot Fors a glance.
She could clearly sense the terror of the resplendent cross, and she was beginning to waver about saving her.
Fors also noticed what was happening and pointed to Leymano’s Travels. She raised her left index finger and whispered into Xio’s ear, “There’s only one chance.
“I will work hard to create it for you. If it’s not successful, or if you can’t be certain of it, we will give up.”
Xio didn’t hesitate as she nodded solemnly.
Fors immediately straightened her body and flipped Leymano’s Travels to the charred-yellow page.
This page was filled with complicated, twisted, indescribable symbols and labels. It gave one the feeling of a strong gust of wind.
Sailor pathway’s demigod power—Hurricane!
After observing her surroundings once again and confirming that there weren’t any other enemies, Fors’s gaze penetrated through the gap in between the wooden crates and locked onto Viscount Stratford. She then slid her finger gently across the charred-yellow page.
With an exploding whoosh, a visible hurricane soared up beneath Viscount Stratford’s feet and rushed upwards.
The captain of the royal guards wasn’t able to maintain his balance from this sudden attack. He was lifted up by the hurricane and was slammed into the warehouse’s ceiling.
Boom!
The warehouse’s ceiling was torn apart by the hurricane as portions of it collapsed. Some of the fragments spun around amidst the wind as they flew higher and higher.
Viscount Stratford nearly fainted from being slammed, and he failed to hold onto the resplendent cross, allowing it to fly out of his palm.
When the spike with a sliver of his blood left his finger, the mottled bronze covered the cross’s surface once more.
The flawless light vanished in turn.
Upon seeing this, Xio didn’t hesitate to rush out of her hiding spot. Her eyes first reflected Viscount Stratford’s figure before two blinding bolts of lightning lit up.
Psychic Piercing!
1022 Answer
Amidst the violent hurricane, Viscount Stratford was like a helpless leaf that was pitifully thrown about as though he could be torn to pieces at any moment.
In this state, he couldn’t react at all, much less speak. All he could do was rely on a Disciplinary Paladin’s powerful body to barely hold on, hoping that he wouldn’t lose a limb or head inside this terrifying hurricane.
He originally believed that the hunt had succeeded and that Trissy’s capture was at hand. Furthermore, he was extremely certain that his target didn’t have helpers; hence, all his attention was focused on Shermane. To his surprise, he suddenly became the prey and fell into a trap without any prior warning.
Upon realizing that the hurricane was beginning to weaken and that he had only suffered some damage from the impact and didn’t receive any fatal wounds, Viscount Stratford hurriedly tried to regain control of his body in preparation for the upcoming battle.
At that moment, he felt a stabbing pain in his head which felt as though a sharp dagger had been impaled into it before being twisted a few times.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This feeling was something that Viscount Stratford felt was both familiar and unfamiliar. This was because, although he had never experienced it directly before, he had “attempted” it on several targets to observe their reactions.
This was one of the Beyonder powers he was most proficient with!
Psychic Piercing!
Bang!
Upon being attacked, Viscount Stratford, who had failed to adjust his physical state, slammed into the ground hard as the bronze cross loudly fell several meters away.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Xio held Wintry Blade and took a huge stride, dashing straight for Viscount Stratford who was struggling to get up.
As for Fors, she had already flipped through Leymano’s Travels and flipped it open to a page that resembled a goatskin parchment.
As her fingers slid across the page, Viscount Stratford’s shadows, which had surfaced once again, came to life, condensing into black chains that wrapped around its target, binding him tightly.
Viscount Stratford, who had just managed to catch his breath and become alert, still hadn’t had the opportunity to choose the target for his “punishment” and apply certain restrictions when he once again lost his freedom. Even his mouth was bound by a shadow chain.
Composite Start
Composite End
Abyss Chains!
It was Abyss Chains from the Sanguine or Moon pathway’s Mid-Sequence Beyonders!
Fors had used it once and was rather fond of this Beyonder power. She found it very useful, so she had spent gold pounds to get Mr. Moon, who had become a Viscount, to record it.
Bang!
At this moment, Viscount Stratford suddenly unleashed power that surpassed his previous strength, tearing the shadow chains apart.
He had chosen the “bindings” restricting him to be the target of punishment!
But at that moment, Xio had already rushed in front of him like a high-speed train, thrusting that transparent triangular blade.
Amidst a splotching sound, the Wintry Blade stabbed into the target’s abdomen.
Viscount Stratford’s body stiffened once again as his eyes glazed over as though he had turned into an ice sculpture.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio released her hand and allowed Wintry Blade to remain stabbed into the stomach of the captain of the royal guards, seemingly hoping that the wraith which might’ve existed on the weapon would continue “Possessing” her target and forcibly bring him under control.
Right on the heels of that, she swung her arm and slammed a punch right below Viscount Stratford’s ear.
After two heavy blows, Viscount Stratford fainted without even letting out a grunt. His stiff body collapsed once again.
After completing this strike, Xio left her back to Fors and immediately moved past the staggering Viscount Stratford, who had Wintry Blade in his stomach, and dashed to Sherman who remained sitting on a wooden crate.
Fors flipped through Leymano’s Travels once again, using other Beyonder powers to add another layer of restrictions onto Viscount Stratford’s body. Then, she walked out of the row of wooden crates she had been hiding behind and first approached that bronze ancient cross.
The scene she saw made her suspect that it was an item at the demigod level. In the parlance of official Beyonders, it was a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact.
And with Viscount Stratford carrying and using it, she believed that the negative effects of the cross weren’t that direct. She could attempt to pick it up.
Of course, as a former Astrologer, Fors took out the pure crystal ball as she walked, quickly doing a divination. “There are no problems…” Fors glanced at the outcome and quickened her pace.
At this moment, Xio had already rushed in front of Sherman. Looking at this friend who had turned rather beautiful, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
Composite Start
Composite End
To her, Sherman’s condition was in a terrible state.
This Demoness’s hair was floating up with each strand turning thick as if they were tiny snakes.
On the ends of the “tiny snakes,” some had eyes or mouths. They appeared extremely bizarre and terrifying.
On Sherman’s face, a black paint-like mysterious pattern suffused out of her skin and was rapidly spreading across her body.
Her slightly vacant eyes quickly reflected Xio as she gradually recovered her spirit and, along with that, also came a little confusion and pain.
She opened her mouth and stuttered, “Xio… I’m in so much pain…”
Xio’s vision instantly blurred.
Although she was still lacking in many of the details regarding the mysterious world’s general knowledge—since the Tarot Club’s discussion was just way over her head, and the information she got from MI9 was mostly about secret organizations—she still knew quite a bit about losing control. Among unaffiliated Beyonders, it was something that couldn’t be avoided.
Therefore, Xio knew that Sherman was beginning to lose control. It was irreversible, and the situation would only worsen.
Sherman seemed to sense her state as she gasped for breath, revealing a weak smile. She said with difficulty, “Kill me… I’ve done… too many unspeakable sins… I’ve also obtained… what I’ve wanted…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio’s tears dripped down. Without hesitation, she flipped her hand, drawing her backup weapon—an ordinary revolver. She then placed the revolver at Sherman’s forehead.
Sherman smiled as a mesmerizing charm appeared in her eyes once again.
“Call me… Call me Shermane…”
“Shermane.” Xio couldn’t help but frown as tears brimmed in her eyes.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
She repeatedly pulled the trigger and fired the bullets inside.
Fresh flowers bloomed at once, red and beautiful.
Fors pursed her lips unknowingly when she saw this.
After two seconds, she let out a long sigh. She bent down and reached out for the bronze cross.
Just as her fingers touched the item, it felt like she had touched fire. It was hot and scalding, hot enough to burn the soul.
Fors instinctively retracted her hand, feeling alarmed and puzzled.
She remembered that Viscount Stratford had never acted in such a manner before.
As her thoughts raced, Fors glanced at Viscount Stratford and kicked the bronze cross towards the nearby Xio.
“Give it a try.
“Also, we have to leave immediately. The commotion from earlier will definitely attract the official Beyonders! Also, who knows what the person who left the ‘message’ will do!”
Xio, with her reddened-eyes, didn’t say a word. She bent down and picked up the bronze cross. She didn’t feel any sense of discomfort the entire time.
Uh… Fors didn’t ask why as she walked to the stiff Viscount Stratford’s body and warily looked around.
After Xio put away the bronze cross, she picked up Shermane’s corpse and returned to Viscount Stratford’s side.
“That item is very precious. His status is also very important. We’ll definitely be the targets of the royal family’s pursuit efforts. We need to do some interference…” Fors looked down at Viscount Stratford as she muttered to herself in thought.
She quickly made a decision. She raised her hands, lowered her head, and began piously chanting Mr. Fool’s honorific name.
She didn’t believe that them giving up the bronze cross would stop the royal family from pursuing them due to being perceived to have lower priority. Therefore, without any hesitation, she prayed to Mr. Fool for help.
To her, sacrificing the item to Mr. Fool was better than staying there.
Almost at the same time, she saw a holy angel with twelve pairs of fiery wings.
A phantom projected out of the angel as it descended from the sky, wrapping her and Xio in layers of flaming wings.
Once this was over, Fors was just about to say something when she felt her body quiver. She felt a particular sense of horror and evil permeate from the void.
Her eyes focused as she didn’t hesitate to crouch down, reaching out her hands and grabbing Xio and Viscount Stratford’s calf.
At the same time, the final dark green stone with burn marks on her bracelet emitted a blue and illusory light.
In the blink of an eye, the bodies of Fors, Xio, Viscount Stratford, and Shermane turned transparent as they vanished from the spot.
In seconds, they left the docks area and appeared on the outskirts of St. George Borough.
During this process, Fors had even used her Beyonder power as a Scribe to “RecordM”Traveling.M
After observing her surroundings and confirming that there was no one around since they were in the forests, Fors released Xio and Viscount Stratford and straightened her body.
With the blessings of Mr. Fool’s angel, there shouldn’t be much danger. The person who “left the message” won’t be able to lock onto us. Fors heaved a sigh of relief before saying with a lingering sense of fear, “The person who descended upon us towards the end was definitely a saint. Thankfully, we quickly escaped…”
Xio gently lowered Shermane’s corpse and said in thought, “If the person who ‘left the message’ was monitoring Shermane, then she might’ve already found out where we live. We can’t return there.”
“Yes, we need to change our residence,” Fors said with great experience. Then, she cast her gaze at the unconscious Viscount Stratford. “You can interrogate him now. Make every second count.”
As she spoke, she handed Leymano’s Travels to Xio and exhorted, “There’s Telepathy on it and it’s used with candlelight. Also, start with the simple and unimportant questions to lower his resistance.”
Xio received the spellbook with a solemn expression. However, her wrist trembled, unable to hold Leymano’s Travels. Pa!
The bronze notebook dropped onto the ground as Xio said with a frown, “It’s like fire…”
Fors had the same experience earlier, so after some thought, she said, Throw that cross away and try again.”
Xio followed her suggestion and successfully picked up Leymano’s Travels.
“It cannot be held with other mystical items…” Fors said with a nod when she saw this.
Xio didn’t harp on this problem as she quickly prepared a lit candle.
Then, she drew Wintry Blade and relieved Viscount Stratford from his stiff and dazed state.
After the captain of the royal guards gradually awakened, she triggered the corresponding page in the notebook. Viscount Stratford instantly fell into confusion, and only the faint candlelight remained in his eyes.
“Why did Shermane try to approach you?” Xio asked the question she had just thought of.
Viscount Stratford replied blankly, “She was investigating who I’m loyal to.”
Xio was taken aback as she instinctively asked, “Who are you really loyal to?”
Viscount Stratford slowly said, “His Majesty, of course.’
Chapter 1023 Mason Dere’s Death
His Majesty… Xio was a little confused and filled with confusion when she heard Viscount Stratford’s reply.
She found it inexplicable that Shermane would deliberately approach this captain of the royal guards just to investigate where his loyalties lay. This didn’t seem to be something of great importance or value.
As for Viscount Stratford’s answer, it was very normal and without any faults.
Shermane paid with her life for such an answer? Xio originally wished to press for the reason behind Shermane’s investigation of such a trivial matter, but she immediately realized that it might involve key intel too soon. It might cause Viscount Stratford, who hadn’t entered the necessary “state,” to put up resistance. So she gradually held back her instinctive urge.
She thought for a moment and asked, “Do you know Mason Dere?”
“Yes,” Viscount Stratford answered blankly.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio Derecha continued asking rather simple and unimportant questions.
“Who is he?”
“He’s the former captain of the royal guards,” Viscount Stratford answered simply without elaborating.
At this moment, Fors didn’t listen to the Telepathy at such a superficial layer. She took out the pure crystal ball and placed it in Xio’s pocket.
After transferring her items, she bent down once again and carefully attempted to pick up the bronze cross.
This time, amidst her trembling fingers, the soul-burning feeling didn’t assault her. It allowed her to easily pick up the spiky item.
As expected, this cross cannot coexist with other mystical items… Uh, I still have Moon Paper Figurine and the remnant spirituality of the ancient wraiths, but it didn’t react… This means that it can coexist with items that don’t contain Beyonder characteristics, but won’t resist spirituality and strength? If that’s the case, will it also reject the Beyonder characteristic within my body? But it doesn’t seem obvious… This is its other negative side effect, and it requires some time before it shows signs? Fors had a general idea about this ancient bronze cross. She then warily stored it away in a bag that contained all kinds of ritual materials.
After doing this, Fors looked down at the silver bracelet on her wrist. She confirmed that it was completely empty and was without any accessories hanging from it.
She had used up all five stones that allowed her to use Teleport.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, Fors no longer felt as anxious as before. Although she believed that the “full moon ravings” would become clearer and more terrifying with the usage of each stone, she also knew that with Mr. Fool’s help, this wasn’t a problem. Over the past year, if not for her need to spend some time above the gray fog during every full moon or Blood Moon, she would’ve almost forgotten that she was suffering the torment from the “full moon ravings.”
I hope that the curse will be lifted one day… After retracting her gaze from the dull silver bracelet, Fors couldn’t help but sigh.
She then sincerely thanked Mr. Fool in her heart.
…No matter what “His” real goal is, “He” has rescued me time and time again. It hasn’t only been from the “full moon ravings”…
This cross’s level doesn’t seem low. I wonder if Mr. Fool will be interested and is willing to accept my sacrifice… I didn’t have any good items or news to repay “Him” for his benevolence. I finally see an opportunity…
Uh… This is a common spoil of war. I only own half of it. I wonder if Mr. Fool is willing to accept a sacrifice that I only have half the rights to… No, Xio has also been rescued by Mr. Fool before…
Hehe, perhaps it might please Mr. Fool… If “He” is satisfied, he might produce a few Beyonder powers and allow me to record them in Leymano’s Travels. No, Leymano’s Travels might not be able to record a deity’s powers. It won’t be able to withstand Mr. Fool’s powers… Hmm, the powers of the angels under “Him” will do too. No, no, no—I can’t be too greedy. I’ll be satisfied if Mr. World can demonstrate some of his powers for me to record…
Fors’s thoughts wandered as she had expectations akin to a dream.
This was the instinct of a best-selling author.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As for why she didn’t expect anything else other than the recording of Beyonder powers, it was because she realized today how important and terrifying Beyonder powers at the demigod level were.
If Leymano’s Travels didn’t have Hurricane recorded, she and Xio might not have been able to capture Viscount Stratford. They might not even succeed in escaping.
Even if she didn’t include the bronze cross, Viscount Stratford himself was a rather powerful Beyonder. If he hadn’t been injured by Hurricane in the beginning and left dizzy from the fall, their sneak attacks might not have reached this level of success. There was a high chance that they might suffer a counterattack.
Of course, separating the resplendent cross from Viscount Stratford was key to the victory of this brief battle tonight. And again, this was all thanks to Hurricane.
On careful thought, if we switched to a less pressing situation, and if the bronze cross and the demigod powers in the notebook were excluded, Xio and I might have a chance of defeating Viscount Stratford together. We might even have quite good odds…
The Beyonder powers recorded in the notebook are varied, and when put together, they’re truly powerful. Together with Xio’s Psychic Piercing and the effects of Wintry Blade, in a head-on battle, it’s reasonable for Viscount Stratford to be defeated if he doesn’t have any special mystical items.
A living Scribe with rich experience is actually this powerful… The more Fors thought, the stranger she felt.
She realized that she had become rather formidable!
Back when they were dealing with the ancient wraith, she had already come to a similar conclusion.
Composite Start
Composite End
And this time, their enemy, Viscount Stratford, was the captain of the royal guards of the Loen royal family. He was at least Sequence 6 and was probably Sequence 5. Furthermore, he wielded an item at the demigod level. The level of his strength was clear, so this immediately allowed Fors to benchmark her “level” in the world of Beyonders. Although their victory mainly stemmed from a sneak attack, a successful one was also a manifestation of one’s strength.
I’m already a Scribe. With a good combination of powers, together with Leymano’s Travels, I’m already a rather strong Sequence 5… The only problem is that I lack experience… As Fors reflected poignantly, she cast her gaze at Xio and Viscount Stratford, continuing to listen to their questions and answers.
At this moment, Xio’s question had already reached a rather key topic that could easily result in resistance.
“How did Mason Dere die?”
After asking this question, Xio’s expression suddenly turned complicated and expectant. She was also in a dilemma, feeling pangs of excitement and fear.
This was a question she wished to ask eight years ago. In these nearly 3,000 days, she had been constantly searching for an answer, but she was also afraid that the answer wasn’t something she expected. She was afraid that her father was really involved in a mutiny and thus was executed, marring his reputation.
Viscount Stratford didn’t immediately answer Xio’s question. He seemed to struggle before saying, “He discovered His Majesty’s secret and tried informing the three Churches but failed. He was executed on the spot.”
Xio fell into a daze for a few seconds before finally confirming the answer she received.
Although this answer shocked her, it made the heart in her mouth sink back to its original position as she calmed down.
“Secret… His Majesty’s secret…” she muttered softly to herself and asked in a pressing tone, “What secret?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors, who was beside her, was also shocked to the point of being dumbfounded. She never expected things to develop to this stage.
At that moment, Viscount Stratford’s facial muscles visibly contorted. It took him a great deal of effort to say a few words ：“That secret is…”
Suddenly, his body jerked violently. His confused eyes regained their luster.
Right on the heels of that, his body collapsed from the most minute part, instantly transforming into a ball of “fireworks.”
The blood-red “fireworks” soared into the sky and exploded, illuminating the night sky as they were reflected in Fors’s and Xio’s eyes.
This… Having experienced this previously, Fors didn’t waste any time after her eyes momentarily blanked out. She immediately crouched down and grabbed Shermane’s corpse and Xio’s calf.
Their figures swiftly turned transparent as they vanished from the spot, Teleporting to the southern area of the bridge.
Above the gray fog, Klein, who was holding the Sea God Scepter, saw the “fireworks” that stained the sky red.
Back when Fors prayed to him, he had happened to be inside the magnificent palace observing Qonas Kilgor’s actions. He conveniently took in the Red Priest card and used the paper figurine he cut, stirred the powers of the mysterious space, and gave a response.
During this process, he discovered that the person lying next to Miss Magician and Miss Judgment was Viscount Stratford.
This was one of the targets he had placed great importance on. Although he hadn’t investigated him personally, he knew that there was something wrong with him. He knew that Demoness Trissy was targeting him, so he had remembered his appearance and characteristics at a ball.
Klein didn’t know what the two Tarot Club members were up to, but since it involved Viscount Stratford, he definitely didn’t write off its importance. He directly observed what subsequently happened to Miss Magician and Miss Judgment through the crimson stars.
After advancing to a demigod and obtaining even more authorities, he didn’t need the Tarot Club members to pray to directly observe their vicinity via the crimson star. This was similar to specially marking out believers, but Klein had always held great restraint towards that and had never attempted it.
This made him hear Xio’s and Viscount Stratford’s conversation.
And since he knew the underlying truth, he knew very well what the true meaning and importance of “who he was loyal to” was.
Combined with the discovery of the king’s secret by the former captain of the royal guards, Mason Dere, and how his attempt to inform the three Churches failed, Klein already had a guess.
He suspected that the greatest culprit behind the Great Smog of Backlund was the Loen Kingdom’s king, George III!
1024 Traditional Skills
Inside the palace above the gray fog, Klein, who was holding the Sea God Scepter, looked at the Black Emperor card and the Tyrant card on the table in front of him with a heavy look.
Although Viscount Stratford’s answer could only prove that King George III hid a great secret, had played a crucial role in the Great Smog of Backlund, and was highly likely to be a mass murderer, it couldn’t be said that he had spearheaded everything and was the true mastermind. After all, he might only be a puppet. But to Klein, this was already enough. The target was clear, and he had clues to investigate what they were planning.
Seeing that Miss Magician and Miss Judgment had left the area where the abnormality had happened and were practically safe, Klein retracted his gaze and continued to observe the actions of MI9 deputy director, Qonas Kilgor, via prayer vision.
After a while, after “securing” the territory and confirming that no one was tailing him, Qonas Kilgor walked to a mountain wall and took out an object.
His entire body was tainted with a ghostly-blue glow as he gradually became hazy and blurry.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, he disappeared into thin air, his whereabouts unknown.
A rather special form of Traveling via a corporeal ritual or item that allows him to teleport from point to point within a very short distance… Back when I came out from the underground ruins where Ince Zangwill was, I also passed through a similar “door”… Yes, this place isn’t too far from the mountain where Mr. A pursued me…
This setup needs a very suitable and secretive region. Without having any permission from the interior, just holding onto an activation item might not have any effect. And once something happens, destroying the corresponding ritual can prevent enemies from entering and stop them from finding the exact location… Klein nodded in enlightenment.
Combining the information which Viscount Stratford had just revealed, he had come to the initial conclusion that the king’s secret and the ploy by the three factions were all hidden deep within the underground ruins. As long as one entered, the truth would be obtained through a careful investigation.
However, the difficulty in performing the investigations became apparent the more he thought about it—he had to first obtain the corresponding item and, using his disguise as a Faceless to fool the guards, he would “Teleport” in. None of these steps were easy.
According to Arrodes, Qonas Kilgor wasn’t just a demigod of the Black Emperor pathway, he also possessed a rather powerful Sealed Artifact.
Even if Klein had made preparations, his odds of defeating the brigadier general of MI9 wasn’t too high if he didn’t seek the help of angels, much less finish him off in a stealthy manner without anyone realizing it. Furthermore, there were many difficulties in getting the help of an angel, as all of “Them” had their own extenuating circumstances that prevented “Them” from agreeing.
Even if I take down Qonas Kilgor without drawing the attention of anyone, I have to consider the danger that stems from entering… Based on what previously happened, it’s impossible for them to not be on guard against a Faceless…A cooperation effort between the king, the Psychology Alchemists, and the Demoness Sect guarantees that their ploy is significant. It’s extremely possible that there’s an angel within the underground ruins… Klein frowned as he was at a loss for a reliable angle for investigation.
He tapped the edge of the long mottled table and decided to break out of the confines of his original thoughts and consider it from a different angle.
Composite Start
Composite End
A few seconds later, a flash of inspiration came to him.
Why do I want to complete all these steps by myself?
The king’s secret and plans are likely detrimental to the three Churches of Storm, Evernight, and Steam; otherwise, the former captain of the royal guards, Mason Dere, wouldn’t have attempted to inform the three Churches. As a Blessed of the Evernight Goddess—at least for now—isn’t it obvious what I should be doing?
This can also count towards my contributions to exchange for the Scholar of Yore potion formula!
In an instant, Klein’s thoughts became extremely clear. He left the area above the gray fog without any hesitation and returned to the real world.
Dressed in blue and white checkered pajamas, Gehrman Sparrow raised his hands once more and made a prayer gesture, he chanted in ancient Hermes, “The Evernight Goddess who stands higher than the cosmos and more eternal than eternity. You are also the Lady of Crimson, the Mother of Concealment, the Empress of Misfortune and Horror, Mistress of Repose and Silence…”
This time, Klein didn’t hold a ritual because he wasn’t praying for a bestowment or response. All he wanted was to simply describe what Viscount Stratford had said, as well as his observations regarding Qonas Kilgor. Therefore, a direct prayer was sufficient.
After praying, Klein exhaled and stood in a remote area of the woods, patiently awaiting the possible developments.
In less than a minute, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, like a quickly sketched portrait.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The newcomer was dressed in a simple robe. By the figure’s waist was a belt made of tree bark. Long hair cascaded down as the figure was barefoot. She had a pair of dark and serene eyes, and she was none other than the highest- ranking archbishop and leader of the ascetics, Servant of Concealment, Arianna.
“Good evening, Ma’am Arianna,” Klein bowed without any hint of surprise.
Arianna glanced at him and returned the greeting.
“Good evening.”
“She” didn’t make any small talk as “She” directly asked, “Qonas Kilgor is nearby?”
Yes, less than ten kilometers away.” Klein pointed in the direction. “He has already used an item to vanish from his place. What should we do next?”
Arianna nodded slightly and said, “Wait for him to come out and find an opportunity to capture him.”
I-isn’t that too direct? You look quiet and plain, a cultured person—no, angel. Why are you so aggressive? If Qonas Kilgor didn’t head for the underground ruins and had gone to some other secret base, or if he wasn’t too deeply involved in the king’s ploys, to have the Church’s archbishop taking action on MI9’s top brass would definitely be breaking news. The kingdom’s fracturing would only worsen! Klein was momentarily unsure how he should respond to Arianna.
Although he would definitely attack Qonas Kilgor if he handled the matter himself, since the latter’s involvement in the slave trade and the silencing of others was enough reason, the problem was that a demigod of a secret organization attacking a military top brass and an orthodox Church’s archbishop attacking a military top brass was two completely different matters.
Composite Start
Composite End
As though sensing Klein’s thoughts, Arianna calmly explained, “You will be the one taking action, not me.”
Klein was a little unused to “Her” style.
Arianna continued, “I will create a concealed world for you and provide you the necessary assistance.”
Battle in a concealed state? Fight with the help of an angel? Klein nodded with a thought.
“Then where shall the ambush be?”
Arianna answered succinctly, “In your Maygur Manor.”
…I share the same thoughts… But I didn’t want to say it myself… Klein took a deep breath and exhaled.
The choice for the ambush location stemmed from very simple logic—it was to do it when Qonas Kilgor was in his most relaxed and defenseless state.
Without a doubt, once Qonas finishes his secret mission and returns to Maygur Manor, he would believe that the most risky matters of the night were over. He wouldn’t have his guard up!
For the same reason, if the king’s secret and ploy was of utmost importance, it was possible for an angel to be “watching” over him while he returned from the underground ruins. Once he suffered an attack, the angel would be able to immediately respond. And only when Qonas returned to his normal daily routine would the monitoring be retracted. After all, there were only a limited number of angels, so it was impossible for “Them” to be so free.
Composite Start
Composite End
Thankfully, I used the most covert method of tailing him, and the distance was far enough… From the looks of it, Ma’am Arianna didn’t place the responsibility of the battle onto me to avoid the risk and reduce the negative effects, but because maintaining a concealed state and preventing the existence inside the underground mins from noticing the battle will drain a great deal of “Her” energy… Amidst his racing thoughts, Klein had a better idea of how he should proceed.
At this moment, Arianna added, “The concealed world’s battle won’t damage the real world.”
That’s pretty good… Klein muttered silently and said after some thought, “Then I need to immediately make some preparations.”
“Alright,” Arianna calmly replied.
“She” didn’t even ask me what preparations I need. I was even prepared to say that I need a change of clothes… As Klein lampooned himself, he looked down at his blue and white checkered pajamas.
His left palm quickly turned transparent as he vanished from the spot.
Inside Maygur Manor, Klein’s figure blinked into existence. Maintaining his appearance as Gehrman Sparrow, he quickly changed his clothes and wore a top hat.
Following that, he took out a piece of paper and used his finger to write.
The tip of his finger spewed out a scarlet flame, leaving charred marks without burning the piece of paper.
The charred marks quickly formed a complicated symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying.
With the formation of this symbol, the full-body mirror in the room turned dark as aqueous light rippled.
A silver outline appeared, forming one word after another:
“Exalted Great Master, your loyal and resilient servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
“Do you have something you would like to ask me?”
Yes.” Klein nodded and looked out the window. “What demigod powers and powerful Sealed Artifacts does Qonas Kilgor have?”
This was something he vaguely knew before. After confirming that Qonas Kilgor was a target, he gathered more information and now wished to know more so as to prepare a strategy meant to target Qonas.
The full-body mirror’s silver words warped and squirmed, quickly forming new words:
“Great Master, Qonas Kilgor is an Earl of The Fallen. To hide his strength, he wields a Sealed Artifact that also belongs to the Lawyer pathway. However, it also has some of the Arbiter pathway’s characteristics mixed into it. It’s called
Chapter 1025 Random Anomalies
The full-body mirror’s silver words seemed to have a life of their own as they vanished and reformed:
“The Concerto of Light and Shadow is a pocket watch. It can restrict certain actions in a particular area, and it can also strip certain Beyonder powers from the target. When the two are put together, the limitations that are created far exceed the two types.
The Concerto of Light and Shadow is also able to ‘gift’ certain negative side effects to the target, making him sluggish; eager; avaricious; or lose their fighting spirit, only capable of focusing his attention on money.
“Apart from these effects, the Sealed Artifact’s wielder would have the ability to distort the target’s speech, actions, intentions, and attacks. It can reduce a lethal blow into a serious injury, or it could repel an attack, turning progression into retrogression, escaping into leading a charge.
“The negative effects of Concerto of Light and Shadow are rather serious. Amongst them, the main negative effect to take note of is that once it’s brought into combat, all the Beyonder effects produced in a certain region would intermittently experience random anomalies. It wouldn’t distinguish between friend or foe, making it hard to control and unpredictable. That also means that Lightning Strike might still create a bolt of lightning, but it might splash the target with a blast of cold water or summon unknown spirit world creatures.
“Due to this reason, Qonas Kilgor has deliberately sought out a mystical item that can make him sufficiently lucky at critical moments, hoping that the random intermittent effects will benefit himself. It’s definitely useful to a certain extent, but it’s not that great.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Qonas Kilgor also has a strange revolver. It originated from an anomaly during an evil god’s sacrifice. It’s called ‘Rever’s Shout of Despair’… It can shoot without bullets, and each shot possesses immense strength… It can shoot at a rapid pace like a miniature machine gun… Targets who are hit by it will suffer Rever’s shout of despair before he died. They will suffer different levels of pain, dizziness, and confusion…
“The biggest problem with the revolver is that the wielder will also hear the shout of despair. It just won’t be too frequent.
“As an Earl of The Fallen, Qonas Kilgor no doubt has a qualitative change when it comes to ‘Distortion’ and the unreasonable ‘Bestowment.’ In addition, he can also ‘Exploit’ laws and ‘Magnify’ effects, and use ‘Disorder’ to disrupt order.
“Exploit can extend certain states for longer periods of time or end it ahead of time. It will make the rules more beneficial to himself. For example, after jumping into midair, the state of being away from the ground can be extended, achieving the effect of floating.
“Magnify can boost the effects or influence of his actions. It can make an ordinary attack become an execution. It can turn a hug from a distance away into a restriction.
“Disorder will influence the structure of objects, the standards of measurement, and the accuracy of attacks. It will make a seemingly massive building collapse, causing what seems like a huge distance to be shortened to that of a few paces, as well as allowing attacks that are aimed at him to miss their mark.
“Through Magnify, Exploit, and Distortion, Beyonders of the Lawyer pathway can achieve certain things that only Beyonders of the Arbiter pathway can accomplish.
“Of course, Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonder powers of the Lawyer pathway like Bribe are equally possessed by an Earl of The Fallen and are even stronger.
“Great Master, I’ve finished answering your question. Is that okay?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Your answer is like a guidebook. You must’ve been gathering information from the spirit world while delivering it… Also, must you seek praise even for matters such as this? Klein lampooned and nodded slightly.
“That’s right.”
After answering Arrodes’s question, he quickly got into the zone as he analyzed the powers and traits of the powerful Sealed Artifact which the demigod, Qonas Kilgor, had.
An Earl of The Fallen is indeed a Sequence 4 demigod existence. There are qualitative changes in various aspects. Be it “Bestowment,””Distortion,””Exploit,” and “Magnify,” none of them are easy to deal with. I might suffer if I’m careless…
Rather, Disorder isn’t terrifying. It’s basically an enhanced version of the Sequence 5 Mentor of Confusion’s power…
The Concerto of Light and Shadow does have traits of the Arbiter domain. And the most frustrating aspect about it is the negative side effects… To a Beyonder of the Seer pathway, my combat style is definitely closer to one of preparation, precision, and control. Once the battle begins, the moves will chain one after another. During this process, if a random deviation were to happen, the entire plan can easily be messed up and not be accomplished… It’s very dangerous…
As he thought, Klein discovered that the main problem stemmed from the Sealed Artifact named Concerto of Light and Shadow.
As a Beyonder who liked setting up traps for his enemy, Klein didn’t wish that after throwing himself into a perilous situation through his painstaking planning and hard work, he would realize that the item would summon a rabbit just as he was using the Fate Siphon charm to switch fates with his target to turn the tables and finish off his opponent. Or perhaps it would turn into fireworks to celebrate the death of the user.
Qonas Kilgor can reduce the effects by raising his luck, but I can’t do it. Fortune or Misfortune that’s not at the angel level won’t be effective on me… However, I have the marionette, Winner Enuni… Klein thought as he gave Arrodes the second question:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“How can the intermittent random anomalies of that Sealed Artifact be avoided?”
Silver words appeared out of the ripples of the deep mirror, forming a new sentence:
“There’s no need to avoid it!
“Qonas Kilgor just needs to become unlucky, and for this, the demigods of the Evernight pathway are experts.”
Makes sense… According to the theory of relativity, as long as Qonas Kilgor is more unlucky than me, I’ll be the lucky one. Ma’am Arianna said that “She” can provide me with assistance… To “Her,” secretly slipping some misfortune onto Qonas Kilgor before creating the concealed state should be very simple and easy… Klein immediately nodded cheerfully.
“Very good. That’s it for today. I’ll summon you again if there’s anything else.”
“Yes, Master! No problem, Master! Goodbye, Master-” On the full-body mirror’s surface was a simple drawing followed by silver words.
Seeing the mirror instantly return to normal, Klein retracted his gaze and quickly simulated the battle that would happen in his mind.
Gradually, he came up with an idea, and grabbing onto that flash of inspiration, he proceeded forward in refining it.
Composite Start
Composite End
After having a few tentative plans, Klein walked to the balcony and looked at the garden in the night sky, whispering, “Can you inflict misfortune onto Qonas Kilgor before the battle?”
After a brief silence, a calm and ordinary female voice rang in his ears:
Yes.”
“Then it’s fine on my side,” Klein immediately replied.
Tranquility quickly returned to his surroundings.
A rather cold breeze blew by, and Klein expressionlessly stared at the manor for a few seconds. Then, he pressed down on his silk hat, pulled the human-skinned glove on his left hand, and drew Death Knell from his underarm holster.
Right on the heels of that, he flicked his thumb and made the iron-black revolver’s cylinder spin.
The night grew darker as the crimson moon occasionally tore through the clouds. Maygur Manor was completely in a state of deep sleep.
At this moment, a figure stealthily came from the Tussock River’s south bank, taking two to three steps to return to his room.
He was none other than the deputy director of MI9, Qonas Kilgor, who wore a white shirt and black trousers.
Composite Start
Composite End
This demigod with a stout look surveyed the area and didn’t notice any abnormalities. He gradually revealed a smile and walked to the bar counter in the guest room. Getting a cup, he picked up a bottle of Maygur red wine. He prepared to pour some for himself to celebrate the wonderful night.
At this moment, his spiritual perception was triggered as he looked up abruptly.
He saw the buildings with a few grayish-white chimneys suddenly become covered in shadows as if they were dyed with ink.
To the side of the chimneys, on one of the steeple landmarks of Maygur Manor’s main building, it was equally dark. The bright red moon was silently hanging behind the chimney.
The clouds and stars high in the sky had vanished. Apart from the gigantic crimson moon, there was pitch-black darkness.
Under the night sky, the flowers and trees were clearly in front of him, but they lacked any signs of life. They were dim, as though they were a great distance away.
Black and red, shadows and buildings, and the silence and plants presented themselves in front of Qonas Kilgor in such a strange state.
This… The demigod’s pupils dilated as he didn’t hesitate to respond.
He reached his left hand into his clothes and extended his right hand under his armpit, taking out two items.
Amongst them, he held a strange revolver in his right palm. It was entirely gray in color, bigger than an ordinary revolver. It looked like it was half the size of a sledgehammer that was used in classical battles.
Another unusual trait of the revolver was that it had six barrels, each rather thick. The mouth was dark, and its cylinder was embedded with more than ten ugly rivets, making it have a rather crude beauty.
Qonas Kilgor’s left hand held an iron-skinned pocket watch. On the watch’s face, half of it was filled with neatly arranged symbols that followed the order of time, while the other half was a chaotic mess. It even intruded into the neighboring region. On both sides, it seemed impossible to see the machinery behind them as they formed into a structure that looked even more complex and headache-inducing.
Almost at the same time, a figure emerged out of the gigantic crimson moon. It glided over at an extremely fast speed.
He grew bigger and clearer. He was a young man with black hair, brown eyes, and cut features.
The young man was wearing a silk top hat and a black trench coat. He held a unique revolver in one hand, and a transparent human-skinned glove covering the other. Under the bright illumination of the surroundings, he seemed to be burdened with the weight of the gigantic crimson moon.
Gehrman Sparrow.
Meowhead
An only slightly assisted fight against a sequence four, where planning might go awry. I am looking forward to seeing how he will pull this off.
Chapter 1026 Two Restrictions
Upon seeing the young man in the black trench coat appear with a black revolver in hand, Qonas Kilgor, who was no stranger to all the important figures in the world, immediately responded.
The thumb on his left hand that held the iron-skinned pocket watch was rapidly moving, reaching for one of the metal buttons on the messy inlays of the pocket watch. He suddenly raised his right arm, aiming at Gehrman Sparrow with the six gray gun barrels that formed a circle.
This process was like a fleeting spark that quickly came to an end. As for Qonas Kilgor’s left thumb, it had pressed down.
He overcame his instinct and didn’t directly use Restriction from the Concerto of Light and Shadow.
This was because he didn’t know Gehrman Sparrow well enough, unsure as to what he was best at. Furthermore, the person with Gehrman Sparrow’s appearance might not be Gehrman Sparrow. Blindly using Restriction would only be a waste of an opportunity.
He intended to observe and wait for a while longer before he came up with a more specific order to distort the laws. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The strange revolver let out a roar of despair and spewed out a storm of black and icy bullets, instantly enveloping the enemy beneath the crimson moon.
At this moment, Gehrman Sparrow’s figure turned transparent and incorporeal.
At the same time, the bullets tore through the target in the black trench coat, tearing apart the afterimage he left behind.
And behind Qonas Kilgor, Gehrman Sparrow, with a cold expression, quickly appeared. His body was half-crouched, and he was leaning forward. The black top hat on his head appeared blood red under the crimson moon’s illumination.
He suddenly raised the black-barreled revolver in his hand, opening his mouth slightly while aiming and squeezing the trigger.
Bang!
The floorboard to the right of Qonas Kilgor exploded into countless fragments.
Gehrman Sparrow’s shot had been ridiculously far off the mark. Furthermore, its destructive power was clearly lacking.
This was the Distortion power of an Earl of The Fallen. It caused the bullet’s trajectory to deviate and have its power weakened.
Composite Start
Composite End
Seizing this opportunity, Qonas Kilgor used “Disorder” to influence measurement standards, arriving above the balcony of the bedroom with one step.
Then, he half-turned his body, and with a smack, he pressed one of the metal buttons on his iron-skinned pocket watch. He then solemnly said, “Teleportation is prohibited here!”
Silently, Maygur Manor, which was being illuminated by the gigantic crimson moon, experienced an unknown change. Gehrman Sparrow, whose body had rapidly turned faint after firing, appeared out of the void again.
He had failed to successfully change positions.
Concerto of Light and Shadow—Restriction!
To Qonas Kilgor, no matter what Gehrman Sparrow was good at, he had to immediately “Restrict” his obvious ability to teleport. An enemy who could do close-quarters Teleportation at a high frequency wasn’t only irritating, but also dangerous!
Realizing that his Teleportation had failed, Gehrman Sparrow’s expression remained unperturbed. His body quickly warped as the colors faded from his body, leaving a deep darkness.
This “deep darkness” suddenly collapsed across the ground, fusing with the shadows in the region where the moonlight couldn’t reach, making him indistinguishable.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bullet holes riddled the spot where Gehrman Sparrow was previously standing, tearing the ground open.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
The area collapsed immediately, revealing the room before. However, no dust was thrown up.
And despite such a stir, Maygur Manor remained blanketed in deep shadows. No one was awakened or gave a response.
Qonas Kilgor suppressed the urge to “Restrict” the action of hiding in the shadows. Holding onto Rever’s Shout of Despair and Concerto of Light and Shadow, he calmly observed his surroundings and waited for Gehrman Sparrow to appear once again before launching his attack.
However, inside the collapsed room, the shadows were silent, and there wasn’t any movement. And outside the window, the steeple and chimneys remained immersed in an icy-cold darkness. The gigantic crimson moon seemed to be hanging over the roof.
The plants in the garden, the grapevines far away, and all the various classical windows seemed to degenerate into the background on this night. Despite being visible to the naked eye, they were imperturbable.
All of Maygur Manor was cold, dark, and silent, just like a forgotten corner that didn’t garner the attention or incur discovery from others. There were no signs of life at all.
As a demigod, as an important figure in the intelligence community, Qonas Kilgor quickly had a theory. He suspected that the person was related to the authority of Concealment.
This gave him many ideas, but Gehrman Sparrow remained nowhere to be seen.
Composite Start
Composite End
He actually didn’t sneak attack and even gave up the chance to deliver a barrage of attacks, leaving me so many openings… Doesn’t he know that a High-Sequence Lawyer or Arbiter is very difficult to deal with once they’re prepared prior to the battle? A sense of puzzlement flashed across Qonas Kilgor’s mind.
Using his observations of his surroundings and the relatively non-urgent situation, he quickly understood his current predicament. He knew that defeating Gehrman Sparrow wasn’t key, but escaping the concealed world was.
If he couldn’t leave this place, there might be more dangers awaiting him!
As long as I can leave this dark-styled Maygur Manor, even if angels were to descend, I don’t have to worry since I’m in Backlund… Such artificial concealed worlds must have an opening. This is a law that cannot be avoided in the mysterious world… The usage and distortion of laws was what Lawyer pathway demigods were best at! Qonas Kilgor had many ideas come to him as he quickly made a decision.
He suddenly turned around and jumped from the balcony, flying off like he was a spring that was released.
This demigod of the military instantly reached a high altitude, but he didn’t slow down or show any signs of falling.
He maintained this speed as he went higher and higher in altitude; thus, achieving flight.
Earl of The Fallen—Exploit!
This was the exploitation of laws. By extending the jumping process, he could maintain a much longer duration.
If Qonas Kilgor became a Sequence 2 angel, he could even jump onto the crimson moon with this Beyonder power.
Composite Start
Composite End
While jumping in midair, Qonas Kilgor swung his right arm and released his “Disorder” Beyonder power.
He wanted to create a certain level of “Disorder” in Maygur Manor in this strange world. The true exit would then be exposed through the generated ripples.
Instantly, the flowers and grapevines in the background of Maygur Manor wavered. The black steeple, chimneys, and classical windows were covered in a faint shadow.
In the entire world, only the gigantic crimson moon which appeared to be right before them didn’t change. It continued hanging silently in the sky.
That’s the exit! Qonas Kilgor grasped the patterns from the disorder, and using some actual feedback, he determined where the exit was.
Without any hesitation, he exerted strength in his waist and used “Magnify” to forcefully change his direction, allowing him to rush towards the bright red moon.
At that moment, a figure appeared in front of Maygur Manor. It was none other than the cold-looking Gehrman Sparrow who wore a black trench coat and half top hat.
Whoosh!
A strong gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, sweeping Gehrman Sparrow upwards as he chased after Qonas Kilgor. Amidst the wind, he raised the iron-black revolver in his right hand and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A bullet flew out, exploding into countless fragments.
They then turned into a storm that swept towards Qonas Kilgor.
Death Knell—Slaughter! It was a barrage of attacks!
Almost at the same time, Qonas Kilgor changed direction without any warning, plummeting instead of rushing towards the moon.
As a result, he dodged the bullet storm’s assault as though he was prepared for it.
No, it wasn’t the case—he was prepared! Although his main goal was to escape the changed Maygur Manor, he was still worried that Gehrman Sparrow would seize the opportunity to attack him. Therefore, he came up with a simple trap, planning to use his escape as bait to fish out the hiding Gehrman Sparrow. He could then take the initiative to heavily injure his opponent.
Halfway down, Qonas Kilgor’s figure suddenly bounced back, having “Distorted” the direction he was heading in.
This time, his destination was the next “point” where Gehrman Sparrow was flying towards!
Right on the heels of that, he yanked his pocket watch-wielding left hand back and grabbed Gehrman Sparrow through thin air, pulling him from a distance of nearly a hundred meters away to just inches before him.
Earl of The Fallen—Magnify!
Whoosh!
Amidst the howling winds, Qonas Kilgor grabbed Gehrman Sparrow’s clothes and pressed his strange revolver in his right hand forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Rever’s Shout of Despair released countless bullets like a machine gun, instantly tearing Gehrman Sparrow’s body into fluttering pieces of paper.
Qonas Kilgor’s gaze froze slightly as he immediately moved his left finger and pressed one of the metal buttons on his pocket watch.
With a click, this Earl of The Fallen didn’t hesitate to say in a domineering fashion, “Stand-ins are prohibited here!”
Just as he said that, the howling wind came to a stop. Maygur Manor returned to silence once again as it was blanketed by dark shadows.
Qonas Kilgor changed direction and began spiraling in midair in search of Gehrman Sparrow. However, there weren’t any anomalies in the dark night sky.
This Earl of The Fallen hesitated for a moment before preparing to continue rushing towards the gigantic crimson moon.
At this moment, figures appeared in the garden, vineyard, and manor’s main building. They either grew or became taller, rapidly taking form.
They all had black hair and brown eyes with sharp facial features. They wore silk top hats and black trench coats. They were all Gehrman Sparrows!
The only difference was that some of them were of normal build, some with their backs sunk inwards. The rest were bloated while others just a thin layer.
Upon seeing this scene, Qonas Kilgor immediately recalled a dangerous enemy he had once encountered.
One of the leaders of Intis’s intelligence department—a Bizarro Sorcerer!
Chapter 1027 Decei
After Qonas Kilgor realized which Beyonder pathway his enemy belonged to, all the Gehrman Sparrows in the garden, vineyard, and main building, raised their left hand. They curled their middle finger, ring finger, and pinky, extending their index finger and thumb, making them take on the simple shape of a gun.
The index fingers that represented barrels and muzzles aimed at Qonas Kilgor in the air before their respective arms jerked up seemingly due to the recoil.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amidst deafening noises, illusory doves appeared to the side of the Earl of The Fallen who was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. They flew at him from every direction in a spectacular sight of utmost beauty.
This was the random anomaly that came about from the iron-skinned pocket watch and Concerto of Light and Shadow. It made the Air Cannons which could blast through houses turn into doves of peace that didn’t pose any threat!
Having used “Disorder” to disrupt the enemy’s collective volley, Qonas Kilgor wasn’t surprised to see the doves fly up and disperse into the air.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He was already mentally prepared.
He had already endured the negative effects that the Sealed Artifact had brought for years!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he didn’t hesitate to raise his hands which held the iron-skinned pocket watch and revolver, doing so in a bid to make them collide.
This was “Distortion,” one that targeted all the Gehrman Sparrows beneath him.
To Qonas Kilgor, what frustrated him the most when fighting a Bizarro Sorcerer was that he was unable to tell if the enemy he faced was a marionette or the actual person unless the marionette was of a very crude level.
As such, he had many Beyonder powers he didn’t dare use because they were ineffective against marionettes.
A large-scale “Prohibition” effect was still alright, but a single-target “Deprivation” was meaningless in actual combat. No matter how many Beyonder powers of a marionette were deprived, it didn’t affect the actual body. When that happened, his opponent just needed to switch marionettes to resolve the problem.
Due to similar reasons, using “Magnify” on the mystical items on the marionettes was temporarily written off by Qonas Kilgor for strategic purposes.
Similarly, an Earl of The Fallen’s “Bestowment” was of no use. It was even inferior to “Deprivation,” as it could cause a Bizarro Sorcerer’s marionette to lose its corresponding Beyonder powers. However, the negative effects “Bestowed” to a marionette was unable to interfere with it at all. Be it turning them sluggish, losing the will to fight, making them turn anxious, or only focus on money, it was meaningless to a marionette who was, in essence, dead, without any ability to think or inclinations to take action.
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, Qonas Kilgor decided to first resolve the problem of identifying marionettes and the actual body.
In this aspect, others might not have a solution, but a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Lawyer pathway definitely didn’t have such worries.
There were rules to everything, and everything followed certain rules. As a Lawyer demigod, they were good at finding whatever loopholes there were to exploit them for themselves.
Together with his combat experience fighting other Bizarro Sorcerers, and how he had seriously considered solutions for dealing with them during the aftermath, Qonas Kilgor was quite certain that “Distortion” could suppress his enemy.
He knew that Bizarro Sorcerers could seamlessly switch between their actual body and marionettes. He planned on “Distorting” this, making the Bizarro Sorcerer only be able to switch to two to three marionettes!
This way, the difficulty of identifying the actual body and the marionette would be minimized.
Of course, if it wasn’t for the fact that Distortion couldn’t exceed certain limits, and area-oriented “Prohibition” effects had reached its limit, Qonas Kilgor definitely would’ve used a simpler method to deal with his opponent, such as forcing the Bizarro Sorcerer to only be able to swap with one marionette, or he would “Prohibit” swapping with marionettes.
Pa!
Qonas Kilgor smashed the Rever’s Shout of Despair and Concerto of Light and Shadow together as though he was compressing a large area to a small area.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Earl of The Fallen—Distortion!
Silently, he produced a red glow with a deep shadow in his hand. It appeared as though he was offering it to the Gehrman Sparrows in the garden, vineyard, and main building. As for the thick and thin, normal, or terrifying crazy adventurers, none of them experienced any abnormalities.
Qonas Kilgor also suffered a random anomaly, one brought about by Concerto of Light and Shadow!
It had changed the Distortion effects to summoning a flower from the garden below.
And at that moment, the Air Cannons that had turned into illusory doves continued!
At that moment, the battle between two demigods turned ludicrous, comical, and funny.
Of course, be it Gehrman Sparrow or Qonas Kilgor, none of them thought that was the case—especially the latter. He once again felt a familiar sense of helplessness.
He didn’t hesitate as he slammed his palms together again, completing the “Distortion.” He wanted to rely on quantity to resist the random anomaly effect.
However, Gehrman Sparrow wasn’t a dead person who would abide by the etiquette of turn-based combat. The large swath of crazy adventurers either raised their hands in firing stances or used a Death Knell with questionable authenticity, aiming at the Earl of The Fallen in midair.
Composite Start
Composite End
Meanwhile, Qonas Kilgor’s heart stirred. He turned his head slightly to look up and saw that a figure had appeared once again inside the gigantic crimson moon that hung above the black steeple.
The figure was wearing a silk top hat, a black trench coat, a human-skinned glove, and an iron-black revolver. He had a cold expression and a deep outline. He was another Gehrman Sparrow!
The crimson moon seemed to weigh down on his shoulders as he glided down, his body expanding and turning clearer in the process. As for the iron-black long-barreled revolver in his hand, he had already lifted it and aimed it at Qonas Kilgor.
Bang! Bang!
A bullet that had transparent and translucent sections to it shot out from the muzzle, heading straight for Qonas Kilgor.
This was a Deprivation Bullet, one which was created using a Worm of Time that Amon’s avatar had left behind!
It was different from an Arbiter pathway’s “Deprivation.” In essence, it was theft. It could steal the last three Beyonder powers the target had used and become empowered with the ability to use them.
However, as long as the Arbiter pathway’s “Deprivation” selected a target, then they could directly deprive them of their ability. Although this bullet’s “Deprivation” effect didn’t require contact in order to be effective, the target needed to be within a certain range and unable to leave the area. In short, one was unavoidable and could only be resisted or weakened through one’s level or Sequence’s characteristics, while the other could effectively be dodged if the shot was detected ahead of time.
Klein had given up on a sneak attack and had stalled for time because, on the one hand, he wanted Qonas Kilgor to use up all his “Prohibition” and “Deprivation” powers on Beyonder powers that appeared important to him. On the other hand, he was also waiting for the first random anomaly to happen. Then, he would seize the gap in between the two anomalies to steal Qonas Kilgor’s three most powerful powers with the Deprivation Bullet.
For these two goals, he even handed Death Knell and Creeping Hunger to Winner Enuni and made him appear like the real Gehrman Sparrow instead of a marionette.
Composite Start
Composite End
From the current developments, Qonas Kilgor was about to lose “Distortion,””Disorder,” and “Magnify.”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Gehrman Sparrows underneath collectively fired shots.
Suddenly, the Air Cannons and the Deprivation Bullet exploded, turning into red, purple, yellow, or green fireworks. However, they were unable to illuminate the deep dark sky.
Concerto of Light and Shadow had once again created a random anomaly!
It had produced its effects several times in a row without any pauses or delays.
Qonas Kilgor immediately smiled and slammed his hands together again.
All of a sudden, the young men wearing silk top hats and black trench coats under the gigantic crimson moon’s illumination turned gloomy. Only two maintained their previous states.
The Earl of The Fallen’s “Distortion” had taken effect!
This meant that Gehrman Sparrow could only switch places with those two normal marionettes!
Right on the heels of that, Qonas Kilgor didn’t hesitate at all. He swung his arm and threw out the flower that was held together with the pocket watch out.
The flower sped up and seemed to gain weight of unknown origins. Like an arrow, it shot towards one of the normal marionettes.
This attack had been “Magnified” and also came with the effects of Bribe—Weaken!
Boom!
The flower was like a cannon that crashed heavily into the ground, causing a violent quake.
The surging waves it stirred up threw up the ordinary and unordinary humans in the vicinity, tearing or severely injuring them. The two marionettes which Gehrman Sparrow could swap with had been reduced to pieces of meat.
Qonas Kilgor maintained his calm. As he “Distorted” his trajectory in midair and circled the area while in flight, he raised Rever’s Shout of Despair and aimed it at the Gehrman Sparrow that had descended from the crimson moon.
At the same time, he silently prepared a “Bestowment.”
He wanted to give his target the negative state of “lacking the will to fight”!
But at that moment, Qonas Kilgor’s mind suddenly turned adrift as his thoughts turned sluggish.
This… Turning into a marionette… Qonas Kilgor’s mental state stiffened as he understood his current situation.
He then saw that Gehrman Sparrow, who had descended from the crimson moon, wasn’t as far away from him as before. The distance between them was only about a hundred meters.
He had unknowingly entered the range where Spirit Body Threads could be controlled. He had stayed there for at least three seconds without realizing it!
Deceit!
A Deceit Bullet made from Amon’s avatar!
When Klein, who was actually Winner Enuni, had pulled the trigger, he hadn’t only fired a Deprivation Bullet, but had actually fired twice!
This was to prevent any random anomalies from happening.
With an anomaly having happened once, even if another anomaly were to happen, only one of the two bullets that had been fired in intervals that were slightly spaced apart would be affected. After all, it was an intermittent random anomaly. It was possible to have it happen two to three times consecutively, but four or five consecutive occurrences were rare. Therefore, by attacking numerous times, there would be at least one or more instances that wouldn’t suffer an anomaly!
Just now, the firing of the second Deceit Bullet had been concealed by the collective volley from the marionettes.
This was also why Klein made Winner Enuni use Death Knell—it was to rely on his luck!
Finally, he successfully deceived Qonas Kilgor and allowed Winner Enuni to secretly enter a safe distance of 150 meters from him and begin controlling his Spirit Body Threads and obtained initial control.
The moment this began, it meant that the Beyonder power was taking effect. Since there weren’t any anomalies, it meant that there wouldn’t be anymore!
Chapter 1028 Saving Himself
No good… My Spirit Body Threads… have been controlled by him… Having met Faceless Beyonders, Marionettists, or Bizarro Sorcerers, and even fighting senior Beyonders and demigods, Qonas Kilgor wasn’t unfamiliar with the predicament he was in. He was even rather familiar with it and knew quite a bit.
Therefore, he knew very well that he had fallen into a lethal trap. The time he had left to save himself didn’t exceed fifteen seconds!
And in these fifteen seconds, his thoughts would turn more and more sluggish, and the speed at which he could come up with solutions would slow down. Towards the end, just the thought of a solution would take him several seconds. Yet, his stiff and dull body would require plenty of time to actualize his thoughts. This also meant that he had about ten seconds to save himself!
Of course, he had considered the corresponding response for the last few seconds. It was to abandon his body’s control and reveal his Mythical Creature form. Through this, he could delay the time it took to become a marionette and then use his existence to disrupt the enemy, dealing a blow to them to a certain extent.
However, by doing so, even if he escaped the fate of becoming a marionette and even manage to defeat his enemy, Qonas Kilgor didn’t have much confidence in continuing to
live.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He wasn’t a demigod who could freely switch between his human form and Mythical Creature form. He didn’t have the confidence that he could maintain his rationale in a Mythical Creature form.
In order words, the outcome of escaping the fate of becoming a marionette by releasing his Mythical Creature form likely meant that the human, Qonas Kilgor, would die, while a monster of the same name would occupy his body.
Because of that outcome, Qonas Kilgor wouldn’t make such an attempt unless it was necessary.
While his thoughts weren’t too sluggish, and with how he could hear Réver’s Shout of Despair in his ears, this demigod of the military quickly came up with his first plan to save himself.
He moved his right thumb at a speed that couldn’t be considered slow.
Earl of The Fallen-Magnify!
Qonas Kilgor didn’t wish to “Magnify” a particular state of his or the attack of a particular Sealed Artifact; instead, it was used to “Magnify” Réver’s Shout of Despair’s side effects!
This special revolver allowed the wielder to hear the roar of despair from time to time, a rather serious blow to creatures without godhood, easily pushing them to the brink of losing control, to madness, to a mental breakdown, or mind blanking. And at Sequence 4, the effects of the roar was greatly mitigated once his body possessed the characteristics of a Mythical Creature.
To Qonas Kilgor, this roar was enough to turn his mind adrift and generate irascible mood swings. It didn’t have much of an effect on him, and he had already gotten used to it.
Composite Start
Composite End
And at that moment, he wanted to “Magnify” the “roar of despair” to a state where even a demigod wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. He wanted to use the pain that came from this psychic piercing in his mind to escape the state of having his Spirit Body Threads being controlled!
As “Magnify” didn’t need any obvious actions, it was quick to show its effects. Opposite him, Gehrman Sparrow, who held Death Knell and wore a half top hat, was floating in midair with strong gusts of wind swirling around him. He didn’t make it in time to stop the Earl of The Fallen from successfully using this Beyonder power.
But in the next second, what Qonas Kilgor met in response wasn’t a terrifying roar but silence.
The ordinary roar that was originally present had vanished!
This was a random anomaly brought about by the Concerto of Light and Shadow!
Seriously… How unlucky… Qonas Kilgor’s thoughts slowly flashed past his mind. He didn’t have the luxury of time to feel disheartened as he immediately made a second attempt.
He raised his right hand in an unsteady manner, aiming Réver’s Shout of Despair at Gehrman Sparrow who stood 150 meters from him and was about to pull the trigger.
At the same moment, the strong winds that blew at his right hand suddenly disintegrated in an inward fashion, turning into scattered eddies.
Earl of The Fallen-Disorder!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Qonas had used this to withstand Gehrman Sparrow’s interference.
Following that, there was a series of thumping sounds. Like a machine gun, Réver’s Shout of Despair spewed out dangerous bullets without stopping
Gehrman Sparrow’s black trenchcoat covered body jerked repeatedly, but he wasn’t hit.
The bullets grazed his outline and flew into the distance, shattering the windows and walls, causing one of the buildings to collapse in silence.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The subsequent bullet storm continued their barrage, and finally, Gehrman Sparrow was struck repeatedly!
Amidst splattering blood, Gehrman Sparrow kept struggling and shaking in the strong gust of winds like a paper figurine, looking as though he was about to tear apart at any moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The strange revolver finally stopped its “roar.” And apart from his head, Gehrman Sparrow was riddled with nasty gaping holes.
Typically speaking, this was definitely a state that only the dead had. However, Gehrman Sparrow continued controlling the Spirit Body Threads as though he was unaffected.
Composite Start
Composite End
The ridiculous wounds on his body slowly but resolutely healed.
This was the effect of Flower of Blood.
This Gehrman Sparrow was actually Enuni!
The reason why he didn’t die in that storm-like attack was because he had released all his accumulated luck. It was also because Qonas Kilgor was sufficiently unlucky!
And the “roar of despair” that the bullets brought forth was nothing to a marionette.
Seeing that the violent attack failed to achieve the desired effect and that the amount of time he had left to save himself dwindled, Qonas Kilgor followed his thought out plan and slowly relaxed his five left fingers without any thought.
The iron-skinned pocket watch left his palm and dropped to the ground.
At such a critical moment, Qonas Kilgor decisively gave up the Concerto of Light and Shadow and made it stay far away from the battlefield so as to avoid the effects of its random anomalies.
Next, he might only have one or two chances to save himself. If another anomaly were to happen, the outcome was irreversible!
The Sealed Artifact which was a mixture of half order and disorder quickly plummeted to the ground. Qonas Kilgor moved his fingers with great difficulty as he faced Gehrman Sparrow, whose wounds were quickly healing.
Composite Start
Composite End
He originally had two choices. One was to use the third method he had originally thought of to save himself, an action that only required a mere thought. The other was to “Magnify” his enemy’s injuries and make him die on the spot.
However, when Qonas Kilgor was still able to think relatively quickly, he didn’t expect “Gehrman Sparrow” to not die after suffering so many gunshots, even his control over the Spirit Body Threads wasn’t affected. There was no subsequent followup to this plan.
And at this moment, his brain was already like a sluggish mush. He had no way of thinking too much. He didn’t wish to waste any more time as he followed his plans.
Whoosh!
Around Gehrman Sparrow, who wore a transparent glove and iron-black revolver, the strong gusts of winds that held him up suddenly intensified and sent him flying up high.
Whoosh!
With the help of the strong winds, Gehrman Sparrow raced to the pitch-black sky under the watch of the gigantic crimson moon.
Earl of The Fallen-Magnify!
The strong winds that helped Gehrman Sparrow fly had been “Magnified” into a hurricane!
This way, the distance between him and Qonas Kilgor would stretch beyond 150 meters. That would terminate the process of turning the latter into a marionette!
Seeing his goal achieved, Qonas Kilgor, who had yet to regain his freedom, had his expression turn complicated bit by bit.
The hurricane rapidly expanded and swept over to him, engulfing him and throwing him high into the sky. It made it impossible for the distance between him and Gehrman Sparrow to open up.
He was truly unlucky.
Under the night sky, amidst the moonlight, the two figures became smaller.
Soon, the hurricane returned to normal as their momentum slowly diminished.
Seizing this opportunity, Qonas Kilgor’s nearly frozen mind had another idea.
“Stop…”
He stopped maintaining his power of flight and used gravity to plummet down like a meteor, doing so in order to rapidly open up a distance from Gehrman Sparrow.
Then, he ignored Gehrman Sparrow’s ability to control the wind and pursue him. He slowly pulled his left arm in front of his body like it was filled with rust.
It was the action of “closing a door.”
He wanted to use an Earl of The Fallen’s “Distortion” to create a wall-like seal in the air, putting an obstacle between Gehrman Sparrow and him, so that he couldn’t carry out his pursuit.
At that moment, the marionettes, the Gehrman Sparrows who were still alive underneath him, raised their left arms and made the gesture of firing a gun.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets shot out, enveloping Qonas Kilgor in midair.
After the shockwaves dispersed, Qonas Kilgor was covered with several bloody holes.
Due to the pain and the jolting of his body from the first few bullets striking him, he had finally snapped out of the state of having his Spirit Body Threads being controlled. The speed of his thoughts rapidly recovered.
Following that, he “Disordered” the subsequent volley at the critical moment and “Distorted” his injuries, preventing himself from dying. All he suffered were serious injuries.
And Gehrman Sparrow, who had many mystical items and was swooping down from above, he was obstructed by the invisible wall. He failed to catch up.
With another “Distortion,” Qonas Kilgor’s descent speed slowed down as he gently landed on the ground.
Before he could do anything else, his body froze again as he stood stiffly on the spot.
He felt that his hands and feet were resisting him and not listening to his commands. He felt that there was an unfamiliar object hiding in his body!
Then, he saw a figure walk out of Maygur Manor’s master bedroom under the gigantic crimson moon’s illumination and stand on the balcony.
He had black hair and brown eyes, wearing a silk top hat and a black trench coat. His facial features were pronounced, and he was another Gehrman Sparrow.
This Gehrman Sparrow’s right hand had the gesture of firing a gun. He then pulled back his hand and blew at it.
That was Klein himself.
What he shot out wasn’t an Air Bullet but a Parasite Bullet delivered with an Air Bullet’s might!
It was a Parasite Bullet created from a Worm of Time that Amon’s avatar had left behind!
It could create a Worm of Time that couldn’t live too long, allowing it to “Parasitize” the target and be controlled by the user.
Klein had deliberately taken out the bullet and held it in his hand, specifically to wait for this opportunity. He was waiting for Qonas Kilgor to throw away Concerto of Light and Shadow and not have the ability to dodge or use Distortion.
The former was predictable when the Earl of The Fallen’s Spirit Body Threads reached the state of initially being control. This was because he couldn’t allow the random anomalies to influence his attempts to save himself, and the latter was all about patience.
Just moments ago, his patience had paid off. A chance appeared. Klein was the first to raise his hand and shoot. Without the random anomalies affecting the outcome, he had accurately shot a Parasite Bullet into Qonas Kilgor’s body!
If the thing that had previously taken effect wasn’t a Deceit Bullet but a Deprivation Bullet, then the strategy would be different.
Briefly unable to control his body, Qonas Kilgor looked at the Gehrman Sparrow on the balcony remove his top hat, press his hand to his chest, and bow slightly at him under the gigantic crimson moon.
As Gehrman Sparrow’s trench coat fluttered, his thoughts had turned sluggish.
Chapter 1029 Ruins No. 1
No… Qonas Kilgor stood on the spot as a strong feeling of despair emerged in his heart.
As a military demigod who had experienced many dangers, he had a clear understanding of his current situation. He could already hear the footsteps of death approaching him.
He wanted to struggle and risk it by revealing his Mythical Creature form, but his orders didn’t do a thing with his sluggish mind.
His body had been “Parasitized” and was no longer under his control!
At that moment, Qonas Kilgor wasn’t even capable of shedding a tear.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Under the gigantic crimson moon’s illumination, one second after another passed. Suddenly, Qonas Kilgor raised his left hand and touched his crew haircut.
He had already become Klein’s marionette.
In fact, he still had a chance at the final moment. As the “Parasite” effect didn’t last long enough for him to become a marionette, he had those two or three seconds to reveal his Mythical Creature form.
But the problem was that his body also had the effects of “Misdirection” and “Deceit.” As time passed, his thoughts turned more and more sluggish and wasn’t able to grasp that short opportunity.
Klein looked at his new marionette and exhaled silently. He looked up at the clear and bright red moon and said, “It’s done.”
Amidst the gigantic crimson moon, a black dot instantly appeared and descended from the sky. It was none other than the Church of Evemight’s archbishop, Servant of Concealment, Arianna, who wore a simple robe with tree bark as a belt.
In this concealed world, this ascetic didn’t use any Beyonder powers to float in midair. “She” cast her eyes at the Earl of The Fallen beneath.
“She” gently raised her right hand as Qonas Kilgor’s slightly blurry soul emerged from the military demigod’s head. Klein lost his control over his marionette as a result of this.
He wasn’t too surprised by this because he hadn’t sent a Worm of Spirit through the Spirit Body Threads over. His control over the marionette was essentially still at a Sequence 5 state and not at the demigod level.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Where did you go just now?” Arianna asked calmly as she looked at Qonas Kilgor’s soul.
Qonas Kilgor’s expression twisted slightly before replying.
“Ruins No. 1.”
…Is this a contractual promise or a psychological cue? Klein, who watched the spirit channeling from the side, sensed something from the Earl of The Fallen’s reaction.
However, this didn’t affect anything because they were in a concealed world, one which no one knew of or could sense.
“Where is that ruin? Who did it once belong to? What is it being used for?” As an archbishop of the Evernight Goddess and an angel of the corresponding pathway, Arianna shared a certain amount of authority in Concealment. Therefore, “She” didn’t start with the simplest questions but went straight to the point. “She” wasn’t afraid of any accidents.
Qonas Kilgor’s soul trembled slightly as he exuded a feeling as if he would automatically blow up, but ultimately, nothing happened.
He hesitantly replied, “That ruin is located deep underground at the Sterlewen segment of the Tussock River. It has a setup that interferes with the powers of divination and prophecy.”
Sterlewen segment… This is quite far from the mountain where Mr. A was at and where you disappeared from. From the looks of it, you were very cautious. That point-to-point Teleport’s effects are greater than I expected… Klein quickly conjured a picture of the terrain of Backlund’s northwestern outskirts.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Qonas Kilgor continued replying, “That ruin used to belong to Blood Emperor Alista Tudor. I’m not sure what it’s currently used for. I’m unable to enter the depths of the ruins and am only in charge of sending in people and materials acquired via various means.”
The name Blood Emperor Alista Tudor made Arianna fall silent. About three seconds later, she asked, “What materials did you acquire?”
This time, Qonas Kilgor didn’t put up much of a resistance. He listed them down, including large amounts of mercury, iron ore, and ritual materials of different domains. Klein was unable to obtain any effective information from that because it was too well-rounded. It was possible to do anything.
They really are very careful. Using large amounts of sundries to hide what they’re truly searching for. Even the demigod in charge of these matters isn’t aware of the reason… This is very in line with the way a Spectator pathway Beyonder works. It was designed by the Psychology Alchemists? Klein nodded indiscernibly with a guess in mind.
Arianna didn’t seem to notice anything as she asked, “Do you have any guesses on what they’re doing? If so, what?”
“Yes, I suspect that they’re digging up something and attempting to make sacrifices,” Qonas Kilgor voiced out his judgment.
Arianna silently looked down at him for a while and said, “Who got you involved in the underground ruins?
“Who are the people who can enter the depths of the ruins?”
Qonas Kilgor struggled once again, but there were no anomalies.
Composite Start
Composite End
He said hesitantly, “I received His Majesty’s orders. I was able to become a demigod because he provided me with the formulas, ingredients, and the opportunity. He even bestowed me with the Concerto of Light and Shadow, allowing me to act as a Sequence 5 Beyonder even in situations where I can’t hide my strength.
“Apart from His Majesty entering the depths of the ruins, only two other demigods of the royal family can enter. One of them is Prince Grove, and the other is Duchess Georgina.”
They both have Augustus as their last names… But the royal family doesn’t only have two demigods… Miss Justice doesn’t know much of these two and mentioned that they seldom participate in social events. Even their seats as House of Lords Member of Parliaments are given to their children… Yes, at the demigod level, even if they lack the Beyonder characteristics of not dying and not aging, it wouldn’t be a problem living for more than a hundred years. It’s really not suitable for them to hold official posts and repeatedly appear in public… Klein tried hard to recall, but he failed to gather anything else.
Arianna was silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking, “Have you met Correns in the underground ruins?”
“Who is he?” Qonas Kilgor asked in confusion.
Arianna didn’t answer and continued asking, “Besides them, who else have you met in the underground ruins?”
Qonas Kilgor maintained his sluggish state which was characteristic of spirit channeling.
“People from the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists. The former was originally represented by Despair Nightingale Panatiya, but was changed to Saintess of White Katarina. The latter is Hvin Rambis.”
“Did they enter the depths of the underground ruins?” Arianna asked meticulously.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t following them all the time.” Qonas Kilgor shook his head. “At least when I met them, they were all in the periphery.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Arianna asked other questions in an attempt to draw out the general outline of the matter via other angles. However, it was obvious that George Ill’s arrangements were flawless. Even a demigod like Qonas Kilgor only knew about the mission that he was responsible for and could only move about in designated regions. He was unable to learn more.
After some thought, Arianna flipped up her right hand and gently pressed down, pushing Qonas Kilgor’s soul back into his body. Klein’s control over his marionette was restored.
This made Klein sigh inwardly.
The authority of Concealment is really impressive! Even if Ma’am Arianna were to question my marionette one day, I wouldn’t even know…
At this moment, Arianna turned her body and spoke to the Gehrman Sparrow on the balcony:
“A problem with George III has basically been confirmed, as well as where the underground ruins are.
“I will immediately meet with the archbishops of the Church of Storms and Church of Steam, convincing them to take action tonight and opening the ruins.
“Before I inform you, control Qonas Kilgor and pretend that everything is fine before making him vanish.”
Are you worried that the enemy will notice a problem with Qonas Kilgor while negotiating with the Church of Storms and Church of Steam, making it so that they can seal off the underground ruins or activate other emergency plans? Klein had a general understanding of the matter and nodded.
“No problem.”
Arianna, who didn’t have adorned hair, didn’t speak further. With a casual wave of her hand, the iron-skinned pocket watch flew over.
“This Sealed Artifacts was bestowed by George III. Perhaps we might be able to find some clues from its origins.”
Does that mean you’re taking it away? Klein replied without any objection, “I’ll leave it to you.”
He really didn’t have any complaints about that, and he even believed that it was only right. After all, half of the battle’s success was due to Arianna’s contribution with the concealed world and “blessing” him with misfortune. In the event that “She” didn’t take the Concerto of Light and Shadow, Klein would mention it. When it came to matters like this, he was always just.
And the Concerto of Light and Shadow was the spoils of war that he didn’t want the most. This was because it was at complete odds with his combat style as a Bizarro Sorcerer. The random anomalies would affect him, and the weakening effect was something worse than the enemy.
If Klein’s spoils of war from this matter was the pocket watch, then he had considered tricking—no, promoting it to the Snake of Fate Will Auceptin. Only a Life School of Thought demigod who relied on luck to survive could commandeer the Concerto of Light and Shadow. And when that happens, with such a huge secret organization and a Sequence 1, they definitely had powerful Sealed Artifacts that could be used to trade for it.
Upon receiving his reply, Arianna gently nodded. She then threw the iron-skinned pocket watch back at Qonas Kilgor, making the Earl of The Fallen look no different from before.
“Her” figure vanished as though it had been erased by an eraser. Even the pitch-black world with the gigantic crimson moon hanging in the sky, the steeple, and chimneys were quickly wiped away.
In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal. Klein was inside the master bedroom, and Qonas Kilgor was in a guestroom tens of meters away. Clenched tightly in his hand was Rever’s Shout of Despair.
Then, this brigadier general of MI9 used “Disorder” to place the revolver back into his underarm holster and pick up the Maygur wine he had previously poured out and took a sip.
Chapter 1030 Joint Operations
Backlund, North Borough, Saint Samuel Cathedral.
The cardinal of the Church of Storms, archbishop of the Backlund diocese, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus descended amidst the wind, landing inside the steeple with a huge clock to the left.
He donned a black robe with the Storm symbol and had thick facial hair. His hair was short and stood up, colored in a dark blue that was almost black.
This muscular demigod cast his gaze to the other side and said to the figure who was already waiting there, “Horamick, do you know what happened? Why did Anthony suddenly invite us over here?”
The person he spoke to was dressed in a white priest robe and a clergyman’s bonnet. He had a genial and mild expression, and he was none other than the Church of Steam’s Divine Council member, archbishop of the Backlund diocese, the demigod, Horamick Haydn.
Upon hearing Randall’s question, Horamick calmly replied, “I didn’t arrive here much earlier than you. In fact, I only left the laboratory for a few minutes.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He wasn’t only a clergyman but also a famous scientist. He was an emeritus professor at Backlund University’s physics department.
Randall Valentinus was just about to say something when he suddenly saw a figure walk up the narrow spiral staircase and arrive at the peak in the darkness that the crimson moon wasn’t able to illuminate.
This figure was dressed in a black clergyman robe with red accents. By his chest hung five Dark Sacred Emblems. He was clean-shaven, and his eyes were deep, dark, and tranquil. He was none other than one of the thirteen archbishops of the Church of Evernight, Backlund diocese’s person-in-charge, Saint Anthony Stevenson.
“Is there something that can’t wait until daybreak? Or do people from the Church of Evernight enjoy discussing matters at night?” Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus asked.
Anthony came to a stop after walking up the flight of stairs and said with a serious expression, “A very pressing matter.”
“What is it?” Randall asked immediately.
At this moment, Horamick Haydn also cast his gaze at Anthony Stevenson, awaiting his answer.
In similar situations, Horamick especially liked the existence of people from the Church of Storms. This meant that they would take the initiative to ask questions and that there was no need to be euphemistic. It didn’t require him to say anything else.
Anthony looked at them separately and said, “It’s related to the royal family. I’ll let Ma’am Arianna do the honors.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he said that, a barefoot, bun-haired female figure in a simple robe with tree bark for a belt quickly outlined itself out of the shadows.
Upon seeing this figure, Randall and Horamick immediately bowed.
“Good evening, Ma’am Arianna.”
Their expressions turned solemn at the same time, for they had a deep understanding of how important and crucial the matter that was happening tonight was.
It was definitely not a small matter for a Grounded Angel to appear!
Meanwhile, they couldn’t help but be roused up. They realized that they had no idea when this matron of the Evernight cloister, the servant of Concealment, Ma’am Arianna, had arrived in Backlund.
Under normal circumstances, the three Churches, the royal family, and the military enjoyed a certain degree of tacit cooperationGrounded Angels and Grade o Sealed Artifacts wouldn’t appear in Backlund.
“Good evening, Archbishops,” Arianna answered without any signs of haughtiness.
She then raised her right hand and grasped onto thin air.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
A faint light was emitted as it transformed into a scene along with the darkness. It was the entire conversation between Arianna and Qonas Kilgor.
This secret that appeared to have been kept for quite some time had finally presented itself before others.
As they watched, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus couldn’t help but say, “He actually advanced to Sequence 4 and became a demigod.”
This archbishop knew Qonas Kilgor. He originally believed that this deputy director of MI9 was only a Sequence 5 and had relied on a Sealed Artifact with severe negative effects to obtain combat strength at the demigod level. He never expected it to be a disguise.
The Church of Storms’s influence on the military was greater than the two major Churches.
No one answered Randall. After the secret was fully revealed, Horamick said, “One involves a secret ruin of the Blood Emperor, and with large numbers of people sent in… These two points put together cannot be anything good.”
“Indeed!” Randall nodded in agreement. “Let’s head to the ruins now!”
Arianna looked around and calmly said, “This involves the royal family and the king. It’s best if you seek permission from your own Holy See.”
In this angel’s choice of words, the Holy See referred to their respective Church’s headquarters, the core seat of power of the Church.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright,” the two archbishops replied without any hesitation.
After a while, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus and Horamick Haydn received feedback from the Sealed Artifacts they carried. Together with Anthony Stevenson and Arianna, they headed for the Blood Emperor ruins that Qonas Kilgor had previously entered.
Arianna then took out an iron-black coat of arms with complicated symbols, and she tried to activate it.
“She” didn’t make any disguise attempt, and she stood there calmly as though “She” wasn’t worried that the guards in the ruins would recognize “Her.”
Seeing this servant of Concealment’s actions, Horamick seemed to be in thought. Randall wore a look of calm and didn’t believe that it posed any problems.
In the underground ruins, on a strange metal pedestal, a ghostly-blue beam soared up and formed a door.
Four black-armored guards immediately observed the situation outside through the ghostly blue beam and planned on using a predetermined method to confirm if the person who had summoned the Door of Teleportation was disguised, so as to decide whether the “door” was to be opened.
However, they didn’t see anything. The area outside was empty.
Just as they felt intense unease and confusion, a figure quickly outlined itself behind them. It was none other than the leader of the Church of Evernight ascetics, Arianna, who wore a patched robe.
In the blink of an eye, the four guards fell into a deep sleep. Anthony, Randall, and Horamick entered the underground ruins one after another.
Composite Start
Composite End
They didn’t directly follow the path down. Instead, they passed through the hall, floating in midair as they overlooked everything.
This was a world ruled by darkness. Small amounts of light came from the strange moss growing in different spots, as well as the flaming torches that came from the human-sized buildings.
With their illuminating light, even Beyonders without night vision could grasp the overall appearance of the huge ruin.
On one side was a gray rock wall. It extended upwards without an end, and it seemed to be connected to the ground. On the other side, there was a bottomless dark valley as if it were the abyss where devils lived. A road paved with stone slabs lay in the middle connecting the halls and buildings together. From time to time, humans would come and go in silence.
The archbishops of the three Churches were just about to capture a few people who could enter the ruins to interrogate them about the situation inside when a figure flew out of the dark valley, heading straight for the demigods.
The figure had a long face and wore a white hairnet. Two curly mustaches grew above his lips, and he had thick brows. His eyes were slightly bigger and looked rather similar to a certain poker card figure.
He wore a gown and had a huge cloak over him. The tips of his shoes were extremely long, and his attire was unlike the current times. It was as though he lived a hundred years ago.
Archbishops, like Anthony and Horamick, were no stranger to him. He knew that he was Prince of Sonia, Grove Augustus, one of the demigods of the royal family.
“How did you enter?” Grove asked first, his expression a little surprised and uncertain.
They looked at each other, and Anthony took the initiative to say, “We’ve always been investigating the large number of mysterious disappearances, and we had locked onto MI9’s Qonas Kilgor. Through him, we found this place.”
Grove’s expression changed slightly as he looked at the woman who left one’s heart feeling tranquil. He deliberated and asked, “Ma’am Arianna?”
“Yes, I was in charge of the disappearance case,” Arianna answered succinctly.
Prince Grove smiled bitterly.
“We were too greedy. After discovering this ruin, we only thought of digging and retrieving the items inside. To keep it a secret, we even had certain connections with the Demoness Sect. Through the people they gathered, we built a passageway and held certain rituals.
“No, it’s not what you think. They were just normal rituals, and they’re still alive deep within the ruins.
“If you don’t believe me, I can lead you down to take a look. Apart from the unopened seals and buildings, there’s nothing.”
Upon hearing his reply, Anthony, Horamick, and Randall exchanged looks, registering the puzzlement in each other’s eyes.
This was completely different from their expectations!
This made them suspect that something was wrong. Things weren’t as serious as they had imagined
At this moment, Arianna said, “You even created the Great Smog.”
“No,” Prince Grove shook his head again. “That was a lesson we learned from cooperating with the Demonesses. They actually tried to control Edessak and used him to gain control over the kingdom. After it was seen through by us, they created the Great Smog. From that moment forth, we broke all contact with them.”
Having said that, he pointed below and frankly said, “How could we do such a thing just to secretly dig up the Blood Emperor’s ruins?
“As long as you head deep down and closely examine it, you will understand what I mean.
“Heh heh, don’t worry. With Ma’am Arianna around, no traps will work. Besides, ignoring the fact that we lack such power, even if we were able to secretly bury you in the ruins, the Churches will discover a problem. I don’t believe that you didn’t report this matter to your respective Holy Sees before coming. If you don’t return in a while, they will definitely take the corresponding actions.”
Demigods like Randall and Anthony fell into thought as they cast their gazes at the simply-dressed Arianna.
Arianna calmly nodded. “Okay.”
The angel and three saints then entered the depths of the ruins under the guidance of Prince Grove. They discovered that there was a ruin hidden in the darkness, with no man having set foot there, as well as men and women who had been taught to form different rituals. Everything was orderly and serene.
Arianna, Horamick, and the other demigods acted according to their own thoughts and separately investigated the different regions. They even left and went further to investigate, but they failed to discover anything.
After receiving Arianna’s notice, Klein changed Qonas Kilgor into a servant inside the manor, making the MI9 deputy director vanish.
Then, he unhurriedly held a sacrificial ritual. He sent the items he received above the gray fog for further research, patiently awaiting daybreak.
Chapter 1031 Possibility
As the sky lit up, the manors along the Tussock River’s north bank began to wake up amidst the morning mist.
The tall and portly Framis Cage came to the guest room where Qonas Kilgor slept last night. He knocked on the door and prepared to have breakfast with this MI9 deputy director.
However, there was no response.
Has the Brigadier General headed for the dining room? Framis Cage turned around in puzzlement and left the first floor.
After breakfast was over, everyone realized that Qonas Kilgor had vanished. Under Dwayne Dantes’s lead, they headed outside the guest room and watched the land steward, Richardson, open the door with his key.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
There was no one inside.
“Does Brigadier General Kilgor have a hobby of taking morning strolls?” Macht asked curiously as he pinched the two ends of his cheekbones.
Framis Cage shook his head without hesitation.
“No.”
“Did you hear anything last night?” the chancellor of the Backlund University of Technology, Portland Moment, surveyed the area and asked.
Macht recalled for a moment.
“No, it was very quiet, perfect for a vacation.”
Beside him, Hazel looked into the room curiously, but she couldn’t think of any possibilities.
At this moment, Framis Cage raised his theory:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Brigadier General Kilgor is an important member of the military, and he often needs to handle unexpected matters. Perhaps he had long left the manor and returned to Backlund.”
This steam car tycoon was clearly trying his best to downplay the matter.
He seems to know something. Or at least, he guessed that Qonas Kilgor came to Maygur Manor for some private, personal goal… Klein listened to their conversation as he said to Butler Walter and Land Steward Richardson with a heavy look, “Ask the servants in the manor if they had seen Brigadier General Kilgor last night or this morning.
“If they haven’t, send someone back to Backlund and visit Brigadier General Kilgor’s family. Inform them of this matter and let them decide whether we need to immediately make a police report.”
After giving his instructions, Klein stroked his white sideburns and said to Macht and his other guests, “Things aren’t clear yet. Perhaps Brigadier General Kilgor left because of an urgent matter and didn’t want to hold up everyone’s vacation. Let’s do this. We’ll continue with our hunting plans and return when the police arrive.”
As Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor’s companion, Framis Cage had raised an excuse for the crisis, one that was rather convincing, Macht and company agreed with Dwayne Dantes’s suggestion and left the area.
Hazel walked right at the back and glanced at Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor’s guest room and its neighboring room. She had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right as she subconsciously wanted to use her powers as a Cryptologist to reconstruct the situation.
However, an intense sense of fear emerged deep in her heart. She had no idea what she was afraid of, so she eventually gave up on the idea.
She vaguely felt that she had some experience in such matters, and those experiences told her not to look at things she shouldn’t see or listen to things she shouldn’t hear.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After the guests and servants left that floor, a thick carpet that held the weight of the coffee table inside the room beside Qonas’s guest room began moving.
Bit by bit, it pulled itself up from under the sofa and coffee table without causing much of a stir.
Following that, the yellowish-brown carpet stood up and revealed its other side.
It was solidified flesh!
The flesh was squirming and reorganizing itself, and it soon transformed into a person, a mixed-blood young man. This was Dwayne Dantes’s valet, Enuni.
And the one following Dwayne Dantes was Qonas Kilgor. He wore the same face and had the same build!
To Klein, there was no need to disguise Enuni in such a manner. He could get him to transform himself into another person and blend in with the servants, using an illusion to interfere with their senses, making them unable to discover the addition of this person. It was a simpler and more reliable method. However, “acting” remained important to a demigod. It was key to accelerating the potion’s digestion and for resisting the inclinations of losing control and madness. Therefore, Klein would deliberately try to be bizarre in his handling of many matters.
Of course, he didn’t wish to harm the innocent. Even in creating bizarre and eerie situations, he would try hard not to let others notice it. It was to prevent them from being left with a mental scar due to excessive fright.
The bizarre and eerie atmosphere was mainly for himself, to gain the approval of the potion inside him. This would undoubtedly accelerate the digestion rate of his potion, but without the feedback of a spectator, it meant that the “acting” wasn’t complete enough. This made the speed at which he digested the Bizarro Sorcerer potion not as fast as he imagined. Despite doing so many things and trying out so many acts, Klein didn’t feel that it was possible for him to reach Sequence 3 by the end of this year.
Composite Start
Composite End
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment.
Xio sat on an unstable chair as she stared out of the window in a daze, her expression a little gloomy.
Fors swallowed her saliva and sat opposite Xio, blocking her line of sight.
You seem to have lost all your motivation?
“Do you not know what to do after receiving that answer? It’s because you have no access to the king?”
Xio’s eyes fluttered as she slowly came to her senses.
“Whether it’s to redeem my father’s reputation or revenge, the chances are slim when facing the king. I can’t think of a way to complete something like that…”
“That’s because you’re too weak. When you reach Sequence 4 and become a demigod, you’ll discover many solutions, the only problem is that it’ll be more dangerous!” Fors tried encouraging her. “In addition, you can still use others. Just like the person monitoring Shermane. She too wanted to know who Viscount Stratford was loyal to. She must be interested in the king’s secret.”
“Shermane…” Xio repeated the name as her state of mind suddenly recovered.
Beside them, there was a bronze cross and a ghostly-blue gem that resembled a vertical eye on the table.
Composite Start
Composite End
The gem’s exterior had thread-like patterns, the Beyonder characteristic that appeared after Shermane’s death. It made the things around it appear mild, and it accentuated their beauty. However, with the bronze cross around, its glow was confined to a small area.
“That monitor is one of the culprits behind Shermane’s death,” Xio said rather seriously.
They had already found a spot to bury Shermane, and Fors had flipped through Leymano’s Travels to placate the dead Shermane.
Fors immediately nodded.
“Yes, it’s why she was instigated to investigate the king’s secret and come into contact with the latent danger.
“Didn’t you say that she might be able to monitor where we used to live? We can find an opportunity to return incognito, throw a letter into the mailbox, and write that Viscount Stratford is loyal to King George III and that he has a huge secret. This way, I believe she will be able to see it.”
Xio thought carefully and nodded solemnly.
“Okay.”
After discussing what they were about to do next, Fors stood up and pointed at the bronze cross.
“It’s time for us to show our sincerity to Mr. Fool for all the help we received. I plan on sacrificing it to Mr. Fool now. You don’t have any objections, right?”
“No,” Xio replied without hesitation.
Maygur Manor. It was another evening. The news sent back by Qonas Kilgor’s family was to wait since this MI9 deputy director often acted in such ways, involving himself in matters of national security; therefore, Macht and company didn’t panic. They made use of the animals they hunted and roasted them over a bonfire at a party on the lawn behind the manor.
Seeing the gentlemen roll up their sleeves and busy themselves around the roasting rack, the ladies heading over to help from time to time, and the children running around eagerly, Klein held a cup of sweet white wine—a fine product of Maygur Manor—and sat on a white wooden chair, a smile suffusing his lips.
Beside him was his mixed-blood valet, Enuni, who stood upright while awaiting instructions.
And inside a particular room in the manor’s main building, a pair of eyes were silently looking down. It belonged to a person who looked identical to Enuni.
The evening breeze blew past. Just as Klein was about to get up and showcase what it meant to roast meat from Desi at the roasting rack, he suddenly saw a figure phase into existence in front of him.
It was Arianna who wore a simple robe and tree bark as a belt.
This servant of Concealment looked at Dwayne Dantes and said, “There was nothing special in the underground ruins…”
“She” then recounted the main points of what “She” and the three archbishops saw, as well as the explanation given by Prince of Sonia, Grove Augustus.
That doesn’t make sense… The first thought that appeared in Klein’s mind was suspicion.
As Viscount Stratford had Saintess of White Katarina provide him with assistance, this clearly meant that the king’s faction hadn’t completely severed ties with the Demoness Sect.
Under the premise that the Great Smog of Backlund had already happened, their continued relationship with the Demoness Sect meant that it wasn’t something that could be explained as hoping to keep the Blood Emperor’s ruins for themselves
With such in-depth cooperation, would the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists not wish to split the spoils?
In that case, why wouldn’t they directly seek the help of the three Churches?
Klein instinctively believed that the problem with the ruins hadn’t truly been discovered. He suspected that there had been a leak during the entire process, allowing the king to make preparations.
With Ma’am Arianna around, the possibility of discovering something amiss via the methods of divination and prophecy can be eliminated…
From my killing of Qonas Kilgor to the three Churches’ joint operation, the number of people who know of it doesn’t exceed ten. Furthermore, they all involve the high-ranking members of each Church. How is it possible that there was a leak…
Viscount Stratford’s problem resulted in the people in the ruins deploying contingency plans? No, his standing wasn’t at that level. Even Qonas Kilgor didn’t know the exact situation, much less him. He was only in charge of liaising with the Demoness Sect and handling matters at the periphery. He might not even know of the underground ruins… Klein’s thoughts raced as he sought the reasons.
He first eliminated the possibility of them being prepared due to Viscount Stratford; after all, the death of the captain of the royal guards wasn’t that important or crucial.
As such, there were very few possibilities that could explain the situation. One, a person who knew of the secret amidst this sequence of events had deliberately or unintentionally leaked the matter due to particular reasons. Two, they had noticed something wrong with Qonas Kilgor’s seemingly ordinary state, but Klein didn’t notice anything.
The Psychology Alchemists are in cahoots as well… Could my thoughts be read and the secret revealed? But I have the gray fog augmenting me. No matter what, there will be some abnormality. It’s just like when I faced that Spectator demigod with Anderson… The Psychology Alchemists originated from something Hermes left behind… Hermes is… As he thought about it, Klein’s eyes suddenly widened.
He instinctively stopped himself from thinking deeper about it as he shot a look at Arianna and relaxed. He asked, “Is this place concealed?”
“Very,” Arianna replied calmly.
People behind “Her” came and went, but no one noticed “Her.”
Klein exhaled as he formulated his thoughts.
Emperor Roselle once said in his diary that the members of that ancient secret organization are all important figures… Then, could it be possible that one of the high-ranking members of the three Churches is a member of the Twilight Hermit Order?
And could it be that the ruins which Arianna and the archbishops saw wasn’t the real one, but one “imagined” by Adam?
Chapter 1033 Let There Be Ligh
Scrutinizing the bronze cross in hand, Klein was certain that it was at least a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact.
Apart from its purifying effects, this mystical item also possessed Flaring Sun and other demigod-level spells of the Sun domain. As for its negative effects, they weren’t a problem to resolve if one used it properly. For example, helping people who stumbled into the Beyonder world and hoped to escape this madness to become normal humans again. It could also be used for people who consumed additional potions to secrete the Beyonder characteristic—though this required precise timing; otherwise, it easily caused one’s Sequence to drop.
Of course, the body and soul that had been reconstructed by potions would definitely suffer from frequent conflicts with an ordinary human’s essence. Beyonders who relied on this bronze cross to retreat from this “circle” would undoubtedly suffer residual effects, and the exact circumstances would be different depending on their pathways and Sequences.
This made Klein sigh. This was the most useful and valuable negative effect he had ever seen.
To him, the only problem was that this bronze cross couldn’t be carried with him for extended periods of time. He couldn’t hand it to his marionette either, as it would expel the marionette’s Beyonder characteristic and drop its Sequence. And a marionette could no longer consume potions for advancements, as their Spirit Bodies were essentially dead.
As for letting ordinary creatures turn into marionettes, they would “praise the Sun” by wearing this cross for extended periods of time and escape his control.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
I can only leave it above the gray fog and take it out when I need it… To a Bizarro Sorcerer, this side effect isn’t much. After all, I don’t perform unprepared… I’ll later confirm if it corresponds to an Unshadowed. If it does, I’ll sell it to Little Sun after he finishes digesting the Priest of Light potion. I believe that the City of Silver’s six-member council’s Chief wouldn’t be miserly to not exchange it with a Sealed Artifact of equal value. The Sun pathway is clearly more suitable for the Forsaken Land of the Gods than the other pathways… Klein thought in a good mood as he placed the bronze cross back on the long mottled table.
He didn’t immediately make a confirmation and planned on leaving it until he returned to 160 Boklund Street. When that happens, he would also use dream divination to figure out the origins of the Sealed Artifact. As Maygur Manor was too close to the underground ruins, he was afraid that the royal family’s angel or maybe even Adam was observing the area. If his experiments were to trigger some change and create a stirring in the gray fog, his biggest secret might be exposed.
Even if this Sealed Artifact doesn’t correspond to an Unshadowed, it’s definitely from the Sun pathway. At most, it’s mixed with other Beyonder characteristics. No, it will be expelled, and the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun’s trademark is a Sacred Emblem made of gold, an abstract sun, having nothing to do with a cross. Hmm, after eliminating this possibility, the only one related to the Sun domain is the City of Silver’s Creator, the ancient sun god, Adam and Amon’s dad, the suspected transmigrator…
It appeared in the hands of Viscount Stratford, so does this mean that, in a particular sense, it’s the Twilight Hermit Order who’s cooperating with the royal family, and the Psychology Alchemists is just a ruse? Of course, there are too many other possibilities. It might’ve been found by the Augustus family since they’re quite a famous angel family in the Fourth Epoch and have a long history. Finding certain items of the ancient sun god is rather normal…
If this Sealed Artifact really was provided by Adam, could it be part of “His” arrangements?
Faced with Demoness Trissy, who is clearly involved with an evil god, and her partner, Viscount Stratford, who chose to use this purifying cross and gave up using other items. That arrangement is very reasonable. Upon deciding to eliminate Shermane, since he wasn’t sure if she had been corrupted by an evil god and was afraid of accidents happening, he didn’t use any direct offensive means and instead wasted time activating this Sealed Artifact. That too is also very reasonable… Yes, it’s all very reasonable. I’m just not sure if there are signs of this outcome being arranged…
With this in mind, my phobia for 0-08 has reared its head again… Yes, Miss Magician and Miss Judgment had privately discussed Adam before. It involved matters regarding the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the Giant King’s Court, and King of Angels…
This… even if it was arranged by Adam, why does “He” want to give this item to them?
Klein felt his scalp tingle as he thought about it. Composing himself, he decided to do further experiments after returning to Boklund Street.
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t hesitate and immediately returned to the real world.
As for the items on Qonas Kilgor, he relied solely on his divination powers without the gray fog’s enhancements to gain an initial grasp on the situation.
Apart from the Concerto of Light and Shadow which Church of Evernight ascetic leader, Arianna, had taken, and the badge used to open the underground ruins, Qonas Kilgor had two other mystical items.
One of them was Rever’s Shout of Despair which Arrodes had mentioned. It originated from a failed sacrifice and had two modes. One was an ordinary shot, its might was slightly weaker than a Clown’s Air Cannon. The other was a machine gun sweep. It could spew out large numbers of bullets in one to two seconds. These two modes came with the shout of despair, having a certain level of influence on demigods at the saint level, but it wasn’t too effective. Of course, not every demigod could withstand such an attack. Just like Klein himself, he didn’t have a ridiculous body or defense to withstand it head-on.
The other item was Lucky Grass. It looked very simple, a four-leaved clover that had been made into a protective charm. Its power was to accumulate one’s chance of success after a subsequent failed attempt. The negative side effect
Klein’s appraisal on it was to change its name to “Mother of Success.”
These two mystical items were of little value to Klein. He continued keeping them on Qonas Kilgor’s person.
Instead, it was this demigod marionette that was his greatest harvest.
Lawyers had an acute grasp and knowledge of how to make use of loopholes in law, with the ability to guide and convince the target; Barbarian provided strength and a constitution that broke the rules; Briber had “Bribe”; Baron of Corruption had “Distortion”; Mentor of Disorder had “Disorder”; and Earl of The Fallen had “Bestowment,””Magnify,” and “Exploit.” They were all pretty good powers. If he hadn’t obtained detailed information from Arrodes and made sufficient preparations and formulated a plan, together with the help from an angel of Concealment, Klein believed that he had no way of restraining Qonas Kilgor even if he had items like Fate Siphon.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In fact, instead of turning him into a marionette, using Creeping Hunger to Graze Qonas Kilgor would be a lot more discreet, making it harder to be discovered. But if that’s the case, I can only use three of the Earl of The Fallen’s Beyonder powers… As Klein thought about it, he walked out of the bathroom and returned to the bonfire party.
On the lawn, Macht was standing in front of the roasting rack, trying hard to make East Balam-styled roasted meat while sweat dripped down his forehead. Hazel was standing a short distance away, her eyes looking on brightly. She no longer had the arrogance from before and had a few black marks across her face—a result of the smoke. Portland Moment was holding a cup of wine, smilingly watching the relatively “young lad” being busy. From time to time, he would raise a metal skewer with chunks of meat and bite at it.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein’s heart suddenly calmed down.
On Sunday afternoon, the group of people who went to the Boklund Street suburbs returned to Boklund Street.
Before dinner, Klein headed above the gray fog once again and picked up the bronze cross.
He first confirmed that the cross corresponded to the Sun pathway’s Sequence 4 Unshadowed and had, rather uncreatively, named it Unshadowed Crucifix. Following that, he picked up a pen and wrote a new divination statement:
The origins of this cross.”
Klein didn’t immediately divine if Unshadowed Crucifix had any traces of being “arranged,” afraid that it might point to Adam and place “Him” in a state of vigilance. He planned on investigating the situation by figuring out the Sealed Artifact’s origins. If the Unshadowed Crucifix’s owner or former owner was Adam, the truth of the matter would undoubtedly point towards a “deliberate arrangement.”
Putting down the pen, Klein looked down at the cross and exhaled heavily.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’m courting death again…”
He suspected that the Unshadowed Crucifix originated from the City of Silver’s Creator, the ancient sun god, a powerful deity that was stronger than the ancient gods like Dragon of Imagination. Sneaking a peek at “Him” would cause damage that exceeded Klein’s previous divination of Groselle’s Travels.
However, things were no longer the same. Klein was now a Sequence 4 Bizarro Sorcerer, a demigod. The damage he could withstand as well as the amount of power of the mysterious space above the gray fog that he could use far exceeded his previous state back when he was a Sequence 5.
After spending a few seconds to calm his emotions, he leaned back in his chair, holding the Unshadowed Crucifix in one hand and holding the piece of paper in the other. He softly repeated the divination statement.
Over and over again, Klein used Cogitation as a jumping board to enter a state of deep sleep.
In the hazy world, a building whose original form was obscured by layers of grayish-white stood in a pitch-black environment. Surrounding it were monsters.
A crack opened up on the grayish-white building’s surface as a palm that had almost white skin reached out.
A figure walked out—a man. He wore a black clergyman robe and had a silver crucifix hung on his chest.
This man’s hair wasn’t long and was mainly raven-black in color. There was a faint hint of blond at the roots of his hair. His eyes were pure gold in color, and his skin was rather white. He had a deep outline and pronounced eye sockets. He looked quite similar to the people of the Northern Continent.
He took two steps forward, reached his hand out, and grabbed the very ordinary crucifix. His eyes gradually lost their look of confusion as the ends of his lips curled up slightly.
Composite Start
Composite End
He said in a deep voice, “Let there be light!”
The pitch-black surroundings of the grayish-white building were immediately pierced by bright lights, revealing what it really looked like.
This was a deep valley where nothing could be seen above it; yet, the infinite light filled every corner.
And there was light.
The image of the next scene flashed.
A drop of golden blood that emitted light and heat dripped onto the silver cross.
Above the drop of blood seemed to be a figure that was formed of dazzling light. The face that he couldn’t see clearly was looking up, seemingly being effused with pain and a sense of distortion in a very real manner.
He cast his gaze over towards the area above the gray fog, casting it at Klein, who was seated at The Fool’s high-back chair. His deep voice sounded once again:
“Mysteries…”
Suddenly, without any forewarning, Klein’s thoughts erupted with a boom.
Chapter 1034 Gains
The boundless gray fog boiled as the ancient and majestic palace burned.
The blazing flames condensed into a fiery blob, as though a blinding sun had risen out from this mysterious space.
A howling hurricane flipped the long mottled table, snapping the thick stone columns and causing half the palace to collapse.
Sitting at The Fool’s seat, Klein’s brain was boiling before holes exploded out of it. Charred maggots then began crawling out of the cracks.
He didn’t die, and he had even very calmly reached out his right palm and tapped the armrest of the chair.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Above the gray fog, this mysterious space quaked in an obvious manner. Waves of power surged out one after another, calming the hurricane and extinguishing the flames. The blazing sun evaporated, inch by inch.
The thick stone pillars stood once more as the long mottled table returned to its original state. The magnificent and holy palace appeared as though it had never collapsed or suffered any damage.
Klein’s head recovered instantly, and the charred maggots that had drilled out had turned transparent again before crawling back inside.
As expected, stronger than Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt… Klein muttered to himself as his expression couldn’t help but warp. He couldn’t help but massage his forehead. It’s painful… This pain is also clearly stronger…
While muttering, he rapped the edge of the long mottled table and made the mysterious space above the gray fog quake once more.
Amidst the quakes, a pitch-black shadow abruptly emerged out of the palace’s floor.
This shadow twisted and struggled before being wiped clean by the gray fog’s powers, leaving nothing behind.
After nearly a minute, Klein calmed down completely and recalled the scene he had seen.
That should be the ancient sun god, the City of Silver Creator, Adam’s and Amon’s dad…
Composite Start
Composite End
From the crucifix “He” wore, and that line, “Let there be light,” there’s a high chance that “He” is the first transmigrator. Perhaps he’s Caucasian with a religious background…
“He” used a language that can stir the powers of nature. It’s similar to Jotun, but it’s also different. It doesn’t belong to Elvish, Dragonese, and ancient Hermes… Yes, it has similarities with the ancient Feysac of the Northern Continent and the Dutanese of the Southern Continent. This allowed me to barely understand what “He” was saying despite me not knowing this language… This is the language “He” learned from that strange giant building?
“He” transmigrated there and inherited a rich inheritance?
The second scene was of “Him” suffering a betrayal, the scene of him being eaten by the Kings of Angels, White, Wisdom, and Wind?
To a deity who claims to be a Creator, that kind of corporeal pain and that distortion can only appear in such a situation…
Yes, the divine blood “He” dripped before “His” death fused with the silver crucifix, and it later turned into the latter’s form, becoming a rather powerful Sealed Artifact.
From the looks of it, the Unshadowed Crucifix was obtained by one of the three Kings of Angels, or it landed in Amon’s or Adam’s hands. To “Them,” this is an important item “Their” father left behind.
The previous possibility isn’t too high. The cross’s effects are extremely useful. Furthermore, its origins are a secret that needs to be kept. No one would give it to the Augustus family… From the looks of it, was it really arranged by Adam?
Why did “He” give the Unshadowed Crucifix to Miss Magician and Miss Judgment in a very reasonable manner?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“He” had discovered that the two ladies believe in The Fool after observing them for some time?
This cross was meant for The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era?
“He” wishes to know where “His” father, who also doesn’t belong to that era, came from? But the problem is how does “He” plan on raising that question and obtaining an answer?
That City of Silver’s Creator’s level is extremely high. “He” was able to sense my prying despite the long stretch of history between us. He cast his gaze above the gray fog and cast it on this mysterious space. Furthermore, the influence “He” created not only openly caused destruction but also secretly invaded this place, creating a special shadow. It nearly lurked here, hidden…
Doesn’t this mean that, once one obtains the authorities of several domains, a deity’s level will also undergo a qualitative change?
What does the uttering of “Mysteries” mean? Is it pointing to me, or the original owner of this mysterious space?
Questions flashed past Klein’s mind, making him come up with several theories, but the final answer eluded him.
Due to his fear of Adam, he believed that the best outcome for the Unshadowed Crucifix was to have the City of Silver’s god-like Sealed Artifact shatter it and reform it into a pure Beyonder characteristic.
Reining in his thoughts and suppressing his questions, Klein conjured a new pen and paper and wrote down the knowledge he had learned from looking straight at the City of Silver Creator: “Sequence 4: Unshadowed
Composite Start
Composite End
“Main ingredients: One drop of the Sun’s divine blood, or three adult Sun Divine Bird’s feathers and a piece of Holy Brilliance Rock.
“Supplementary ingredients: 60ml of Sun Divine Bird’s blood, 30 ml of Holy Brilliance Rock liquid. 7 drops of mutated fingered citron juice, 10 grams worth of powder of the heart of magma.
“Ritual: Extract the strongest emotions that one is most unwilling to abandon before consuming the potion. Inject these emotions back again during this process.”
“Sequence 3: Justice Mentor…
“Sequence 4: Black Knight…
“Sequence 3: Trinity Templar…”
After doing all of this, Klein picked up the bronze cross again and observed it with a heavy expression.
He then threw Unshadowed Crucifix into the junk pile and stirred the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to suppress it. He didn’t wish to see the paper figurines he cut begin to praise the Sun the next time he came.
In front of an ordinary house in Cherwood Borough.
A postman riding a bike braked and stopped at the door.
Composite Start
Composite End
He then settled down his bike and took out a letter from his bag, glancing to check if the address was correct.
“It’s here… For Xio…” The postman briskly walked to the mailbox and threw the letter in. Following that, he didn’t delay as he got on his bike and kicked off.
After a while, a pitch-black flame suddenly spewed out of the mailbox’s mouth.
This flame burned quietly and quickly disappeared.
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.
Audrey, who had brought Susie to the garden for a stroll, had just returned to the foyer when she saw her father, Earl Hall, come in from the outside. He had his brows knitted, seemingly in deep thought.
“Father, did something happen?” Audrey asked with concern.
This was the most basic of observations which she didn’t need to hide at all.
Earl Hall restrained his frustrated expression and said with a smile, “It’s nothing important. I just never expected Hvin Rambis to be a member of a cult.”
“He‘s a member of a cult?” Audrey expressed her surprise appropriately.
She knew that Hvin Rambis was actually a member of the upper echelons of a secret organization known as the Psychology Alchemists, but she didn’t understand how this was suddenly exposed.
Earl Hall nodded solemnly.
“Yes, he’s wanted by the three Churches. I’m still not sure which cult he’s involved in.”
“…Has he been caught?” Audrey’s eyes darted around as she asked “curiously.”
__No, he disappeared before the warrant was issued.” Earl sighed. __It_s really hard to imagine that he_s a cult member. He’s of excellent character and is knowledgeable. He’s rational and objective in various matters and is filled with wisdom.”
That’s just the side he wants you to see… Audrey inwardly mumbled. Then, as usual, she entered the small prayer room at home before dinner. She faced the Sacred Emblem of the Evernight Goddess and got into a prayer gesture.
However, her low chanting was:
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
After chanting the honorific name, Audrey succinctly reported:
“Hvin Rambis has gone missing.
“He has been identified as a cultist and is wanted by all three Churches…”
With that said, Audrey was about to solemnly pray to the Goddess when a boundless gray fog appeared before her.
In the middle of the grayish-white fog, a blurry figure sat on the chair, looking down from above and gently nodded. “I’m aware.”
Just as this secret existence said that, the scene before Audrey’s eyes changed suddenly. It presented a figure who was concentrating on praying.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, the Church of Evernight has obtained intelligence from Qonas Kilgor and confirmed that King George III hides an extremely huge secret. For the obtaining of a Blood Emperor ruins in the Sterlewen segment of the Tussock River, he colluded with the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists to partake in human trafficking, creating the human disappearance cases that ultimately led to the Great Smog of Backlund…
“The Demoness Sect’s former representative was Despair Nightingale Panatiya and was later changed to Saintess of White Katarina. For the Psychology Alchemists, it’s Hvin Rambis…
“Please remind Miss Justice to be careful when she meets Hvin Rambis again. She needs to be constantly prepared to seek help.”
His Majesty… Audrey’s eyes widened as upheavals went through her heart. She found it difficult to control herself.
This was partly due to the fact that this news was shocking for a noble like her. In addition, it had to do with Lie which magnified her emotions.
Almost at the same time, a news report flashed in Audrey’s mind. It was one that had left an unerasable impression on her:
“…According to preliminary estimates, a total of over 21,000 people died in the smog, and the subsequent plague took the lives of close to 40,000 people. Among the deceased were young children, healthy young men, and women…”
So that’s how it is… What is the king plotting… The three Churches likely don’t have any actual evidence; otherwise, Father wouldn’t only be frustrated to this degree… Audrey felt an inexplicable sense of anger and sadness. It felt like particular principles she had upheld in the past had been ruthlessly trampled, or that values that had stood up to time were silently crumbling.
She subconsciously lowered her head and closed her eyes.
Then, she exhaled and whispered, “Thank you, Mr. Fool. Please convey my gratitude to Mr. World.”
After her prayer, Audrey sat in the tranquil darkness and didn’t move for a long time.
Chapter 1035 Diary Page in Advance
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom apartment.
Fors picked up a fountain pen and wrote on a piece of paper.
This was a letter for her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham. It was to tell him that she was in danger and had no choice but to leave where she used to stay. Replies were not to be sent there, and if he had sent a letter, he was to quickly change his address and change identities if possible.
After writing plenty of words, Fors put down her pen, folded the letter, stuffed it into an envelope, and adhered a stamp on it.
Then, she changed into outdoor attire and left the room with the letter she wanted to send.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
She wasn’t inclined towards heading out, but this new residence of hers not only didn’t have alcoholic beverages, but it didn’t even have coffee beans, instant coffee, black tea leaves, daily newspapers, the latest magazines, or novels.
For these, she had no choice but to personally head out to send the letter and buy some groceries outside East Borough.
As for Xio, she had already gone out. She wanted to mail a letter to her former rental apartment, indicating that Viscount Stratford’s loyalties lay with the king. She wanted to see if it could drive Shermane’s observer to take certain actions.
Seriously, after everything was over, I was so afraid that I nearly forgot to write to Teacher. If I had finished it earlier, I could’ve gotten Xio to do the mailing… Fors wore a bonnet that had a fishnet, walked down the dark staircase all the way to the bottom, and walked out the condominium.
This was in the periphery of East Borough where technical workers and low-level managers mainly lived. It was relatively safe and even had paperboys around.
As Fors heard chimes from time to time, she walked slowly along the side of the street.
At this moment, a postman stopped his bike, took out a stack of newspapers from his bag, and entered a condominium beside her.
Fors casually glanced at it and discovered that the copy at the top was News at Sea.
People who live here will actually subscribe to such a newspaper? Their job has something to do with maritime trade? Fors retracted her gaze as she mumbled in surprise.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, this wasn’t something that was worth paying attention to. She quickly walked towards the mailbox when she saw it at the end of the streets.
The postman entered the condominium and found a few targets from the rows of mailboxes, stuffing the corresponding papers into them.
Shortly after he left, a mailbox was opened and the newspaper inside was taken out.
The person who retrieved the newspapers walked up to the third story, opened a room, and sat in a simple reclining chair, rocking in it as he read through it.
By the side of the reclining chair, there was a black wooden table with a stack of papers placed on it.
Some of them were stacked neatly with their front page facing up. Some were bent asymmetrically, revealing the articles. On them were the corresponding reports:
“Shocking! Crazy Adventurer Made Fugitive”
“Crazy Adventurer Appears Again; An Incredible Hunt”
“The Man Closest to The Kings At Sea, Adventurer Worth 90,000 Pounds”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Story of Gehrman Sparrow And Three Female Pirate Admirals”
“Shooting To Fame In One Battle, Gehrman Sparrow Attempts Assassination Attempt on Vice Admiral Ailment At Night”
Shortly after Fors finished her purchases and returned to her rental apartment, Xio had finished her trip and returned.
The reason for their timely return was because it was Monday and it was almost three in the afternoon.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
The nearby cathedral’s bells resonated as a crimson red beam of light surged at Fors and Xio at the same moment.
Inside the majestic palace, by the sides of the ancient mottled table, figures appeared simultaneously, taking corporeal form.
Like always, Justice Audrey stood up first, faced the seat of honor of the long bronze table, curtsied, and said, “Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.”
Miss Justice seems rather down… From the looks of it, the news last night is still affecting her… The Fool Klein nodded indiscernibly and acknowledged the Tarot Club members’ greetings.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Audrey, who wasn’t in a good mood, noticed with her sharp observational skills that there was a bronze cross beside Mr. Fool’s right hand.
Where did this cross come from? To be placed on the table by Mr. Fool, it’s an item that’s at least the level of a Card of Blasphemy… Who does it originate from? What use does it have? Questions flew through Audrey’s mind, making her feel an irresistible sense of curiosity.
This was the first time Mr. Fool was placing something in front of him that wasn’t a Card of Blasphemy!
Immediately following that, Alger, Cattleya, and the other Tarot Club members also noticed the bronze cross that was more eye-catching than a card. Like Miss Justice, they couldn’t help but guess at the item’s origins, level, and use.
Amongst them, Derrick felt a subtle calling from it. He felt that the bronze cross was drawing him in.
He then recalled a basic rule taught in lessons at the City of Silver:
Law of Beyonder characteristics convergence!
This is a high-level Sealed Artifact of the Sun pathway? Derrick suddenly came to a realization.
Fors and Xio recognized the bronze cross to be the Sealed Artifacts that they had sacrificed. Their pupils dilated as though they were trying to take a better look.
Mr. Fool places so much importance on this item? I-it’s more important than what Xio and I imagined? Fors was stunned and couldn’t hide her curiosity.
Composite Start
Composite End
When it came to matters involving gods, her thoughts would never develop towards romance
Xio shared similar thoughts with Fors, but she didn’t say a word. She believed that Miss Justice would definitely take the initiative to ask.
Just as Audrey was deliberating about raising her hand, Cattleya closed her eyes, turned her body, and faced the seat of honor.
Before she bowed and spoke, The Fool Klein suddenly chuckled, “Don’t worry. The glasses you conjure can seal your Eye of Mystery Prying.”
He knew very well that Ma’am Hermit had already become a demigod by obtaining godhood, turning into a Mysticologist.
This was partly because Cattleya had prayed to The Fool before she held the ritual and consumed the potion, hoping to advance under “His” watch. This way, even if she ultimately failed, she could be blessed and not lose control or go mad. She could always think of expelling the excessive characteristic and redo the attempt.
Towards this matter, Klein wasn’t too confident about it, because he had never attempted it before. Divination also didn’t give any answers, but since he had agreed, he believed that if she failed and didn’t die, it was definitely all thanks to Mr. Fool. If she were to lose control or go mad, she wouldn’t care if Mr. Fool was really a cheat. In short, Klein’s main purpose was to give her confidence so that she was in the best conditions for an advancement attempt. After all, Admiral of Stars wasn’t able to find other existences to give similar blessings.
After witnessing Ma’am Hermit’s advancement to a demigod, Klein heaved a sigh of relief while lampooning inwardly.
At times, acting as a god is harder than acting like a human. When believers encounter trouble, there are usually two outcomes—life or death. Their survival is naturally due to the blessings of deities, and no one would care if death occurs…
On the other hand, after becoming a demigod and being able to use more of the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, The Fool Klein could easily see the Astral Projections of the Tarot Club members; thus, reading their current Beyonder pathway and Sequence.
After sealing her Eye of Mystery Prying, Cattleya heaved a sigh of relief and reverently said, “Mr. Fool, there is one page of Emperor Roselle’s diary this time.”
Emperor Roselle’s diary? Queen Mystic is done with her matters? But nothing abnormal happened in Backlund… Yes, no one noticed the infiltration of Amon in Böklund Street or the demigod battle in Maygur Manor… The Fool Klein nodded in an unperturbed manner and said, “Good. You can think of a question or request.”
As he spoke, Audrey, Alger, and company sharply learned something from this conversation.
Ma’am Hermit was worried that the glasses she conjured was unable to seal her Eye of Mystery Prying, and this wasn’t a worry she had in the previous gatherings.
This means that Ma’am Hermit’s Eye of Mystery Prying has been significantly boosted… Hmm, why would there be a sudden boost? S-she advanced to become a demigod? She’s our Tarot Club’s second demigod? Audrey connected this matter to Cattleya’s purchase of the Mythical Creature’s blood and immediately had a guess.
She then swept her gaze at the male members opposite her and realized that Mr. Hanged Man’s seating posture had unknowingly changed. He had apparently figured that Ma’am Hermit had become a demigod. Little Sun’s gaze was still staring at the bronze cross without any reaction. The Moon Mr. Emlyn hesitated for a few seconds before looking up at Ma’am Hermit. Mr. Star was like Little Sun, his eyes somewhat vacant as though he was waiting for the diary part to pass.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, can this question be accumulated with the next one?” Cattleya asked.
Accumulated with the next one… Queen Mystic still doesn’t want to have her mood affected? Then why would she suddenly provide a diary page? Has she foreseen something? To maintain his image as The Fool, he didn’t ask why and nodded gently.
“Sure.”
Cattleya didn’t speak further as she conjured that diary page, only to see it flash into Mr. Fool’s hands.
Klein scanned it seemingly casually, taking in most of the information.
“19th July. Night of the Blood Moon.
“Mr. Door’s answer allowed me to confirm one thing. In that ancient secret organization, the second Blasphemy Slate I saw wasn’t complete!”
Chapter 1036 “Expected” Development
“According to Mr. Door, the main difference between the second Blasphemy Slate and the first Blasphemy Slate isn’t that the latter has many unique Sequence names, but that the former had many additions. It was a secret the ancient sun god caught a glimpse of towards ‘His’ later years. Alright, as a true god, there’s no such thing as later years. I’m just using the human concept of the period from ‘His’ birth to fall, so that would be considered ‘His’ later years.
“In other words, the second Blasphemy Slate’s creator was the ancient sun god?”
“Towards this question, Mr. Door answered with almost certainty. ‘He’ told me that the ancient sun god’s fall resulted in the birth of the Blasphemy Slate.
“Does that mean that it’s considered a key relic of the ancient sun god?
“Then, who was the one who created the first Blasphemy Slate? The original Creator who truly created everything? And what were the additional pieces of knowledge that appeared on the second Blasphemy Slate?
“Mr. Door didn’t answer, only saying that it involves too many secrets. It cannot be explained in just a few words. If ‘He’ were to return to the real world, ‘He’ would be able to tell me in detail.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Heh, do you think I’ll fall for it?
“As the Blasphemy Slate was mentioned, I recalled two questions that had been bothering me since a long time ago. What does it mean to be the trend of the times? Who defines the trend of the times?
“Mr. Door’s reaction was very odd. ‘He’ laughed for nearly twenty seconds before telling me, be careful of the ‘Spectator.’
“What has this got to do with my question?
“With ‘His’ reminder, I carefully recalled the contents of the second Blasphemy Slate and discovered an unusual problem. As a Beyonder of the Savant pathway, my memory is something I can be proud of due to my eidetic memory. However, I only recalled that Sequence o of the Spectator pathway is Visionary, but I have no impression of its ritual to become a god!
“I can clearly remember all the rituals for the other twenty-one pathways, but this is the only one where, not only do I lack an impression of, I have even subconsciously neglected it.
“I tried asking Mr. Door what the ritual is for becoming a god for the Spectator pathway.
“Mr. Door laughed and said with a teasing and leisurely tone, ‘didn’t you already say it?’
“This… The ritual for a Spectator to become a god is to make the development of the times to be in line with one’s expectations. Then, consume the potion for their advancement when it’s at a certain time node in that trend?
Composite Start
Composite End
“I believe that’s the truth!
“Compared to ‘the times is part of the original Creator; only when the times develop according to a certain expectation can ‘He’ draw energy from it and revive,’ this seems more objective. Heh, I knew that among the founders of that ancient secret organization, there had to be someone with their plans apart from the zealots!
“On careful thought, this is really quite a terrifying matter. It’s fine when stuck in the Low- and Mid-Beyonder levels, but once someone is of a high standing, they might suffer an unknown and sudden destruction simply because their particular thoughts, ideas, or matters that they would like to push forward disagrees with a particular existence’s expectations…
“Be careful of the ‘Spectator’!
“I’m very curious how Mr. Door knows what’s on the second Blasphemy Slate, as well as the various rituals needed to become a god. ‘His’ answer was that ‘He’ had seen the complete second Blasphemy Slate, and with ‘Him’ were Solomon, Zaratul, Tudor, Trunsoest, Augustus, Einhorn, Sauron, Castiya, Zoroast, Stiano, Constantine, and company… These were families who reigned over all the Beyonders in the Fourth Epoch!”
The secrets contained in this diary page made Klein feel as though he was facing a Mythical Creature’s form, embroiling his mind in a storm of knowledge.
The Spectator’s ritual to become a god is to make the times develop according to one’s imagination? If that’s the case, Adam has been subconsciously preparing for this since the beginning of the Fourth Epoch… So the secret that King George III is hiding, and the possible developments, are in line with “His” expectations, to the point of “Him” giving a helping hand? Once the tide of the times come rushing in, with things not being capable of changing in short time spans, “He” will be able to become a god?
In that case, engaging in a deep investigation of the Great Smog is abnormally dangerous. Even if I’m currently a Blessed of the Goddess, having an official Beyonder’s background and being able to cooperate with angels anytime, my safety can’t be guaranteed. After all, the Goddess isn’t able to descend for quite some time… Amidst his thoughts, Klein suddenly had the intention of cowering back.
If this were in the past, he could relax after reporting the matter to the Church of Evernight and even leave Backlund for a vacation. But now, as a Blessed of the Goddess, he had already promised to seek out Hvin Rambis and Saintess of White Katarina, making it very difficult for him to escape.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was truly a case of “you win some, you lose some.”
Furthermore, Klein didn’t know how Adam wished for the times to develop. If a Great Smog of Backlund happened again, he really had no way of extricating himself. There were people he cared about, and he yearned for peace.
At the very least, I have to know what the king’s secret is before deciding what to do… On the second Blasphemy Slate, apart from the Beyonder pathways and Sequence potion, what are the secrets it has? Klein retracted his gaze and made Roselle’s diary page vanish.
Then, he looked around with a calm expression and said with a smile, “You may begin.”
At this moment, Audrey didn’t hide her curiosity. She raised her hand slightly and asked, “Honorable Mr. Fool, is there any special meaning to the cross beside your hand?
“If the answer requires an equivalent exchange, you can directly make the request.”
Klein placed the Unshadowed Crucifix on the table precisely because he wanted the Tarot Club members to ask. He could then use this opportunity to inform Little Sun and The Hanged Man, who might have a chance of using the cross, of the news. After all, such matters were beneath Mr. Fool to expect him to raise them.
Therefore, he smiled at Miss Justice.
“This question is nothing.
Composite Start
Composite End
“It’s something left behind by the sun god of ancient times.”
Sun god of ancient times… Ancient sun god? The Creator that the City of Silver believes in? T-this cross actually has such origins? A captain of the royal guards who’s just a Sequence 5 or 6 actually had a relic of the ancient sun god on him? Isn’t that too much a coincidence? Fors couldn’t believe her ears when she heard Mr. Fool’s answer.
At this moment, The Fool Klein mentioned in passing, “Its level isn’t too high, corresponding to an Unshadowed. It’s greatest use is to eliminate the mental corruption of Beyonder characteristics and help people who have consumed excessive potions to expel the excess characteristics. It will allow those who do not wish to remain in the mysterious world to return to normalcy.”
This power is rather fascinating… It’s no wonder Mr. World once asked me if given a chance, will I be willing to completely leave the mysterious world… Audrey felt that her curiosity was satisfied.
Strange… It really is an item that makes me uncomfortable… Emlyn made a judgment as he looked to the side at The Sun.
Derrick was surprised and delighted, having a feeling that he had his dream fulfilled.
His dream was to free all the residents of the City of Silver from the curse and return under the Sun, and not constantly suffer the madness, pain, and torture.
And if such a dream could be fulfilled by the relic inherited from the ancient sun god—the Creator who the City of Silver believed in-it would truly appear to be destiny and inevitable.
He spoke before The Hanged Man.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, can I find a way to trade for this item?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“As long as you pay a sufficient price,” Klein said with a slight nod.
…Mr. Fool really is the best, the greatest! Derrick praised from the bottom of his heart.
As long as a sufficient price is paid… Alger gained inspiration from Miss Magician’s rental of the notebook and hurriedly asked, “Honorable Mr. Fool, is it possible to rent the cross for a day or a few hours for a fixed price?”
He currently didn’t have any plans on renting it. As his Wind-blessed potion had digested relatively quickly, he planned on considering the problem of purging the excess characteristic after he consumed the additional Ocean Songster potion.
“Yes,” The Fool Klein answered simply.
It can be rented? The Star Leonard had benefited quite significantly from borrowing Leymano’s Travels previously. After he heard Mr. Fool’s answer, he focused, seriously thinking if he had any need for the ancient sun god’s relic.
A few seconds later, he realized that he didn’t have such a need.
Not only was the Sun pathway good against wraiths and specters, the Evernight pathway was good at it too!
Furthermore, when he returned from Tingen to Backlund, he had already obtained four Flaring Sun Charms, planning to give half of them to Klein who had provided him the information, keeping the other half for himself.
As for purging the excessive Beyonder characteristics and leaving the mysterious world, he didn’t need it. He was about to hold the ritual to become a Spirit Warlock!
At this moment, Fors glanced at Xio and felt pangs of regret.
She wasn’t regretting them sacrificing the cross to Mr. Fool, but rather that she didn’t attempt to use her powers or Leymano’s Travels to “Record” the corresponding powers before sacrificing it.
Of course, this was mainly because she was rather timid. Without being able to use an Astrologer’s means to determine the cross’s uses and effects, she didn’t dare to rashly make attempts.
After all, I can still rent it from Mr. Fool in the future… She tried hard to cheer up.
Noticing no further requests, The Fool Klein retracted his grace, gesturing to the Tarot Club members to begin the transactions and discussions.
In fact, the Unshadowed Crucifix had someone who potentially needed it. It was the Fog Sea’s Strongest Hunter Anderson. This fellow had undergone various experiments after boarding the Golden Dream under Vice Admiral Iceberg’s arrangements, doing so in a bid to digest the alien object inside him. There was already a certain level of success, but it wasn’t enough to completely eliminate the latent problems.
Upon thinking of this, Klein silently mumbled, I’ll get Danitz to ask later…
At this moment, Audrey raised a request for a transaction.
“Ladies and gentlemen, which one of you has a Dreamcatcher’s heart, mind illusion crystal, or an adult mind dragon’s complete brain?”
Chapter 1037 Gehrman’s Problem
After hearing Miss Justice, Derrick very enthusiastically replied, “Our City of Silver’s warehouse likely has the complete brain of an adult mind dragon. I’ll inform you after confirming it when I return.”
He originally wanted to say that even if there was the complete brain of an adult mind dragon, it was most likely filled with madness and distorted mental corruption, but after seeing the bronze cross, he felt that it wasn’t a problem.
That simple? Audrey’s eyes lit up when she heard that. Her depressed mood from last night had brightened up significantly.
Indeed, compared to the outside world where dragons are decreasing in number, the City of Silver, which has a history dating back to the Second Epoch, will likely possess such ingredients. Hmm, it’s mainly because they do not have the higher Sequences’ formula for the Spectator pathway, so even with the ingredients, they are of little use. Furthermore, they lack an Artisan and are unable to turn Beyonder ingredients into mystical items. At times, they’d rather just store them… Many thoughts ran through Audrey’s mind as she asked with a faint smile, “If you do have it, what would you exchange it for?”
“I haven’t thought of it…” Derrick felt a little embarrassed as he raised his hand and scratched the back of his head.
His main goal now was to obtain the Creator’s relic from Mr. Fool, but he didn’t have anything of equal value.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In the past, he would definitely be worried, but now, he quickly came up with an idea despite his worries.
He decided to ask the Chief because he was certain that the Chief was interested in the Creator’s relic.
Due to having such thoughts, he really didn’t know what payment he needed from Miss Justice. He planned on figuring out the other matter before telling her.
“Alright, confirm it first. It’s best if you can check if there’s any blood of an adult mind dragon.” Audrey didn’t press as she nodded gently.
It was the hardest supplementary ingredient she needed in the Dreamwalker potion formula.
Audrey immediately looked around, indicating that she was done.
You don’t have to look at me. Although I do have some savings, there’s nothing I wish to buy. It mainly has to do with Teacher not having given me the Traveler’s potion formula… Among the first five Sequences of Apprentice, I like Traveler the most. I’ve always been looking forward to heading to different places to take in their vistas and delicacies. But thinking of the long journey, the crowdedness or crude transportation tools, and the inns whose level of hygiene is questionable, I’ll definitely be obstructed by all the bulky baggage… After I become a Traveler, these won’t be a problem… Fors’s thoughts gradually wandered as she fantasized about her future life.
Xio pondered for a moment and said, “Everyone, please look out for the potion formula for the Arbiter pathway’s Sequence 6 Judge and Sequence 5 Disciplinary Paladin.”
She had a chance of obtaining the Judge formula from her MI9 contact, but she believed that Viscount Stratford’s death would definitely cause a storm in Backlund, and when that happened, many things might change. Therefore, she planned on getting the Tarot Club to make additional preparations. After all, it was only for them to be on the lookout and not to search for them.
Composite Start
Composite End
Besides, at Sequence 6 and 5, that would make her a quasi-high-ranking member of MI9. For informants in the peripheral to apply for the potion formula, there was a high probability that she needed to undergo a new round of investigations. This wasn’t something she could skip because of the contact who had been very friendly to her.
To Xio, who was anxious to advance to a High-Sequence Beyonder and figure out the secret of the king, she undoubtedly couldn’t place her hopes in the military.
“Alright.” Alger was the first to reply.
Due to the influence from the royal family and the military, the Church of Storms likely had some of the potion formulas of the Arbiter pathway. Of course, this wasn’t something a “Sequence 6” captain responsible for acting as a pirate would know. He only had a chance of knowing them after he officially became a Sequence 5 and was summoned back to the Church or was assigned to deal with more important missions.
Following that, Cattleya said, “The potion formula of the Arbiter pathway is strictly controlled by the Loen and Feynapotter royal families and military. They seldom appear in the wild. However, I can try to help you obtain it, but not able to guarantee you success. Also, if you need it, I can provide you with a Judge pathway’s mystical item. After its shattering and reformation, it will become the corresponding main ingredient.”
When she mentioned the words “shattering” and “reformation,” Cattleya subconsciously thought of turning her body sideways as a hint to Miss Judgment that she could seek Mr. Fool’s help, but ultimately she held back.
As for the method to obtaining the potion formula, it was actually very simple. It was to take the initiative to listen to the ravings of the Hidden Sage and accept the knowledge “He” imbued. At Sequence 4, her level of tolerance as a demigod had undergone a qualitative change.
However, the Hidden Sage was definitely not an existence that lacked intelligence. “He” could attach negative influences in the knowledge in “His” ravings, and even send “His” powers down from above, corrupting the listener. Therefore, such actions were still dangerous. Cattleya had the courage to attempt it, not because she was rash and overly confident, but because she was a member of the Moses Ascetic Order.
As an ancient organization that believed in the Hidden Sage, the Moses Ascetic Order’s upper echelons had gradually found a relatively safe method to “listen” while under this existence’s influence. Likewise, the Hidden Sage didn’t have a ridiculous level of malicious intent towards members of the Moses Ascetic Order. “He” seldom brought harm, and most of the time, “He” was simply imbuing knowledge and letting them pursue “His” believers.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To her, as long as she controlled the frequency and quantity, she could obtain knowledge from the Hidden Sage in a rather safe manner. As for the tiny influence and corruption that came with it, she suspected that the process of entering the area above the gray fog every time she participated in the Tarot Gathering allowed them to be eliminated in a natural and simple manner.
The only problem was that the knowledge she received each time wasn’t something under her control. It depended on the Hidden Sage’s mood and thoughts at that particular point in time.
In a sense, this was a passive and irresistible secret deed ritual.
As for the Judge pathway mystical item that she was willing to provide, it came from the Fog Sea’s Strongest Hunter Anderson—a button. After she became a demigod, some of the items she held had little use. One of them was the button.
After hearing that, Xio didn’t hesitate to agree.
“Alright, I’ll consider purchasing it after obtaining the Judge potion formula.”
I hope I can raise my Sequence again by then, allowing me to use the gray fog’s powers that isn’t just close to the level of an angel, but that of an angel. Only then can I shatter items and let the characteristic reform. Otherwise, I’ll still have to bother Ma’am Arianna or Will Auceptin. Yes, if Mr. Azik were to awaken, things would be a lot simpler…
I wonder if the Unshadowed Crucifix can purge an item’s Beyonder characteristic out. I don’t think it will work. It can’t coexist with those items, preventing them from even coming close… Other than this restriction, it should be possible in theory. I’ll later try to use the gray fog’s powers to force the Unshadowed Crucifix to be bound to other mystical items… Klein, who was listening by the sidelines, thought.
After discussing Miss Judgment’s matter, the other members didn’t seem to have any needs to make a transaction. Leonard had already covered up the weaknesses of his mystical item. Alger was working hard to become “legal.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick was only thinking of the Creator’s relic. Emlyn and Cattleya had just advanced recently, so they had nothing they needed for now.
Amongst them, Cattleya had the intention of renting the cross to see if she could cleanse the remnant corruption in Artisan Cielf. However, the Roselle diaries she gathered came from Queen Mystic and were used for obtaining answers. She believed she was temporarily unable to produce anything that would gamer Mr. Fool’s interest.
I’ll try to gather the emperor’s diary out at sea… Cattleya secretly made the decision. After some thought, Emlyn said to The Magician, “Ma’am, in the next two weeks, I might need to rent that notebook.”
“No problem.” Fors was originally thinking of spending money to get Mr. Moon to add Abyss Shackles and other Beyonder powers to the spellbook, so she was very happy to permit his request. This meant, not only would she not be spending money, but she would even earn some money.
At this thought, she couldn’t help but add, “Try not to record ‘Full Moon.’”
She would be very troubled if Leymano’s Travels’s powers were mainly filled with “Full Moon.”
While Emlyn nodded in agreement, Alger interrupted as though in thought, “Is the Sanguine’s hunting of the key members of the Rose School of Thought about to begin?”
“Yes.” Emlyn didn’t hide the truth at all. “Once the plan is finalized, I’ll get everyone to provide me with suggestions.”
“No problem.” The first to answer wasn’t The Hanged Man, but The World Gehrman Sparrow who had been sitting silently at the bottom end of the long bronze table.
He’s interested in this? Not only did Emlyn think this, but the other members also had the same idea no matter how slow they were.
Composite Start
Composite End
With The Hanged Man, The Hermit, and Justice agreeing to help Mr. Moon in plotting the Sanguine operation, the Tarot Club’s transaction segment came to an end, ushering in the free communication segment.
The World Gehrman Sparrow sat up slightly and looked at The Star Leonard.
“Help me ask if that person has seen the second Blasphemy Slate.”
“Blasphemy Slate?” Audrey and the other members immediately grasped the peculiar term.
They immediately had astonished thoughts:
The second Blasphemy Slate?
Mr. Star isn’t as simple as he appears! He knows someone that has seen one of the most important items in mythical legend!
Other than his identity as a member of the Church and official Beyonder, he had other secrets!
No wonder he has joined the Tarot Club…
Leonard jumped in fright as well, never expecting Klein to raise such a request.
After a few seconds of silence, he exhaled and said, “Okay.”
Chapter 1038 Name Lis
After answering, Leonard snapped to his senses and grasped the hidden message contained in Klein’s request.
Does he mean that Old Man has once seen something like the Blasphemy Slate?
Without giving Leonard the chance to think, The World Gehrman Sparrow surveyed the area and mentioned something else:
“The Church of Evernight has confirmed that Loen King George III hides a particular secret from the intel they received from MI9’s deputy director, Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor… He secretly sent people to dig up the Blood Emperor’s ruins and colluded with the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists…”
Klein controlled the fake person and described the matter which he had previously told Miss Justice in greater detail. After he was done, he made special mention:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The three Churches don’t seem to have found enough evidence. With Hvin Rambis’s disappearance, the matter seems to have calmed on the surface… There is reason to suspect that there’s a traitor amongst the upper echelons of the three Churches.”
…Something so major actually happened in Backlund this week? Klein seems to have obtained information from the Church… Why don’t I know any of that? As he listened, Leonard shot a look at The World Gehrman Sparrow with an odd expression. He temporarily had his thoughts adrift, unsure as to who was the Red Gloves of the Church of Evernight and a target who was about to become a high-ranking member to be nurtured.
Recalling the past, he seemed to grasp something, but he was unable to fully grasp that spark of inspiration and develop the idea fully.
Xio, who had planned on sharing her encounter with Viscount Stratford and his testimony at the Tarot Club and seek assistance, was stunned to realize that the matter Mr. World was investigating overlapped greatly with her goals.
If I had known this would happen, I would’ve sought Mr. World’s help when following Viscount Stratford to the dock area. We might’ve been able to circumvent the restrictions and obtain more clues… Xio looked around and deliberated over her words, preparing herself to speak.
At this moment, while Alger was feeling shocked, he connected it to the period three-to four-months ago, a period before The Star and Judgment had joined the Tarot Club. Back then, The World Gehrman Sparrow had requested the Tarot Club members to help take note of information regarding Qonas Kilgor, and he had accused Hvin Rambis of being the mastermind behind Cuaron’s suicide.
Indeed, a simple suicide case by Cuaron wouldn’t make The World expend so much of his time and energy. Matters he’s investigating and the people he takes note of are very likely secrets that have an influence on the global situation…
Also, there might be a traitor amongst the three Churches’ upper echelons? Which cardinal or high-ranking deacon could it be? Alger could sense the surging undercurrents and the scent of an opportunity.
Normally, he wasn’t someone the Church of Storms placed a great importance on. The best outcome of a Beyonder who acted as a pirate for prolonged periods of time was to become a Sequence 5 Ocean Songster. After returning to the Church, they could become an assistant to the Mandated Punisher’s upper echelons. It was almost impossible for them to wield holy artifacts and become demigods.
Composite Start
Composite End
Only with the situation changing and through frequent developments could he rely on the Tarot Club to showcase his capabilities and make great contributions. That way, he would be made a target to be nurtured.
Likewise, Cattleya seemed to see the dark clouds accumulating in Backlund, as well as the strong winds brewing there. She vaguely understood why the Queen had been staying in Backlund over the past half-year. As for Emlyn, he frowned, feeling once again that Backlund was no longer a safe place for the Sanguine to live in.
I can only hope that it doesn’t affect my hunting operation of the key members of the Rose School of Thought… Also, I hope it doesn’t make Father and me be that busy like the period after the Great Smog last year… Emlyn’s frown deepened upon recalling that episode.
He swept his gaze from the corner of his eye at The Sun and discovered that the youth was sitting upright, his eyes vacant. He couldn’t help but scoff inwardly.
“I will take note of Hvin Rambis’s whereabouts.” Audrey broke the temporary silence.
Judgment Xio also looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow and said, “I’m investigating a matter that involves the king’s secret. If you need my assistance, please don’t stand on ceremony.”
Having said that, she briefly mentioned the problem of someone monitoring Shermane.
“Alright.” Klein knew that it was Demoness Trissy and made the fake person, The World, nod and chuckle hoarsely. “Be it taking note of Hvin Rambis’s whereabouts or investigating the king’s secret, take note of any matters that seem too coincidental around you. If there are any coincidences, immediately inform me.”
He didn’t directly mention the Twilight Hermit Order or Adam, afraid that Miss Justice and company couldn’t help but think about it in private and be overly anxious. If they were to reveal any problems, they might attract unneeded attention.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Too many coincidences… Fors and the other Tarot Club members repeated this phrase in their minds as they made their own guesses.
After about ten seconds of silence, Derrick said, “I’ll be following the expedition team to the Afternoon Town camp after a period of making preparations and adjustments. This time, we might attempt to enter the Giant King’s Court.”
To Audrey and company, this wasn’t something too sudden. They had long known that the City of Silver would launch such an operation after The Sun advanced to Sequence 5.
Therefore, they weren’t shocked or surprised. Instead, they had the feeling that their patience had paid off, as though a mythical legend was about to unfold before them in a real, corporeal manner.
Alger thought and gave a vague reminder:
“When the time comes, listen to your Chiefs arrangements and try your best to pray to Mr. Fool frequently. If you’re stumped, you can request a mini-gathering for a discussion like The Moon.”
“Alright, Mr. Hanged Man.” Derrick had no problems with that since those were things he usually did or thought of doing.
After this matter was over, Alger turned to the seat of honor at the end of the bronze table and reverently said, “Honorable Mr. Fool, I have the answer to the matter you wanted me to investigate.”
Under the other members’ looks of puzzlement and curiosity, he continued, “There were five Feysac colonels who participated in the Konotop Sea battle in 1338. Two of them died in battle, and one died two years ago due to excessive drinking after being discharged due to age. One was promoted to Commodore and was transferred to the Imperial Navy College and became its vice-chancellor. One became a Rear Admiral and is currently serving as commanding officer of the Feysac Subjugation Fleet’s second squadron.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he said that, Alger requested for the right to conjure a piece of paper filled with the detailed intel.
The Fool Klein allowed it to flash in his palm and quickly scanned through it.
He had made The Hanged Man investigate the Feysac Enmat’s colonel in the 1338 Konotop Sea battle mainly to seek out Creeping Hunger’s original owner. That naval officer had captured the Enmat’s second mate, Andy Haydn in that sea battle and “Grazed” him. He was one of the absolute victors, so it was impossible for him to have died in battle.
As for his subsequent discovery and encounter in that primitive island with The Hanged Man, they made Klein suspect that Qilangos had been given the glove by the Twilight Hermit Order.
Be it an official or periphery member, it’s impossible for him to die that easily or die from alcoholism… Of course, I can’t eliminate the possibility of being silenced… Klein thought quickly and remembered three names on the piece of white paper.
Boris… Died in 1347. Cause of death: Excessive drinking…
Suzdal… 48 years old. Commodore. Feysac Imperial Navy College’s vice-chancellor…
Dmitriev… 45 years old. Rear Admiral. Commanding officer of Feysac Subjugation Fleet’s second squadron…
Retracting his gaze, The Fool Klein nodded gently and said to The Hanged Man, “Continue gathering detailed information of the latter three. Figure out everything about their lives.”
“Yes, Mr. Fool.” Alger agreed without hesitation.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was an opportunity for him. After the mission was completed, he could attempt to request to borrow the cross.
After another round of exchanges, the week’s Tarot Gathering came to an end. Leonard then returned to the real world.
Sitting on the sofa, he hesitated for a moment before placing his feet on the coffee table. Then, he asked with a suppressed voice, “Old Man, have you seen the second Blasphemy Slate before?”
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast’s slight-aged voice sounded:
“No. The one who saw the second Blasphemy Slate was my great grandfather. Heh heh, who mentioned this?”
Leonard didn’t answer Pallez Zoroast’s question as thoughts resonated in his mind.
The Blasphemy Slate really exists!
Old Man’s great grandfather had seen the second Blasphemy Slate!
No wonder “He” could become an angel!
After a few seconds, Leonard asked curiously and expectantly, “Old Man, do you know the potion formula of Nightwatcher?”
Pallez Zoroast immediately scoffed.
“Naive! According to my great grandfather, it was an urgent situation and a limited opportunity. The Blasphemy Slate could disappear at any moment. Any smart person will know to grasp a complete Beyonder pathway before looking at the rest.
“In addition, the knowledge of the Blasphemy Slate appeared in its essence and not in textual form. Everyone who saw it needed some time to interpret it. When the Blasphemy Slate was taken away, not everyone managed to memorize a complete Beyonder pathway, so how could they care about the others?
“I do have quite a number of potion formulas of the other pathways, but they were slowly gathered by the family over long periods of time. There aren’t many High-Sequence formulas among them.”
“Is that so…” Leonard chuckled dryly and asked, “Who took the second Blasphemy Slate away?”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a second before saying, “If my great grandfather’s description isn’t wrong, that should be King of Angels Adam.”
“The seven deities—no, it should’ve only been six deities back then, didn’t participate in this matter?” Leonard pressed in puzzlement.
Pallez Zoroast laughed in an ambiguous manner. “At least not on the surface.”
Chapter 1039 Hope
A bolt of lightning streaked across the deep, dark sky, illuminating the entirety of the City of Silver. However, it didn’t last too long, and it soon disappeared into the darkness, returning the world to its pitch-black state.
After Derrick Berg opened his eyes, he immediately got off the bed and dashed for the door.
He slowed down his pace as he walked, his expression clearly conflicted.
How should I mention the Creator’s relic to the Chief? Directly tell the Chief that an item has caught my eye? No, no. Although, according to Mr. Hanged Man, the Chief has a tacit understanding towards such matters, I can’t be too direct… Derrick was always a thin-skinned youth. Even when his parents were alive, he seldom made requests for items.
He paused in place, seriously trying to recall the discussions with Miss Justice, Mr. Hanged Man, and the rest of the Tarot Club members, hoping to imitate them and find a reasonable excuse.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After simulating the possible developments all day, Derrick bit his lip and decided to be direct.
Carrying Thunder God’s Roar, he pulled open the door, entered the streets, and headed for the twin towers that was north of the city.
Along the way, many City of Silver residents came out of their houses, wearing smiles as they gathered at the training field.
This period of time was the harvesting season for Black-Faced Grass, a “festival” for the City of Silver to offer sacrificial offerings to the Creator. It was also one of the rare days when people could feel happy deep down in a darkness with harsh survival conditions.
Seeing cMdren who were skipping about and adults wearing Black-Faced Grass amulets and rings while hearing their discussions and singing, Derrick’s heart calmed down as his footsteps grew firmer.
Coming to the spire of the twin towers, he passed the message and met the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad, in a particular room at the top of the tower.
This Demon Hunter was messy and grizzled as always, having not put effort into combing it. The wrinkles on his face were rather deep, leaving behind either deep or distorted old scars. His light blue eyes were deep with experience as though they could see through a person.
After Derrick saluted him, he nodded and said, “How’s your grasp of the Priest of Light potion?”
This was referring to the spirituality convergence and the corresponding familiarity with the various theurgical spells.
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick answered in a frank manner, “Almost grasped it.”
Yes, there’s no rush. The other members of the expedition team have yet to make preparations. They still need a certain amount of time, just like Lovia. She’s gathering and searching for the ingredients needed for her advancement.” Colin Iliad gave a casual mention.
Indeed, Elder Lovia will also participate in the expedition to the Giant King’s Court… She’s trying to become a demigod? Derrick was taken aback as he asked without hiding anything, “Elder Lovia has the subsequent potion formula?”
This was a problem that had plagued this Shepherd Elder all this time, preventing her from becoming a demigod for years.
Yes.” Colin gave an affirmative answer, but he didn’t provide an explanation.
He instead asked, “Is there something this time?”
Derrick turned anxious when he heard this. He didn’t make a request, but rather directly said, “Your Excellency, I discovered a relic of the Creator. It corresponds to the Sequence 4 Unshadowed of the Sun pathway.”
The tall and muscular Colin in a linen shirt narrowed his eyes as the look in his eyes changed.
Those complex and indescribable emotions made Derrick freeze on the spot, causing him to momentarily forget what he was about to say next.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst an indescribable silence, Demon Hunter Colin said in a deep voice, “Relic?”
Derrick’s pupils constricted as he realized that he accidentally mentioned something of great significance.
He had felt pained that the Creator had been eaten for a very long time, knowing that “He” had completely fallen, never to return again. This made him develop the illusion that it was common sense.
Faced with the Chiefs question and gaze, Derrick fell silent, momentarily at a loss for an explanation.
He hesitated for a few seconds and finally opened his mouth with great difficulty.
“Yes, relic.
“The Kings betrayed the Lord…”
He subconsciously used the term the ecclesiastic at Afternoon Town had used in referring to the Kings of Angels.
Colin looked at Derrick, his light blue eyes seemingly losing focus temporarily.
Composite Start
Composite End
This Demon Hunter remained silent for a long while, and after nearly a minute did he calmly say, “Got it.”
His voice subconsciously turned deeper. He didn’t ask where the relic of the Creator that Derrick had discovered, or what it looked like and what its use was.
His eyes regained their depth as he didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he said, “You’ve already become a Sequence 5. You have the right to know what holy Sealed Artifacts the City of Silver has. Once you’re able to converge your spirituality and fully grasp the theurgical spells, I’ll give you the corresponding information and take you to the place where they’re sealed.
“If you have an affinity with one of the holy Sealed Artifacts and can reduce its negative effects, you can wield one.”
The affinity he mentioned here referred to the similarity between Derrick’s psyche and the remnant High-Sequence Beyonder’s psyche mark on the Sealed Artifact. It could reduce the terrifying negative effects by deceiving it to a certain degree.
In the City of Silver, there wasn’t a lack of common Beyonder characteristics and ingredients. Furthermore, everyone knew the acting method. The only thing preventing them from advancing was the rituals. At times, without a potion formula, it didn’t stop a Sequence 8 from advancing to Sequence 7, or Sequence 7 to 6. As long as one had advanced correctly via consuming potions the previous time and had completely digested it, if one was willing to take the risk, they could attempt to directly consume a Beyonder characteristic to advance. The chances of success weren’t too low, but from Sequence 6 to 5, without the help of a ritual, the chances of success were very low.
Therefore, in the City of Silver, there were a lot of Sequence 6 Beyonders, but Sequence 5 and up became rare. It was a level that earned serious considerations.
Why did the Chief suddenly mention this… He means that I can choose a holy Sealed Artifact to exchange for the Creator’s relic. I haven’t even mentioned this yet… Yes, I’ll first offer the information to Mr. Fool and see which item will please him… Derrick was stunned for a moment before he came to a realization. He nodded heavily.
Yes, Your Excellency.”
He didn’t say anything else as he bade farewell and prepared to participate in the harvest.
Composite Start
Composite End
Demon Hunter Colin watched his figure disappear as he slowly walked to the window and cast his gaze at the altar near the training field.
There were already many people gathered there. They were circling the Creator’s altar, and they were using ancient dances to please the deity. Others were singing praises of the mighty existence.
They had obvious smiles on their faces, their eyes brimming with hope and anticipation. It was as if the Creator would return if they held on for a few more years, and all hardships would come to an end.
Such expectations had been repeatedly shattered in the past two to three millennia, but it rose up, again and again, to support their hearts in resisting the despair and burdens.
Colin Iliad stood by the window and watched intently.
Backlund, Bdklund Street-
After returning from above the gray fog to the real world, Klein’s heart felt heavy.
Emperor Roselle’s diary page allowed him to understand the secrets of the Spectator. He understood how dangerous it would be for him to continue investigating the king. Even with the Church of Evernight and the Goddess’s blessings, it wouldn’t be completely safe.
It mainly has to do with the Goddess’s digesting of the Death pathway’s Uniqueness. “She” won’t be able to descend for quite a long period of time… I hope the Lord of Storms and the God of Steam and Machinery can react in a timely manner at the critical moment… Regardless, with Ma’am Arianna, Will Auceptin, and Pallez Zoroast, even against a King of Angels, it isn’t an outcome that spells certain doom. Even if I were to die, “They” still have a chance of grabbing my corpse… The longer I hold on, the higher the odds of my survival will increase… Klein relieved his stress by making a self-deprecating comment.
Previously, above the gray fog, he had already decided the focus of his investigation. It was to pursue Saintess of White Katarina and Demoness Trissy whose current Sequence was unknown. As for Hvin Rambis, as long as he didn’t take the initiative to contact Miss Justice, he wouldn’t try to seek him out; otherwise, he might encounter an accident he couldn’t fend off.
On the one hand, I’m waiting for Miss Judgment’s feedback, and on the other hand, I should try to see if I can find Vice Admiral Ailment. By using their blood connection, I can try to lock onto the Saintess of White. This isn’t too realistic. The three Churches will definitely come up with this method, so the Demoness Sect will definitely counter this… I’ll later get Danitz to search for items related to Vice Admiral Ailment, and I’ll use the gray fog’s ability to interfere and screen… Yes, I’ll also ask him about Anderson. This isn’t too pressing. The Unshadowed Crucifix is still being experimented with… Klein retracted his thoughts and got out of bed.
He had already used the gray fog’s suppression to bind Unshadowed Crucifix and the mystical item, Broken Finger, together. He wanted to see if the Beyonder characteristic would be purged.
After resting at home for a while, Klein changed his clothes and went out with his valet, Enuni. He planned on praying at Saint Samuel Cathedral before visiting the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
This valet wasn’t actually the Winner, but Qonas Kilgor. The real Earl of The Fallen had been turned into flesh with the Flower of Blood and was hiding inside the Earl of The Fallen’s stomach.
Backlund’s weather these days was often gloomy. The gas lamps lining the two sides of the road had yet to be lit up, but the houses on both sides of the street had already been lit up.
Klein watched all of this expressionlessly. He rode his carriage from Boklund Street to Phelps Street. He first headed to Saint Samuel Cathedral to pray before he wore his top hat and cane and walked to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
As he approached the door, he heard a ringing sound. He saw Miss Audrey riding a modified bicycle which didn’t have a horizontal bar and was rather exquisite. She had come out from an alley.
She was wearing a plain white dress and a pair of black leather shoes. Her blonde hair was tied up as her green eyes were peeled on the road. Sitting on the seat harness behind her was a golden retriever who could maintain her stability no matter how much the bicycle shook.
Upon noticing the elegant gentleman with white sideburns, Audrey smiled brightly and greeted in a cheery tone, “Good morning- Mr. Dantes.”
“Good afternoon, Miss Audrey. You seem to be in a good mood?” Klein watched as she hit the brakes and used her foot to support herself.
Audrey pursed her lips as her smile brightened a little.
“You’re right. I am indeed in a good mood. After riding this for a while, all my troubles have disappeared.”
Chapter 1040 The Tranquil Surface of the Sea
Not bad, a Spectator’s ability to adjust their own emotions are rather impressive… Klein commented inwardly as he looked at the golden retriever on the back seat of the bicycle. He then sized up the bicycle that looked different from the bicycles on the street. He casually asked, “Is this a new bike designed specially for women?”
“What do you mean specially designed for women? If you wish to ride it, you can too,” Audrey replied with a smile. “I only told the people at the Bike Company that they needed to consider the requirements of the different demographics. This is their latest product they designed. It has yet to be industrialized. I was given a prototype to give them some feedback.”
“An excellent idea,” Klein praised with a smile before asking thoughtfully, “Do you know the owner of the Backlund Bike Company?”
Audrey’s eyes narrowed a little as she answered, “Of course, I’m one of the major shareholders of the Backlund Bike Company.”
Major shareholder… I almost forgot about that… She ultimately succeeded… Klein seemed to understand something as the comers of his lips curled up slightly as he shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I see. My imagination still isn’t good enough.
“How is it? How does it feel after riding it?”
Audrey held the bicycle’s handles and darted her eyes about slightly, recalling as she said, “It’s great. It’s very suitable for women.”
Honorable lady, that wasn’t what you said a moment ago… Klein pricked his brows, but he didn’t interrupt the girl.
Audrey smiled and continued, “To me, it can help me adjust my mood and relieve stress. It’s like riding a horse. However, that requires special equipment, and I have to do it at the horse ranch in the suburbs. It丨s impossible to get the horse to gallop at full speed at home or on the streets. It lacks that feeling, but bicycles don’t have that problem. I can even head into the alleys which horse carriages can’t enter. It allows me to take in different sights. Just now, I rode past a house and saw their garden blooming with flowers. It made me feel especially happy.
“Oh, when I encountered other people on bicycles, I feel very happy too. They work hard to live, carrying that little bit of hope. Although they’re busy and in a rush, they don’t appear listless. Alright, don’t laugh at me. I know you want to say that those who can afford bicycles are definitely not those at the lowest rungs of society. I’m just happy for them.
“I hope that one day, I can ride through every street in Backlund.”
Klein listened quietly as his mood improved.
With Miss Justice’s description, it seemed possible for the scene to appear in front of him. And this was a trivial change he had brought to this world.
Composite Start
Composite End
He laughed and said, “No, I have no way of refuting it. It sounds very interesting. This is what I wish to see in Backlund —the more the merrier.
“I originally had doubts about certain things, but now, I seem to have fewer doubts.”
With that said, he pointed at 22 Phelps Street, the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation’s door.
“Let’s go in. It looks like it’s going to rain soon.”
“Alright, I’ll park the bicycle.” Audrey got off the bicycle and pushed it and her golden retriever towards the back door.
There was a parking spot for bicycles which had been specially demarcated. It was indoors, so there was no need to be afraid of the rain. In an organization like the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, more and more of the staff who often needed to travel deep into East Borough were beginning to ride bikes. Of course, none of them dared to venture too deeply into East Borough on such a transportation tool, as everything could be stolen there.
As they approached the back door, Susie jumped off the bicycle. She turned back to look at the spot from before and said in puzzlement, “Audrey, that Mr. Dantes person had a mixed tone when he heard you say that you were one of the major shareholders of the Bicycle Company, but I failed to decipher his true meaning.”
Audrey pursed her lips and chuckled.
“I previously heard that Mr. Dantes was one of the people who attempted to compete with Hibbert for buying the shares of the Bicycle Company.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I get it now!” Susie revealed an obvious smile and felt happy for the accuracy of her observation.
Inside the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, Klein very gentlemanly waited until Miss Audrey returned with her Beyonder dog and followed them to the second floor.
At this moment, a staff came forward and said to Audrey, “Director, Chancellor Portland Moment from the Backlund University of Technology is waiting for you in the reception room.”
“Why is Chancellor Moment here?” Audrey asked in surprise.
The staff first greeted Director Dwayne Dantes before answering, “He didn’t say…”
Before the staff could finish his sentence, the stout and ruddy Portland Moment walked out of the reception room while combing his white hair.
He then pressed his hand to his chest and bowed.
“Honorable Miss Audrey, please forgive me for rashly paying a visit.’
In Loen, after getting to know each other, they greeted noble ladies by their last names and greeted the young ladies by name.
Composite Start
Composite End
“It’s my pleasure,” Audrey replied politely.
Portland Moment was a chancellor who paid more attention to academics. Without any further flattery or pleasantries, he bluntly said with a smile, “This is the thing: I wish to add a mechanical laboratory to our technical university. The goal is to invent and promote various mechanical technologies that aids businesses and daily life. I wonder if you’re interested in donating or investing in them?
“Heh heh, Dwayne. How about it? Do you have any thoughts of working together? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get a grant from the Higher Education Commission.”
It’s a very good idea, but Backlund and the entire kingdom might be falling into a maelstrom afterward… Klein was a little dazed after hearing Principal Moment’s words.
Audrey nodded slightly and said with a smile, “It sounds interesting, but I need to see more information. This is a responsibility for myself and my responsibility towards you.”
“I think so too,” Klein added.
Portland Moment chortled heartily.
“No problem. I’ll arrange the information when I get back.”
In the Fog Sea, on the Golden Dream.
Gehrman Sparrow is actually concerned about Anderson’s situation… Also, what’s the meaning of searching for items related to Vice Admiral Ailment? Many pirates are wildly going after something similar, but they hav^ succeeded… Danitz, who had received Gehrman Sparrow’s message, was completely puzzled.
Composite Start
Composite End
But regardless of his puzzlement, he thanked Mr. Fool seriously and carefully.
Following that, he put down his fishing rod and turned to enter the cabin, heading straight for the room where Anderson was residing.
He knocked on the door and opened it in one fell swoop. With his arms crossed, Danitz stood at the door and said to Anderson, who was composing a portrait, “How is it? How’s the digestion of that thing in your stomach?”
Anderson put down his brush, glanced at Danitz, and replied heavily, “It already knows how to call me Daddy.”
Danitz subconsciously took two steps back.
Anderson immediately returned to his relaxed state as he said with a smile, “Just joking. It’s not bad. Your captain has ideas and the drive. The only problem is that we’ve met with failure too many times.
“Uh, the object in my stomach has been isolated. It won’t affect me for a long time.”
As he spoke, he rubbed his belly.
Danitz pricked up his brows and curiously asked, “There was originally some sort of effect?”
Anderson sized up Danitz a few times.
“You should’ve heard that some Beyonder characteristics or potions will seep into items that are in prolonged contact with them and transform them into Sealed Artifacts that are difficult to use. However, a human’s body is just a relatively special item.
“At times, I really do suspect that you obtained Beyonder powers through contact with potions and not through consumption. That’s why your brain has rotted.”
In the past, Danitz would definitely be furious, but now, all he did was chuckle.
“In other words, if you don’t isolate it, the thing in your stomach will gradually fuse and reconstruct your body, including your brain?”
Anderson was amused when he heard that.
Very good. Continue, don’t stop. I think you can attempt to advance to Sequence 6. Yes, you’re usually very skilled at setting up fires.”
Danitz replied disdainfully, “I’m only lacking in the ingredients.”
Thinking of Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions, he pressed unwillingly, “How is the matter supposed to be dealt with after its isolation?”
Anderson stroked the first button of his shirt as he chuckled.
Two possibilities. One, is to seek the help of a demigod, such as an Unshadowed, allowing the object to seep out bit by bit. In this aspect, your captain knows someone who can do it. The only problem is that my Beyonder characteristic might be purged while purging that object. It will drop my Sequence and even turn me into an ordinary person.
“The second line of thought is to think of a way to obtain the Iron-blooded Knight potion formula. Prepare the corresponding ritual and supplementary ingredients and see if there’s a way to accommodate that object and use it to become a demigod.”
“That sounds very dangerous.” Danitz gave an objective assessment of the second line of thought.
Anderson’s smile became more obvious.
“Indeed, this is very dangerous. I don’t even know if it will work.
“But don’t you think it’s interesting to have such a challenging task? At least, this is more consistent with my aesthetic judgment than the first method.”
Danitz shook his head seriously and said, “No.”
Following that, he asked in a provocative and probing manner, “Don’t you have a large inheritance—no, wealth? I can bring back your ashes.”
Anderson wasn’t annoyed at all as he solemnly nodded.
“When the time comes, you can consider eating my ashes directly.”
…Why isn’t it possible to provoke this guy at all… The corners of Danitz’s mouth twitched as he decided to give up. He wanted to seek the captain and ask how he could obtain items related to Vice Admiral Ailment.
Late at night, at 160 Boklund Street, just as Klein was about to sleep, he saw Miss Messenger walk out while holding four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. One of them bit on a thin envelope with a letter stuffed in it.
“Who’s it from?” Klein asked out of habit as he extended his hand to receive it.
Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads spoke one after another:
“Sharron…” “Who…” “Doesn’t Like…” “Nicknames…”
1041 King’s Daughter
Sharron who doesn’t like nicknames? How did she know? She’s interacted with Miss Sharron before? Upon hearing Reinette Tinekerr’s answer, Klein was first taken aback before questions emerged one after another in his mind.
From his point of view, a messenger and a mailer wouldn’t communicate under normal circumstances. The entire process would be the messenger’s appearance, the retrieval of the letter, and its departure.
Besides, when did Miss Messenger need to obtain the permission of the other party when she gives nicknames? Did Frank Lee and Patrick Bryan agree to it?
A few seconds later, Klein instinctively had a guess—Miss Messenger and Miss Sharron definitely had some kind of connection, and Reinette Tinekerr didn’t wish to hide anything.
Reining in his thoughts, Klein opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and quickly scanned the contents.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“There’s something I hope you can help me with. Let’s meet at the Bravehearts Bar to discuss in detail…”
Compared to before, Miss Sharron isn’t that stingy with her words. She’s slightly improved in this aspect for the better. Is this a change that resulted from a demigod advancement? Klein thought for a moment and walked to his desk. Picking up a pen, he wrote:
“When do you wish to meet?”
Putting down his pen, he glanced at Reinette Tinekerr, who was standing by the side, seemingly waiting to write the reply. Klein felt even more certain again.
He folded the letter, handed it over, and casually said, “For Miss Sharron.”
One of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads bit on the letter while the remaining three said, “You…” “Haven’t…” “Paid…
“No…” “Postage…” “Payment…”
Klein cleared his throat, took out a gold coin, and handed it to Miss Messenger.
Seeing Reinette Tinekerr disappear, he revealed a pensive look as he walked to the reclining chair and waited patiently.
Composite Start
Composite End
Less than a minute later, Miss Messenger walked out of the void again in her complicated dress. She was biting the letter from before.
Klein didn’t inquire as he received the reply letter and unfolded it.
“If you don’t have any problems with it, it would be best if it happens tonight.’
Tonight… Klein nodded thoughtfully and flicked his wrist, causing the letter to ignite into scarlet flames, quickly turning it black.
The flame burgeoned and enveloped his body as well.
By the time the flames extinguished, Klein’s figure had already disappeared from the reclining chair. The floating ashes hovering in midair automatically fell into a nearby trash can with the help of an invisible wind.
In the houses that were connected together in Backlund’s North Borough, Cherwood Borough, and the Bridge area, the wall gas lamps brightened slightly before returning to normal.
Before long, Klein appeared in a room he had privately rented at the periphery of East Borough. He changed his clothes, put on gold-rimmed glasses, and went out with the appearance of Sherlock Moriarty, heading straight for the Bravehearts Bar.
This time, he didn’t seek out Ian, who was in the card room playing tabletop games with a bunch of people. He listened for a few seconds before pushing open the door to one of the billiard rooms and entered slowly.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he flipped open the door, he saw figures outlining themselves on two sides.
Sitting on a high stool to the left was the blonde, blue-eyed Sharron. She was wearing an exquisite bonnet and a regal dress. Compared to the past, her face was no longer as pale as before. It just looked like she was anemic, making her look less like a female ghost and more like a doll.
Standing to the right of the billiard table was Marie. This young man who liked to play cards with zombies had turned increasingly pale. The malice in his eyes had become unobvious, but it gave a suppressive feeling to others.
“Good evening.” Klein took off his hat with a smile and bowed.
“Good evening, Mr. Detective.” Sharron’s body seemed to float up weightlessly as she seriously bowed. Marie did the same.
At that moment, the billiard room seemed to be filled with paranormal events.
Klein casually pulled a high stool chair and sat down. He chuckled and said, “What is it this time?”
“I’m very sorry to trouble you again.” Sharron bowed again.
Marie quickly said, “We made an agreement for a cooperative effort with the Sanguine to deal with the key members of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.
Composite Start
Composite End
“We will definitely carry out the bulk of it ourselves. It will include how we lure them out, how we ambush them, and how our attack will happen. We just hope that you will watch the entire process by the side and aid in our escape when an accident happens.
“If you want anything, just mention it. We can discuss it.”
That is to say, I’m a contingency to prevent any accidents… What if that fellow, Emlyn, also enlists The World to secretly help? When that happens, they would have two demigods in their contingency plans…Uh, I think it might work. I can be Sherlock Moriarty while letting Qonas Kilgor be Gehrman Sparrow… Klein considered for a few seconds without immediately agreeing. Instead, he said, “Let me ask a few questions.”
Marie glanced at Sharron and nodded.
“Okay.”
Klein looked at Sharron, who was sitting on a high stool like a doll.
“The Tutanssess II mummy we previously obtained was a preparation for you to advance to Sequence 4 Puppet, and you’ve already become a demigod?”
This was something he had previously learned from their conversations and letter exchanges. His main goal was to make a confirmation and start the subsequent topic.
Sharron quietly looked back at him as she said with an ethereal and inhuman voice, “Yes.”
Klein nodded slightly and directly asked, “What’s your relationship with Reinette Tinekerr?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Sharron’s blue eyes darted about almost indiscemibly as she said, “‘She’ is my teacher.”
Teacher… “She”… Although Klein already had some guesses, he nearly drew a gasp. He felt his head aching.
In the blink of an eye, although his expression remained the same, countless thoughts were bubbling in his mind. …Miss Messenger was originally an angel?
I’m actually using an angel as a messenger? Isn’t that too exaggerated?
“She” is even Miss Sharron’s teacher… It probably wasn’t that simple when “She” requested to be my messenger!
From the looks of it, “She” definitely isn’t on the same side as the Mother Tree of Desire. Miss Messenger signed the contract with me because the Mother Tree of Desire was coveting me? No—that “She” is bound to be my enemy?
It’s no wonder Miss Sharron was able to obtain the puppet potion formula and the corresponding ingredients with the help of her teacher…
As his thoughts raced, Klein decided to ask another question. He wanted to use the process of Miss Sharron’s or Marie’s replies to calm his emotions.
He deliberated and said, “What’s the exact situation?”
This time, it was still Sharron replying. Compared to Horamick’s mechanical dolls, she appeared more lifeless as she calmly said, “Early in the Fifth Epoch, Death perished. There was resistance stirring against the Balam Empire in places like the Southern Continent’s Star Highlands and Paz Valley.
“During this process, the Chained God appeared, and the Rose School of Thought was born. My teacher was originally the daughter of the ruler of the local highlands, but ‘She’ later became the Blessed of the Chained God, assisting ‘Her’ father in establishing the Highlands Kingdom.
“Later on, ‘She’ became a Sequence 2 angel, one of the leaders of the Rose School of Thought. ‘She’ advocated temperance and using austere and few desires to resist the madness in life.
“About 922 years ago, the ‘Son of God,’ Suah, was born. Everything began to change as the indulgence and bloody rituals gradually took over the dominating faction.
“At first, Teacher was barely able to maintain it, preventing the temperance faction from being affected. However, as time passed, the influence of the Mother Tree of Desire grew. Suah also successfully advanced a few years ago, becoming a true Abomination.
“An internal war broke out. Teacher protected us as we escaped from the highlands, valley, and grasslands. I watched ‘Her’ fall under the siege of Suah and the other high-ranking members.
“However, ‘She* didn’t completely die because of prior preparations. ‘She’ resurrected in a special state in the spirit world and now yearns to complete ‘Her’ body.”
Is that so… In other words, Miss Messenger is currently, in essence, an angel without the corresponding powers. “She” is in a weakened state. It’s no wonder she wasn’t able to easily deal with the Rose School of Thought demigod, Shanks… Wait, although there are many angels cooperating with me, why are they all incomplete or weak? Apart from Ma’am Arianna, all of them are in such states… Mr. Azik, Pallez Zoroast, Will Auceptin, Miss Messenger… Is there a problem with my title as The Fool? Are they all waiting for me to give them the charms corresponding to Scholar of Yore? Klein came to a realization as he felt rather poignant.
He didn’t ask why Reinette Tinekerr still desired money, as he thought for a moment before saying, “Miss Sharron, the Rose School of Thought definitely has no lack of the Puppet potion formula. After you obtained the Tutanssess II mummy, they would likely view you as a demigod. In addition, Ma’am Reinette Tinekerr had once appeared before the Rose School of Thought’s demigod and engaged in a battle with them. This also means that the Rose School of Thought definitely knows that ‘She’ is alive, and they wouldn’t not be prepared against ‘Her.’ And your relationship as master and disciple with ‘Her’ is no secret to them.
“In such a situation, isn’t it a little too naive to use yourself and Marie as bait to fish out the key members of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund?
“Do you think they will only send one or two demigods to deal with you? Up to what degree of help can the Sanguine provide?
“Also, I previously mentioned that due to one of my identities, the Mother Tree of Desire places a great deal of importance on me. Even Abomination Suah was sent to attack me. And your teacher’s cooperation with me is something they are similarly aware of.
“Summarizing all these points, if you and Marie appear, the kind of assault you would invite is unpredictable.”
Having said that, Klein’s expression turned serious as he asked, “Do you wish to cause a divine descent in Backlund?” The entire billiard room instantly turned abnormally quiet, but there weren’t any changes to Sharron’s expression.
1042 Plan From a Different Angle
After a few seconds, Sharron calmly replied to Klein, “It’s not bait, but a ploy to lure them out.”
Just as Klein was about to ask what the difference was, Marie explained in detail, “Back when we were pursued by the Rose School of Thought, we discovered that they had quite a number of members in Backlund. However, due to our lack of strength and our fear of traps, as well as to not attract the attention of the Church, we didn’t take any action against them.
“This time, we plan on attacking one of the more important ones. We’ll deliberately miss some out, allowing the hidden ones to secretly escape and pass the information to the Rose School of Thought’s person-in-charge in Backlund.
“In secret, the Sanguine’s demigod will be watching them. Through the message chain, they will find the person in charge. That person must be a key member of the Rose School of Thought.
“Once he’s killed or even captured, we’ll take the next step in our operation based on the information we manage to obtain.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
That’s more reasonable. The main point is to use your own understanding of the Rose School of Thought to create a plan instead of using yourself as bait. That’s a way to effectively control the situation and not destroy Backlund… Klein nodded gently and said, “If that’s the case, I can participate.”
He didn’t say that he needed to think about it or return to confirm the level of danger. This was because this matter wasn’t something that needed to be done anytime soon for Sharron and the Sanguine. When he divined problems, he could always call it off as a participant.
“What kind of payment do you need?” Marie’s standing posture relaxed as he asked.
Klein smiled.
“If there aren’t any accidents the entire time, I wish to receive one instance of free assistance from Ma’am Reinette Tinekerr. If I have to involve myself in the operation, I can always add the condition of having priority on the spoils of war.
You can discuss this with Ma’am Reinette Tinekerr before writing to tell me the answer.”
In fact, he was still a little puzzled. He believed that with such a plan, there was no need to seek him out. With Miss Messenger hiding in the shadows, it was enough to prevent any accidents that Sherlock Moriarty could deal with!
“There’s no need.” Sharron, with her exquisite looks and pale face, shook her head gently like a doll. “I can agree to it now.”
Has she already discussed it with Miss Messenger? Klein thought for a few seconds and honestly asked, “Then why don’t you directly ask Miss Reinette Tinekerr for help to prevent any accidents from happening?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Sharron’s hair remained motionless as though bound tightly by the petite bonnet. She replied in an ethereal and fleeting voice, ‘”She* doesn’t wish for the Sanguine to discover ‘Her’ existence.”
Is that so… Klein deliberated for a moment and raised another question:
“You advocate temperance, so why are you seeking out the key members of the Rose School of Thought?
“Is revenge not within the limits of temperance?”
Sharron looked at him with her blue eyes and said, “In recent decades, the Rose School of Thought has been trying its best to let the Mother Tree of Desire descend into the real world. This will bring about an unimaginable disaster.
“In addition, Teacher also desires ‘Her’ body to be complete.”
If the Mother Tree of Desire were to descend into the real world, it would be an unimaginable disaster for me… However, what has this got to do with the completeness of Miss Messenger’s body? Her—”Her” body was once torn apart and is being held by different key members of the Rose School of Thought? Or can the bodies High-Sequence Beyonders of the same Sequence and their characteristics be made into a part of “Her” through some ritual? Klein mumbled inwardly as he probed, “Is Abomination Sequence 1 of the Mutant pathway?
“Then what are Sequence 2 and Sequence 3?”
He had asked Miss Sharron the first question before, but he had only received a vague answer.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Sharron answered without any hesitation. She didn’t speak too fast, but her voice remained ethereal and inhuman.
“I wasn’t too sure about it in the past. Now I can confirm that Sequence 1 is Abomination, Sequence 2 is Ancient Bane, Sequence 3 is Cursed Artifact but is now known as Disciple of Silence.”
Does that mean that you weren’t certain when I asked you the last time? That is to say, when you summoned Miss Messenger and reunited with “Her,” you managed to learn more secrets? Klein nodded in enlightenment.
“I have no more questions. After confirming the time for the operation, write to me.”
“Thank you.” Sharron once again floated up and bowed.
Marie pressed his hand to his chest and slightly bent his back.
“There’s no need.” Klein stood up from the high stool and wore his top hat with a smile.
This time, without a smacking sound, scarlet flames rose and engulfed him.
Under the night sky, countless lights silently lit up in Backlund, as though they were stars that were covered in clouds descending upon the land.
Composite Start
Composite End
With the few “stars” twinkling, Klein returned to the rental apartment at the periphery of East Borough.
After changing his clothes and preparing to return to North Borough’s Boklund Street, he heard a series of illusory pleas.
It was from a man.
After nodding in thought, Klein immediately took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog. He extended his spirituality towards the constantly expanding and shrinking crimson star.
As he expected, this corresponded to The Moon Emlyn.
The vampire who was already become a Viscount prayed sincerely, “Honorable Mr. Fool, I wish to apply for a minigathering that includes me, Mr. Hanged Man, Ma’am Hermit, Miss Justice, Mr. World…”
To Emlyn, these people are the Tarot Club’s representatives in intelligence, experience, and knowledge… Poor Leonard… Klein chuckled silently as he leaned back into his chair and agreed to Emlyn’s request.
Above the grayish-white fog, inside the ancient palace.
Five dark red beams of light appeared on both sides of the long bronze table, forming different figures.
“Mr. Moon, has the Sanguine’s plan been finalized?” Audrey greeted everyone before asking with interest.
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn surveyed the area and frankly said, “Yes, the detailed plan is this. Through two temperance faction members who escaped from the Rose School of Thought…”
He recounted the plan Sharron had described to Sherlock Moriarty from a different angle to The World Gehrman Sparrow and company. When he was done, he said, “If we can obtain effective information, we Sanguine plan on seizing the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Rose School of Thought’s headquarters. We hope to take an important item from them.”
“What important item?” Cattleya asked curiously.
This was an item that could spur an ancient faction into an attempt on attacking a secret organization’s headquarters. It definitely wasn’t simple!
“Its” importance might even exceed that of an ordinary angel, stronger than some Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts!
Emlyn didn’t hide anything.
“It’s a Holy Artifact left behind by our Sanguine ancestor. I’m not sure what particular accident led to the Rose School of Thought obtaining it.”
A Holy Artifact left behind by Lilith… In the hands of the Rose School of Thought… The Sanguine has placed great importance on it… This time, Klein, who was acting as The World Gehrman Sparrow with his true body, had key points flashing through his mind. Then, together with his understanding of many secrets, he quickly had an unconfirmed theory.
That might be the key to the Mother Tree of Desire’s ability to intrude and control part of the Moon domain’s authority!
This is something Miss Sharron and the others didn’t mention. The Sanguine have kept things from them as well and have quite great ambitions… Yes, I can’t use ambition to describe them. That Ancestor Lilith whose identity is unknown seems to have foreseen the chaos from the situation and the coming of the apocalypse. Therefore, the Sanguine was made to change its style and become more proactive, so as to have more things to rely on? This is the acquisition of a lifebuoy in preparation for the apocalypse… Klein didn’t say a word as he listened silently.
The others were also taking in the important information that The Moon had revealed, and Alger was no exception. He pondered for a few seconds before saying, “In other words, you Sanguine will be hiding in secret this entire operation and won’t be targeted by the Rose School of Thought?”
“Yes,” Emlyn answered rather casually.
The Sanguine’s plan was jointly decided by Duke Olmer and Marquis Nibbs, as well as a few Earls in Backlund. Many problems had undoubtedly been brainstormed and reconsidered. Regardless, even if a pig were to live for more than a millennium, it would definitely gain a certain level of wisdom and experience.
Alger nodded slightly.
“I have another question. How are you so sure that the Backlund person in charge of the Rose School of Thought is only a saint? There might be more demigods or even an angel hiding.
“You should know very well that the situation in Backlund is very complicated. It’s not impossible for the Rose School of Thought to increase the number of powerhouses it has to plot certain matters. If that’s the case, you will end up resembling thieves who wish to steal something, only to storm right into Sivellaus Yard.”
Sivellaus Yard was another name for the Backlund police department.
Emlyn became more relaxed.
“This time, Duke Olmer will personally watch over the entire process. Even if the Rose School of Thought’s angel descends, we can easily escape.
“In addition, no matter which side, they’re not actually willing to create an intense conflict in Backlund. Without any crushing advantage or the confidence to not cause a huge commotion, they will naturally cease any fighting.”
Upon hearing his answer, the comers of Cattleya’s mouth curled up indiscemibly as she warned, “To Beyonders who aren’t demigods, even a slight clash between angels would produce aftershocks that are enough to destroy them.”
Emlyn snapped out of his state of drowning in pride from experiencing the potency of the Sanguine. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
At this moment, Audrey’s eyes darted around as though she was thinking of something.
“Mr. Moon, what do you need to do in this plan?”
What do I need to do? Monitoring the secret members of the Rose School of Thought and locking onto the true target from the information received will be done by Earl Mistral… The one who will ultimately take action is Marquis Nibbs, Earl Mistral, and the Rose School of Thought temperance faction’s demigod… Duke Olmer will be the one monitoring in secret to prevent any accidents… M-my only job is apparently to contact that Wraith named Marie and maintain communications between both parties… Uh… The more Emlyn thought about it, the odder his expression became.
It seemed like there was nothing for him to do, or at least, nothing particularly important….
Chapter 1043 Each Having Their Own Plans
Emlyn blinked as he leaned back in his chair. He spoke unhurriedly and with a hint of a smile, he answered Miss Justice’s question, “What I need to do is very simple. My role is to ensure that both parties can complete the collaboration successfully.”
That means you don’t need to participate in the battle, right? Audrey had originally wanted to press with such questions, but after sizing up The Moon, she reflected on the words said and said with a faint smile, “Since that’s the case, there’s only one thing you need to do to ensure your own safety.”
Makes sense. I can’t affect myself because of this matter. Anyway, there’s nothing that needs my assistance… I’m not in charge of the risky parts of the operation. I’ll later rent Leymano’s Travels and spend money to get The World to record a few pages of Teleport. My safety will basically be guaranteed… Emlyn thought for a few seconds and said with a nod, “Excellent suggestion.”
As there were no other members of the Tarot Club participating in the Sanguine’s hunting operation and wasn’t under their control, the private min-gathering quickly ended and the participants returned to the real world.
Klein wasn’t in a rush to leave. After his figure disappeared, he appeared in The Fool’s chair again and beckoned for the Unshadowed Crucifix and the Marauder pathway mystical item, Broken Finger.
At that moment, the surface of the two grayish-white “tweezers” that resembled the polishing of finger bones had produced a piece of gravel that sucked all the light around it, making it look pitch-black. It slowly swirled and gathered as though it was trying to form a new shape.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As for Broken Finger, the grayish-white color had turned transparent as it reflected some light, producing tiny holes.
The Unshadowed Crucifix can actually slowly purge the Beyonder characteristics from mystical items and Sealed Artifacts and let them combine together. Of course, the premise is that there’s a power similar to the mysterious space above the gray fog to suppress it, allowing it to willingly “make contact” with items with Beyonder characteristics… Klein nodded in satisfaction.
At this moment, the grayish-white Broken Finger suddenly began to belt out in a fervent voice:
“Oh, my Sun!
“Praise you!
“Praise the Sun!
As the tweezer-like object sang, a cracking sound emitted from it as though it would shatter into pieces at any moment.
But this did not affect its praise of the Sun.
“…” Klein gaped at the scene, momentarily at a loss for what expression to show.
Composite Start
Composite End
After a few seconds, he sighed. He separated the Unshadowed Crucifix and Broken Finger and threw them to the corner of the junk pile in different spots. He then suppressed the former using the powers of the gray fog.
Then, he prepared to leave and return to the real world.
At this moment, the point of light, which represented The Fool’s only believer, emitted ripples of light as the sounds of stacked prayers were heard.
Klein reined in his thoughts and extended his spirituality over. Immediately, the scene of Danitz praying in his room surfaced before his eyes as a corresponding voice echoed in his ears:
“Honorable Mr. Fool, your faithful servant wishes you to pass the following words to Gehrman Sparrow:
“According to my captain, there are many items at sea that’s rumored to belong to Vice Admiral Ailment, but without any exception, they’re all fake. And ever since she was injured after that assault, this pirate admiral has placed great care in the secrecy of her course and seldom plunders. The last time her ship appeared was two months ago at Theros Island west of the Berserk Sea. Later, it cruised into the massive ocean, her whereabouts unknown.
“The foreign object in Anderson’s stomach is now controlled to some degree and is separated from his body to a certain extent. It won’t be able to penetrate his flesh for a very long period of time.
“There are two ways to completely resolve this latent problem. One is to seek the help of the Sun pathway’s Sequence 4 Unshadowed. However, this has quite a high possibility of cleansing most of his Beyonder characteristics. The second is to find the Hunter pathway’s Sequence 4 Iron-blooded Knight potion formula. Through the help of the ritual and ingredients, he can directly absorb the foreign object.
“Anderson is inclined toward the latter choice. He’s happy to take the risk.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s obvious that Danitz is forwarding me Vice Admiral Iceberg’s answer by imitating her style. This isn’t his usual style of speech… However, some of his terms aren’t precise enough. Could it be that Danitz had secretly modified it to use terms he understands better? I-is he worried that Gehrman Sparrow wouldn’t be able to understand? Klein pricked up his brows and cast his attention back onto the content itself.
Vice Admiral Ailment adhered to the advice from the Demoness Sect and has hidden in this relatively critical period? If that’s the case, it’s basically impossible to capture her in a short span of time. In one or two months’ time, perhaps the matter will completely blow up and I wouldn’t have a need to seek her out…
I’ll first send Danitz to look for her and keep some hope… My focus will be on finding Demoness Trissy. I have a way to contact her and can consider using the excuse of working together to deal with Saintess of White Katarina to make her meet with Gehrman Sparrow. I’ll see if I can control her and use her to fish out Katarina…
The elimination of Anderson’s latent problem has two solutions, both of which I can help with. Since he’s inclined toward taking risks by advancing to absorb the foreign object, I don’t have to worry about using Danitz to promote the option of leasing the Unshadowed Crucifix to him… That’s good. At least I don’t have to worry about the crucifix given by Adam creating some nasty chemical reaction with the foreign object Adam left in him…
As for the potion formula for Iron-blooded Knight, with how Anderson had played an important role in luring Ince Zangwill, it’s not like I can’t give it to him. The foreign object in his stomach is Adam’s payment… Hmm, I can’t directly bestow it to him since he isn’t a believer of The Fool… Gehrman Sparrow has no reason to give him something at such a high level…
Amidst his thoughts, Klein quickly made a decision. He conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made him take on a prayer stance.
In the Fog Sea, on the Golden Dream.
Bang!
The wooden door was pushed open and slammed heavily into the wall.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst this loud commotion, Anderson, who had been flipping the pages of a book, looked at Danitz, who was standing by the door, with his usual expression.
“There’s a very good mission for you.” With a cloak draped over his shoulders, Danitz raised his chin and chuckled.
Anderson sized up the pirate opposite him and tsked.
“You seem to be very smug…
“What’s the mission?”
Danitz glanced at Anderson and said, “Accompany me to Theros Island and help me seek out Vice Admiral Ailment’s whereabouts.
“In addition, help me gather the Beyonder ingredients needed for Conspirer. Heh, you’ll have to pay for it.”
Anderson nodded in thought.
“Then, what is the reward?”
The corners of Danitz’s mouth widened as he said in a condescending manner, “The Iron-blooded Knight’s supplementary ingredient list and the advancement ritual.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Anderson didn’t respond. He didn’t say a word as he focused his gaze on Danitz for nearly ten seconds.
Then, as though he was burning with impatience, he threw away the book in his hand and stood up. He said with a bright smile, “When do we set off?”
Backlund, East Borough, in a rental apartment that had its curtains drawn.
Trissy, who was dressed in a black dress, packed her luggage, preparing to head to her next hideout.
Her slightly round face was a little slimmer than before. Apart from her sweet smile, she had an indescribable, elegant, and beautiful look. Even though she was in the dirty and chaotic East Borough, she seemed to be untainted by any dirt.
Trissy didn’t immediately pick up her black suitcase. After looking around, she walked to the desk and unfolded a piece of paper. She picked up a pen and wrote:
“Mr. Gehrman Sparrow, I’ve obtained the information I need from that captain of the royal guards: He is truly loyal to King George III.
“You should understand what this means.
“Next, my goal is to figure out what this king wants. For that, I plan to oppose the Demoness Sect’s Saintess of White Katarina. She definitely knows the corresponding secrets.
“She’s a Sequence 3, a Demoness of Unaging. She’s very difficult to kill, and it’s very difficult to capture her.
“I have to admit that just my strength alone isn’t enough to deal with her. If you’re interested and confident, we can try cooperating
“You know how to contact me.
“Trissy.”
Putting down the pen, Trissy folded the letter and began setting up the ritual to summon Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger.
She had only written to the crazy adventurer now because she was worried that he would lock onto her hiding spot with the help of his messenger, and then Teleport over, bringing help to launch an assault. Therefore, she waited until she was about to move before making the attempt.
Although Trissy wasn’t sure what Gehrman Sparrow’s motives were and couldn’t determine if he would launch a surprise attack on her, out of habit, she chose the most reliable method for her, just to be safe.
After handing the letter to the messenger, I’ll leave and wait for Gehrman Sparrow to contact me. I’ll try not to meet him until we begin taking action… I wonder what faction is hiding behind him. I have to focus on mobilizing and using him, and not to trust him too much… This is indeed troublesome, but it’s sufficiently safe… As Trissy thought, she ended what she was busy with and took two steps back. Looking at the candlelight, she chanted in ancient Hermes:
“I summon in my name:
“The spirit that wanders about the unfounded, the friendly creature that can be subordinated, the messenger that belongs to Gehrman Sparrow.”
Just as she finished speaking, the candlelight burgeoned and turned abnormally pale.
Following that, a figure stepped out of the candlelight and wore a dark and complicated robe, holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.
The four heads had eight bloodshot eyes that darted around simultaneously as they cast their gaze at Trissy.
Trissy’s pupils dilated as though she saw something extremely terrifying.
Chapter 1044 Placing Herself in the Tides
Backlund, St. George Borough, in a factory room filled with junk.
Light flashed in a mirror filled with obvious cracks. Its surface turned dark and deep, as though it was connected to another world.
Suddenly, a white hand reached out from under the mirror, as though it had penetrated through layers of aqueous waves.
A figure walked out from the shadows—she was none other than the sweet and beautiful Demoness Trissy in a long black dress.
There was a rare paleness to her face, as though her face had lost all its ruddiness. Her forehead was covered in dense beads of sweat.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With a smacking sound, the suitcase in Trissy’s hand fell to the ground. She could hardly suppress the horror in her eyes.
She then muttered to herself blankly, “His messenger is actually an angel…”
At that moment, Trissy felt a chill run down her spine, as though a cold wind had blown at her.
She had never expected how dangerous it would be to summon a messenger previously. Thankfully, the woman holding the four heads in her hands watched her silently for a while before she left without doing anything.
160 Boklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantes’s mansion.
“Who’s it from?” Klein asked with anticipation as he received the letter from Miss Messenger.
The four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand spoke one after another:
Vessel…” “Of…” “Dirtiness…” “Darkness…”
This nickname… Klein was taken aback when he heard that. For a moment, he didn’t immediately figure out who Miss Messenger was referring to.
Composite Start
Composite End
In his mind, the people who knew how to summon his messenger quickly flashed past, one by one, as he filtered through them.
In a few seconds, he had the corresponding guess.
Trissy!
From what Klein knew, this Demoness, who had been renamed to Trissy Cheek, might very well be one of the mediums for the Primordial Demoness’s awakening or descent upon the world.
In such a situation, calling her a “vessel” wasn’t wrong.
And people who knew enough about the mysterious world knew that the Primordial Demoness was an evil goddess, one that was known as the ultimate bringer of the apocalypse that would end everything. “She” had the creation of the apocalypse and the destruction of everything as “Her” mission. She also wielded authorities such as desires related to feelings and emotions. It wasn’t very apt to describe “Her” with dirtiness and darkness, but it was understandable.
Similarly, dirtiness and darkness could also describe Trissy, who had been corrupted by the evil goddess to a certain extent.
As expected of an angel. “She” actually dared to say that about the Primordial Demoness… Klein secretly marveled as he opened the letter and quickly read it.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled something. He hurriedly looked at Miss Messenger and said, “What reaction did the sender have when she saw you?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“She…” “Was …” “Very scared…” Reinette Tinekerr’s three heads spoke one after another without giving the last one a chance to speak as its head was simply left agape.
Klein’s expression turned slightly heavy as he deliberated and asked, “Did you mark her?”
The head of Reinette Tinekerr, which failed to speak previously, rushed to speak.
“No…”
The remaining three blonde, red-eyed heads added, “Because…” “She…” “Had…”
“The aura…” “Of…” “Primordial…”
Klein fell silent for a few seconds before nodding.
“I understand.”
After watching Miss Messenger step into the void and leave, he unfurled the piece of paper and quickly read Trissy’s letter.
Composite Start
Composite End
She actually sought me out to deal with Saintess of White Katarina… Isn’t this exactly what I wanted to do? Klein’s eyes shimmered a few times as he immediately rummaged for a black sticky blob.
Right on the heels of that, he transformed into Gehrman Sparrow and smeared the blob uniformly onto a tiny mirror in the room.
After patiently waiting for nearly ten minutes, the black sticky blob vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind. Klein had failed to contact Demoness Trissy.
As expected, Trissy, who has been corrupted by the Primordial Demoness to a certain extent, managed to identify Miss Messenger’s level and was given a fright… She probably wouldn’t communicate with Gehrman Sparrow anytime soon… Sigh, if I had known Miss Messenger is a special angel, I definitely wouldn’t have let “Her” appear in front of Trissy, or I would’ve informed “Her” that if a Demoness were to summon “Her,” she can bring both the person and letter over… Klein sighed silently and could only blame it on his luck.
At that moment, he suddenly heard a series of illusory pleas.
In a dark alley in the Backlund Bridge area.
Xio hid Wintry Blade and entered the area, looking around warily.
“Not bad, you’re getting more and more experienced.”
A deep male voice sounded, and a figure walked out from the darkness around the corner.
He stood tall, wearing a golden mask that revealed his eyes, nostrils, mouth, and cheeks. It was none other than the MI9 member who had contacted Xio before.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why did you contact me so urgently?” Xio asked.
The golden-masked man didn’t make any small talk and directly asked, “You still seem to be monitoring Viscount Stratford’s surroundings. Have you discovered anything unusual recently?”
Xio thought and said, “Yes.
“He had intimate contact with a girl of unknown origins. He made her visit him at his residence late at night several times.
“I tried to track that woman down, but I failed both times.
“Also, Viscount Stratford suddenly went out in the middle of the night two days ago. I don’t know where he went because I didn’t manage to follow him.”
The golden-masked man tersely acknowledged this as he went deeper into the details. Xio answered according to the details she had seen back then. She only concealed the fact that she had met Shermane in the carriage and how she had followed Viscount Stratford all the way outside the warehouse.
“Not bad. Your persistence was rewarding.” The golden-masked man nodded slightly. He didn’t seem to doubt what Xio had said.
He sighed and said, “With this, your contributions to us will increase significantly.
To be frank, if this continues, you’ll soon be able to accumulate the contributions needed for the Sequence 6 potion. However, before that, there will definitely be a strict examination. And with your background, heh heh, it will fail the examination without a doubt. After all, I know it very well.
“Actually, there’s no need for you to seek the truth. I know that this was the motivation for you to persist in continuing the mission regarding Viscount Stratford, but my personal suggestion is to put the matter aside.
“With your current Sequence and abilities, it’s enough to let your mother and brother lead a very good life. Don’t worry, no one will cause you trouble.
“And if you wish to continue persisting, I cannot guarantee what will happen.”
Although Xio had already expected such an explanation, she was helpless in resisting her emotions and throbbing heart. She blurted out a question:
“Who exactly are you?”
“I’m just an ordinary Mid-Sequence Beyonder,” the golden-masked man said with a smile. “You might not know that the post of ‘captain of the royal guards’ has the corresponding authority in MI9. It’s equivalent to a deputy director that handles matters related to the royal family. Back when your father was alive, I was his subordinate and had received his help in various aspects. After his passing, I, who didn’t commit any wrongs or hide any matters, was removed from the core of MI9. See, heh—I’m only responsible for informants on the outside like you.”
Upon saying that, the golden-masked man sighed.
Your father helped me a lot. So, after I recognized you, I deliberately made you become an informant under me. With the extent of my power, I provided you some help. I have a family of my own and my own life, so I can’t take excessive risks or do anything too dangerous for you.
“Let’s do this, I’ll help you get the potion formula for Judge. Afterward, stop your contributions and your pursuit to advance your Sequence. Do something that will improve your life. As for what you want to do or plan to do in private, I don’t know, nor do I want to know.”
Xio fell into a daze. Her lips trembled as she said, “What kind of person was my father?”
The golden-masked man sighed as he replied, “He was a really brave, noble, and just aristocrat, but he wasn’t that perfect. He was impulsive, eager, prone to anger…”
Xio silently listened and had planned on asking further, but all she said was a phrase:
“Thank you.”
“Go back. After obtaining the Judge formula, I’ll leave you a message to meet me,” the golden-masked man said with a wave.
After Xio completely disappeared from the alley’s entrance, the golden-masked man was just about to turn around when a slightly ethereal voice sounded in his ears:
“She’s lying.
“She had tailed Viscount Stratford to the scene back then. It’s something that can be confirmed.”
The golden-masked man fell silent for a moment before saying to the shadow beside him, “She might’ve only been worried that this would arouse suspicion.
“How can she defeat Viscount Stratford at her Sequence? Besides, wasn’t it said that Viscount Stratford carried a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact?
“I believe that she likely didn’t dare approach. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to survive!”
The slightly ethereal voice replied, “No matter what, since there is a doubt, we need to do further investigations. Don’t inquire about it in the future.”
Outside the alley, Xio walked calmly along street lamps.
She deliberately didn’t mention that she had followed Viscount Stratford.
This wasn’t to hide the truth, to clear herself of suspicion, or to not invite trouble; in fact, that was contrary to her true motives.
Before the Tarot Club, her plan was to say that she had followed Viscount Stratford to a particular warehouse in the dock area. Outside, she was scared off by a terrifying hurricane. This was more convincing and made it less prone to suspicion. However, after knowing that this matter piqued The World Gehrman Sparrow’s interest, she secretly changed her mind and decided to use her explanation to garner suspicion.
She felt that if she wanted to investigate the king’s secret at her level, it might take another three to five years, or even longer. Perhaps, there wouldn’t be any hope forever. But with The World’s help, success was a possibility.
As such, she was willing to bear the risks and place herself right in the middle of the tides.
And today, before meeting the golden-masked man from MI9, Xio had prayed to Mr. Fool so that “He” could inform The World Gehrman Sparrow of her thoughts.
Chapter 1045 Dreamwalker
Above the endless gray fog, in the magnificent and ancient palace.
With one hand holding the Unshadowed Crucifix, and the other holding the Sea God Scepter, he was observing the real world through the crimson star that represented Judgment.
In his spiritual vision, apart from the short Miss Xio and the golden-masked MI9 officer, there was another person hidden in the dark alley.
This was a man in his thirties. He didn’t have any special features, and he looked like the typical Loenese man from the mid-north area. Not only did he blend into the shadows, but he also had the characteristic of automatically making people dismiss his existence. If he weren’t above the gray fog and had true vision, Klein suspected that even he wouldn’t be able to discover the person if he were there in person. He would only be able to outline the person with his spiritual intuition when the person took any abnormal actions.
Hiding in the shadows with Psychological Invisibility? Half of it depends on an item, while the other half depends on his Sequence… In conclusion, this isn’t a demigod…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
That’s right. In the eyes of the king’s faction, Ms. Xio is only a Sequence 7 and doesn’t have any notable mystical items. If the matter concerning Viscount Stratford was really related to her, there must be a mastermind behind her, or even a faction. In this situation where there are undercurrents surging about, letting a demigod who might know too much perform the investigation might throw them into a trap. And if a demigod who knows little of the situation were to do it, there might be a chance that the information to be leaked to the three Churches and result in an impetus for them to be investigated…
In this case, a Sequence 5 or Sequence 6 Beyonder with trustworthy strength while also not knowing too many secrets due to his limitations in rank is an excellent choice… Klein silently said to himself, giving up the thought of “Teleporting” over as Gehrman Sparrow to capture him.
He couldn’t get any useful information for now!
He decided to wait patiently, waiting for the situation to change.
Of course, it wasn’t possible for him to continue monitoring from above the gray fog. If that happened, his physical body in the real world would be defenseless for prolonged periods of time. An accident would be disastrous. Hence, he created a batch of charms and handed it to Judgment, The Magician, and the other Tarot Club members. They were to immediately activate the charms if the situation deteriorated. That way, they could receive the help of The World.
This would be simpler than directly reciting the honorific name of The Fool to get “Him” to forward the information!
This was inspired from the Evemight coat of arms that the ascetic leader of the Church of Evernight, Arianna, had provided him. It was equivalent to a solidified ritual that pointed to him. From a mysticism angle, the principle wasn’t complicated. The difficulty needed in carrying out the ritual was that the target could react upon receiving the news from a distance away. This was to mean that for a limited distance, a Sequence 3 saint was fine, but for unlimited distances, it needed to be at the angel level.
As a newly-advanced demigod, Gehrman Sparrow was able to allow the charm to be useful because, when he made it, he used the corresponding honorific name and symbol of Sea God Kalvetua, and with the help of the gray fog, he could respond throughout the world.
It sounded a little complicated, but simply put, he had made use of his other identity’s level.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for the materials used for the charms, they were mostly tin—extremely easy to obtain and cheap.
In the Backlund Bridge area, Xio had both hands in her brown jacket pockets as she strolled leisurely along the streets.
Under the light of a street lamp that was quite a distance away, her expression was relatively calm, but she was unusually tense.
The hands in her pocket either held the handle of the Wintry Blade through a hole while the other was holding onto a charm made of tin with some force.
That was the “summoning charm” provided by The World Gehrman Sparrow.
As she walked, she made several detours without suffering from any ambush. The night remained quiet and tranquil.
Initially, she was worried that the king’s faction would be able to openly capture her through MI9 or other official organizations and bring her back for an investigation. In this case, summoning Mr. World would only lead him into an extremely awkward and dangerous situation. It was equivalent to being at odds with all the official factions in Backlund. But later, she realized that such a development wouldn’t occur. This was because her existence would be exposed to the three Churches. When that happens, the ones doing the investigation definitely wouldn’t be the king’s faction inside MI9.
The investigation must be done in secret. The person that appears might not even be someone from the military… Well, they’re still watching, afraid that I’m only bait? Mr. World said not to trouble him if we can resolve it ourselves… Xio looked around her without letting down her guard. She didn’t continue loitering outside and returned to the periphery of East Borough and entered her rented condominium.
Frankly speaking, she didn’t want to involve Fors in this risky endeavor. However, the two of them were the ones who had been following Viscount Stratford. This meant that Fors had also been put on the investigation list.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Although, as long as Fors hid in East Borough and seldom went out, it wasn’t certain that MI9 could find her. Doing so would lead to the corresponding investigations to reach out further. Based on her past experience, family and friends, as well as people communicated by letters would definitely be investigated. This easily affected others. Furthermore, if the two of them hid separately and didn’t stay together, the feeling of them being bait became too obvious. It made it difficult for them to hook up any targets.
After getting Fors’s approval, Xio finally chose to face the subsequent development with her friend.
Opening the door and entering the house, Xio had just taken off her cap when she saw Fors put down the magazine. She stood up, curled her hair, smiled, and asked, “You weren’t followed, right?”
This was a secret signal that the two of them had agreed upon ahead of time. On the surface, it showed their concern about being followed, but they were actually asking if they had been investigated.
“No.” Xio shook her head seriously.
Fors didn’t continue this topic. Instead, she went on and on, grumbling about how she couldn’t buy any good tea leaves or alcoholic beverages in the vicinity. It required her to walk very far to find them.
This warm and peaceful atmosphere continued till late at night. The two of them entered the bedroom and slept in a bunk bed.
After the candles were extinguished, Xio was about to say something when a holy light suddenly appeared in front of her.
The light instantly condensed into a silhouette, and twelve pairs of wings formed from scarlet flames appeared on its back.
Composite Start
Composite End
The figure descended and the layers of wings closed, enveloping Xio.
Mr. Fool’s angelic blessing… Xio was instantly enlightened.
This was also a matter that she had solemnly asked Mr. Fool when she made the prayer to contact The World Gehrman Sparrow, as she already knew that, apart from the Demoness Sect, the Psychology Alchemists was also working with the king’s faction. And not only were Beyonders of the Spectator pathway capable of hypnosis, but they could also dreamwalk. They needed to be careful of any investigations that used these two powers.
If she didn’t prepare herself, she suspected that she wouldn’t even detect an investigation that had been carried out, let alone be able to inform Mr. World.
Everything quickly calmed down. Xio opened her mouth and said to Fors who was sleeping in the bunk beneath her, “Goodnight.”
“…Goodnight.” Fors didn’t react in time, as though she was almost falling asleep.
This made Xio realize that she had also received the angelic blessings.
Time ticked by and the two fell asleep.
After an unknown period of time, the dazed Xio suddenly snapped awake, aware that she was dreaming.
Right on the heels of that, she felt something shadowy floating in the dark sky, and all kinds of thoughts from deep within her heart surged out to form a dream.
Composite Start
Composite End
These thoughts were mainly things that she had been most keenly aware of recently, including the night she barged into the warehouse and attacked Viscount Stratford.
At first, Xio was a little frightened. She wanted to wake up from her dream, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t extricate herself from that state. It was as though she was still in a dream even when she opened her eyes.
She quickly calmed down and tried to control those thoughts, only to realize that it wasn’t difficult.
Thus, the memories of the attacks on Viscount Stratford were buried. However, after some consideration, Xio deliberately didn’t do it well, leaving some clues behind.
In the dreamland, she and Fors discovered that something weird had happened inside the warehouse, but it wasn’t the same account she gave to MI9 that the tornado tore through the roof. Furthermore, they didn’t escape immediately.
Xio believed that this would allow the person who invaded her dreams to notice a problem but be unable to resolve it. After this, the investigators would confirm that there was a demigod or some faction behind the two of them. They would then believe that they weren’t too difficult to deal with because the level of the secret wasn’t too high.
This way, it was likely that they would send a demigod to deal with the aftermath. And this was a development that Xio anticipated. After all, every demigod had a high probability of knowing the king’s secrets due to the positions they occupied.
At this moment, Xio’s dream began to turn scattered, as though she had escaped some sort of guidance.
She knew that this was a sign of the intruder leaving.
For the rest of the night, nothing abnormal happened to her and Fors.
The sky lit up and the morning sun’s rays started to emanate through the thin fog.
After breakfast, Audrey brought along her big golden retriever, Susie; her personal servant, Annie; and her bodyguard. They boarded their carriage as usual and headed for the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation at 22 Phelps Street.
The chiming of bells rang out from the outside occasionally, bringing with them some sort of special energy. It made Audrey turn to look at the street and take in the sights of people coming and going.
This calmed her down and made her feel more energized. She only felt that the whole world was filled with vibrancy.
Just then, from the corner of her eye, Audrey saw a figure in the carriage.
The figure was wearing a black three-piece suit, a dark red bow tie, and held a top hat in his hand. His hair was completely white, but it was still thick, His light blue eyes seemed to contain infinite wisdom.
This was Hvin Rambis, the Psychology Alchemists councilor, a demigod from the Spectator pathway!
Suddenly, Audrey fell into a daze, as though she had lost all her vigilance and wariness. In the carriage, Susie, Annie, and the others wore vacant looks as though they had entered a state of blankness.
Hvin Rambis’s gentle voice rang out:
“Two things.
“Firstly, don’t you know Fors and Xio? Arrange to meet them and hypnotize them…”
Chapter 1046 A “Test”
That gentle voice seemed to resonate with the thoughts deep in Audrey’s heart. She only felt a little resistant to it before feeling as though it came from her heart, and that it was her truest thoughts.
Hvin Rambis looked at her emerald-green eyes and said unhurriedly, “Secondly, in the upcoming banquets and balls, don’t be as opposed as before to the few princes who take the initiative to show their fondness. Also, praise them a few times in front of Earl Hall and his wife.
“Remember all of the above, this is the reflection of your subconscious. Then, forget that I once said these things to you. Forget that this behavior is different from your usual behavior. Don’t try to seek blessings, and stay away from key spots in the Church of Evernight’s Mass…”
With that said, Hvin Rambis retracted his gaze from Audrey’s eyes. He turned to cue Annie and the rest, preventing them from being surprised by their mistress’s subsequent odd behavior.
After dealing with all these things, he disappeared from the carriage without causing a stir.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Ring!
Another bike passed by the window as Audrey’s slightly anxious eyes recovered their luster.
She looked at the people on the street coming and going when she suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
Then, embarrassed, she turned her head to say to Annie and the rest, “I forgot something. I have to visit Glaint first.”
At this moment, the carriage hadn’t left Empress Borough and wasn’t too far from Viscount Glaint’s residence. The servants like Annie didn’t find it strange or become put in a difficult position. They quickly instructed the coachman to turn into another street.
This continued until twenty minutes to ten in the morning. Audrey finally arrived at Phelps Street. She walked into the second floor of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation and entered her director’s office.
Looking at Annie and the others either organizing documents or using the spring water they brought alone to prepare black tea, Audrey brought Susie along to the lounge that was attached to her office. It was as though she wanted to check on her face to determine if she needed her lady’s maid to help touch up her makeup.
During this process, Audrey glanced at the keyhole and asked Susie in a relaxed manner, “Was there anything abnormal with my behavior today?”
This was a habit that she had only gotten in the past few days. It had only started from the moment Hvin Rambis disappeared!
Composite Start
Composite End
She knew that Mr. Fool’s angelic blessing wasn’t permanent. It could only be sustained for some time, and she wasn’t able to determine when Hvin Rambis would visit her. When that happens, she wouldn’t have the time to pray to Mr. Fool and do the corresponding preparations. Therefore, from her understanding and cautious attitude towards psychology and mysticism, she not only checked her behavior three times a day for any abnormalities or for any excessive coincidences, but she also instructed Susie to take note of her condition and be her mirror.
This was a precautionary measure of being hypnotized by Hvin Rambis and cued without realizing it!
Susie sat by the side and thought seriously before saying, “Yes.”
“…” Audrey’s smiling expression stiffened. She quickly looked at Susie and waited for her explanation.
Susie wriggled her nose and looked around before continuing, “You didn’t plan on paying a visit to Viscount Glaint when you left the house, but you changed your schedule halfway.
“You’ll inform me of the general schedule ahead of time over the past few days. Also, you said that you would discuss it with me if you decide to suddenly change or add to the schedule.”
Upon hearing Susie’s reply, Audrey’s expression turned grave.
She still didn’t feel that there was anything unusual about this matter, but this situation was extremely abnormal!
This made her almost certain.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hvin Rambis had been here before, right after she left her house and before she headed for Glaint’s residence!
The other party had already cued and hypnotized her and removed all traces!
However, he didn’t “exhort” a dog, making “it” feel like everything that it saw was normal… Audrey subconsciously wanted Susie to leave so that she could pray to Mr. Fool, but she was hesitant.
Would my current behavior be monitored by Hvin Rambis? Will he be sitting somewhere in this room and quietly be watching me… No, if that were to happen, he would’ve discovered a problem when I asked Susie. Praying wouldn’t make the outcome any worse… Even if he’s here, Mr. Fool would also discover it. I can promise a future sacrifice and pray that “He” directly send divine punishment… However, why don’t I wish to pray and ask for help… Audrey stood there, all kinds of feelings running through her as she instinctively wanted to escape.
This made her realize the contradiction, and she realized that there was a bit of resistance in her heart.
From the perspective of psychology and mysticism, she had a vague guess. She quickly put aside the idea of seeking help, allowing herself to be in her usual state of praying to the Goddess without the desire of getting a response.
This greatly reduced the conflict in her heart.
Audrey instantly became confident. She gestured for Susie to leave first, then she looked into the mirror and began softly hypnotizing herself.
“You’re not asking for help. You’re only doing your usual prayers… “You’re not asking for help. You’re only doing your usual prayers…”
Composite Start
Composite End
After repeating it over and over again, the vortex deep in the light greenness of Audrey’s eyes that could suck a person’s soul slowly dissipated, and her eyes returned to normal.
She then raised both her hands and placed them between her mouth and her nose. Then, she chanted in ancient Hermes, ‘The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era… I might’ve met Hvin Rambis…”
As she spoke, she didn’t mention any desire for any help but described her discovery.
After waiting for a while, a deep red light appeared in front of Audrey, drowning her like a tidal wave.
Suddenly, her thoughts became clear, and images flashed across her mind.
It was Hvin Rambis in his black three-piece suit, who was sitting in a horse carriage, sitting opposite her;
It was the elder who had exhorted her with a gentle voice;
It was the demigod from the Spectator Pathway whose light-blue eyes that seemed to contain infinite wisdom and vortices.
At the same time, those words resounded in Audrey’s ears again, making her remember everything that had happened.
After the crimson glow disappeared, she saw the long bronze table in front of her. Sitting at the seat of honor at the end of the table was a figure shrouded in the grayish-white fog.
Composite Start
Composite End
As emotions of fear, horror, and panic surged through her, she stood up, lifted her skirt, and curtsied to the great existence.
“Thank you for your blessings, Honorable Mr. Fool.”
Klein nodded and smiled approvingly.
“You handled it well.”
Upon hearing this, Audrey suddenly felt at ease, no longer as nervous as before. She sat down and calmly described what had happened to her.
As The Fool, there was no way for him to directly discuss things with Miss Justice, analyze it for her, or give suggestions. All he did was smile and say, “This is a test of fate.”
A test? Only through this test will I have the qualifications to become a demigod, so that I can protect the people I want to protect in Backlund which is in a state of turmoil? Audrey interpreted Mr. Fool’s hint and nodded seriously.
“I understand.”
Without another word, Klein sighed and smiled.
“Go back and welcome it.”
Audrey was about to express her gratitude again when the crimson light appeared before her eyes, blurring everything she saw.
In the blink of an eye, she returned to the real world, but she didn’t forget or ignore anything
A test? Does that mean that I have to resolve the danger of Hvin Rambis without exposing my secrets? Even if I cause the death of Hvin Rambis, I still wouldn’t be suspected by the Psychology Alchemists? How should I do that… Audrey looked at the abnormally beautiful blonde in the mirror. She turned her head slightly and glanced slightly to the side.
There was a large lounge in that direction. It belonged to the director who didn’t have any responsibilities in the foundation. Just ten minutes ago, Audrey had seen Mr. Dwayne Dantès inside when she was heading up the stairs.
Above the gray fog, Klein’s fingers tapped on the edge of the long mottled table as he analyzed what had happened between Miss Justice and Miss Judgment last night.
That’s not right. Adam had given me the Unshadowed Crucifix through Miss Judgment and Miss Magician. How could he not know which existence is behind them? What other test needs to be done?
Last night, I thought that the investigation of Miss Xio was purely an action from the king’s faction where they only used the help of a Mid-Sequence Beyonder from the Psychology Alchemists. And for some reason, Adam didn’t share any information of The Fool with the king’s faction or the Demoness Sect. After all, “He” still hopes that I can give “Him” some feedback…
But from the looks of it, this probe has Adam involved in it. Otherwise, Hvin Rambis wouldn’t be involved in this matter. Even for the Twilight Hermit Order, a saint is rather precious and important. They wouldn’t give one up so easily as a sacrifice…
What is Adam trying to test? “He” is testing to see if Miss Judgment’s investigation of Viscount Stratford and her subsequent actions were purely by her own choice, or if it had the will of The Fool involved?
If The Fool gets the Unshadowed Crucifix and realizes that the king’s secret is related to Adam’s scheme while still insisting that “His” subordinates investigate it, that will be making the Twilight Hermit Order an enemy. And Adam knows that Gehrman Sparrow is a Blessed…
But with Adam’s abilities, there’s no need to test out anything. Just sitting next to Miss Judgment and listening to her true thoughts will be enough to grasp the actual situation. There’s no need to go through so much effort…
Unless “He” has already left Backlund, or rather, to avoid certain problems, “He” doesn’t dare enter this big city again, and can only investigate it through “His” subordinates…
My warning to Ms. Arianna and the Church of Evernight has taken effect, causing Adam to sense the danger of a divine descent?
Probably. Even though “He” knows that Gehrman Sparrow has something to do with the Death Consul, “He” probably wouldn’t notice that something has happened to Artificial Death. Even the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction hasn’t noticed a thing; therefore, with the authority of Concealment augmenting this, “He” has no idea that the Goddess wouldn’t be able to carry out a divine descent for a long period of time…
Next up, I’ll have to deal with Hvin Rambis. I must make sure that Miss Justice is steered clear so as to not have any relations and isn’t suspected.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he saw Miss Justice Audrey enter the director’s lounge through her prayer light in search of Dwayne Dantès.
He quickly reined in his thoughts and returned to the real world.
Chapter 1047 Brainstorm
“Good morning, where’s Mr. Dantes?” Audrey smiled politely as she asked the young male valet that was of Loen and East Balam descent.
Enuni bowed and said, “He went to the washroom and will be back soon. Honorable lady, do you wish to wait here?”
“Alright.” Audrey found a single-seater and sat dowoi with all sorts of thoughts running through her mind.
Frankly speaking, if she only had to deal with Hvin Rambis, she had already come up with a concrete plan. It was to hypnotize herself in advance. When Hvin Rambis came to gather feedback, she would activate the The World Gehrman Sparrow’s charm without any ill intent. Then, she would work with the crazy adventurer to hunt the demigod.
Humph, in order to ensure that there aren’t any problems, I can also make a request to Ma’am Hermit for help. She’s already a demigod and can lurk in the darkness. She can then combine forces with Mr. World at the critical moment. That way, Hvin Rambis likely wouldn’t be able to escape… Audrey pursed her lips as she held back from grinding her teeth.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As for how The Hermit was to come to Backlund, she didn’t find it problematic. She could rent Leymano’s Travels and get Mr. World to record Teleport before requesting Mr. Fool to pass it to her.
But this way, even if Hvin Rambis didn’t manage to escape, the Psychology Alchemists would have ample reason to suspect that the murderer was the last person the demigod had interacted with—Audrey herself.
And this means that there would be countless troubles in the future… Audrey’s eyes shifted slightly as she tried hard to calm herself down.
At that moment, the white-sideburned and elegant Dwayne Dantes returned from the washroom. He smiled and greeted the noble lady who was waiting for him.
After letting his valet, Enuni, guard the door, this tycoon looked around before finally turning his gaze to Audrey.
You seem to have encountered some difficulty?”
Audrey didn’t interpret Mr. World’s actions and replied frankly, “Yes…”
She gave a description of what she had encountered and said, “What should I do to solve the problem?”
What she really meant was how she could avoid leaving behind any remnant problems for the future.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein smiled and said, “Why don’t you discuss it with the two ladies?”
That’s right! like Mr. Moon, we can request for a private mini-gathering… Oh, Judgment Xio, The Magician Fors will definitely participate. Apart from them, I can also invite Mr. World, Mr. Hanged Man, Ma’am Hermit, Mr. Moon—uh, I can count him out… Audrey felt excited for some baffling reason.
At this moment, she felt as though she wasn’t fighting alone.
“I understand.” Audrey nodded with a smile.
She then thought of another problem and quickly took the opportunity to ask, “Hvin Rambis has made me no longer reject the princes and praise them in front of my parents. What’s his motive?”
Klein thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps it’s to show some kind of friendliness on the surface. It’s to rope in your father and make a hint to the Church of Evernight behind him. Regardless of the king’s secret, whether it succeeds or not, he will definitely need at least one orthodox Church’s support so as to reduce the opposing forces.”
“Is that so…” Audrey didn’t really reject Mr. World’s explanation. This was the politics she was familiar with if she stripped off the outer shell that involved Beyonder powers.
She didn’t stay any longer and returned to her own office. After settling her daily affairs, she grasped her afternoon break and prayed to Mr. Fool and applied for a mini-gathering to be convened.
Above the endless grayish-white fog, dark red beams rose up around the long bronze table.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey looked around, stood up, and curtsied to the other members.
“Everyone, I have something I wish to hear from you.”
“It sounds urgent,” Alger nodded gently and replied.
Audrey sat down and said, “Yes.”
She then looked at Xio and Fors.
“I met Hvin Rambis this morning. He hypnotized me to do two things for him and to forget his appearance.
“Fortunately, I was quite careful and cautious. I quickly discovered something odd, and thanks to Mr. Fool’s blessings, I remembered everything.
“One of the things Hvin Rambis asked me to do was to arrange for a meeting with Miss Magician and Miss Judgment and take the opportunity to hypnotize them. I’ll then obtain intel on the instigator for the actions they had recently taken and also get them to leave Backlund as quickly as possible.”
What? Fors was originally worried about Miss Justice’s safety, but she never expected things to make one rotation before coming back at her and Xio!
Composite Start
Composite End
To think they targeted Miss Audrey. It’s really hard to guard against them! She’s targeted by a demigod… After a moment of shock, Fors felt more astonished and afraid.
She couldn’t help but look at her friend and saw Xio sitting calmly, but her hands had unconsciously clenched into fists.
Cattleya didn’t understand something as she frowned and asked, “The Psychology Alchemists, or should I say Hvin Rambis, discovered that Miss Judgment and Miss Judgment are members of our Tarot Club?”
This was a very serious and crucial matter.
Audrey shook her head and said, “No, it’s only because I know them in the real world.”
At that moment, she no longer tried to hide her identity from Fors and Xio.
In fact, ever since Xio joined the club and obtained the Judgment card, Audrey knew that she would be exposed sooner or later. Through repeated observations, she had confirmed that her two friends had already guessed it, but they tacitly didn’t expose her.
“You know them?” Cattleya asked in surprise as she adjusted her heavy glasses.
Audrey nodded.
“Yes, they were actually recommended by me. Mr. Hanged Man can testify…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Ah? Didn’t we chant Mr. Fool’s honorific name because we wanted to save ourselves and get pulled in here? How did it become a recommendation process? Fors looked at Miss Justice blankly before glancing at Xio, her face blank and confused.
Xio also had that rare, similar expression because the word “recommended” had exceeded what she knew as well as her speculations.
Audrey felt a little embarrassed. She blinked and explained to her two friends:
“Because all of you have your own special qualities, and I also hoped that the Tarot Club will develop and expand, I recommended the two of you to Mr. Fool. However, this was just a chance for you. If you hadn’t passed Mr. Fool’s test, ‘He’ wouldn’t have pulled you in.”
Test? What kind of test did I undergo? Fors was still confused. As for Xio, she thought of many things, especially the origins of the paper that had Mr. Fool’s honorific name, as well as her frantic search for an exorcism.
No wonder I had an inkling that they knew each other… No wonder Miss Judgment only entered the club after so long. This was probably due to their different individual experiences… Each of them has their own specialties. This “specialty” is the selection criteria? Do I have one? Cattleya came to a realization as she came up with a theory.
Upon seeing this, Alger, who had some level of judgment regarding this, wasn’t at all surprised as he chuckled and said, “We can talk about this in the future. Miss Justice, the problem you would like to ask about is how to deal with Hvin Rambis?”
“Yes.” Audrey returned to the topic and asked seriously, “If we not only have to deal with Hvin Rambis’ but aW the Psychology Alchemists from suspecting me, what should I do?”
Alger didn’t have any experience in dealing with a demigod, so all he could do was rely on his insight that had been built up over the years. He deliberated and said, “Lock onto the whereabouts of Hvin Rambis. Only take action after he has interacted with someone else?”
“How do I lock onto him?” Audrey asked the question herself before giving the answer. “After getting the answer from Miss Judgment and Miss Magician, I’ll wait until Hvin Rambis leaves after I meet him again. Then, I’ll recite Mr. Fool’s honorific name and ask ‘Him’ to cast ‘His’ gaze on the demigod?”
Theoretically it’s possible. My true vision above the gray fog has a radius of nearly ten kilometers. As long as Hvin Rambis doesn’t know Teleport, I can confirm his location and trajectory for a short period of time. Then, I can return to the real world and directly “Teleport” over. Hmm, this will require the help of divination… But the problem is that it requires The Fool to personally intervene… As The World Gehrman Sparrow, Klein said in a hoarse voice, “Let me remind you of something. Miss Judgment and Miss Magician had mentioned Adam in the real world. The Psychology Alchemists originated from the ruins of Hermes who is a member of the Twilight Hermit Order. And Mr. Fool doesn’t wish to be at odds with the Twilight Hermit Order because of this matter. Even if we were to do anything, we must try not to let the other party know.”
This string of words contained a lot of information that made Alger, Cattleya, and the rest feel like they were seriously experiencing a literal brainstorm. Xio and Fors were even more shocked.
So that organization is called the Twilight Hermit Order… Mr. Fool doesn’t want to be its enemy over this matter. Is it because “He” had just finished collaborating with the Angel of Imagination Adam over the matter of Ince Zangwill? I never expected the Psychology Alchemists to be related to the Twilight Hermit Order… Wait, Hermes? H-he’s still alive? He’s actually a member of the Twilight Hermit Order? Th-the members of this organization are really unimaginably important figures? Alger first glanced at Gehrman Sparrow before failing to resist the urge to look at Cattleya.
He realized that the latter was equally shocked without hiding it.
“The Twilight Hermit Order… Is this the ancient secret organization that Emperor Roselle joined?” Cattleya mumbled to herself as if she was seeking confirmation.
Gehrman Sparrow gave the answer:
“Yes.
“After you return to the real world, it’s best if you don’t think about matters like this again. You’ll easily be detected. If you don’t trust yourself, you can get Miss Justice to give you some psychological cues.”
Chapter 1048 Real and Fake “Spy1
In the ancient palace above the gray fog, with The World Gehrman Sparrow’s words coming to an end, no one spoke for a moment. The entire place was silent.
The Psychology Alchemists are cooperating with the king’s faction and are investigating Xio and I. The founding of the Psychology Alchemists originated from the discovery of a Hermes ruins, and Hermes is a member of the Twilight Hermit Order. Its leader happens to be Angel of Imagination Adam… And Xio and I had mentioned Adam in the real world… This… We’re in the sights of a King of Angels? Th-th-this… In the world of mysticism, just a slight mistake can result in such dangerous circumstances? Fors’s mind was filled with Gehrman Sparrow’s warnings as she was gripped by horror and panic.
Although she had experienced many things in the past, she had never had such a clear realization of the thorny path Beyonders tread. Any mistakes could lead to a terrible consequence.
…I have to be more cautious in the future… Of course, the premise is that I can survive under the watch of King of Angels Adam. May Mr. Fool bless me! Fors seriously reflected on the matter and silently prayed.
Xio also didn’t expect her situation to be so perilous. She didn’t expect that something like this would involve a King of Angels. She couldn’t help but feel horrified and fearful, but she had already decided to sacrifice herself for the truth. She rapidly calmed down, but couldn’t help but shoot a glance at The Magician, feeling guilty for pulling her good friend into this conundrum.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this point in time, crying and feeling remorse won’t solve the problem anymore. All I can do is try my best to keep Fors alive at the critical moment… Fortunately, there’s still Mr. Fool’s blessings… Xio cast her gaze at Justice Audrey as she thought to herself.
“Then what should we do next?”
She had mixed feelings towards Miss Justice’s recommendation. On the one hand, she knew that Audrey thought highly of the Tarot Club and had recommended her purely out of good intentions. On the other hand, she felt that she had gained the notice of a secret existence for no good reason. Thankfully, it was Mr. Fool, or she would’ve died a tragic death long ago. Even her soul wouldn’t be able to receive deliverance.
Well, I guess it’s because I voluntarily chanted Mr. Fool’s honorific name that I was dragged into it. There wasn’t any coercion. Ultimately, I’m sitting here of my own volition. It has nothing to do with Miss Justice. Also, if it weren’t for her recommendation, I might never have such an opportunity to grow stronger to seek out the truth… Xio pursed her lips as she furtively took a deep breath.
Justice Audrey knew about the relationship between the Twilight Hermit Order, Hermes, and Adam, so she was the calmest one there. She just never expected that Fors and Xio’s casual mention of the Angel of Imagination had garnered “His” attention.
This made her have an unprecedented awareness of the horror behind the words “any mention of it will be known.”
After some deliberation, Audrey looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow and tried to interpret his words.
“Does Mr. Fool mean that ‘He’ doesn’t want to directly make an enemy of the Twilight Hermit Order at the moment? Does that mean that it can be done indirectly?”
Klein nodded slightly and said, “That should be the case.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Does it involve interfering with divination, one’s attention, and prophecies?” Audrey asked.
At this mini-gathering, The World Gehrman Sparrow represented the will of The Fool.
Klein laughed and hoarsely said, “Perhaps a little more indirect.”
He answered vaguely because The Fool hadn’t thought of what to do either.
Their conversation seemed to inspire Alger. He looked at Justice, The Magician, and Judgment, one after another. “Which of you is a believer of the Evernight Goddess?”
He was almost certain that at least one of the three ladies believed in the Evernight Goddess. After all, among the people of Loen and the residents of Backlund, the standards for women, and those who had been educated, these filtered out most of the believers of other deities.
“I am,” Xio said without hiding anything.
Audrey raised her hand slightly.
Seeing this, Alger nodded slightly.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“We can try to mislead someone and make it seem like the Church of Evernight did something against Hvin Rambis, not the Tarot club.”
As he said this, Alger skillfully changed the pronoun he used to refer to the group. He was only invited to be a “consultant” and wouldn’t actually be involved in the matter. He should’ve said “you” should do this and that, but he had chosen to use “we.”
Pushing the blame to the Church of Evernight… This line of thought seems really familiar… Klein in his The World Gehrman Sparrow’s manifestation suddenly found it amusing.
Then how should the misdirection be done?” Audrey’s eyes shifted slightly as she hurriedly asked.
Alger looked around and said, “Hvin Rambis only hypnotized you to not seek blessings and sit in key spots at the Church of Evernight’s Mass where you can be cleansed to a certain degree. But he didn’t ask you to avoid the Church of Evernight’s archbishop. You can use this to create an opportunity. Meet the archbishop; of course, there’s no need to say anything. This way, when Hvin Rambis dies or vanishes, the Psychology Alchemists will most probably suspect that the Church of Evemight had detected something wrong with you and had set up a trap.”
Without waiting for Miss Justice to respond, he looked at Xio.
“After you’re hypnotized but before you leave Backlund, head to the nearest Church of the Evernight Goddess and pray seriously. Act like a spy sent by the Church of Evernight to infiltrate the Tarot Club. This will misdirect the Psychology Alchemists into believing that the matters pertaining to Hvin Rambis were done by the Tarot Club, but was in fact a smokescreen. The true mastermind behind all of this is the Church of Evemight…”
Acting like a spy in the Tarot Club that was sent by the Church of Evernight… Well… Klein felt a little guilty.
He was a genuine Blessed of Evernight!
Composite Start
Composite End
And Leonard was a genuine Red Glove!
It should be said that the Tarot Club’s convener and host, Mr. Fool, also draws the crimson moon on his chest… Klein muttered in amusement and helplessness. As a result, he was also rather inspired.
“This can only fool typical Beyonders. Without the blessings of Mr. Fool’s Angel, the higher-ups of the Psychology Alchemists can easily figure out the truth,” Cattleya reminded.
The Hanged Man replied, “So, the main point is that we should be indirectly blessed by Mr. Fool. Otherwise, would it be impossible for us to deceive the Spectator pathway’s King of Angels, Adam? Also, Miss Magician and Miss Judgment, when you pray at the cathedral of the Evernight Goddess, it’s best if you pray to Mr. Fool and get “His” help in extricating yourself from the hypnosis and not immediately leave Backlund.
“Under such circumstances, Backlund is safer than anywhere else.”
“Alright,” Xio replied seriously.
Seeing that the discussion had reached this point, Audrey and the others all looked towards The World Gehrman Sparrow, awaiting his response.
Klein’s thoughts had already taken shape. He deliberated for a moment, then laughed hoarsely.
“Actually, there are simpler ways to interfere.”
“What methods are there?” Audrey’s eyes widened as she asked with concern.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein looked at Miss Justice and pointed at the top of his head.
“Once Hvin Rambis leaves, bum that hat accessory and trigger the charm I gave you.”
That feather hat accessory? The hat accessory that can get a so-called response from Death? Mr. World hopes to get this existence to disrupt the divination, attention, and prophecy… Audrey’s green eyes sparkled as she nodded in thought.
“I know what to do.”
When that happens, the response would be the power of Concealment. This way, no matter what happens, Adam can only assume that the Goddess had interfered, believing that “She” had blessed the Hall family and has nothing to do with the Tarot club… I wonder if the Goddess will send Ma’am Arianna. That way, finishing off Hvin Rambis will be made very simple. If not, I’ll give myself Angel’s Embrace ahead of time and use my marionettes which are dead. That will result in a high chance of victory… Klein mumbled inwardly without saying anything else.
Justice Audrey quickly completed her plan, doing so as though she was talking to herself as she spoke to Xio and Fors:
Visit me on Wednesday afternoon. This way, I’ll have a chance to see the Church of Evernight’s archbishop in advance…
“I’ll pray to Mr. Fool for “Him” to provide his angelic blessings. That way, I won’t be hypnotized by Hvin Rambis when I meet him. We’ll act once he leaves…
“Hvin Rambis is a cautious and conservative person. He should continue choosing to meet me on the way to prevent himself from being caught or from falling into a trap…
Soon, amidst the discussions of the other members of the Tarot Club, the plan was complete. The World Gehrman Sparrow declined Cattleya’s suggestion of providing help. After all, he couldn’t guarantee that powerhouses from the Church of Evernight would be involved.
As for the payment, all the spoils would belong to The World, and Audrey would provide him with a free help commission according to his request.
On Wednesday afternoon, in Viscount Glaint’s residence.
After returning to the turf club, Audrey, who was wearing a simple white dress shirt and a pair of pants of the same, bright leather boots, and a black leather jacket that clung to her waist, stood inside the viscount’s study and looked at Xio and Fors.
“Who got you to investigate Viscount Stratford and pursue the king’s secret?”
Her green eyes were like an ancient pool of water in a deep mountain. It was quiet, deep and clear, making one unknowingly sink into it.
At this moment, Xio and Fors were really hypnotized. The former answered in a daze, “It was me. I’m investigating the cause of my father’s death…
“However, I do pray to a particular existence to bless me…”
Audrey asked a few more questions and received a satisfactory answer. Then, she said with a gentle voice, “Leave Backlund and leave this place. You don’t belong here.
“Alright, you’ll wake up when you hear me clap.”
The moment she said that, Audrey clapped her hands and saw Xio and Fors’s eyes regain their clarity.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xio and Fors bade her farewell and left. Audrey began to wait patiently.
She planned to stay inside Viscount Glaint’s residence for another half an hour. She was waiting for Xio to enter the nearest Evernight Goddess cathedral and finish her prayers before heading elsewhere.
This way, regardless of whether Hvin Rambis appeared en route or elsewhere, she would be prepared.
Picking up the lady’s bonnet with a white feather accessory, Audrey walked out of the study, planning to meet up with Susie and Annie first before chatting with Glaint to kill time.
She had just taken two steps when she heard a gentle and smiling voice:
“Well done.”
Audrey’s pupils dilated as she hurriedly turned her head, only to see a silver-haired man standing next to an elegant wall lamp rack. His eyes were light blue, and his clothes were neat. He was none other than Hvin Rambis!
This demigod was actually waiting in Viscount Glaint’s residence for Audrey to complete the hypnosis and receive the answer!
At this moment, Xio and Fors probably hadn’t walked out the main door.
This was completely outside Audrey’s expectations and The Hanged Man’s analysis. This meant that Hvin Rambis was present, so there was no need to question the target through Audrey. Being in the vicinity and personally hypnotizing them was just as dangerous!
How did this happen… Even if Xio and Fors didn’t meet with any delays en route and maintain a relatively fast speed, it would take at least fifteen minutes to arrive at the nearest Evernight cathedral… Luckily, I was cautious enough and had prayed to Mr. Fool for an angelic blessing ahead of time. I also actually hypnotized Xio and Fors… An upheaval of thoughts instantly ran through her mind before she rapidly suppressed them.
At first, she looked confused, and then her face wore a look of realization. It was as if she had finally woken up from her long dream and remembered the things that had been neglected.
“Mr. Rambis, why are you here…” Audrey made her voice sound ethereal, as though she was still in a dreamy stupor.
As she spoke, she made use of the control of her emotions as a Psychiatrist to make an unavoidable hint of anxiety flash through her mind, doing so without causing any abnormalities.
This unexpected turn of events made her unsure of how to proceed.
Without a doubt, she understood that she had to first deal with Hvin Rambis’s subsequent questions so that the demigod wouldn’t suspect anything. However, if that was the case, he would leave in three to five minutes after he was done asking. As for Xio and Fors, they definitely wouldn’t have entered an Evernight cathedral yet. This inhibited the step needed for the misdirection, and when the time came, igniting the hat accessory and summoning The World easily exposed flaws in the handling of matters in the end. They wouldn’t be able to completely fix the inherent problems.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
No, I’d rather miss this opportunity than proceed with the plan without being fully prepared… Patience, tolerance, and caution are key in the mysterious world… At the very least, Hvin Rambis will be making use of me for a long period of time and not directly harm me. He wishes that I marry with some prince, and this process will take more than half a year. I still have plenty of time. I can wait for the second, third, or even fourth or fifth opportunity… The only problem is that I need to inform Xio and Fors and get them to really hide as quickly as possible… Audrey quickly came up with a decision as her eyes restored to normal while showing hints of wariness and fear.
After observing her reaction and hearing her question, Hvin Rambis smiled and said, “This should be your first time hypnotizing someone, and I was worried that an accident would happen, so I specially came here to wait. Heh Heh, given your background, you don’t usually have the chance to do this…”
His voice was gentle and laced with concern. It made the wariness and fear in Audrey’s eyes subside bit by bit.
But in Audrey’s mind world, she once again felt her consciousness being split apart. Some of them were raised, looking down at the “island” and the “sea.”
This made her clearly realize that her fond feelings and sense of security that she had just felt were all artificial.
Seeing that Audrey had returned to normal, Hvin Rambis nodded and said, “How did they answer your question just now?”
Audrey honestly said, “Xio said that the investigation of Viscount Stratford and the pursuit of the king’s secret was all of her own will. She was very suspicious about the death of her father. Her father was the former captain of the royal guards, Earl Mason Dere…
“However, she mentioned that her actions were blessed by a certain existence.”
As she answered, Audrey almost stopped talking. This was because her spirituality high in the sky was looking down at “herself1 on the island of consciousness and the spiritual sea. She saw a figure rising up from the bottom of the sea as it followed up steps that appeared, passing through the subconscious realm and landing on her Body of Heart and Mind’s island.
Composite Start
Composite End
The figure was wearing a black three-piece suit, with a head full of silver hair. It was another Hvin Rambis.
There wasn’t a hint of a smile on Hvin Rambis’s face. He had an extremely sinister air, and a part of his skin was covered in grayish-white scales. Not only did his eyes turn from pale blue to golden, they also turned vertical, looki^^ like a particular animal.
If it weren’t for the fact that she had experienced something like this before, just the intense level of nervousness she currently felt might’ve prevented Audrey from acting as though she hadn’t noticed anything while ensuring that she didn’t stop speaking or end up stammering.
In the real world, Hvin Rambis smiled as he looked at Audrey’s pretty face and asked further, “Which existence’s blessings?”
Audrey shook her head as the island of consciousness began to change.
“When this matter was raised, Xio and Fors became very resistant. There were signs of escaping the hypnosis, so I didn’t dare continue asking.”
Of course, the blessings of a particular existence could be explained as Mr. Fool’s attention, and it could also be understood as the Goddess’s… The lucid Audrey muttered silently under the spiritual sky.
Hvin Rambis continued to circle around the questions and asked about the details of the hypnosis.
After two or three minutes, he nodded satisfactorily and said, “Not bad. You do have a gift in hypnotizing people. When the recent events come to a close, I will give you the Dreamwalker potion and personally host the ritual for you.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Oh yes, don’t reject love and marriage too much. You’re not even twenty years old, and it’s the perfect time to pursue such matters. Your charm is enough to gain everyone’s affection and enjoy their attention…”
Hvin Rambis used an indirect hint and guidance to lower Audrey’s resistance towards love and marriage.
This detestable guy… Audrey puffed up her cheeks under her spiritual sky and muttered resentfully. She then controlled herself to reveal some shyness and longing.
Hvin Rambis didn’t expect to succeed by simply following a logical process. Seeing this, he retracted his invading consciousness and allowed himself to leave the island.
He turned around and said, “Forget what I just said. They’re all spontaneous thoughts from your heart.
“After I leave this place and disappear from your sight, you’ll forget that I was here.”
Upon hearing this, Audrey under the spiritual sky couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief. This meant that Hvin Rambis was about to leave.
Even though it had only been five minutes since his appearance, making it insufficient for Xio and Fors to enter the nearest Evernight cathedral, Audrey was still eager for Hvin Rambis to leave as soon as possible. To face off a demigod of the Spectator domain was unimaginably stressful.
There’s still a chance after this. As long as I maintain my consciousness, there will still be a chance. Audrey, don’t be depressed, don’t be impatient… Audrey silently consoled herself as she watched Hvin Rambis turn around and walk towards the hall.
Composite Start
Composite End
She didn’t relax and didn’t breathe. She tried her best to maintain her normal state.
Suddenly, Hvin Rambis stopped in his tracks and turned around. He narrowed his pale blue eyes and looked at Audrey. “Why were you so scared when you first saw me?”
…I-I was too surprised at that time, so I didn’t manage to hide some of my emotions well? Audrey felt her scalp tingle under her long, blonde hair as her thoughts whirled quickly. She asked, puzzled, “Really?
“Isn’t this normal? Someone suddenly appeared beside me. A brief shock is inevitable.”
Hvin Rambis nodded, as if agreeing with this explanation. He sized up Audrey and suddenly said, “You used to carry a mystical item that can change one’s form with you as an accessory. Why didn’t you wear it today?”
To a Spectator, this detail was an abnormality.
Oh no… I’ve been hiding Lie beneath my clothes most of the time. How did he notice that I wasn’t wearing it this time… He has secretly read some of my memories, memories that I didn’t protect to appear normal… Faced with Hvin Rambis’s question, Audrey felt her thoughts stagnant.
The reason why she wasn’t wearing Lie was simple—she was afraid that this accessory would amplify her emotions, preventing her from being able to completely hide her true thoughts when facing a demigod from the Spectator pathway.
This meant that she had predicted that she would meet Hvin Rambis today. This was something that shouldn’t have happened under normal circumstances!
In the blink of an eye, Audrey grabbed onto an idea and smiled blankly.
Composite Start
Composite End
“It will amplify my emotions and reduce the success rate of the hypnosis attempt. I removed it in advance to avoid any accidents.”
Hvin Rambis nodded and said, “So that’s the reason…”
Just as Audrey was feeling a little relaxed, this “Spectator” pathway’s demigod suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“If it’s just this matter, there’s nothing worth suspecting. But compared to when you saw me, the fear that slightly exceeded normal limits seems to imply something…”
As he said that, Hvin Rambis’s light-blue eyes turned vertical and was quickly dyed with the color of gold.
The two golden vertical pupils clearly reflected Audrey’s image in her rider’s attire.
With a buzz, Audrey’s thoughts became extremely muddled. Only the “her” under the spiritual sky barely remained conscious.
The surface of the spiritual sea surrounding the island surged with waves, enveloping it.
At the same time, the sinister-looking Hvin Rambis returned to the island and stopped beneath the sea surface, allowing patches of grayish-white dragon scales to fly into the foundation of the island where most of a human’s subconscious lay.
Audrey suddenly felt her thoughts twist, prompting her to say everything, confessing all her secrets.
Relying on the lucidity of “herself under the spiritual sky, she barely controlled herself and didn’t reveal anything. She also knew that there would definitely be problems if this continued, so she quickly diverted some of her thoughts and, relying on the angelic blessing and her splintered consciousness, prevent Hvin Rambis from noticing it.
Some of those thoughts included reaching her hand into her left pocket.
Just then, Hvin Rambis, who had invaded her mind world, looked increasingly sinister as he snorted.
“There really is a problem!”
If there wasn’t a problem, Audrey would’ve started with the most important matters, revealing all her secrets and private matters one by one, instead of staying silent!
Likewise, since the manipulation attempt happened so quickly, Audrey didn’t have the time to sort out all her secrets. Even if she wanted to hide anything, her lucidity would be discovered the moment she spoke.
After confirming that something was off, Hvin Rambis didn’t hesitate any longer. His gaze turned extremely cold as grayish-white scales covered his skin.
The storm in the spiritual sea suddenly intensified, and Audrey, who was under the spiritual sky, staggered.
The last bastion of the defenses of her consciousness was rapidly weakening under the repeated attacks, putting it on the verge of shattering.
“Humph!” Hvin Rambis increased the force of the mind storm once again, feeling satisfied that Audrey’s entire Island was shaking.
This meant that he was about to completely control her!
At this moment, he heard an ancient word:
“Fate!”
In the real world, Hvin Rambis looked up in surprise. All he saw was that Audrey’s green eyes were dyed with the brightest, the most dazzling gold.
Chapter 1050 Good At Using Hypnosis
As the ancient Hermes words resounded, the areas where Audrey and Hvin Rambis stood dimmed.
It was as if someone had passed by, blocking the window that was closest to them, then quickly left.
By the time the light returned, the island filled with a terrifying mind storm in the illusory world had transformed from Audrey’s to Hvin Rambis’s. The person that had intruded on the other party’s Body of Heart and Mind went from Hvin Rambis to Audrey.
Fate Siphon charm!
This was made using a Worm of Time as the material. Using The Fool’s powers, this charm was created. It could siphon off a corresponding target’s subsequent fate for a short period of time, exchanging the corresponding fate with the user!
It was the consultation fee Audrey had received from Gehrman Sparrow after she treated Hazel’s mental breakdown. With the corresponding charm, she could divert her future of having her consciousness defenses broken and losing control over her thoughts to Hvin Rambis. She then siphoned off the Mind Storm from him and opened her target’s door to the Body of Heart and Mind. She then directly altered and planted the corresponding consciousness’s fate.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In an instant, the situation reversed. Audrey went from the edge of collapse to gaining the absolute advantage.
Of course, this advantage could only last for a short period of time.
Frankly speaking, if it weren’t for her imagining how she could save herself in a desperate situation, Audrey definitely wouldn’t have thought of using the Fate Siphon charm. Or it could be said that, by the time she thought of it, it would be too late. At this moment, just like how she had practiced it countless times in her mind, she suppressed her surprised emotions from the effects of the Fate Siphon charm and quickly confirmed her condition. With her current advantage, she made the Hypnosis and Mind Storm swirl together, instantly opening Hvin Rambis’s door to his Body of Heart and Mind.
Hvin Rambis was instantly dumbfounded, as if he was an ordinary person whose attention had been diverted to Audrey’s golden eyes and thus fall under her hypnosis.
Yes, at this moment, as a demigod of the Spectator Pathway, he had been controlled by Audrey, who was only a Sequence 6.
This way, even if the effects of the Fate Siphon charm came to an end, it wouldn’t change the development in the real world!
However, Audrey knew that, with the help of the magical charm, she was using Hvin Rambis’s powers to open the door to his Body of Heart and Mind and achieve initial control. Whatever she wanted to do later would definitely be rejected by him, and with her Sequence level, she had no means to resist or control such intense power.
Furthermore, she could clearly sense that Hvin Rambis was subconsciously resisting his current state. In the real world, a small amount of gray scales began to appear on his
face.
Composite Start
Composite End
In no time, he would be able to forcefully extricate himself from the state of my initial control over his mind… A realization flashed across Audrey’s mind.
She then cast her gaze towards Hvin Rambis’s head, feeling a little regretful that she didn’t carry a powerful revolver with her. Otherwise, she could take this opportunity to shoot at him several times in a row in an attempt to kill him.
Soon, she recalled that she had Dragon Scales. She believed that Hvin Rambis definitely had it, and that it was even stronger. It wasn’t something an ordinary attack could tear through, even most mystical items that were at the Mid- or Low-Sequences couldn’t do so!
And if she couldn’t kill him in one shot, Hvin Rambis would definitely be able to use this opportunity to regain consciousness and escape her control.
Without any hesitation, Audrey, who lacked the appropriate offensive abilities, quickly came to a decision:
Hypnotize him!
He’s best at hypnotizing and is very resistant against this, so he wouldn’t prepare any additional items that can affect his defense… I can’t let him do things that will be against his will. With our difference in levels, I definitely can’t resist the corresponding subconscious resistance he puts up… Thoughts ran through Audrey’s mind as she spread her slightly parched lips.
She tried hard not to show any signs of abnormality as she looked into Hvin Rambis’s eyes and said in a gentle voice, “Find a spot inside Glaint’s mansion and wait. Find me in the garden 15 minutes later…”
Such a subconscious thought didn’t stir any obvious signs of being rejected; therefore, Audrey was able to complete her control rather smoothly. To Hvin Rambis, he was indeed looking for Audrey today, and the venue for the meeting was also Viscount Glaint’s mansion. Audrey’s hypnosis was simply changing the corresponding time and place, and the discrepancies were just in a very small aspect. It matched Hvin Rambis’s thoughts and didn’t waste too much of his effort; therefore, she didn’t encounter any intense resistance.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright…” Hvin Rambis responded to Audrey’s words.
Audrey didn’t care to let out a sigh of relief. She focused and continued looking into the other party’s eyes. She gently said, “You will only come looking for me in fifteen minutes, so you haven’t seen me today.
“Since you haven’t seen me, everything that happened just now definitely didn’t happen. They will be forgotten.”
As Hvin Rambis had accepted the hypnosis, he followed the logical train of thought. Although there was resistance, it wasn’t anything intense. Soon, the golden light disappeared from those alluring eyes.
“Yes, I haven’t seen you before. Nothing happened just now…” Hvin Rambis repeated with a blank expression. The grayish-white scales on the surface of his skin had increased significantly again.
After completing this crucial step, Audrey resisted the urge to pat her chest and thought for a second.
“When you hear my singing, it will become quiet.”
She wanted to hypnotize him with her charm, but she realized that she wasn’t able to take on a seductive pose, and she couldn’t make the corresponding expressions. She could only lift her hand to comb her blonde hair and tilt her head. The ripples in her eyes swirled as her smile beamed.
Following that, she hummed a melody, Manor Under the Moon-in a nasal voice.
Composite Start
Composite End
Hvin Rambis looked at the girl in front of him who looked as beautiful as sunlight, flowers, and gems. Listening to the ethereal voice, his mind gradually turned silent, as he no longer had any resistance.
Seeing that her initial control was about to be released, Audrey didn’t hesitate and pointed to the other side of the corridor.
“Go over there, and you will regain consciousness and dispel Dragon Scales when you see the stained glass.”
She knew very well that on the other side of the corridor, there were exquisite white stained glass.
This order didn’t pose any danger, nor did it violate Hvin Rambis’s will. He immediately took a step forward, walked down the corridor, and turned right.
Only when his back disappeared from her sights did Audrey slowly exhale, allowing the fear, alarm, and anxiety to surge into her heart.
Her body trembled slightly as she opened her mouth slightly. She couldn’t help but gasp and exhale.
Ten seconds later, Audrey used Placate on herself and calmed herself down.
Then, she glanced at the wall clock and stood there, raising her hands and placing them in front of her mouth and nose, reciting Mr. Fool’s honorific name in a low voice.
She prayed for an angelic blessing again and requested this great existence to tell The World Gehrman Sparrow that she had confirmed when Hvin Rambis would arrive and would summon him two minutes ahead of time, allowing him to arrive at the appropriate moment. There was no need to be in a rush or to be too close to prevent Hvin Rambis from being aware of an ambush.
Composite Start
Composite End
During this process, Audrey only briefly mentioned what had happened. She didn’t elaborate on it to prevent wasting any time.
Following that, she raised her hands and pressed her cheeks, completely restoring her expression to normal. She began hypnotizing herself, allowing herself to sing the melody the moment she saw Hvin Rambis.
After doing all of this, Audrey went to the main hall and first found the golden retriever, Susie. She then retrieved the Lie necklace and the Alcohol Nemesis diamond brooch. The latter, which could resist any mental influence, could only be worn for half an hour; otherwise, the damage one’s liver and brain suffered would be irreversible. Therefore, Audrey prepared to wear them again after she left Glaint’s residence to prevent Hvin Rambis from finding her midway.
Susie didn’t notice anything amiss with Audrey as she watched her wear the brooch and necklace.
After a few minutes, Audrey folded a black fishnet glove into her equestrian pocket and used the excuse of going to the washroom, making a detour to Viscount Glaint’s garden.
Then, she looked at the large clock hung up on the attached tower, her mind tensing up as she memorized the time.
To her, she was afraid that Hvin Rambis wouldn’t come, but she was also worried that he might come early or be late.
Time passed by slowly and Audrey used Placate twice to calm herself down.
When there was still two minutes and fifteen seconds left, she took off the feather accessory on her hat and flicked her wrist.
The scarlet flames soared, igniting the white feather.
This was Lie’s Flame Controlling ability.
As the flames burned, they turned pale. In just two or three seconds, the feather which was a product of Artificial Death was reduced to ashes.
Nothing happened around her.
Looking at the clock, Audrey took out a charm made of tin and recited a word in ancient Hermes:
“Lightning!”
The charm lit up as though many tiny electric snakes were entangling with it.
It was a charm that summoned Gehrman Sparrow.
When the lightning dissipated, the charm completely disintegrated and melted into the void. However, there was still silence without so much as a sound.
Xio and Fors should’ve found a Church of Evernight cathedral and begun praying… Audrey calmed down and pretended to enjoy the flowers of the remaining autumn days.
She didn’t lift her head to look at the large clock, counting the time in her heart.
Three, two, one… She slowly raised her head and looked around, but she didn’t see Hvin Rambis.
He discovered something strange and distanced himself from this place? Audrey’s heart tightened as she couldn’t help but think back to what she had missed.
At that moment, she heard a gentle voice:
“What are you looking for?”
Audrey’s pupils dilated. From the corner of her eye, she realized that the silver-haired, blue-eyed Hvin Rambis had appeared beside her at some point in time, a hint of suspicion hidden in his voice.
Having already hypnotized herself, she didn’t hesitate at all. She followed her subconscious and started humming the melodic “Manor Under the Moon.”
Amidst the ethereal voice, Hvin Rambis calmed down and listened attentively.
Suddenly, he realized that the distance between him and Audrey had become very far despite them remaining in their respective spots.
The dark night enveloped the garden despite it being late in the afternoon. A huge crimson moon rose over the top of the building as a figure stood there, wearing a black trench coat and a half top hat. His face looked hazy due to the back lighting.
Chapter 1051 Different Styles of Different Pathways
Upon seeing this scene, Hvin Rambis immediately extricated himself from that state of calm, clearly aware that he had fallen into a trap. He also further realized that he was already under some sort of influence.
Without any hesitation, he arched his back and his body swelled.
His pupils turned vertical, turning from pale blue to golden. His face, the back of his hand, and every inch of his exposed skin grew grayish-white scales.
Amidst the screeching sound, the white shirt, black vest, formal coat, and straight trousers that he wore tore apart, revealing the dragon scales beneath.
In the blink of an eye, Hvin Rambis had transformed into an abnormally massive monster. Aside from his head that remained in the form of a human, the rest of his body had changed completely. It was like a dragon that had yet to fully evolve.
The dragon’s back was covered in gray-skinned wings, and its limbs were thick. The grayish-white scales were engraved with complicated, three-dimensional mysterious symbols. They extended into the flesh, extending into the surrounding void. It seemed to be a mesh of objects that didn’t belong to the real world. It threw anyone who laid their eyes upon it into suffering a form of mental confusion as their thoughts warped. Even one’s Spirit Body would be tainted with all kinds of thoughts that came from deep within one’s heart, eager to rip apart and mutilate themselves.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the Spectator pathway’s incomplete Mythical Creature form!
For demigods of other pathways—those who weren’t at the angel level—they required immense willpower and firm beliefs to fight in their Mythical Creature forms. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to control the madness and the inclination of losing control. There was a high chance of them immediately losing all rationality and transforming into a monster. However, the Spectator pathway was different. They had Placate which could treat their minds and souls, so they weren’t helpless towards the madness and inclination of losing control. Therefore, as long as the fight wasn’t prolonged, they could use their Mythical Creature form and return to normal at will.
Whoosh!
All the thoughts in Hvin Rambis’s subconscious domain boiled over as they churned, identifying the parts of his consciousness that had been altered, purging them out and melting them down into nothingness.
Whoosh!
The violent winds surged around Hvin Rambis’s grayish-white dragon avatar. It seemed to come from reality, but also seemed to come from an illusory world.
They carried a certain will as they whirled in every direction. Any creature that was embroiled would inevitably be placed into various abnormal states, stand rooted to the ground in a daze, or blindly escape towards the corners of the garden. There would be varying degrees of losing of control as their knees would buckle before they slumped to the ground. Some would even faint immediately and fall into a coma. Others would reveal their most fervent expressions, crowding around the dragon-like attendants.
This was a qualitative change in “Dragon Might” which stemmed from a Mythical Creature form. It went from its original state of placing others in a state of “Awe” to “Mind Deprivation” with even more effects!
Seizing the moment when Dragon Might swept the surroundings, Hvin Rambis focused and transformed into illusory, sinister versions of himself. Through the sea of collective subconscious which eluded most Beyonders, he approached Gehrman Sparrow on the rooftop and Audrey Hall by the garden’s periphery at high speeds.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a Spectator, he could tell that the attacker was Gehrman Sparrow just by seeing his face and temperament!
At this moment, Audrey was mumbling to herself and compelling herself based on the discussions and warnings from the two demigods, The World and The Hermit, above the gray fog.
“I can’t see anything. I can’t hear anything…
“I can’t see anything. I can’t hear anything…”
She was trying to avoid losing control from looking directly at Hvin Rambis’s Mythical Creature form.
However, this also made her unable to “see” or sense that a particular illusory, sinister version of Hvin Rambis was approaching her Body of Heart and Mind from the sea of collective subconscious.
But suddenly, before Hvin Rambis’s “eyes,” the blonde, green-eyed girl’s island of consciousness disappeared.
Audrey felt a warmth from her body, as if she had returned from a cold, dark cave to the surface where the sun shined.
She hurriedly dispelled the hypnosis and opened her eyes. The sun in the sky pierced through the clouds that couldn’t be considered thin, scattering its resplendence. Bathed in the bright golden glow, autumn flowers bloomed in silence. Everything was beautiful and peaceful.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey looked around blankly, but she didn’t see Hvin Rambis, Gehrman Sparrow, or the huge crimson moon.
This made her feel like everything that she had just experienced was just a dream.
What mighty powers… A battle between the two demigods might not even harm a single flower. Audrey silently muttered to herself before calmly leaving the garden, retreating to the corridor that connected the garden to the house.
She was afraid that her presence would affect Gehrman Sparrow’s fight.
In the concealed world, one of Hvin Rambis’s manifestations had also landed on Gehrman Sparrow’s island of consciousness under the crimson moon.
Just as he was about to set foot on it and open the door to the Body of Heart and Mind and control Gehrman Sparrow’s subconscious to make him do things against his own will, he realized that the illusory island that stood in the sea of collective subconscious was filled with a deathly silence—there were no stirring thoughts or the appearance of new thoughts. There was no way of influencing it.
Puppet! Marionette! Hvin Rambis instantly made a judgment. Combined with the information he had obtained in the past, he had a better grasp of Gehrman Sparrow’s abilities.
He wasn’t shocked or depressed. Instead, he felt a sense of glee and confidence. This was because, for a demigod of the Spectator pathway, he could easily tell the difference between a marionette and the true body, greatly mitigating Gehrman Sparrow’s strongest ability.
Besides, do you think a marionette can foil my mind invasion and control of one’s consciousness? That sinister and illusory Hvin Rambis swept his golden vertical eyes and found a transparent passage on the marionette’s island of consciousness. On the island of consciousness, it was the symbolic form of Spirit Body Threads in the mind world!
Composite Start
Composite End
Right on the heels of that, Hvin Rambis’s figure flashed, and he traced the transparent passageway and found another island of consciousness hidden in the distance. This was where the source of where the marionettes were controlled, which meant that it belonged to the actual body!
“Found you!”
Hvin Rambis snorted coldly as he conjured a terrifying mind storm in the sea of collective subconscious, allowing them to thrash about in Gehrman Sparrow’s island of consciousness over and over again.
This caused the nearby “weather” to rapidly change, and the ability to percept the surroundings via spirituality suffered intense interference. Hvin Rambis took the opportunity to get close to Gehrman Sparrow’s island of consciousness, and he conjured a grayish-white staircase in an attempt to furtively invade his opponent’s subconscious.
This was his usual style of fighting. One stayed in the light while the other stayed in the dark. While one attacked head- on, the other sneaked in. With these two angles of attack, it easily broke the target’s mental walls and allowed him to control his opponent’s Body of Heart and Mind.
At the same time, as a dragon avatar, he flew up and spiraled in midair. It affected Gehrman Sparrow with its Dragon Might and Breath, complementing the battle at the consciousness level.
At this moment, from deep within the sea of collective subconscious, Hvin Rambis had silently invaded the Gehrman Sparrow’s Body of Heart and Mind when all of a sudden, he saw a boundless grayish-white fog. All the sea of collective subconscious around and the islands had vanished.
Hvin Rambis’s heart tightened as he hurriedly analyzed his psyche, suspecting that he was under an illusion.
However, no matter how he handled it, the grayish-white fog didn’t change. Of course, there were no accidents or danger. It was as if it was just a simple background.
That was pretty suspicious.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as Hvin Rambis was preparing to stir a mind storm here, the grayish-white fog finally dissipated, revealing the island of consciousness from before that belonged to Gehrman Sparrow.
Hvin Rambis didn’t have time to hesitate. He quickly entered the corresponding subconscious and attempted to change his target’s thoughts.
However, those thoughts were dyed with a bright light, a holy and majestic aura. It was unshakable and uninfluenced.
This… Hvin Rambis instinctively looked up and looked towards the sea of consciousness from the stone stairs that he conjured.
Other than the “island” itself, there was also a figure with twelve pairs of fiery wings, emitting golden light.
It looked like the projection of an angel’s powers!
Since he was planning on dealing with a demigod from the Spectator pathway today, Klein had no doubt used Angel’s Embrace on himself. With the Red Priest’s level of importance, he directed the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, allowing him to temporarily be unaffected when facing an incomplete Mythical Creature form.
And the reason why he didn’t show it directly was that he was experimenting with Hvin Rambis.
As Hvin Rambis attempted to invade his island of consciousness, his marionette, Qonas Kilgor, distorted the target his enemy locked onto, changing it from Klein’s Body of Heart and Mind to Klein’s projection of the gray fog.
As a result, if Hvin Rambis found the island of consciousness in the grayish-white fog, it meant that there was a being of unknown origins sleeping in the mysterious space. This meant that Klein had to be wary ahead of time. On the contrary, he could feel a little relaxed.
This was something he had long wanted to test but didn’t dare attempt because it might be dangerous. Today, he finally had a chance to do so. After all, even if there were any consequences, Hvin Rambis would be the one dying and not him. It might even allow him to easily finish off a demigod.
Seeing that he was blessed by an angel and wasn’t capable of breaking or infiltrating his opponent’s Body of Heart and Mind in a short period of time and exerting his consciousness on him, Hvin Rambis retreated without any hesitation. He left the area and returned to his mind world through the sea of collective subconscious.
Then, the massive dragon disappeared, disappearing into thin air, preventing Klein from even finding it via Spirit Body Threads.
Psychological Invisibility!
Hvin Rambis planned on using a psychological blind spot to hide in the dark. Then, using area-of-effect Beyonder powers like Mind Deprivation and Mind Storm to slowly weaken Gehrman Sparrow’s angel-enhanced mental walls, he would attempt using his own Sealed Artifact to attack.
As a demigod of the Spectator pathway, although his dragon form was powerful at melee combat, it still lacked the necessary, powerful offensive Beyonder powers. It had to be made up for through certain Sealed Artifacts.
At this moment, an illusory book appeared in front of the Gehrman Sparrow who could be either the marionette or his actual self. Following that, there was an ethereal voice:
“I came, I saw, I record.”
Klein was using Lightning Storm which had been “Recorded” by the Creeping Hunger!
For something like Psychological Invisibility, it could be easily resolved with a full area-of-effect bombardment!
It has to be said that, when dealing with a Beyonder with such a fighting style, the Storm pathway was a pretty good choice.
Chapter 1052 3vl
Boom!
Lightning bolts descended from the sky, covering the entire area illuminated by the huge crimson moon with a silver “forest.”
Lightning flashed and destructive auras swept over, not leaving any spot unscathed.
The giant grayish-white dragon, which still had a human head, appeared again. There were tiny bolts of electric bolts scurrying over its scaled body. There were also some obvious cracks.
Hvin Rambis’s Psychological Invisibility couldn’t be maintained under such a wide area-of-effect bombardment. After all, his interactions with his surroundings couldn’t be avoided. All he could do was eliminate his sense of presence and stay in the blind spot of one’s attention. Once the level of interaction grew excessive, he didn’t have the means to avoid exposure.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As soon as he appeared, the Lightning Storm calmed down quite significantly. The Gehrman Sparrow’s body on the roof instantly blurred and phased into existence diagonally below the incomplete dragon.
Right on the heels of that, the glove on the crazy adventurer’s left hand protruded with fine black particles that were deep and dark.
Then, he opened his mouth and said as word filled with foulness and corruption from the Devil language:
“Slow!”
Hvin Rambis knew that his opponent was using Creeping Hunger and knew the true level of the item. He found Gehrman Sparrow amusing and was about to raise his left claw that grabbed onto an ice-blue metal cylinder, slamming it down at his enemy beneath him.
This was a Sealed Artifact with unknown origins called “Rotting Meteor.” Hvin Rambis had obtained it from a particular existence, and he was only aware that part of it came from the cosmos.
This ice-blue metal cylinder could fire special dark-green bullets that would instantly poison anyone who was hit with it. They would begin rotting in a way that even their Spirit Bodies wouldn’t be spared. This was also effective against demigods.
Its negative effect was that the wielder had a probability of gaining the attention of the cosmos and suffering corruption without realizing it. If not for having the item sealed thanks to a particular existence, Hvin Rambis definitely wouldn’t have dared to carry it around. But even so, he tried to limit his usage of it, lest he suffered a strange death or anomaly. That was a common ending for many of the previous owners of Rotting Meteor.
Currently, Hvin Rambis didn’t believe that the Language of Foulness, which was at most at Sequence 5, could affect him in his incomplete Mythical Creature form. He planned on using Rotting Meteor to finish off the Sealed Artifact- equipped enemy that posed a threat.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, at this moment, his actions had really slowed down, and his entire body felt stiff.
On the pitch-black roof under the gigantic crimson moon, another Gehrman Sparrow in a black trench coat and silk hat had appeared at some point in time. He held a six-barreled revolver in his right hand and aimed his left hand at the Gehrman Sparrow beneath him before balling his fist and turning his wrist.
Earl of The Fallen—Magnify!
This was Klein’s other marionette, a demigod from the Lawyer pathway, Qonas Kilgor!
With the help of his “Magnify,” Creeping Hunger could amplify the Beyonder powers it obtained from “Grazing” souls, almost raising it to the level of Sequence 4, or in other words, at the level of a demigod!
Of course, Magnify couldn’t be used consecutively in quick succession. It was limited to a one-time use each time.
Due to Hvin Rambis’s current Mythical Creature form, no matter how “Magnified”,,SlowM was, it couldn’t affect him for long. Therefore, it was the Gehrman Sparrow, who was actually Enuni, who had to seize this short opportunity and control Hvin Rambis’s Spirit Body Threads.
Normally, he would take three seconds to attain initial control. However, his opponent had already revealed a powerful Mythical Creature form, and time would definitely extend the time required. It would take perhaps about seven seconds or even more than ten seconds to succeed. And by then, Hvin Rambis would’ve long extricated himself from the influence of Slow, restoring himself to normal and carrying out the corresponding countermeasures.
At this critical moment, Qonas Kilgor aimed his left hand at Winner Enuni once again and clenched his fingers.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Another Magnify!
The control of the Spirit Body Threads was “Magnified”!
Suddenly, Enuni’s control of Hvin Rambis’s Spirit Body Threads became easier, as if the Mythical Creature form hadn’t been revealed.
In other words, he could obtain initial control in three seconds.
This was already rather formidable, but the problem was that the dragonified Hvin Rambis wouldn’t take more than a second to extricate himself from the influence of “Slow.”
No, he had already escaped!
At that moment, there was a gunshot. A bullet that looked lusterless—deep and profound but not dark—swiftly shot out with its many strange patterns and struck Hvin Rambis who had just escaped from his “Slow” state.
In another comer of the garden, another Gehrman Sparrow in a black trench coat and a silk top hat appeared.
Hvin Rambis’s dragon body stiffened once again. Not only did his thoughts come to a halt, even the wings on his back froze, and he had lost all his control of himself. The entire dragon collapsed to the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
Control Spirit Bullet!
Klein had used his Worms of Spirit as the material to contain the Control Spirit Bullets made from the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. It could even freeze Sequence 3 saints for one or two seconds!
At that moment, Hvin Rambis, who had an incomplete Mythical Creature form, wasn’t much stronger than a Sequence 3 saint. Back when Amon’s avatar was hit by the Control Spirit Bullet, it had also froze for more than a second.
In addition, Klein could also get Qonas Kilgor to “Magnify” the power of the bullet. However, to grab the opportunity, he had failed to do it in time.
The string of team combination attacks from before had already made Klein turn poignant, as obtaining the aid of a demigod from the Lawyer pathway was terrifying. It was very, very effective. Of course, under normal circumstances, the Earl of the Fallen’s Magnify could only amplify the effects and influence that strengthened one’s body or actions without helping others. However, the problem was that, as marionettes with Worms of Spirit within them, they were without a doubt, no different from Klein. He hadn’t been augmenting others, but himself!
Seizing the opportunity of Hvin Rambis falling into a state of paralysis, Winner Enuni obtained initial control over the Spirit Body Threads.
The incomplete dragon had just ended its rigid state when its thoughts became sluggish. Its movement had a certain delay.
It had to be said that, after a Bizarro Sorcerer obtained a powerful marionette, they could unleash terrifying powers through their cooperation with their marionettes. Klein also had a cheat-like method like Control Spirit Bullets. This was something that could only be created by him because he was the only one who could stir the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. Of course, Amon and other powerhouses also had similar charms and bullets. The only difference was the effects would be different.
Seeing that Hvin Rambis had come under a certain level of control, Klein began preparing to disrupt any form of resistance he tried putting up, preventing him from escaping from his current state until he became a marionette. However, at this moment, his head suddenly ached due to an intolerable mania in his heart.
Then, he became extremely down, as if he couldn’t feel joy anymore. He despised himself and wished he could give up his life just like that so that he wouldn’t be a burden on others.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the blink of an eye, he became excited. His eyes seemed to be blood-red and filled with hatred towards anything, wanting to destroy everything he saw.
Not good… Before his mental state deteriorated, Klein realized that he had been influenced by Hvin Rambis at some point in time. Something was wrong with his Body of Heart and Mind.
He hurriedly attempted to Cogitate to fight against the abnormal mental state. However, various thoughts that didn’t seem to belong to him flashed through his mind:
“Let’s end it here…”
“F*ck, think of a way to save yourself!”
“What exactly happened? I think I have a serious mental illness…”
“A psychiatric disease that’s contagious? The special mental illness that Miss Justice mentioned? This is indeed a High- Sequence Beyonder power of the Spectator pathway!”
“Why are you saying so much? That’s a demigod Psychiatrist you’re facing. Turning him into a marionette will easily resolve this problem.”
Realizing that Gehrman Sparrow hadn’t shot the second bullet, Hvin Rambis’s face, covered in grayish-white scales, revealed a faint smile.
Although he hadn’t anticipated the tight cooperation between Gehrman Sparrow and his two marionettes, causing him to quickly fall into a perilous situation, it wasn’t like he hadn’t done anything prior to this.
Before he left the sea of collective subconscious, he had secretly planted Contagious Madness in a marionette!
A marionette was, after all, a dead person. Although it was unable to be controlled by any other methods other than Spirit Body Threads, it didn’t mean that they didn’t have an island of consciousness. It was just a dead mass, but it was precisely here that Hvin Rambis buried a “seed” named madness.
The seed couldn’t affect the marionette itself, but it could secretly infect the sea of collective subconscious of its surroundings, causing the person who kept switching between bodies to unknowingly place themselves in an environment with a contagious mental disease. Also, this madness could also be transmitted via Spirit Body Threads.
In addition, this type of infection stemmed from one’s “self.” It wasn’t something an angelic blessing could screen. At most, it would be weakened and have the effects weakened.
This was a High-Sequence Spectator’s power, Manipulator’s Mental Plague!
In ancient times, there would be people from time to time who were placed in repressed states for prolonged periods of time and appear abnormal at the same time. Their abnormality influenced the people around them, causing “mass hysteria” to happen. An ancient folk song once sang of it in such a manner:
“Seven young ladies are dancing weirdly on the street;
“Nine men are rolling on the ground laughing by their sides;
“On a horse carriage passing by, the nobles are slapping their faces;
“The stoned children are crying outside the house by the street;
“People are hurting each other. The entire city is crazy.”
If one thought about it carefully, it would make one feel an inexplicable sense of horror. However, Hvin Rambis knew that the scene described in the myth was true. It was an experiment from a Spectator pathway demigod.
A highly-contagious Mental Plague!
By the time Gehrman Sparrow’s actual body went crazy, his control over his marionettes would undoubtedly be lost. When that happened, Hvin Rambis would be able to escape from his predicament.
It wouldn’t take long, as it only took a few seconds!
At that moment, a Manipulator like Hvin Rambis wasn’t afraid that Gehrman Sparrow had the charm which Audrey had used—the one that could temporarily swap fates between two people. This was because a swap would put Gehrman Sparrow in a state of becoming a marionette. His thoughts would turn sluggish and his body would stiffen. As for Hvin Rambis, being infected by the Mental Plague was a relatively simple problem for him to resolve.
At this moment, Hvin Rambis saw the Gehrman Sparrow on the rooftop aiming his left hand at the Gehrman Sparrow who was holding the iron-black, long-barreled revolver. He gripped his fingers and slowly turned his wrist.
Distortion!
Klein had used Qonas Kilgor’s Beyonder powers to distort the level of his mental disease, weakening it and slowing down the deterioration!
Making use of this period in which he had clarity of mind, he raised Death Knell again and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Another Control Spirit Bullet shot out and hit the motionless, massive incomplete dragon.
At the same time, Qonas Kilgor used Magnify!
Despite being attacked, Hvin Rambis didn’t escape from Enuni’s control, because he had fallen into a “long” period of feeling numb and stiff.
Klein silently kept count of the time, shooting a third Control Spirit Bullet before Hvin Rambis truly recovered.
And before the third Control Spirit Bullet’s “Magnified” effects ended, the grayish-white, incomplete dragon trembled as it returned to “normal,” no longer looking sluggish.
Chapter 1053 Presiden
In the dimly-lit world, the gigantic crimson moon hung silently over the house while everything in the garden seemed to be asleep.
The despair in the incomplete grayish-white dragon’s eyes dissipated as it retracted its skin-covered wings, behaving like a docile hunting dog reared at home.
The Psychology Alchemists councilor, demigod of the Spectator pathway, Hvin Rambis, had lost his life and became Klein’s marionette!
Without bothering to enjoy this achievement, he switched places with Enuni, who was beside the grayish-white dragon, appearing as Gehrman Sparrow in his black trench coat and silk top hat.
Then, he controlled his new marionette to treat the infection he received from Mental Plague.
A gentle and cool breeze swept past the sea of collective subconscious, seeping into Klein’s island of consciousness. It made him feel like the object reeking of a rotten, putrid, and discordant object in his Body of Heart and Mind was being purged out of him with a surgical knife.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein’s face immediately contorted as he grimaced. He once again felt the excruciating pain in his soul.
Thankfully, in order to create the Control Spirit Bullets and the Yesterday Once More charms, he was already accustomed to this feeling. He didn’t hold his head and roll around.
After purging the contagious mental disease from his consciousness, the cool wind brought about a warmth that made him want to take an afternoon nap. It allowed his damaged Spirit Body to relax as if he was soaked in a bath. His mind and body quickly recovered thanks to the nourishment.
By the time he recovered from his mental disease, the gentle breeze that blew at him became intense. It swept the surroundings, wiping out all the “contagion” left in the air.
After doing all of this, Klein made the grayish-white dragon rapidly shrink its body, converge its godhood, and turn back into its human form.
However, as Hvin Rambis’ clothes had been ripped to pieces, the gray scales on his body didn’t disappear.
A few seconds later, the ascetic leader of the Church of Evernight, Arianna walked out of the gigantic crimson moon in her simple robe and belt made of tree bark. Her long black hair cascaded down as she stepped across the void and arrived diagonally above Hvin Rambis.
The angel stretched out “Her” right hand and, with a gentle squeeze, let Hvin Rambis’s blurry soul leave his body and float above his head.
“Why are you helping George III?” Arianna asked directly.
Composite Start
Composite End
Hvin Rambis’s confused expression immediately turned serious.
“This is the choice of the times, an inevitability of destiny. We are just following the flow of the tides and providing some guidance, allowing the times to develop in the right direction.”
The standard answer of the Twilight Hermit Order… From the looks of it, the Psychology Alchemists’ demigod doesn’t know what Adam’s true goal is either… Even as official members of the Twilight Hermit Order, most of them probably don’t know… Klein didn’t have any problems thinking thanks to his situation inside the concealed world.
Arianna didn’t show any surprise as she pressed, “What is the trend of the times?”
Hvin Rambis’s eyes were unfocused, but his expression was solemn as he answered, “A war, one that will sweep the entire world.”
This… Isn’t peace nice? Klein frowned slightly as he couldn’t help but mumble inwardly.
He knew very well what a world war would do to humans.
He only wished that his investigation with the Church of Evemight would be able to seize the key and successfully prevent the war which the Twilight Hermit Order was strongly pushing from erupting.
Arianna fell silent for a second before asking, “What’s the secret George III is hiding?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hvin Rambis revealed a smile.
“Every king is restrained by three major contracts and can only reach a limit of Sequence 5. But with our help, he bypassed the restrictions and has already reached a higher level. Once the tides of the times come, he’ll easily be able to ascend to the spot that should’ve belonged to him.”
Three major contracts… What’s that? It’s understandable to limit a king to Sequence 5 due to the strong push to keep mysticism under wraps. It’s best for a king to be changed normally. The people will find it acceptable if they could live for 80-90 years old, but to still be active at 120-130 years will be the cause for conspiracy theories and panic… George III cooperated with the Psychology Alchemists and the Demoness Sect to live longer? Typically, this is a restriction on the king, not the other members of the Augustus family. They should have Grounded Angels among them, so there’s no reason for them to support George III… Many questions arose in his mind.
“George III still isn’t a demigod, is he? Is he using some method to possess a higher level and perform the ‘acting’ ahead of time?” Arianna asked unhurriedly.
To the Church of Evernight, this was a crucial problem. If George III was already a demigod, they could directly contact the Church of Storms and Steam to capture him because the King himself was enough evidence.
Hvin Rambis’s soul nodded and said, “Yes.”
“What is the exact method?” Arianna continued asking.
Hvin Rambis slowly shook his head and said, “I’m not sure. The person in charge of this matter is our president. I only remember him once mentioning that he wanted George III to have more talent.”
More talent? Upon hearing such a description, Klein instantly thought of something in Roselle’s diary.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the eyes of the emperor, the so-called “talent” was to make one’s psyche and soul more like a high-level ancestor, as such be able to obtain the recognition of the corresponding Beyonder characteristics or the mental imprint within Sealed Artifacts, allowing them to easily consume the potion and wield the Sealed Artifacts without the immense negative effects.
This wasn’t a perfect solution. It could even be said that there were great latent risks. This was because the mental imprint would revert and control the consumer or wielder’s soul, causing them to experience certain changes.
If anyone were to rely on this method to advance to a demigod, there was an extremely high chance of becoming a monster formed of mental sutures!
Was George III hypnotized? He actually accepted such a method? No, if he was hypnotized, the Augustus family’s angel or Sealed Artifacts would definitely discover the problem… Klein became even more puzzled as he waited for the ascetic leader floating in the sky to ask further.
Arianna clearly knew what “more talent” meant. Without any change in expression, she asked, “Who is your President?” Hvin Rambis revealed a look of reminiscence.
“He has many identities and names, but I can confirm that he is the president of our Psychology Alchemists as long as I see him.
“His current identities and names are:
“One of the Four Kings of the Sea, the King of the Black Throne Barros Hopkins; the former chancellor of the Backlund Medical School; the royal family’s medical consultant; the already ‘dead’ Pauli Derlau; the famous ascetic of the Central Sonia Sea, Eric Drake…”
King of the Black Throne… It was only then that he realized that he had heard of this title, but he had always neglected it, not taking it to heart and seldom thinking about it.
So this Pirate King is from the Spectator pathway… He nodded in enlightenment.
Composite Start
Composite End
Arianna listened quietly and asked, “What secret is George III hiding in the Blood Emperor ruins?”
Hvin Rambis’s slightly dazed expression changed slightly.
“An extremely important thing. If he wants to grasp it, he will need a large number of sacrificial rituals.”
“What is it?” Arianna pressed without any pause.
Hvin Rambis was taken aback.
“I… I don’t remember…”
He suddenly raised his hand to grip his soul’s head, clearly in pain.
However, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t remember the answer.
Was this memory forcefully “deleted” by Adam or a certain angel from the Spectator pathway? Klein watched with a heavy expression as he felt that the secret in the ruins was more important than he imagined.
Arianna fell silent for a few seconds before lowering her head and asking Klein, “Do you have anything you want to ask?”
Klein thought for a moment and asked Hvin Rambis, “What is the name of the High-Sequence Beyonder potions of the Spectator pathway?”
The pain in Hvin Rambis’s soul lessened as he slowly replied, “Sequence 4 Manipulator. Sequence 3 Dreamweaver. Sequence 2 Discerner. Sequence 1 Author.”
He didn’t mention Sequence 0 Visionary, clearly unaware.
“What’s the potion formula for Manipulator?” Although Klein felt that his question was rather substandard compared to Ma’am Arianna’s, he still asked.
In a dazed tone, Hvin Rambis said without hesitation, “The main ingredient is an elderly mind dragon’s complete brain, or the crystalline heart of a Tree Mentor, or a Beyonder characteristic of a Manipulator.
The supplementary ingredients are 80 ml of the blood of an elderly mind dragon, 3 golden leaves of a Tree Mentor, and 7 different drops of tears from different humans or non-human creatures that were shed due to intense emotions…
“The ritual is that on a special occasion with at least ten thousand people, drink the potion when they are in the midst of an emotional resonance.”
In contrast, the difficulty of a demigod ritual of the Spectator pathway isn’t that high… That’s right. Spectators can heal and analyze themselves, allowing them to effectively deal with the madness and the loss of control brought about by the potion, so the ritual can be simplified… Klein nodded in thought.
“What’s the potion formula for Dreamweaver?”
“I don’t know.” Hvin Rambis shook his head.
Alright then… Klein asked Hvin Rambis why he had personally come to Audrey and received the corresponding answer.
Then, he said to Arianna, “I have no further questions.”
The questions he had couldn’t be answered by Hvin Rambis.
Arianna’s right hand pressed softly, causing Hvin Rambis’s soul to return to his body.
Following that, the angel glanced at Klein and said calmly, “Don’t use him as a marionette.
“Before his mental imprint is removed, it’s best you don’t use his Beyonder characteristic to create items.’ Of course, I don’t want Adam to visit me… Klein nodded sincerely.
“I will remember it. Thank you, Ma’am Arianna.”
Chapter 1054 Tailored-Made Ritual
After thanking “Her,” Klein immediately gave up his control over Hvin Rambis, making it impossible for him to maintain his marionette-like state.
With that, this Spectator pathway demigod collapsed to the ground and became a corpse.
Arianna lowered her head and took a look, the darkness in her eyes growing deeper.
Hvin Rambis’s corpse immediately got erased like a pencil drawing as if it was being wiped away by an eraser, inch by inch, leaving behind only the ice-blue metal cylinder.
Right on the heels of that, beams of light seeped out of the void and quickly gathered together, forming a strange object.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was fist-sized and looked like a heart. However, it resembled a different kind of brain with its surface being covered in grayish-white wrinkles, each crevice with countless symbols and strange patterns that extended into the surroundings. These connected to a world that Beyonders of other pathways couldn’t see.
This was the Beyonder characteristic left behind by a Manipulator.
Miss Arianna’s concealment and reversing concealment process is able to quickly extract Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic… Klein came to a realization after a moment of pause.
At this moment, Arianna calmly said, “The mental imprints in it have all been removed.”
“Thank you, Ma’am Arianna.” Not surprised at all, he bowed as if he had prepared to do so.
He had decisively given up on his marionette because he foresaw that something like this would happen.
In fact, his original plan was to bring Hvin Rambis above the gray fog as a marionette, allowing him to use Unshadowed Crucifix to purge the Manipulator, Dreamwalker, Hypnotist, and other Beyonder characteristics out. This way, Miss Justice no longer needed to worry about the ingredients needed before becoming a demigod, even her Beyonder dog at home had a chance of advancing. After all, Audrey had briefly mentioned in the past to Dwayne Dantes that her act of escaping from Hvin Rambis’s control was all thanks to Susie.
But later on, he considered that there was no way he could bring Hvin Rambis above the gray fog inside this world of concealment, as it would directly expose the fact that he was The Fool under Arianna’s watchful eyes. And once he left, no matter where he teleported to, there was a chance of being discovered by Adam because of Hvin Rambis’s existence.
In that case, giving up a marionette in front of Arianna was undoubtedly a better choice. At least, this angel had a high chance of helping him remove the mental imprint on the Beyonder characteristic.
Composite Start
Composite End
And none of these affected Klein’s original plan. He could easily find some ingredients to make Hvin Lanbi’s Beyonder characteristic into a problematic potion. He would then pour it onto an ordinary item so that it could absorb the potion and transform.
After obtaining such a Sealed Artifact and binding it with the Unshadowed Crucifix, he could obtain the corresponding Beyonder characteristics by keeping track of the time.
As for the mental corruption during this process, there was no need for concern. The Unshadowed Crucifix could also cleanse it!
Klein picked up Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic, but he wasn’t able to stuff it into the iron cigar case. He could only stuff it into his pocket. As for Arianna, “She” cast her gaze towards the ice-blue metal cylinder and said in an unhurried voice, “It’s from the cosmos, so it’s best you don’t use it. Even you carrying it with you should be limited. Otherwise, a gaze might be cast onto you, causing you to be corrupted and suffer aberrations.”
“From the cosmos?” Klein found the description familiar.
Soon, he remembered the origins of its familiarity:
This originated from the the “Yellow light” Venithan’s prophecy of the apocalypse in “Sights in the Spirit World” from the Abraham family:
“Casting one’s gaze from the cosmos, the lands shatter. Everything in the world will cease to exist.”
The apocalypse… The origins of this Sealed Artifact is related to the apocalypse? What does the cosmos represent? What does it have to do with the astral world? A series of questions formed in his mind, making his expression turn heavy.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Faced with his question, Arianna nodded gently and said, “Yes, the cosmos.”
“Is it the cosmos above our heads?” he pointed at the dark night sky which was embedded with the gigantic crimson moon.
“Yes.” Arianna gave an affirmative answer, but she didn’t explain further.
After some thought, he asked again, “There are many hostile existences that are attempting to destroy this world?” Arianna’s gaze swept across his face and finally stopped at his eyes.
“I can’t give you an answer.
There are some things that make it easier to be ‘infected’ the more you know. Both your body and soul will be infected. Once you become an angel, you can seek out the exact answer.”
The more I know, the easier it is to get “infected”… A chill ran down Klein’s back.
He didn’t ask Arrodes earlier about the Sealed Artifacts that Hvin Rambis possessed, because he was afraid that Adam would notice them if they left any traces behind.
When facing a King of Angels, no amount of caution was enough!
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing that Arianna wasn’t revealing anything else, Klein pointed at the ice-blue metal cylinder and asked, “How should we handle this item?”
The description of the ascetic leader made him a little afraid of bringing the Sealed Artifact above the gray fog to “disinfect.”
Arianna calmly said, “My suggestion is to sacrifice it to the Goddess. Together with the contributions you have previously rendered, you can exchange them for what you want.”
Klein nodded slightly.
“I understand.”
After expressing his gratitude, Arianna’s figure was quickly erased and disappeared into the dark garden under the abnormally huge moon.
And with that, the world of concealment collapsed.
Klein observed for a few seconds before taking out candles and other ritual items he carried with him. He quickly set up an altar and sacrificed the ice-blue metal cylinder to the Evernight Goddess.
At the end of the ritual, amidst the howling winds, the burning ash of the herbs and the surrounding soil rose up and landed onto an empty spot on the altar.
The ash and soil were connected, forming words:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Sequence 3: Scholar of Yore;
“Main ingredients: Hound of Fulgrim (also known as Sefirah Castle Keeper) pair of eyes. One Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart;
“Supplementary ingredients: 100ml of Hound of Fulgrim blood, 30 grams of White Frost Crystal of Demonic Wolf of Fog, a large amount of real ancient historical records…
“Advancement ritual: Be separated from reality for at least three hundred years and consume the potion after one becomes history and doesn’t belong to the present era.”
This… Klein couldn’t help but blink, wondering if he had seen the wrong description.
The description of not belonging to the present era made him think of a line in his honorific name:
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era!”
I’ve been hanging above the extraordinary door of light for more than three hundred years… In a sense, have I already completed the ritual and am only waiting to consume the potion? The mysterious space above the gray fog really has a very close relationship with the Seer pathway… Could it be the manifestation of the Uniqueness? Klein was momentarily delighted but also grim. This was because he didn’t know if a price was exacted for such a bestowment.
Phew, I really want to jump to a neighboring pathway after becoming an angel to not follow whatever path was planned for me… For other Bizarro Sorcerers, the hardest part about the advancement ritual is to live for more than three hundred years. After all, this isn’t a pathway that’s known for having a long lifespan… Also, being separated from reality for three hundred years easily drives one mad. For Bizarro Sorcerers who are in a dissociative state, the risk of madness and losing control is quite significant… Klein looked at the Scholar of Yore’s potion formula as thoughts couldn’t help but flash through his mind.
After an unknown amount of time, he ended the ritual and put away the corresponding items.
As he walked out of the garden, the gigantic crimson moon and the pitch-black darkness faded away, disappearing inch by inch.
Then, he saw fresh autumn flowers and the sunlight shining above them. He also saw a blonde girl waiting in between the house and the garden.
Audrey’s eyes wore an elated look as the corners of her lips curled up unconsciously.
Klein nodded at her before his figure was enveloped by scarlet flames.
Elsewhere in the garden, there was another flame soaring in the air, but it wasn’t obvious.
When the flames dissipated, Gehrman Sparrow was gone. The remnants of the crimson moon and the night scenery vanished completely.
Audrey fell into a daze for a few seconds before thoughtfully looking away and entering Viscount Glaint’s residence.
After she left in a carriage with Susie and the servants, she returned home and had a chance to be alone. As expected, she received The World’s invitation for a “meeting.”
Above the gray fog, inside the palace.
Audrey looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow and calmly asked, “What was Hvin Rambis’s true goal?”
She had long known from Gehrman Sparrow’s calm composure that Hvin Rambis had been finished off.
Klein answered frankly, “The first is to find out if there’s a mastermind behind Xio and Fors’s actions. Secondly, when the princes express their goodwill towards Earl Hall’s family, the cue was for you to not be an obstacle. In essence, it’s to create a fracture between the three major Churches.”
With regards to this matter, Audrey had already discussed it with Mr. World before. There was no need to seek further explanations as she asked, “Then why was a demigod like Hvin Rambis personally visiting me?”
Klein smiled and said, “If you wish to deceive the guards arranged by Earl Hall, as well as hypnotize a Hypnotist with great certainty without causing any commotion, a Sequence 5 might not be capable of doing so; therefore, it’s best to send a demigod. Furthermore, you knew Hvin Rambis and had interactions with him before, so your vigilance against him would be minimized.
“To be honest, if you weren’t careful enough and had an unnoticeable helper like Susie, the whole matter would’ve gone on smoothly without you and I knowing until Monday.”
Justice Audrey didn’t wear a thick mask. She smiled and sighed with mixed emotions.
“So I’m already this powerful…”
Powerful to the point of needing a demigod to be certain of success.
“He was even more powerful than I had imagined. You actually hypnotized a demigod, a demigod that’s good at hypnotism,” Klein praised with a smile.
Audrey pursed her lips without realizing it and smiled.
“That’s mainly because of the Fate Siphon charm you gave me. Uh, my Hypnotist potion seems to have completely digested as a result of this…”
Chapter 1055 Train of Though
Completely digested? That’s understandable. This is the act of hypnotizing a demigod. Although it’s thanks to the Fate Siphon charm, it only helped to open the door of the Body of Heart and Mind. The subsequent consciousness manipulation and the cue planting needs to be done personally. If she weren’t careful, she would trigger an intense rejection and would lead to failure…”Acting” done to the extreme would definitely accelerate the digestion process… Klein nodded gently and said in praise, “This is a good thing. It’s even more so for the current situation.”
Audrey understood what Mr. World meant. In this storm that was sweeping around thanks to the Angel of imagination Adam and King George III, even if she stood by the sidelines, she could sense her weakness and how powerless she was. She couldn’t wait to improve herself.
She tersely acknowledged and said, “I’ll urge The Sun to give his conditions to complete the deal and try my best to advance to Sequence 5. When the time comes, I hope that I can receive the protection of Mr. Fool and remain conscious in my dream.”
Having been prepared for this, Klein smiled and said, “Actually, you don’t have to wait that long. I’ll be able to sell you a Dreamwalker’s Beyonder characteristic by tomorrow, and at the latest, Friday.”
As it was a private exchange, Klein didn’t act as The World by deliberately making his voice hoarse. All he did was sound reserved.
“Really?” Audrey’s eyes widened, not concealing her surprise.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein nodded and said, “It’s actually from Hvin Rambis.
“The new cross that Mr. Fool obtained can allow the Beyonder characteristics to be purged.”
He spoke very simply without explaining the actual steps. He maintained Gehrman Sparrow’s unique coldness.
“Is that so…” The corners of Audrey’s lips curled up as she broke into a smile. She pressed against her chest and said, “Praise Mr. Fool-! And thank you, Mr. World.”
A double token of gratitude… Klein chuckled inwardly and calmly said, “It’s just a transaction.”
You need to pay for it… he lampooned to himself.
Audrey maintained her smile and asked, “What do you need?”
“For a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic—8,000 pounds.” Klein chose something that Miss Justice could gather in the fastest time possible.
Audrey didn’t mind the price. She thought for a while before asking, “Can you sell the separated Hypnotist characteristic to me as well?”
Composite Start
Composite End
When she said that, she smiled in embarrassment and said, “It’s for Susie. The incident this time was resolved all thanks to her.
“Yes, the higher her level, the greater the help she can provide will be. Well, I’ll also help her.”
“No problem. 4,000 pounds.” Having expected this, Klein directly named his price.
In his plan, he could stop once the Hypnotist was purged, doing so without continuing the separation process. Now, he would place the Unshadowed Crucifix together for a long period of time, allowing its remaining characteristics to take form.
“A total of 12,000 pounds?” Audrey asked for confirmation, not feeling too much pressure.
As she didn’t have any major expenditures for the past few months, she only had 10,000 pounds left. Just a little bit of economizing was enough to satisfy her needs.
Seeing The World nod, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“I’ll pay it before Friday.”
After closing the deal, her mood became better with Hvin Rambis having been killed. She asked as though she was chatting, “I’ll also buy the complete brain of an adult mind dragon from The Sun as well. However, I won’t be in such a rush. Susie won’t be able to digest the Hypnotist potion so quickly…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this point, she glanced shyly at Mr. World.
“What needs to be exchanged for Hvin Rambis’s demigod characteristic?”
Klein laughed and replied, “I still don’t know what I’m lacking.
“In fact, other than the Manipulator characteristic from Hvin Rambis, I also have the corresponding potion formula. While you digest the Dreamwalker potion, I’ll slowly think about what I need, and I’ll get you to do certain things and gather some materials so that you can make sufficient contributions to exchange for them.”
Upon hearing these words, Audrey’s green eyes lit up.
“Alright!”
After her reply, she asked with interest, “Is this the same as how Xio contributes to MI9?”
Yes, it’s also the same method that the various major Churches use.” Klein gave an affirmative answer.
Audrey nodded and curiously asked, “Mr. World, do you know the name of the High-Sequence Beyonder potions of the Spectator pathway?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein answered simply, “Manipulator, Dreamweaver, Discerner, Author, and Sequence 0, Visionary.”
…Hearing the names makes me look forward to them… Especially Author and Visionary… Audrey fantasized for a few seconds before diverting the topic back on track.
“Did Hvin Rambis say what the king’s secret is? Also, why are they helping the king?”
She was partially asking for Xio, but on the other hand, she was also concerned herself.
“The king’s secret? He wishes to bypass the three major contracts the royal family signed with the orthodox Churches and become a demigod. For this, he needs to use many sacrificial rituals to gain control of some important object inside the Blood Emperor’s ruins. Heh heh. That was Hvin Rambis’s answer, but it might not be the entire truth and might very likely be only a part of it.” As Klein answered, he shared his line of thought. “As for the Psychology Alchemists or the Twilight Hermit Order, they need a war that sweeps the entire world. This is what they’re pushing for and hope to see as the trend of the times.”
“A war that sweeps the entire world…” Audrey repeated softly. Her pretty eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her cheerful mood plummeted again.
Although her status and standing hadn’t made her truly experience the cruelty of war before, she was no longer sheltered and cut-off from the world. She could already imagine it to a certain degree.
After a brief moment of silence, Audrey took a deep breath and forced a smile.
“I hope we can stop this.”
After exchanging a few more words, she left the gray fog and returned to the real world. As for Klein, he busily used clear water, tree sap, herbal powder, Thousand-Faced Hunter’s blood, Spirit World Plunderer powder, and other materials to “dilute” Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic and concoct a potion that had a questionable name which was definitely filled with problems.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, he found an ordinary glass bottle and put the potion inside. He wanted to know what kind of Sealed Artifact it would eventually transform into.
This took quite a bit of time so he used the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog to construct a spherical barrier around the glass bottle to prevent any influence it had on the entire area after it mutated.
After doing all of this, he returned to 160 Boklund Street, he prepared to summon Arrodes and ask it for information about the two Beyonder creatures known as Hound of Fulgrim and Demonic Wolf of Fog.
At that moment, with the passage of time, the clouds in the sky had thickened, and the sun was covered up once again. The entirety of Backlund had become as dark and cold as the morning.
Standing in front of the desk, he looked out the window at the sky. For some reason, he felt as though he and the Church of Evernight had neglected an important problem.
Their investigations had been going relatively smoothly during this period of time, and the intelligence they received was also delving deeper. However, for some reason, it made him feel uneasy.
Is there some influence or misdirection in this matter, and truly is something that I can’t think of? Even heading above the gray fog is useless. Divination will most likely point towards “Him.” Hmm… Klein hurriedly collected his thoughts, unfurled the paper, and drew a picture consisting of symbols that implied concealment and mystery prying with a fountain pen.
One second, two seconds… After nearly eight seconds, the full-body mirror in the room turned dark. Aqueous light rippled and formed silver words:
“Exalted Great Master, your puny, loyal, and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
“I-I think I’m late. I’m already a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. I need some time if I want to circumvent the isolation. Please forgive me, Great Master.”
“You’re a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact?” Klein asked with a surprised look.
He could already imagine what was going on within the Church of Steam.
The mirror that likes to play question and answer games has suddenly gone crazy!
The full-body mirror’s silver words squirmed and formed new words:
“Great Master, is this a question?”
He wanted to answer “no,” but to maintain his image, he nodded and said, “Yes.”
Arrodes immediately produced a line of words:
“I’m not actually a true Grade 1 Sealed Artifact yet. I’m just enjoying the treatment of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in advance. This is mainly because a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact needs to be reported to other Churches and be given a new number. The Church of Steam doesn’t wish to do so.”
So that’s how it is. That’s understandable… Klein nodded gently.
“Got it.”
The aqueous light on the full-body mirror’s surface flashed again as new silver words formed:
“Supreme Master, do you have any questions to test your loyal servant, Arrodes?”
“What do you know about Hounds of Fulgrim and Demonic Wolves of Fog?” he asked without standing on ceremony, completely unfazed that it was actually two questions.
In the mirror, the silver words squirmed like they had a life of their own and changed shapes.
“The Hounds of Fulgrim are a type of unique creature of the spirit world. They live in the Historical Void. Even the Seven Lights only know of them and are unable to interact with them unless they leave the Historical Void and attempt to hunt. But even so, what you see might only be a projection of their past…
“The Demonic Wolves of Fog are a type of high-level Demonic Wolves. After the death of the ancient gods and the Cataclysm, and with them being killed by the Antigonus family, Zaratul family, and the Church of Evernight, they’re extremely rare now. Furthermore, they’re all good at anti-divination and deceit. They aren’t easy to find…”
In other words, the Church of Evernight likely has materials and items related to the Demonic Wolf of Fog? And with this, I can bring it to the spirit world and use the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence to bait a Hound of Fulgrim? Klein began his train of thought as he read on.
Chapter 1056 The Real “Devil“
After getting a grasp of the situation, Klein looked at the full-body mirror in the room and asked, “What’s the king’s secret?”
The surface of the mirror that seemed to lead to another world had aqueous light ripple before revealing a scene:
It was a ruin that was hidden deep in the darkness, covered in the dust of history. However, it was completely intact.
Does that mean that the king’s secret is in the Blood Emperor’s ruins… Arrodes doesn’t dare to answer directly, or is this as much as it can see? After some deliberation, he said to the magic mirror, “It’s your turn to ask.”
The image in the full-body mirror didn’t change at all. It only revealed silver words:
“Great Master, do you have any other questions?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes.” Without standing on ceremony, Klein nodded and asked, “Where is Saintess of White, Katarina, presently?”
In the mirror, the silver words rapidly faded and disappeared, but the background didn’t change at all. It was still the Blood Emperor ruins.
If not for the word’s appearance and disappearance, I would’ve thought that this magic mirror “crashed”… Katarina is hiding in the Blood Emperor’s ruins? The real one? Klein nodded thoughtfully.
“It’s your turn.”
Above the scene, silver words condensed once again:
“Benevolent Master, why don’t you leave Backlund?”
That’s a good question. I originally had such plans… I originally investigated the Great Smog of Backlund because of my outrage over the innocent deaths of the poor like Old Kohler, as well as being lost due to the shattering of my main goal. Later, I ended up with the identity as a Blessed of the Goddess. Later on, I tried to prevent a disaster from happening and prevent the people I know from suffering due to the ambitions of the powerful and to not drown because of the tides of the times. I was willing to bear some of the risks…
As for now, knowing that there might be a war that would sweep the entire world, and discovering that the advancement ritual of Scholar of Yore is practically “tailor-made” for me, with signs of things being arranged, I’ve already come to a realization that I might not be able to escape even if I tried. Or should I say that I’m unlikely to escape my destiny even if I were to flee Backlund. In that case, I might as well take the initiative to face the risk head- on and see if I can figure out the truth and find a chance to survive, grasping my fate in my own hands… Klein’s thoughts kept churning before they settled.
Following that, he calmly replied, “Leaving can’t really solve the problem.”
Composite Start
Composite End
With that, he asked, “Where is Trissy now?”
The full-body mirror finally changed the depicted scene. This time, it was pitch-black. Occasionally, thick objects would slip across the surface.
Arrodes also can’t see Trissy’s situation… Klein nodded slightly and said, “It’s your turn to ask.”
The mirror was filled with aqueous light and wisps of silver formed a sentence:
“Great Master, I have something to tell you. May I?”
“Go ahead,” Klein replied, somewhat curious.
The silver words changed into new words:
You have to be careful with what follows next!”
It even used an exclamation point… Arrodes noticed something unpleasant? After thinking for a few seconds, Klein said, “What do you think can threaten me?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I don’t know. I have a feeling…” Arrodes reorganized its words, turning them from silver to grayish-white. It was obvious that it meant to express its sadness and self-reproach.
Without waiting for a reply, new grayish-white words appeared in the mirror one after another:
“Great Master, I have another scene to show you. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” Klein spoke slowly.
The full-body mirror’s surface produced ripples as the pitch-black darkness changed.
It became deeper and deeper, sparkling like diamonds.
This was a beautiful and vast night.
The scene that Arrodes displayed is directed at the Goddess who’s intrinsically the stars, or it’s the gaze cast from the cosmos? It seems like it doesn’t dare to express it directly… Klein considered for a moment and didn’t attempt to ask further.
“Let’s end it here for today.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright!” The grayish-white words were once again dyed with silver as the speed at which they appeared had slowed down for some reason. “Great Master, y-you haven’t said that you would summon me, your loyal servant, Arrodes, again if you have other questions in the future…”
It’s a mirror that needs to follow procedure… Klein said in amusement, “Of course, I’ll summon you again when I have other questions.”
Yes, Master! Goodbye, Master!” The silver words on the mirror returned to their normal speed, forming a hand that kept waving.
After everything returned to normal, Klein burned the paper with the summoning symbols and drew the curtains. He once again stared at the cold and dark sky.
Empress Borough, in a small Evernight cathedral.
Xio and Fors received Miss Justice’s update thanks to Mr. Fool, and they knew that the problem had been resolved. They roughly understood what the king’s secret was.
“…Truly impressive.” Fors, who believed in the God of Steam and Machinery, opened her eyes in the dark and quiet prayer hall, turned her head, lowered her voice, and sighed.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
She originally wanted to directly say that Mr. World or Gehrman Sparrow was truly impressive, but she no longer wanted to make such a mistake.
The past week made her feel like she had been in the mysterious world for more than ten years.
Xio opened her eyes as well, but she first drew a crimson moon on her chest, a form of showing her penitence towards her disrespect for the Goddess.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes, that’s a…” Before Xio could finish her sentence, the message she tried to convey reached Fors.
What she wanted to say was that Hvin Rambis was a true demigod, but from the time she and Fors entered the cathedral, less than ten minutes had passed; yet, he had been finished off by Gehrman Sparrow.
As saints, there was such a huge gap!
“Perhaps, it’s the blessings of an angel…” With her experience in supernatural events and writing novels, Fors made a vague guess.
As the prayer hall was dark and quiet, making it unsuitable for communication, Xio didn’t directly respond to Fors’s words. She nodded, stood up, and walked into the aisle.
The two of them left the prayer area, and after approaching the door, Xio exhaled and said, “I really hope that I’ll be this powerful one day…”
“I have such thoughts occasionally too.” Fors smiled. “Uh, no matter what, you’ve already completed your investigations, haven’t you? Although the so-called secrets are definitely worth digging into, the outline of the matter is rather clear.”
Xio looked at the door ahead of her and fell into a daze for a few seconds.
“But what’s the point? I can’t do anything about this matter.”
“No, no, no. When it comes to enemies, that person’s identity isn’t too lofty. At least, he’s someone we can look at directly.” Fors seriously comforted her friend. “When you obtain a qualitative change in strength, you’ll discover that you have the ability to participate in that matter. At least in matters that don’t involve even higher levels.”
Fors, who had joined the Tarot Club for quite a long time ago, had witnessed matters that had been planned by Mr. Fool. “He” had used his Blessed and the members of the Tarot Club to destroy the descent of the True Creator, revealed Bansy’s secret, obtained a portion of the authority from the Storm domain, and interfered in the ownership of 0-08. Compared to the angels, King of Angels, and even true gods that were involved in these matters, King George III alone was indeed nothing special.
Xio slowly walked to the door and said after a moment of silence, “I understand what you mean.
“We’ll return to the East district. We won’t be in a hurry to move. Once I obtain the Judge potion formula, we’ll disappear and go into hiding. I believe that after today’s incident, they probably wouldn’t dare to investigate us.”
“That’s for sure. They’re just lurking in the dark, in spots that cannot see the light of day,” Fors hurriedly echoed before exclaiming, “I only hope that before we move again, my letter to my teacher can be delivered,
Xio grabbed her yellow hair and walked out of the church gates as she said in a serious manner, “After I get the formula, I’ll buy that button and try to advance as quickly as possible.”
“Not bad. You’ve recovered your fighting spirit,” Fors teased with a smile.
Xio didn’t say another word as she continued proceeding forward with a solemn expression.
After walking a few dozen steps, she suddenly stopped and said without turning her head, “I d-don’t think I have enough money to buy that button. When the time comes, lend me a little…
“I’ll definitely return it.”
Fors was taken aback for a second before chortling.
“Okay.
“If my guess is correct, I should be able to get the subsequent items from my teacher.”
Thursday afternoon. Using the excuse of having some rest, Klein returned to the master bedroom and entered the bathroom. He took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog.
He believed that the glass bottle that was filled with the “potion” had already finished absorbing it.
Sitting at the high-back chair of The Fool, he waved his hand and removed the isolation barrier, pulling his target over.
The transparent glass bottle was already stained with a dark color. It had a mesh pattern on its surface which shimmered slightly, giving off an artistic flair.
It was empty inside, with not a single drop of the potion remaining. The spacious bottle’s mouth was covered with a layer of mist that glowed. It made Klein feel as though his gaze was being sucked in the moment it landed upon the mouth of the bottle.
A voice sounded from the bottle:
“By throwing in a hundred gold coins in it, you can fulfill a wish…
“By throwing in a hundred gold coins in it, you can fulfill a wish…”
Who did you learn this from… I have to say, this monotonous statement does have some hypnotic effect… Throwing in a hundred gold coins would be akin to opening the doors of the Body of Heart and Mind and becoming the bottle’s slave… Klein did a simple analysis before beckoning for the Unshadowed Crucifix. Using the pressure brought about by the gray fog, he stuffed it into the bottle’s mouth.
“You devil!” The voice in the bottle screamed shrilly before it was miserably blocked by the gray fog.
Chapter 1057 The Extraordinary and the Ordinary
After dealing with the mutated glass bottle, Klein took out his golden pocket watch, opened it, took a look, and took note of the time.
He had to return three hours later and separate the Unshadowed Crucifix from the Bottle of Slavery. Only then could he obtain a single Manipulator’s Beyonder characteristic, and not a product that was mixed with the previous Sequences’ Beyonder characteristics.
It feels like I’m doing an experiment… Klein nodded slightly, put away his pocket watch, and returned to the real world where he had his actual afternoon nap.
At four in the afternoon, his valet, Enuni, knocked on his employer’s door under Butler Walter’s watch.
“What’s the matter?” In his pajamas, Dwayne Dantes rubbed his forehead and opened the bedroom door.
Enuni bowed and said, “Sir, you accepted Madam Riana’s invitation for high tea the night before. It’s today.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein looked at Butler Walter and said, “Alright, give me fifteen minutes to prepare.”
Then he instructed his valet, Enuni, “Come in and help me change my clothes.”
When only he and his marionette were left in the room, he controlled the latter to bring out clothes suitable for high tea, taking glances at the wall clock from time to time.
After about ten minutes, after tying his bow tie and putting on his coat, he took four steps counterclockwise and headed above the gray fog.
At that moment, three hours had passed since he last entered.
Placed at the end of the long bronze table, the mutated glass bottle which had been firmly bound to the Unshadowed Crucifix with the gray fog’s power no longer had the twinkling mesh, looking as though it went from being a piece of art to a common item on the street.
At the bottom of the glass bottle was a large amount of grayish-white matter that had been purged. It flowed freely, forming a heart-shaped object the size of a child’s fist. Not only were there wrinkles on it, but there were also cracks that resembled eyes. As for the complicated, three-dimensional, illusory patterns, labels, and symbols that extended into the void, they were nearly identical to Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic that Klein had seen from before.
It’s just a little different… Klein released the gray fog’s suppression and took out the Unshadowed Crucifix from the bottle mouth.
With this step, the item that was purged out was completely separated from the mutated glass bottle, becoming complete and independent.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein reached out his left hand to pick up the item that resembled both a heart and a brain, and after examining it for a few seconds, he threw it into the junk pile and allowed the gray fog to envelop it.
At this moment, a weak voice sounded from the mutated glass bottle.
You… devil…”
Klein didn’t respond as he thrust the Unshadowed Crucifix back in with his right hand, using the power of the gray fog to press down on it.
And with that, the ancient palace returned to its tranquil state.
After returning to the real world, Klein put on his top hat, held his cane, and left 160 Boklund Street on his carriage. He headed for Member of Parliament Macht’s residence at Unit 39.
Inside an elegant activity room at Member of Parliament Macht’s house, a few guests sat around an intricate threetiered tray. In front of them was a cup of charming black tea.
Klein took a small cucumber sandwich and took a small bite. Half-jokingly, he shared his true feelings:
“The desserts today seem very unique. Be it the carrot cake or cream puffs.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Macht laughed when he heard that.
“Dwayne, your observation skills are truly impeccable.”
This has nothing to do with one’s observation skills. As long as one isn’t blind, it’s impossible not to tell that the shapes are all banged up… he lampooned silently before saying, “It sounds like something remarkable.”
“Of course, it’s personally made by Hazel. You can try it later. Although she can’t control its appearance effectively, it really does taste good,” Macht said proudly.
By the side, Portland Moment, who was the Backlund University of Technology’s chancellor, laughed and said, “This doesn’t sound like the Hazel I know.”
Macht glanced at Ma’am Riana and said in satisfaction, “Everyone grows up, right?
“Hazel has really matured recently. Not only is she willing to learn those classes in preparation for socializing and marriage that she used to hate, and occasionally makes desserts and plays music for us, but she’ll also frequently offer to accompany her mother to attend musicals, horse racing matches, shop at the departmental store, and listen silently by the side at all kinds of saloons and balls.”
According to Miss Justice, Hazel’s treatment progress has reached a point where she can recall the terrible shock and pain she had suffered. Although it’s just a direct sense of the emotions and doesn’t involve the exact sequence of events, it’s enough to make her dream of losing her parents and relatives… This made her learn to cherish her family. For this, she has decided to change herself to a certain extent? Klein nodded in thought and said with a smile, “That’s excellent.”
“Indeed,” Macht replied while full of emotion, “I was worried about her personality, worried that she wouldn’t have a good marriage and be unable to date people in our circle. After we pass away, she wouldn’t be able to find help when faced with difficulties. But now, I can finally feel at ease.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Macht revealed a sincere smile as he revealed his worries that he seldom divulged.
He raised his arm and waved it gently. Then he said with great confidence, “Why am I making an enemy out of the bloody smog and pollution? Why do we have to fight over the colonies in East Balam with Feysac and the West Balam with Intis? Isn’t it to let our children lead a better life? So that we have fewer worries?
“To me, Hazel’s maturity is greater than the contributions I made at East Balam, far more meaningful than my fights in the House of Commons.”
As Klein listened to Macht’s recount, he couldn’t help but look out the window.
It was dark outside and the sun was gone.
At this moment, Portland Moment replied to Macht jokingly, “No, those things are for our own good.”
At this point, he looked at Klein and said, “Dwayne, have you thought about it? Do you want to invest in my mechanical laboratory?”
Klein let out a soft chuckle.
“Mr. Chancellor, why are you still so anxious like a young man?
“I’ve already read through the information you gave me and have a rough impression of the rights and revenue. Frankly speaking, I’m very interested. To let talented young adults obtain training at such a mechanical laboratory is greatly satisfying. This should be something we invest in. What’s most valuable in this day and age? Talents!”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Emperor Roselle once said that.” Portland Moment chuckled. “So, how much do you intend to invest?”
Dwayne raised his porcelain cup and drank a mouthful of black tea.
“The initial plan is 10,000 pounds.”
“As expected of the most famous tycoon in Backlund recently. I can’t even guess how many assets you have. First, you donated more than ten thousand pounds of shares, then you spent 20,000 pounds buying Maygur Manor, and now you’re donating 10,000 pounds to the Portland mechanical laboratory…” Ma’am Riana couldn’t help but exclaim.
Portland Moment gave a thumbs up.
“This is a truly keen investor.”
Klein smiled and said, “But I’ll still find a team formed by lawyers and accountants to verify the actual situation and stipulate the conditions. Professional matters should be left to the professionals. Besides, I still have to consider investing directly or first establish a company or foundation and complete the investment through it. Oh, Portland, I think there’s one aspect that you didn’t take into consideration. How can such an important laboratory not have any security measures!? Aren’t you afraid of commercial spies or foreign powers infiltrating and causing destruction?”
Portland Moment was taken aback as he slowly nodded.
“That makes sense… I previously neglected this problem.”
Having accomplished his goal, Klein no longer harped on the topic. Instead, he deliberately asked, “Has there been news regarding Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor?”
Macht sighed and said, “No, Sivellaus Yard said that Maygur Manor and the surrounding areas have been searched. They didn’t even find any leads.”
As he spoke, the House of Commons Member of Parliament lowered his voice and said, “I suspect that the Brigadier General had an accident while carrying out a secret mission. The current mood of the higher-ups has been a little strange…”
From a certain point of view, you guessed right… Klein sighed.
“I hope nothing happens.”
Amidst high tea, Klein took note of the time and went to the bathroom. Above the gray fog, he placed the Dreamwalker characteristic into the junk pile that seeped out of the mutated bottle.
By the time high tea ended and he returned to 160 Boklund Street, the sky had already darkened. The street lamps on both sides of the road were lit up ahead of time as the rain pattered down the carriage windows.
Now, all the questions are concentrated on what’s hidden in the Blood Emperor’s ruins. As long as the three Churches discover the problem in time, they can prevent many things from happening. Klein looked out at the street lamps that looked blurry from the rain as he considered the recent developments. For now, apart from capturing Katarina, I can’t provide much help. Furthermore, the Goddess is digesting or controlling Death’s Uniqueness. “She” might not have the power to provide a response at that level.
Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
To solve this problem, I either get a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact with a targeted effect from the Holy Cathedral, or I rely on the Church of Steam and Storms and see which one of the true deities will respond… A Grade 0 Sealed Artifact might not be enough since it involves a King of Angels, and there might be traitors amidst the two Churches…
Traveling from 39 Boklund Street to Unit 160 didn’t take long. Before Klein could straighten out his thoughts, he had already returned to his doorstep. He had no choice but to get off the carriage.
When he changed his clothes on the third floor, his spiritual perception was triggered. He saw Reinette Tinekerr walk out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand.
“It’s from Sharron?” A guess came to him as he received the letter.
“That’s right…” one of the heads held by Reinette Tinekerr replied.
Without another word, Klein opened the envelope and unfurled the piece of paper. There was only one line on it: “We’ll take action at 10 tonight.”
Chapter 1058 A Tool
Tonight at 10… Looking at Miss Messenger, who stayed in place, Klein walked to the desk and wrote:
“I’ll be on time.
“In addition, the situation in Backlund has become tense recently. Make sure to keep the matter under control.”
After reminding Sharron, Klein folded the letter and took out a gold coin and a rectangular “diamond” that kept refracting light.
“This is a Yesterday Once More charm. It can allow you to temporarily borrow powers from your past self.” Klein handed the three items to Reinette Tinekerr.
One of the blonde, red-eyed heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hands opened its mouth and bit down on everything. The remaining three said, “Why…” “Give…” “Me…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Count it as part of the remuneration I’ll be paying in advance,” Klein said with an ordinary smile.
Arrodes’s reminder made him feel that it was imperative to make more preparations.
Reinette Tinekerr didn’t ask further. The four beautiful heads bobbed up and down from their hair as though they were nodding.
“She” then stepped into the void and vanished from the room.
Looking at the light rain and the dark sky outside the window, Klein took off his coat and handed it to his valet, Enuni.
9:50 p.m., on a street near the Tussock River in Cherwood Borough.
In the commonly-seen autumn-winter rain in Backlund, a rental carriage turned in and slowly moved forward.
On the carriage, the red-eyed Emlyn White, who was holding a top hat in his hand, looked at the young man with pale looks and disheveled hair before curling his lips.
“Is it here?”
Composite Start
Composite End
The incorporeal figure, Marie, nodded. He pointed to a neighboring building diagonally across at the shops over there and said, “That’s right.
“That’s a bookstore. The owner’s name is Charlie Raker and is pure Loenese. However, he went to the Southern Continent once when he was young, hoping to become a tycoon. There, he became a member of the Rose School of Thought and a believer of the Chained God. He was later sent back to Backlund and was made to gather intelligence, as well as provide assistance to the other Rose School of Thought members who are executing other missions. We’ve been watching him for a while and wish to finish him off and sever the source of intel for the Rose School of Thought so that we can create a better living environment for ourselves. However, we ultimately held back.”
Emlyn smiled and said, “The facts have proven that tolerance can indeed be exchanged for better results.
“Heh, to be honest, your performance is quite different from what I imagined for a temperance faction Wraith. I thought you would be very terse.”
Marie glanced at the vampire who was already a Viscount.
“Different people have different personalities. And temperance is only meant to control excessive desires.
“I’m afraid you wouldn’t understand and that it would affect the final result of the mission if I didn’t explain this matter too clearly. That way, the desires that need temperance will exceed the limits of what it should be.”
Heh, although it’s very philosophical, there’s no need to use me as an example… Emlyn leisurely leaned against the wall and looked at him.
“Continue with the previous topic.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Marie looked out the window again.
“In Charlie Raker’s house is a female servant from the Paz Valley. She’s also a member of the Rose School of Thought.
“In addition, in the two houses diagonally opposite to Raker’s house lives a widow and a male alcoholic. They’re believers of the Chained God, and they would transmit information to the Rose School of Thought at critical moments.
“The thing you need to do is to secretly monitor these three people while we’re dealing with Charlie Raker. Through the information sent, you’ll be able to lock onto the person-in-charge of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.
“Of course, we’ll definitely give Charlie Raker some opportunity to seek help or send out a signal.”
Emlyn nodded slightly and said, “I understand.”
He then turned his head to look at the sky which had dark clouds that blanketed it, blocking out the crimson moon. He turned the ring with the ghostly-blue gem on his ring finger.
This was the Oath of Rose ring. It allowed Earl Mistral to share his sense of sight, hearing, and smell.
This ring went around one big circle and ended up back in Emlyn’s hands. Of course, it was only temporary.
Composite Start
Composite End
As such, Earl Mistral had already heard what Marie had said and shared it with the other Sanguine participants.
Emlyn originally believed that although he was only the intermediary who was in charge of communication and didn’t play an important role, even if that were the case, he felt that he was able to showcase some of his spells as a Scarlet Scholar, allowing him to pass the information in a really cool and elevated manner in front of Wraith Marie. To his surprise, he didn’t need to do anything. All he needed was to be on scene wearing the ring.
This made him very depressed. He felt that he was purely a tool.
Without being a demigod, I’m not qualified to directly participate in many things, much less to save the race… At that moment, Emlyn felt a little impulsive. He felt that his level wasn’t worthy of his secret identity and that he was unable to bear the responsibilities he needed to bear.
As for the Oath of Rose’s effect of being able to allow the thoughts of the two wearers to appear in the minds of the other party from time to time, Emlyn wasn’t worried. He had asked Miss Justice to hypnotize him so that he wouldn’t think about matters that he didn’t want the Sanguine upper echelons from knowing tonight.
Just as he had this thought, he suddenly heard Earl Mistral’s voice:
“Arrogance, childish, naive…”
This… This is a particular thought of Earl Mistral that was transmitted by Oath of Rose… Heh… Emlyn scoffed inwardly as he began chanting a name:
“Ernes Boyar… Ernes Boyar…”
This Viscount had been hypnotized under the protection of Earl Mistral and had been volunteering at the Harvest Church for a long time!
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Marie glanced at Emlyn’s expression and nodded.
“Your current attitude is reassuring.”
Very serious, very solemn, and very focused.
Ah? Emlyn was first taken aback before he curled his lips slightly.
Thank you.”
The second floor of the bookstore was Charlie Raker’s house. This businessman was over 50 years old, and his parents had long passed away. Despite being never married, rumors had it that he had a few illegitimate children, but none of them lived with him.
After instructing the servants to check if the house’s windows were locked, he returned to his bedroom and poured himself a cup of red wine. He sat on the sofa and savored it in a relaxed manner.
He was used to drinking some wine before sleeping.
When he finished the red wine, Charlie Raker stood up and walked towards the bathroom.
When he passed by the full-body mirror in the bedroom, he casually took a glance, and his body suddenly froze up.
In the mirror, his face had unknowingly turned abnormally pale. His eyes were protruded, and blood was seeping from the edges. The corners of his lips were slightly red.
As a member of the Rose School of Thought, Charlie Raker wasn’t unfamiliar with such a situation. He didn’t scream or run recklessly like ordinary people. Instead, he raised his right hand and extended it to his chest.
Just as he touched the accessory he was wearing, his body felt like it had fallen into an unmeltable icy abyss. It was cold from the inside to the outside.
The cold seemed to have a life force of its own as it expanded rapidly and covered every corner of Charlie Raker’s body. It made him feel like his joints and muscles no longer belonged to him as they began to abide by the commands of others.
At that moment, it was as if there was another person in his body. It was cold and blurry, filled with malice. It directly took over everything other than his thoughts.
At the same time, Charlie Raker saw new changes to his body in the mirror. Two figures appeared in his eyes. One was a young man in a white shirt and black vest.
With his right hand having made contact with the object at his chest, a bright light flashed in front of him.
The light seemed to come from a miniature sun, casting light and heat in every direction.
Charlie Raker immediately felt warmth and was no longer controlled by the cold in his body. He blurted out a word, “Cleanse!”
The miniature sun in front of his chest burned intensely. It was like warm water that surged into his chest, forming ripples.
With that, Charlie Raker regained control of his body and gave up on the door; instead, he ran towards the window.
The curtain wasn’t drawn, and it was drizzling outside, dimming the street lights outside.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
When Charlie Raker walked past the carpeted coffee table area, he suddenly stumbled and nearly fell.
The carpet seemed to come alive as it wrapped around his ankles!
Bang!
The coffee table flew up, and the porcelain teacup and all sorts of documents landed on Charlie Raker’s face. It shattered to pieces, turning into a strange dismembered puppet.
Suddenly, Charlie Raker’s figure appeared elsewhere as he continued running with a sense of fear lingering in his heart.
He had never hated his bedroom for being this big before.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Fountain pens shot randomly, and paper swatted around as Charlie Raker finally ran to the window.
As a devout believer, he didn’t break out of the window immediately. Instead, he held the curtain and pulled it.
At the same time, he pressed his other hand onto the gas pipe.
A layer of white frost instantly formed on the black metal surface.
Crack. The glass window in front of Charlie Raker shattered as every piece of glass flew out like a bullet and hit the merchant’s face, piercing through his perfectly fine skin. It caused blood to gush out at his neck.
Charlie Raker’s eyes darkened, and he fell back weakly. During this process, he screamed and yelled, but his voice couldn’t be heard beyond the room.
At this moment, in another room, a maid from the Southern Continent could clearly see the light from the gas wall lamps shaking.
She immediately turned her head and looked towards where her “employer” was, only to see that the gas pipes there were covered in white frost.
In a house opposite to Charlie Raker, the brandy-nosed man, who had rolled-up sleeves and gulping down alcohol, suddenly noticed that the curtains were only half-closed.
For the secret signal that he and Charlie Raker had agreed upon, having the curtains completely drawn meant that there wasn’t a problem. Having half the curtains drawn or only one side meant an emergency situation. It required him to inform the higher-ups immediately.
He abruptly stood up.
Chapter 1059 The Authority of the Moon
The red brandy-nosed man rushed to a safe within a few steps where he then took out a radio transceiver and a codebook from a secret compartment.
He crouched there and transcoded the incident that happened to Charlie Raker. Then, he started to send the telegram.
Meanwhile, in the house above the Raker bookstore, a brown-skinned maid rolled up her sleeves and poured an indigo-blue liquid on her left arm.
Her skin around the spot immediately changed colors, but under the indigo-blue colors, there were wisps of black light extending out like threadworms.
These black beams of light quickly manifested a strange, palm-sized face. Its eyes were as tiny as rice grains, and its mouth was as wide as a tea plate.
“Charlie Raker has had an accident,” the maid enunciated each word while looking at the face on her arm.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Every word she said seemed to have its own shape, forming an indigo-blue bodied entity like her mouth and arm.
Immediately following that, the words that seemed to be written began to intertwine as they were enveloped by smoke of the same color.
At this moment, the strange face on the maid’s arm slowly opened its mouth and sucked in the indigo-blue smoke and text.
All the abnormalities vanished, other than the patch of skin on the maid’s arm remaining an indigo-blue color.
In the darkness outside the window, a tiny, ordinary bat flapped its wings, changing its motionless state and flying off to some unknown location.
On another street that was less than 500 meters away from the Raker’s bookstore, in the air above a restaurant that specialized in Southern Continent cuisine.
Tiny bats flew out from the darkness and gathered together, forming thick smoke.
The smoke and bat appeared incorporeal and disappeared in the blink of an eye. All that was left behind was a man wearing a tuxedo without the corresponding hat.
This man was thin, tall, and upright. He had light-colored hair that was nearly silver in color. His eyes were bright red like blood as though blood was hidden within. He was none other than Sanguine Earl, Mistral.
Composite Start
Composite End
He raised his left hand with the ghostly-blue gem ring and touched the slightly exaggerated bow tie. He looked down at the restaurant that had already closed and said, “Both pieces of intel eventually led here.”
As soon as Mistral finished speaking, a figure appeared in front of him, wearing a black regal dress and a bonnet. She had light blonde hair and blue eyes, and her face was pale like a rather intricate doll.
The trees on the street below suddenly swayed gently as the light from the gas lamps flashed.
“A Puppet.” Earl Mistral nodded slightly and acknowledged Sharron’s status and level.
Sharron ignored him and looked at the second floor of the restaurant.
“There are remnants of Mother Tree of Desire worship.”
“Then there’s no problem.” Mistral turned around in midair and nodded towards the darkest area. “Lord Nibbs, please seal this place.”
An elderly, deep sigh sounded before a pair of wings covered in dark-colored skin and countless patterns suddenly extended out of the darkness. It extended out, turning broader and bigger, taking two to three seconds to envelop the entire area.
The restaurant sank into an unnatural state of darkness, as though it had been moved out of the real world.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Mistral didn’t hesitate nor did he attack directly. He took out a bronze box embedded with many ruby gems and took out something from it.
It was a transparent glass sphere that resembled an eyeball.
Then, the Sanguine Earl, Mistral, grimaced as the glass sphere fell from his fingers and landed downwards.
The glass sphere emitted a glint in the darkness as it constantly changed directions and moved towards something in the air as though it was being attracted by something.
Finally, it landed in a room on the second floor of the restaurant.
A dazzling white light exploded. It was as if a “sun” had risen in the room, illuminating everything. It made all the corruption, decadence, evil, undeath, and darkness rapidly melt away.
“Eh…” Mistral, who had already closed his eyes, suddenly frowned and let out a puzzled voice.
He didn’t feel any resistance from that restaurant!
Sharron, who looked down from above, leveled her gaze. Although there wasn’t much of a change in her expression, her tightly bound blonde hair seemed to shake a little.
Composite Start
Composite End
After the “sun” rose, it quickly “set.” The bright white light shone helplessly and silently in the darkness.
As this was an item that was targeted at evil spirits, the building in the restaurant didn’t suffer any damage. The Sanguine Earl, Mistral, opened his eyes and looked at it for two seconds before reaching up with his right hand and clenching it.
The darkness above the restaurant instantly came to life, transforming into illusory chains that bound the entire roof.
Amidst the jarring sounds, the roof was forcibly uprooted and suspended in midair.
Without this obstacle, be it Mistral or Sharron, they could clearly see the situation in the target’s room:
On a square table covered in table linen, a radio transceiver sat on it with a transcoded telegram message beside it. In contrast, the ground was indigo-blue and charred.
On the other side of the room, there was an old piano. The piano stools were brown in color and seemed to have been moved moments ago.
On the piano, there was a cup of red wine. There was a small, sticky, flesh-colored figure soaked inside.
As for the decorations and layout, it was like any normal residence. The only difference was herbal powder and essential oil extract splattered around.
This made Sharron, who could directly obtain information from the spirit world, have a thought:
Composite Start
Composite End
The person here had just left!
Before she, along with Earl Mistral and Marquis Nibbs could react, the flesh-colored figure soaked in red wine emitted a misty glow.
The light instantly burgeoned and brightened, forming a gigantic “crimson moon” in the room.
The crimson moon’s glow dispersed the darkness of the region, making the demigod participating in the battle feel as though they were on the ground and looking up into the sky.
Sharron’s blue eyes froze for a moment. She raised her left hand suddenly and flipped it gently, revealing a dark red accessory in her palm.
The accessory looked like a full moon, and there were crimson gems embedded around it. In the center, there were symbols filled with full moons and mysterious labels.
This was the Scarlet Lunar Corona which Sharron had obtained thanks to Sherlock Moriarty’s help. It kept emanating a tranquil halo, imbuing the wielder with immunity to the effects of the full moon.
However, the “crimson moon” in the restaurant wasn’t something that was as simple as a full moon. It was even closer to a Blood Moon or even stronger. An indescribable surge of spirituality came into existence, making the area which Nibbs’s gigantic wings had isolated present a strange, deeply silent feeling. Even though Sharron wielded the Scarlet Lunar Corona, she sensed the maleficent thoughts in her burgeon as though an indescribable change was brewing.
She instinctively wanted to turn into an evil spirit and hide in objects like the trees and gas lamps along the streets. However, her rationality stopped her impulsive reaction because the crimson moon’s illumination had no blind spots.
At that moment, the Sanguine Earl, Mistral, saw his stomach bulging bit by bit. He felt that the life pulsing in his veins was slowly condensing as though making an attempt to take form.
As a supernatural creature that could use the power of the Moon, he hadn’t prepared to eliminate the effects of a Blood Moon. He originally believed that he would be filled with joy in such an environment, allowing him to freely show his prowess, but he never expected the abnormal changes to far exceed his expectations.
He felt that if this continued, he would give birth to new life. It was unknown where this terrifying vileness stemmed from.
The authority of the Moon included fertility and proliferation!
At the same time, from the huge bat wings that isolated the surroundings and created darkness, white fur grew out in an extremely harrowing manner.
Nibbs grunted softly as cracks appeared in the sealed-off area.
A few streets away, a bored Emlyn White was rubbing the blue-gem inlaid Oath of Rose. It was at this moment, Emlyn suddenly obtained the senses of Earl Mistral, seeing and hearing what he could.
The feelings and thoughts that belonged to Earl Mistral were transmitted into Emlyn’s mind after a long period of time. He sat up straight in fright. His expression distorted as his stomach churned, feeling the urge to vomit.
With the help of Creeping Hunger, Klein’s actual body was hiding in the shadows outside the restaurant, but the marionette he controlled, Qonas Kilgor, had already hidden into the darkness created by Nibbs and used “Distortion” to circumvent the isolation, staying within range of his control of the Spirit Body Threads.
At that moment, under the illusory crimson moon’s illumination, he was surprised to discover that his marionette, which was intrinsically dead, had an inclination towards reproducing!
And that new life was definitely the offspring of the Mother Tree of Desire!
Th-this is Sanguine Ancestor Lilith as mentioned in the legends of the City of Silver, as well as the manifestation of the Primordial Moon which Emlyn has mentioned before… Indeed, the Mother Tree of Desire has already grasped a portion of the Moon’s authority and has corrupted it into an especially evil state, far more than it originally was… Klein was just about to swap locations with his marionette and enter the region illuminated by the crimson moon and “Teleport” away with Miss Sharron when he felt an indescribable sense of joy within him.
It was the joy of seeing a flower in his garden slowly bloom after a long night amidst the morning fog. It was the joy from leaving the city and heading to the suburbs, taking in fresh air in a forest after the rain, watching mushrooms grow. It was the joy of seeing everything grow healthily with new life descending upon the world.
The white fur on the huge bat wings fell off completely as Earl Mistral’s protruding belly shrank back. The look in Sharron’s eyes, who struggled to hold on to Scarlet Lunar Corona, seemed to relax.
Right on the heels of that, the “crimson moon” in the restaurant quickly dimmed, as if large amounts of light had been sucked away by someone.
Finally, the “crimson moon” vanished and everything returned to normal.
Did Sanguine Duke Olmer take action? Klein nodded thoughtfully and continued hiding in the shadows.
Mistral restrained his anger and looked down at the dining room. He said in a low voice, “The target seems to have detected something ahead of time…”
“It wasn’t that much earlier.” Combining the present situation and the revelations obtained from the spirit world, Sharron gave her answer.
Mistral’s bright red eyes revealed a strange glint as he observed for a few seconds before saying, “It was almost at the moment we came over when the person left—the person who left behind the glass of red wine and the strange puppet.
“This trap doesn’t look like it was prepared. It’s closer to a last-minute setup…”
Upon saying that, Mistral looked at Sharon and said, “How did they detect danger in such a timely manner?”
Sharron’s expression was calm as she replied, “It’s not because of the Mother Tree of Desire.”
This evil god wasn’t capable of infusing too much energy into reality, making it difficult for “Her” to send any preemptive warnings.
Chapter 1060 Covered-up Secre
The Sanguine Earl, Mistral, frowned slightly. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he said rather honestly, “I don’t think there were any leaks prior to this.
Because if that was the case, the Rose School of Thought’s demigods would’ve had plenty of time to use the response from the Mother Tree of Desire and Abomination Suah, laying a more dangerous and terrifying trap. It wouldn’t be something an angel could easily resolve.
This was also the reason why Mistral had said that the trap appeared to be a last-minute setup and looked rather hasty.
This proved that there was no mole. After all, the ones who knew of the operation before tonight were the ones involved. If they wanted to leak the information, they could’ve done it earlier. This was unless someone changed their minds or wanted to use the urgency of time to obtain more benefits. And all of these would only leave clear traces.
The black-bonneted Sharron continued looking at the restaurant that had lost its roof. After a moment of silence, she said, “Perhaps it’s a way of detecting danger via other means.”
For this operation, the Sanguine had used a Sealed Artifact that could even disrupt a Devil’s danger premonition, much less, things like spiritual intuition.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Possibly…” Mistral couldn’t think of a better explanation.
At that moment, in a room on the second floor of the restaurant, other than the red wine and strange figure evaporating, everything else remained untouched, as if nothing had happened.
Originally, Sharron and Mistral could attempt using divination to find answers to their questions and restore what had happened before the attack. But now, they couldn’t do so because the surrounding area had been illuminated by the “crimson moon.” It was equivalent to receiving the corresponding cleansing from the Mother Tree of Desire. This meant that divination easily led to this evil goddess, and the results would be unimaginable.
Without waiting for Sharron to speak, Mistral took a silent deep breath and said, “There are incidents in every matter. There’s no such thing as a 100% success rate. Let’s leave it here today. If we stay here any longer, the officials might discover something amiss.”
As soon as he said that, the black chains hanging from the roof instantly turned dim and illusory.
The roof descended once again, covering the second floor of the restaurant and looking no different from what it was like before.
Of course, when the storm rained, there would definitely be water leaks. If there was a storm, the entire roof would be thrown up again.
The gigantic bat wings that blanketed the area shrank back into the darkness as the drizzle once again took center stage.
Hidden in the shadows, Klein watched as Miss Sharron’s figure rapidly turned transparent and vanished. He saw an illusory cloud of smoke puffing up and countless tiny bats flying in every direction. He couldn’t help but frown and silently mutter to himself:
Composite Start
Composite End
What exactly happened…
It wasn’t worrisome to have an accident. What was worrisome was not even knowing what the accident was. Regardless of what one’s level was, the unknown was always frightening.
At that moment, he suddenly heard a staccato voice:
“What…” “Exactly…” “Happened…” “Here…”
When Klein turned his head, he realized that Miss Messenger had walked out of the spirit world at some point in time, standing alongside him.
The four blonde, red-eyed heads in “Her” hands were all trained at the restaurant.
“…Can you see what happened here earlier?” Klein asked hesitantly.
After the Mutant pathway reached the Wraith stage, the Beyonder was free to enter and exit the spirit world, allowing them to receive revelations from there directly. Be it their spiritual intuition or divination, they were rather formidable at that. A corresponding Sequence 2 angel was definitely powerful in such aspects; therefore, Klein posed the question.
The four heads held by Reinette Tinekerr shook as they said in unison, “No.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein nodded thoughtfully. Without further questions, he controlled his marionette to leave the area.
Emlyn White, who had retched for a while, rubbed the ring that was embedded with a ghostly-blue gem. He muttered to himself in surprise, “It ended just like that…”
Through the Oath of Rose, he could sense Earl Mistral’s frustration, anger, and reluctance to vent his anger at a lady or others. His initial judgment was that the operation had failed because of an accident.
“It’s over?” Upon hearing his words, Marie was equally stunned.
He had actually wanted to ask Emlyn White the reason for his sudden nausea and grimace, but he had perfectly tempered his curiosity and restrained his urge.
“Th-they didn’t find the target…” Emlyn tried his best to recall what Earl Mistral had seen and heard, but due to the seal by Marquis Nibbs, he was only able to see the situation via Oath of Rose after the “crimson moon” rose. And these feelings were made ineffective quickly after the anomaly.
At the same time, Emlyn mumbled inwardly, The demigod from the temperance faction came here while possessing a doll?
Which master’s work is this… It’s simply art!
“Didn’t find the target? How can that be…” Marie’s brows furrowed uncontrollably.
Composite Start
Composite End
From his point of view, everything in the operation had been going smoothly up till that point in time. Whether it was him, Sharron, or the Sanguine, none of them had the motives to leak the information to the Rose School of Thought.
As for Sherlock Moriarty, he had proven his credibility through numerous collaborations.
Suppressing his immense disappointment and puzzlement, Marie said without much change in expression, “Then we’ve to leave the vicinity as quickly as possible.”
As soon as he said that, his figure began to fade, revealing the qualities of a Wraith.
Emlyn subconsciously wanted to ask him if he knew of any doll masters, but after opening his mouth, he found that it was damaging to the image of the Sanguine. Therefore, he could only swallow his words back down.
Even if I know that master, I don’t have the money to buy it… To bear the burden of my mission, I have to sacrifice something… Unfortunately, we didn’t capture the demigod of the Rose School of Thought this time, making it impossible to figure out the current situation of their headquarters. It’ll be difficult to receive that holy artifact of the Ancestor… Amidst Emlyn’s thoughts, his expression slowly turned grave.
Backlund Bridge area, Iron Gate Street, in one of the billiard rooms of the Bravehearts Bar.
Klein, in the image of Sherlock Moriarty, was sitting opposite Sharron and Marie.
After a brief moment of silence, the black regal dressed Sharron, who was seated on a high stool, said to the detective, “What are your thoughts on the matter?”
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “The influence that the crimson moon brought was quickly destroyed.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“What you mean to say is that since the Rose School of Thought’s demigod had already sensed the immense danger through a certain method or a certain existence, why would he set up a trap that didn’t have any effects?” Marie exchanged looks with Sharron before asking in thought.
“Yes.” Klein nodded. “He should be able to foresee that under such dangerous circumstances, a trap at this level can be easily resolved. Then, why would he waste time setting it up and not flee immediately? This is the natural instinct of a living creature.”
Wearing a small bonnet, Sharron moved her head indiscemibly.
“On the surface, it’s a trap, but it’s actually to cover up something?”
Klein replied, delivering the sentence at a slower pace, “Yes, using such a trap to ‘cleanse’ the scene and stop any divination to conceal the actual situation back then.
“Only if there’s a secret to hide would a demigod from the Rose School of Thought take the risk and stay on the scene for such a long period of time.”
“But it’s also possible that they didn’t expect us to have an angel from the Sanguine to help deal with the trap…” Marie suggested.
Klein smiled and said, “They wouldn’t ignore the angel behind you. For you to have launched a surgical strike on the concealed Rose School of Thought members in Backlund, you must have defectors who know them well.”
He was referring to the existence of Reinette Tinekerr.
“What secret would they need to cover up?” Sharron seemed to accept Klein’s suspicion as she sat upright and asked. Klein shook his head.
“There are too many possibilities. Perhaps they discovered the secret of the attack in time. Perhaps they were planning on plotting something in Backlund…”
Having said that, Klein tried to consider if the Rose School of Thought was associated with the current tense situation in Backlund, but he realized that there was no place for them. Be it the orthodox deities or the evil gods, they were unlikely to work with the Mother Tree of Desire.
This puzzled Klein even more. He didn’t know what kind of unknown accident such an unknown factor would brew.
He paused for a moment as he swept his gaze across Sharron’s and Marie’s faces.
“In short, we need to be careful and cautious. We need to avoid coming here as well.
“Yes, under the premise that you can ensure your own safety, try to monitor other members of the Rose School of Thought again and see if we can figure out the secret they’re hiding.”
“Thank you.” Sharron’s figure floated up and bowed.
Marie did the same.
The scarlet flames soared up as Klein vanished from his spot.
According to the agreement, as he didn’t have the chance to take action, the only remuneration he received was one free instance of help from Reinette Tinekerr.
After returning to 160 Boklund Street, Klein took off his clothes and went to bed early, hoping to wake up early. Suddenly, he heard a series of illusory pleas.
It was from a woman.
Miss Justice… With a guess, he nodded and entered the bathroom. He took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.
As he had expected, the supplicant was Justice Audrey. This lady had gathered 12,000 pounds in cash, hoping that Mr. Fool could transfer it to Mr. World to complete the transaction of the Dreamwalker and Hypnotist Beyonder characteristics.
Yes, if the ritual can be replaced by Angel’s Embrace, Miss Justice can try to advance in the next two days. When that happens, it’s time to place the exploration of Groselle’s Travels in the schedule. Heh, Leonard has already become a Spirit Warlock for days and has nothing to do… Klein heaved a sigh of relief and replied to Miss Justice, getting her to begin the sacrifice.
With the current situation becoming more and more tense, with more and more unknown factors, he wished to strengthen himself as quickly as possible. This included many aspects—first, the increase in the number of marionettes and Sealed Artifacts; second, the recovery of his helpers; and thirdly, a further grasp of knowledge and secrets. This aided him in knowing the truth and obtaining the true attitude that the different factions have; thus, finding an opportunity from within.
The exploration of Groselle’s Travels corresponded to the third point.
Chapter 1061 Whose Dream
Friday. In the dead of the night, in Audrey’s bedroom.
After receiving a signal, the golden retriever, Susie, opened the door and left by herself, slumping down outside to prevent anyone from disturbing Audrey.
Audrey took the Dreamwalker’s Beyonder characteristic, the corresponding supplementary ingredients, and the apparatus used for concocting the potion out from a hidden spot. Most of the supplementary ingredients came from the City of Silver, and they were things that she hadn’t paid for since Little Sun hadn’t thought of something he needed.
She concocted the potion skillfully and looked at the liquid that was dotted with darkened points of grayish-white light. She took a step back, clasped her hands, and placed them in front of her mouth as she chanted softly, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
Just as her prayer ended, countless figures in an indescribable form appeared in front of her.
They quickly swam and meshed with one another as though they were active in the sea. Above the sea were seven pure beams of differently-colored light that seemed to contain infinite knowledge.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Above these seven lustrous brilliances was an endless grayish-white fog. And above that was a towering and magnificent palace.
At that moment, the door to the palace opened as a figure formed from golden light spread out its twelve pairs of wings formed from scarlet flames and flew down, landing in front of Audrey.
The twelve pairs of fiery wings were layered as they wrapped the blonde, green-eyed girl into an embrace.
Such a scene only lasted for a second or two before vanishing. It was as if she was hallucinating, but Audrey always had the feeling of being immersed in this kind of holy and lofty feeling.
She calmed down and sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
With Angel’s Embrace, she could maintain lucidity in her dream and wake up whenever she needed to. She didn’t have to worry about being engrossed in her dreams and being unable to extricate herself.
This meant that she had already held the corresponding ritual for Dreamwalker, and the effects were definitely better than what it could’ve been.
After all, not every Hypnotist can obtain such benediction from a hidden existence and be embraced by a special angel such as this… Audrey, all the best! Audrey mumbled inwardly before she stopped hesitating and picked up the glass bottle, drinking down the potion inside.
The potion wasn’t as bad as she imagined it to be. It was a little sour, a little sweet, a little bitter, a little surreal, and a little stimulating. It was like a wild dream she could let herself loose in.
Composite Start
Composite End
Before she could feel the effects that the potion exerted on her body, Audrey was suddenly startled before she regained consciousness.
She saw that the night was becoming dawn outside the window, with the sun rising from the horizon, dyeing the sky red.
Within the garden, flowers were blooming, the tips of the blades of green grass shimmering with crystalline dew.
It was as if Audrey had become the ruler of this world. Her consciousness floated up as she looked down upon the various scenes:
Her father and mother held hands as they strolled down the garden trail, taking in the fragrance as they bathed in the morning light;
Having worked through their differences, her two brothers, Hibbert and Alfred, rode on horses and brought servants along with them. Laughter accompanied them as they entered the woods, competing against each other for a more successful hunt;
The ambassadors or special representatives of the various countries like Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter signed an agreement at Loen’s Sodela Palace, announcing to the world that a war wouldn’t happen; thus, dispersing all the dark clouds in the sky;
The smog situation in Backland improved. Every company’s factory had passed the double review of the alkaline industry inspector and National Atmospheric Pollution Council, and they had promoted such standards to other countries;
Maximum working hours and the basic labor environments for workers were guaranteed, and the development of every industry was getting better. The number of tramps had dropped to an unimaginable level, and all kinds of protective measures spearheaded by the kingdom covered everyone;
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
There were more and more workers who could afford bicycles. On the streets, the bicycles clustered together like a huge army, driving in different directions amidst ringing sounds;
Children didn’t need to work in factories at a young age. They could giggle and fool around, running into classrooms with tables and chairs. Inside, they flipped open their textbooks and began listening attentively. If they didn’t wish to study, it was solely of their own choice, not because they lacked the conditions;
Women were no longer discriminated against due to their gender. Even a laundry maid could rely on studying to obtain knowledge and find better jobs. There were reporters, teachers, policewomen, soldiers, miners, and civil servants—seen in every walk of life;
All kinds of mechanical items appeared on the streets and alleys, bringing the people convenience and joy;
In the square in front of the Evemight cathedral, pigeons flew up and landed. People were either sitting or playing the accordion, fully enjoying their lives…
This was Audrey’s dream for the future. Unaffiliated Beyonders didn’t have to worry anymore. As long as they received a checkup of their physical mental condition, they could walk openly and use their Beyonder powers to earn money in a legal way.
This is really wonderful… If it weren’t for me being clear-headed, I would’ve lost myself to this. I would’ve descended from my commanding position in my consciousness, taking a stroll with my parents, hunting with my brothers, and occasionally going to school to teach children… I would often work hard for the extension of the world’s peace… Audrey stared at the dream, feeling a bout of poignancy.
She then felt her Astral Projection rise once again, breaking out of the confines of the hazy world.
She saw that her dream was like a huge bubble that grew out from the island of consciousness while silently enveloping it.
Composite Start
Composite End
The “air bubble” was surrounded by a gray fog. From afar, she could vaguely see other “air bubbles,” and below them were their corresponding islands of consciousness.
Deep within the gray fog was a silent, undulating, shimmering “wavy” illusory sea that seemed bottomless.
The sea of collective subconscious… This is the scene of a mind world for a Dreamwalker… Only from Manipulator onwards is one really able to interfere with the sea of collective subconscious… Audrey nodded in enlightenment and retracted her gaze. Without staying any longer, she forcefully escaped from her dream.
Her vision returned to normal immediately as it remained pitch-black outside. Only the street lamps around the garden were emitting light.
She then cast her gaze on the full-body mirror in her bedroom. She felt that she didn’t seem too different from before. Only when she observed carefully did she realize that her pair of green eyes were becoming more limpid and deeper, as though they could reflect the souls of others.
Closing her eyes and taking in the knowledge brought by the potion, Audrey quickly grasped the core power of Dreamwalker.
By guiding and controlling a dream, she could obtain information and affect the enemy.
There were two aspects:
First was “Guidance,” which was similar to Nightmare of the Evernight pathway, by using the different changes in a dream to guide a target into revealing one’s deepest secrets. The difference was that a Nightmare could forcefully pull a person into a dream. However, Dreamwalkers weren’t capable of doing so unless they were combined with “Hypnosis.”
The second was “Alteration.” By modifying a target’s dream, one could influence a target over a long period of time, changing them and making them do things they wouldn’t usually do without them realizing it. The principle behind such an “Alteration,” used a dream as the incisive points and the Astral Projection as a point of leverage, slowing contaminating the target’s Soul Body before affecting the Body of Heart and Mind, planting it deep in the subconscious. Compared to directly using Hypnosis, a control that stemmed from dreams was more mild and furtive, making it difficult to be noticed and suitable for targeting targets at a higher level.
Composite Start
Composite End
From the looks of it, most matters that involve love at first sight might’ve had a few hidden cases that were a result of Dream Alteration… Yes, amongst many popular best-selling novels, the female lead often dreams of a figure and spends a beautiful, romantic time with him. Therefore, when they encounter the male lead who’s similar to the figure in their dreams, they will quickly succumb to them and have a strong penchant for love. Hmm… Audrey recalled the novels she read in the past and suddenly found it amusing.
To her, be it “Guidance” or “Alteration,” they weren’t an essential enhancement over Hypnosis. Instead, there was another Beyonder power that she liked even more; it was “Dream Traversal.”
This made her body turn incorporeal as if she was an elf in a dream or a Dreamwalker. Not only could she directly hide in someone else’s dream, but she could also jump from a dream to another dream, completing a “Blink” in the physical sense.
The restriction of such traversals was that the distance between two dreams couldn’t exceed 500 meters, and they had to belong to intelligent creatures.
In special environments, this can effectively hide myself… Hmm, why didn’t Hvin Rambis directly affect me through “Dream Alteration”? Because this place is protected by the Church? The Evernight pathway is also skilled in the domain of dreams… Audrey thought as she began converging her spirituality.
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Along the long bronze table, Klein sat a few seats diagonally across from Leonard.
“Why are you suddenly looking for me?” Leonard leaned back in his chair and asked lazily.
Regardless, he still remembered that this place belonged to Mr. Fool, so he didn’t dare appear too casual.
Klein glanced at him and said, “I need your help with something.”
You need my help?” Leonard pointed at himself and asked in surprise, “Are you referring to Pallez?”
He didn’t think he could help a demigod like Klein.
“You have a very clear understanding of yourself,” Klein tsked. “However, I’m really looking for you this time. It mainly involves a few dreams.”
Dreams… Leonard came to a realization as he said with a hint of puzzlement and laughter, “Klein, you seem to have changed a little. I mean, you’ve become more like the past, no longer wearing that gloomy expression.”
Without waiting for a reply, he straightened his disheveled hair and smiled.
“That’s a good thing. Well, I’m still quite good at dreams. Who do the dreams belong to?”
Without batting an eyelid, Klein replied, “A Loen soldier from more than a hundred years ago, a Fourth Epoch aristocrat, an ascetic from the Third Epoch, and an elf and giant from the Second Epoch.”
“What?” Leonard asked with his green eyes wearing a blank look, wondering if he had heard wrongly.
Ignoring the elves and giants from the Second Epoch, even the nobles of the Fourth Epoch had to be from particular Beyonder pathways and to have become saints before they could survive to this day!
It can’t be that they’re all angels aside from that Loen soldier, right? Entering the dream of angels… I think it’s better to find Old Man… Leonard’s thoughts churned instantly as though he was in a dream.
Chapter 1062 “Teaching“ Online
Klein glanced at Leonard and smiled.
“The targets aren’t demigods. They’ve only ‘lived’ to this day due to some sort of influence. This is also the secret I wish to discover through dreams.”
He deliberately emphasized the word “lived.”
Without waiting for Leonard to respond, Klein continued, “The aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch is a member of the Zoroast family. You might be able to use his dream to learn more about Pallez Zoroast.”
Old Man’s descendant… Leonard’s heart stirred as he looked forward to the proposal that Klein raised.
Although he had gotten along rather well with Pallez Zoroast and gradually built some trust in this angel, he still held the most basic level of vigilance against him. After all, “He” was an outsider who lived in his body.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Klein added, “For now, don’t mention this matter to Pallez Zoroast.”
Do you think I’m such an unreliable person? Leonard grumbled inwardly as he replied, “There’s no need to remind me.”
Seeing that Leonard had agreed, Klein smiled and said, “Get me a few drops of your blood when you return. This is necessary to explore the dreams.”
He didn’t specifically mention how to give the blood to him. After all, Leonard knew at least two methods. Firstly, he could sacrifice it to Mr. Fool and request that “He” bestow it to The World. The other was to summon the messenger of mysterious origins and place the blood inside a bottle, sending it over with a letter.
“Blood…” Leonard subconsciously repeated the word.
In mysticism, one’s blood was an important item. It was best not to give one’s blood to others; otherwise, they might die without knowing the reason. Sometimes, death wasn’t the most terrifying outcome that could happen.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Leonard nodded.
“When will the exploration begin?”
Klein was prepared for this question as he replied, “Late Sunday night, close to midnight.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He wanted to give Miss Justice time to converge her spirituality and familiarize herself with her abilities.
“Alright.” Leonard didn’t say anything else.
Following that, Klein seriously explained skills in sophistry so that the dear poet knew how to pacify his grandpa after returning.
After returning to the real world, Leonard was deliberating over his words when he heard Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice:
“Why did your former colleague look for you? Is there anything that cannot be explained in a letter?”
Leonard adjusted his sitting posture and chuckled.
“He’s afraid that the letter will be leaked. After all, it might involve that person.”
Just as he finished his sentence, Leonard inwardly mumbled, Of course, the most important thing is to be wary of you. What I see is equivalent to what you see…
“That person…” Pallez Zoroast seemed to understand who he was referring to.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Yeah.” Leonard picked up a cup on the table and drank a mouthful of malt beer. “He found an ascetic from the Third Epoch. He hopes to learn the history of that epoch through his dream.”
What Leonard said was the truth, but it was only a portion of the truth. This was the skill that Klein had specially taught him.
“An ascetic from the Third Epoch? He’s still alive?” Pallez Zoroast asked in surprise.
Of course, “He” wasn’t too surprised. After all, at “His” level, even if “He” didn’t grasp a hundred methods that allowed people to live from the Third Epoch, “He” knew at least five or six methods. The easiest way was to steal the time or life of others to imbue it into a target.
“He’s likely still alive, but has a very special condition,” Leonard explained what he knew.
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for two seconds before saying with a chuckle, “Is that so? Then I can only wish you the best in not seeing scenes you shouldn’t see in the dream. Of course, your former colleague is protected by an existence of Concealment, so he must be prepared.”
Leonard didn’t respond to the topic. He suddenly exclaimed, “Old man, are you actually not the least bit curious? Don’t you want to know what the true deities were like in the Third Epoch, or the cause of the Cataclysm?”
This was the second technique in sophistry that Klein taught him. Rather than being asked, it was better to take the initiative to ask questions.
“I can roughly guess what’s going on,” Pallez Zoroast replied with a sigh. He then scoffed. “You took too much initiative to control the flow of our conversation today. This is very different from your past behavior. This means that you have a secret you’re hiding deep down. Not bad, it’s much better than the past. At least it’s not something that can be seen through at once.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard’s expression froze.
Pallez immediately chuckled.
“See, I just gave it a try and you exposed yourself. You still lack training.
Your former colleague is really… Tsk…”
Leonard could only respond with a dry chuckle. He put down his cup and leaned forward. He then picked up a silver ritual dagger and cut open a wound, causing a few drops of blood to drip out.
Meanwhile at Earl Hall’s residence, Audrey was also holding a dagger with gems embedded in it. She was preparing to fulfill the promise of providing help for free. She moved the tip of the dagger towards the back of her hand.
“The pain is very mild…
The pain is very mild…” As she hypnotized herself, she exerted force and tore open a wound.
It was currently impossible to tear her skin without using strength, even if she didn’t reveal her dragon scales.
On Sunday night, after attending a ball, Klein returned to 160 Boklund Street. He made up an excuse that he was feeling tired and needed to sleep early.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the wee hours of the night, he got out of bed, set up a ritual, and summoned himself.
After some work, he sat in the seat that belonged to The World Gehrman Sparrow. He confirmed that once the summoning ended, he could use the gray fog’s level and standing to forcefully extricate himself from Groselle’s Travels.
At that moment, in front of him were three metal bottles and a silver mask.
The former was filled with his, Leonard’s, and Audrey’s blood, while the latter was sacrificed by Miss Justice ahead of time. As she knew that Mr. Star would be involved in the exploration of the dream this time, she planned on wearing Lie the entire time to mask her face and avoid her identity from being uncovered.
After examining it for a while, Klein made the hard-covered, deep-brown Groselle’s Travels to fly out of the junk pile and land on the long bronze table. At the same time, he placed the Unshadowed Crucifix into his body.
Following that, he pulled Justice Audrey and The Star Leonard above the gray fog.
Two dark red beams shot up at the same time, forming rather blurry figures.
Audrey and Leonard cast their gazes at the bottom of the long, mottled table and sized up the items in front of Mr. World.
Then, their attention was drawn to the ancient book.
Audrey’s eyes darted around as she curiously asked, “Our exploration this time is related to this book?”
Yes, our targets are inside this book,” Klein replied with a smile.
“Inside the book?” Leonard asked in surprise.
Even though he was a Red Glove, and had also read a large number of supernatural case files, he had never heard of communicating with characters in a book.
Klein nodded slightly and said, “Yes, this is a magical book. Inside it, there is a world that was ‘envisioned.’ What happens in that world becomes the book’s contents.”
“Envisioned?” Audrey acutely grasped a key phrase, linking it to its synonyms.
She had only just learned a few days ago from Mr. World that the Spectator pathway’s Sequence 0 was called Visionary, and she knew very well that the King of Dragons, the ancient god, Ankewelt, was the Dragon of Imagination.
After some deliberation, Klein said, “My description might not be accurate. It might be an ‘envisioned’ world or a true dream. The only thing I can confirm is that it was created by an ancient god from the Second Epoch, the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt. I obtained it from Vice Admiral Iceberg.”
Ancient god’s relic… It’s no wonder that it can make a giant and elf from the Second Epoch, a Third Epoch ascetic, a Fourth Epoch human aristocrat, and Fifth Epoch Loenese soldier survive till now… Leonard came to a realization as he couldn’t help but size up The World Gehrman Sparrow. He couldn’t imagine what kind of experiences Klein had ever since he left Tingen.
At this moment, Klein looked around and pushed the Lie mask to Miss Justice as he said, “Let’s head on in.”
“Alright.” Audrey put on the silver mask.
Leonard looked around and nodded.
“Okay.”
Klein immediately picked up the three metal bottles and poured out some of the blood inside, smearing it on the cover of Groselle’s Travels.
So this is what the blood was for… Just as this thought flashed through Audrey’s mind, she saw a white snowy storm.
Amidst snowflakes the size of down feathers and a biting cold wind, a city that was more than 15 meters tall stood nearby. A soldier wearing leather armor on-guard by the gates was huddled in a spot that was immune to the wind and snow. As long as there weren’t any merchant convoys, he wouldn’t head forward to block any ordinary pedestrians.
“This… This is a world that was completely ‘envisioned’… It’s like it’s real.” Leonard looked around as he spread out his palm and caught several snowflakes. He felt the coldness of its touch before they quickly melted into water.
After confirming the environment, Leonard suddenly realized something. Klein was maintaining the image of the cold and refined Gehrman Sparrow. Miss Justice wore a silver mask, revealing the bottom of her face, green eyes, and blonde hair, making it impossible to imagine her actual appearance.
As for himself, he didn’t disguise himself at all…
This was a habit of official Beyonders. They openly carried out missions without any disguises.
Mr. Star really is laid-back, and his hair is combed very casually. It’s such a pity. Otherwise, with his looks, he can be a model on the covers of magazines… As a noble lady who had seen too many handsome men, Audrey politely glanced at him before retracting her gaze without making any excessive observations.
Klein chuckled inwardly and pointed at the city in the snowstorm.
“Our first target is the ascetic, Mr. Snowman, from the Third Epoch.”
This was the person most likely to have a link to Amon and “His” brother!
According to Klein’s plan, after Snowman would be the fourth-generation aristocrat, Mobet. This was because Giant Groselle and Elf Siatas involved matters at much higher levels, and there was a high chance of there being an accident. Therefore, it was safer leaving them at the end of the schedule.
After the exploration of the four people’s subconscious via their dreams, they would then enter the sea of collective subconscious in search of any possible secrets.
Chapter 1063 The Lord’s Left-Hand
In a rather remote spot in Pessote City, there was a building made of stone. It looked rough and was a cathedral that needed some construction work.
The most eye-catching and intricate part was the altar. Erected over it was a wooden cross and a tall figure carrying the cross.
Ascetic Snowman was sitting in the first pew, facing the divine statue, his head bowed and his eyes closed in focused supplication.
He was a middle-aged man who wasn’t considered old but had some wrinkles. He was wearing a simple white robe that had been washed countless times. He had brown short hair, and on his exposed arms, shoulders, calves, and feet, there were all kinds of old scars and scabs.
At that moment, two men and a woman appeared at the cathedral entrance. The men were dressed in black robes that were completely different from the surroundings. One was wearing a vest and half top hat with a formal bow tie, and the other casually wore a white shirt. The former had a pronounced outline with a cold expression, while the latter had black hair and green eyes. He looked pretty good, exuding the romantic air of a poet.
The lady was wearing a long white dress that was tight at the waist with frilly designs at the sleeves. Lacy flowers were sewn in a meshed manner at her chest. She wore an intricate silver mask, revealing a pair of emerald-like eyes, her high nose, her lip glossed-lips, and lower half of her face. It prompted anyone who laid their eyes on her to imagine how beautiful her actual appearance was.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They were extremely attractive. It was the same regardless of the angle one took. However, the passers-by, and few members of the congregation, and the praying ascetic didn’t even give them a look, completely ignoring them.
This was a combination of Hallucination and Psychological Invisibility.
Audrey was already in operation-mode, no longer showing any curiosity. She swept her gaze and said in a gentle voice, “What’s most important now is to get Mr. Snowman to sleep; otherwise, we’ll have to wait until tonight.”
The night in this world.
“Relax. It’s trivial,” Leonard replied with a smile.
Compared to Miss Justice, who had only experienced a few supernatural incidents, as a Nighthawk, he was already too used to such things. He was very composed and even wanted to joke with Klein.
Of course, he didn’t know that Miss Justice had recently hypnotized a demigod.
Klein glanced at his former teammate.
“Then let’s begin.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He was “carrying” Unshadowed Crucifix on him, and in less than three hours, he would be dropped back to Sequence 5 and have his Bizarro Sorcerer Beyonder characteristic purged, so he naturally didn’t want to waste any time.
He’s back in his crazy adventurer state again. Tsk… Leonard didn’t beat around the bush. He raised his hand to neaten up his hair as his green eyes suddenly turned deep.
Silently, the praying ascetic, Snowman, had fallen into a deep sleep.
This is the Beyonder power of a Nightmare… Looking at this scene with sparkling eyes, Audrey thoughtfully muttered to herself.
In fact, she was aware of the powers of a Nightmare, having seen them in action before -back when they were dealing with the Sanguine Viscount, Ernes Boyar. However, she was unable to grasp the full picture of it due to the urgency of the situation. It was only now that she made a complete observation of it.
Right on the heels of that, she raised both her hands and grabbed the arms of The World and The Star. Using her abilities of Dreamwalker, she led them into Snowman’s dreamscape.
“I can do it myself…” Leonard mumbled the moment he entered the hazy world.
Klein and Audrey ignored him and quickly surveyed the area, taking in the entirety of Snowman’s dreamscape.
They were also inside a cathedral, an unusually majestic cathedral.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Ancient stone pillars propped up a towering dome, but they didn’t make the hall appear too segmented and cramped. It still remained extremely spacious.
The cathedral’s door was wide and tall, even for giants. Lined on both sides were candles placed in silver cups that emitted a warm glow.
The altar right in front was grand and magnificent. Above them were grayish-white crosses and a sculpture of God bearing the cross.
The statue’s face wasn’t very clear, but it felt like it was showing pity towards all beings in the world.
Snowman was similarly sitting in the first pew facing the holy altar. His head was bowed and his eyes closed in focused supplication.
“This is similar to the Afternoon Town’s abandoned cathedral that Little Sun showed to us. It should be a building from the same era,” Audrey swept her gaze across the brick arches and whispered.
At the same time, she tried to suppress her curiosity and told herself to remain calm.
Little Sun? How is he “little”? That fellow is clearly taller and larger than me… Afternoon Town’s abandoned cathedral… Leonard thought in puzzlement as he lampooned.
When he joined the Tarot Club, The Sun Derrick had long returned to the City of Silver. Although he would occasionally mention the exploration of the Giant King’s Court, he didn’t conjure any of the corresponding images.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Indeed.” Klein retracted his gaze and agreed with Miss Justice. Then, he said to her, “Try to guide Snowman’s dream and get him to reveal the important information in his subconscious. Focus it on the Kings of Angels.”
This mission could be accomplished by both a Nightmare and Dreamwalker. The reason why he had Miss Justice do it was because he wanted to give her a chance to digest the Dream walker potion. After all, Leonard had already passed that stage. And no matter what, in matters that involved the subconscious, Beyonders of the Spectator pathway were definitely more professional. The way they carried it out would be more precise and effective.
It was only then that Leonard realized a problem:
Miss Justice’s abilities involve the domain of dreams…
This meant that she had already advanced to Sequence 5 Dreamwalker!
Isn’t that too fast? Leonard was secretly surprised and in disbelief.
He remembered that Miss Justice had mentioned it during their exchange when he joined the Tarot club. It hadn’t even been a month since she became a Hypnotist, and now, only three months had passed.
She had indeed tried to purchase the ingredients needed for her advancement at the Tarot Gathering, but to completely digest the Hypnotist potion in four months is shocking enough… Leonard’s mind raced as he had a baffling feeling that the pride of becoming a Red Gloves captain, a quasi-high-ranking member of the Church, a Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock was gone.
While his thoughts were running wild, Audrey tersely acknowledged the request and took a few steps forward to stand beside Snowman.
Illusory ripples suddenly appeared in her jewel-like eyes. Those ripples constantly sank deep into the depths, returning to the darkness and tranquility.
Composite Start
Composite End
Invisible ripples emanated out as the altar in front of the cathedral suddenly turned blurry.
These magnificent objects, along with the cross and the divine statue, warped and suddenly unfurled, emitting lights and shadows that weren’t considered too intense.
The light and shadows intertwined into a three-dimensional portrait of a towering mountain range. The main peak reached high into the clouds, but the white cloud didn’t dare to conceal the main peak as it automatically separated around the peak’s two sides.
On the peak of the mountain stood a huge cross that was even taller than the mountain. In front of it stood a majestic figure that was covered in layers of stacked halos.
Two-winged, four-winged, and six-winged angels were either holding bugles, playing the harp, or playing flutes, dancing around the majestic figure as they sang and extolled.
Eight blurry figures with twelve pairs of wings surrounded the majestic deity. Some fell to the ground beside “His” feet, leaning against “Him” as if completely relying on “Him.” Others floated on both sides, awaiting “His” orders.
This was a scene that Klein had seen before. He knew that the deity was the ancient sun god, and he knew that the figures with twelve pairs of wings on their backs were the Kings of Angels.
At that moment, Snowman opened his eyes and looked at Justice Audrey. As if teaching his student, he solemnly said, “Only the Holy Spirit can truly serve the Lord. This is the goal I’ve been chasing my entire life…
“I see the Lord standing above the infinite radiance, benevolence scattering over ‘His’ kingdom and the land. Around him are eight ‘Kings.’
“The Dark Angel was the first angel created by the Lord. ‘He’ is ‘His’ left hand, ‘His’ proxy and the deputy of Heaven;
“The Angel of Imagination is the Lord’s eldest son. The Lord said that in a distant future, you will become the savior of all life;
“The Angel of Time is the Lord’s second son. The Lord said that you are a God of Trickery and a God of Mischief, the light at the dawn of the apocalypse;
“The White Angel, Wind Angel, and Angel of Fate are loyal followers of the Lord-firm, brave, honest, having been that way from the time when ‘They’ were weak till ‘They’ became strong.
“The Wisdom Angel was sanctified due to ‘His’ redemption from being penitent and contrite, completely opposite from the ones who fell after eating the fruit of sin;
“The War Angel is the Lord’s rage, the Lord’s punishment. ‘His’ appearance over the land means war is at hand…”
From the looks of it, this ascetic has never been to the ancient sun god’s divine kingdom, nor has he ever seen a King of Angel. What he’s describing is probably from religious canon… In other words, what he says is what the official text says… From the looks of it, Dark Angel Sasrir was really the leader of the Kings of Angels. “He” was most trusted by the ancient sun god and was called the deputy of Heaven. Yet, such an existence was-hmm, bewitched… I wonder what “His” outcome was in the end, and why there aren’t any traces of “Him” to date… Klein seriously listened to Snowman’s description and had a clearer understanding of the Kings of Angels.
He never expected that the ancient sun god would predict that Adam would be the savior. This left him somewhat puzzled.
So these are all the eight Kings of Angels… Leonard listened attentively as well. This was something that Old Man Pallez hadn’t told him in detail before. It was a real secret from ancient times, something that happened before the Cataclysm.
Audrey had seen the mural of the three Kings of Angels eating the City of Silver Creator. Through the corresponding images, she had matched them to the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, so she wasn’t too surprised. She turned her head and looked at The World and The Star, calmly interpreting the hidden meaning behind those sentences.
“According to what Mr. Snowman said, the Dark Angel was created. The three Kings of Angels-White, Wind, and Fate—had followed the ancient sun god from a weak stage until they slowly empowered themselves. Hmm, the weak stage here probably refers to Sequence 4… The Wisdom Angel should be an outsider who joined later, and ‘He’ might’ve been from an opposing faction in the beginning…”
When he heard Miss Justice’s words, Klein suddenly remembered a name. It was the Dragon of Wisdom as mentioned in the City of Silver’s myths-Herabergen.
He then nodded, indicating for Miss Justice to continue.
After Snowman recited some related scriptures, he suddenly solemnly said, “Our diocese has cultists who believe in the Evernight hiding within it!
“These are the orders from the Kings.”
Chapter 1064 Drawing Closer
Cultists who believe in the Evernight… Upon hearing Snowman’s words, the three present were more or less thrown into an awkward situation.
Klein, Audrey, and Leonard all had a certain relationship with the Evernight Goddess. One was a standard cultist who believed in the Evernight. The other wasn’t only a cultist, but a quasi-high-ranking member of the cult, an elite team leader. The other was even worse—a Blessed of the evil goddess.
“Ahem… From the looks of it, the Church of Evernight appeared earlier than what the historical records stated. They can be traced back to a long time before the Cataclysm; however, it existed in the form of a secret organization.” Klein cleared his throat and did a simple analysis, breaking the sudden silent mood.
Audrey pursed her lips and nodded. She continued guiding Snowman’s dreams, letting him reveal the information related to the King of Angels in his subconscious.
Unfortunately, Snowman was only a Sequence 5 ascetic. He would be considered a quasi-High-Ranking member in the Fifth Epoch and would be able to come into contact with several important figures and historical secrets. However, before the Cataclysm, a Sequence 5 didn’t enjoy such a status. He wasn’t even able to enter the divine kingdom, so he naturally knew little about the Kings of Angels and the ancient sun god. What he knew was limited to what was written in the various religious canons.
However, Klein keenly noticed that he had mentioned something.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
There were traces of the remnant giants in the Northern Ridge mountain range.
This mountain range’s present name was Antares, and it was located within Feysac. It made it easy for him to associate this information with the people of Feysac claiming to be descendants of giants, how the God of Combat was a giant, and other information.
Seeing that there was no connection to the Kings of Angels, Audrey switched to guiding Snowman’s dream into presenting what was most important and influential to him.
The majestic cathedral they were standing in began to shake as changes silently happened.
In just a few seconds, the cathedral’s scale shrank. Outside was a square that had been renovated.
Snowman knelt in front of the cross and divine statue, his body bathed in pure sunlight.
A blurry figure in simple priest robes appeared beside him, speaking with a loud and solemn tone: “Are you willing to choose the path of an ascetic, to give up love, to distance yourself from indulgence, to not wield power, to train your mind, and to temper your mind, allowing you to approach our Lord by entering Heaven one step at a time?”
Snowman devotedly kissed the ground and said, “I’m willing to choose the path of the ascetic. I’ll give up love, distance myself from indulgence, not wield power, train my mind, and to serve the Lord. It will be so forever and ever from this day forth.
“It will be so forever and ever from this day forth!”
Composite Start
Composite End
The more Snowman spoke, the more resolute he became. In the end, he solemnly repeated his promise.
“…This is the one thing that left the deepest impression on him and has resulted in the deepest effects on him.” Audrey turned her head and said to The World and The Star.
Thinking back on Snowman’s past performance and recalling how he never gave up on his beliefs, nor stop his ascetic training despite being stuck in the book world, Klein nodded gently and sighed.
“He is a true ascetic.”
Audrey retracted her gaze, and after guiding Snowman to present something that was more important to him, she returned to The World and The Star and said in a gentle voice, “There shouldn’t be much left.”
Klein glanced at Snowman and said, “Let’s go to the next spot.”
Inside a house in Pessote City.
Mobet, with his brownish-yellow hair, dark brown eyes, high nose bridge, and thin lips, was wearing slightly furry pajamas. He laid on a bed that was half high and half low, as he stared at the ceiling, muttering to himself, “Winter year is much colder than usual. It’s starting to snow…
“Although it’s almost noon, I don’t want to get up at all…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Siatas, why does an elf like you insist on sleeping in? You even pressed your hands and feet on me…
“I really miss being single. I could roll around freely in bed. Every comer will be mine, unlike now, sigh…”
On the bed, Elven Songster Siatas leaned her body sideways while sleeping comfortably. Not only did she occupy nearly half of the bed, but she also left a large amount of space on her side as her body clung close to Mobet. She left one arm and leg on him, squeezing Mobet to a corner of the bed, almost to the point of falling off.
After pulling up the blanket that was pinned down, Mobet sighed and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep again.
Then, he really fell asleep.
In his dream, he sat at the bar counter, alternating between sipping hard liquor and gulping down beers. He didn’t return home as he claimed he would wait for Siatas to come begging him to return.
“Is this the aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch?” At the entrance of the tavern, Leonard glanced at Klein.
Klein gave a clear answer:
“That’s right.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Hmm, Mr. Star’s tone and actions suggest that he’s more nervous than before… He seems to care a lot about this aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch… According to the information given by Mr. World, a certain person that Mr. Star knows might’ve seen the second Blasphemy Slate, and that’s an extremely ancient divine artifact… Although I can’t eliminate the possibility of seeing it in the Fifth Epoch, powerhouses of the Fourth Epoch are more likely to have a chance of coming into contact with such matters…So, this aristocrat from the Fourth Epoch is related to the person Mr. Star knows? Audrey grasped certain matters through fine observation and interpretation.
With this as a premise, she quickly came to a conclusion:
Mr. Star would step forward and suggest that he would guide the dream.
“As expected, the Fourth Epoch revered asymmetrical beauty, but such attire really made me uncomfortable.” Leonard teased before looking at Miss Justice and The World Klein Moretti, “Let me do it this time.”Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
“Alright,” Audrey replied with a brisk tone and smile.
This was a development that Klein was happy to see. He naturally wouldn’t stop it.
“That wouldn’t be an issue.”
Leonard then tugged at his collar and walked to the bar counter in a few steps. He sat beside Mobet and ordered a local Sangen beer.
He gulped and suddenly said, “You look like a member of the Zoroast family.”
“Everyone here knows that. No, not just humans.” Mobet took a sip of his alcohol and continued looking forward. Leonard smiled and shook his head.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Let me introduce myself. I’m a student of Pallez Zoroast.”
He planned to use this identity to pull strings and reduce any sense of reluctance Mobet would have, making it easier for him to continue guiding him.
Indeed, the person Mr. Star knows is also a Fourth Epoch aristocrat, a member of the Zoroast family… I wonder what level that person is… So Mr. Star is secretly a student of a certain important figure. No… He said that without complete confidence… A self-assumed student? Audrey validated her guess as her smile became more obvious.
After hearing Leonard’s self-introduction, Mobet finally turned his head and sized him up. He scoffed and said, “Student?”
“More like the target of Parasitizing, right?”
Leonard’s expression froze.
Target of Parasitizing… Uh… Although Audrey was mentally prepared, she couldn’t help but twitch her eyebrows.
As for Klein, he had a hard time holding back his laughter.
Of course, he didn’t believe that there was anything wrong with Leonard’s identity as a student of Pallez Zoroast. If it were him, he would’ve said the same thing. It just wasn’t right to directly mention that he was a Parasite’s victim, right? And being friends appeared too distant, a disadvantage for any subsequent attempts to learn more.
The problem this time was that nobody expected Mobet to guess the truth.
After laughing twice, Mobet looked at Leonard’s slightly stiff face and said, “You aren’t a member of our Zoroast family, so how can you become Old Man’s student? You can only be a target of Parasitizing!”
Having said that, he slowed down and said, “Don’t worry. Old Man isn’t too bad. He wouldn’t really take over your body. After the Parasitizing is done, he will at most take away a few years of your life. You’re still young anyway, so raising your Sequence would make up for it. Heh heh. Actually, most Beyonders can’t live till the end of their natural lifespan.”
“Why must he take a few years of my life?” Leonard subconsciously asked.
Mobet raised his glass and gulped down a mouthful. He replied in a daze, “Since you’ve already been Parasitized, something must be stolen, right…”
Leonard snapped out of his daze and asked in surprise, “You also call ‘Him’ Old Man?”
“Of course, we all call him ‘Old Man.’ Heh Heh. ‘He’ doesn’t seem to object to it.” Mobet suddenly sighed. “‘He’ is my great-grandfather, and I haven’t seen him for a thousand years—no, 2,000 years…”
So the reason why Old Man tolerates me calling him Old Man is because it can remind “Him” of the beautiful past… I wonder if “His” direct descendants are still alive… Leonard suddenly felt wistful.
As for Justice Audrey, while she was finding the words “something must be stolen” funny, she was surprised at the word “He.”
This represented that Old Man, Mr. Pallez Zoroast, was an angel!
Indeed… Audrey had expected this.
At this moment, Mobet sharply noticed a keyword and asked, “Also? Why did you say ‘also’? Do you also call ‘Him’ Old Man?”
Leonard nodded seriously.
Mobet was instantly puzzled as he sized up Leonard again.
“Don’t tell me you have the bloodline of the Zoroast family?”
“I don’t know…” Leonard answered honestly.
Mobet shook his head.
“No, it doesn’t look like that’s the case. It might be that Old Man suffered a terrible blow and has changed to a certain degree.”
That I know… Leonard pondered and said, “He was nearly killed by Blasphemer Amon. He hasn’t recovered yet.”
Groselle’s Travels was currently above the gray fog. It didn’t matter which deity’s true name was mentioned in it, since it wouldn’t be sensed; therefore. Klein, Leonard, and Audrey were free to talk about Amon and Adam.
“The powerful and terrifying ancestor of the Amon family…” Mobet’s voice unconsciously lowered.
Leonard finally gained the initiative and asked, “The aristocrats of the Solomon empire are all very cold and evil. Why isn’t the Zoroast family like that?”
Chapter 1065 Cosmos Wanderer
Mobet glanced at Leonard and said in puzzlement, “They aren’t that cold and evil…”
He raised his glass and took a gulp.
“Don’t you know that the higher the Sequence, the greater the inclination is towards being cold and crazy? Which major aristocratic family in the Solomon Empire doesn’t have an angel? That’s why they’re definitely different from normal people.
“As for the degree of coldness and evilness, it has to do with the choice of their ‘anchor’ and the traits of their Beyonder pathway. I don’t know what my great-grandfather’s situation is. I only know that he’s very kind and amiable, and the way he speaks and acts is rather casual.
“In addition, the rules set by His Majesty have a key point-disharmony. If all the aristocratic families have the same style, ‘He definitely wouldn’t be satisfied.”
The first reason given was something I expected, but the second reason is a little unexpected, but it’s quite funny… Was the Black Emperor of the Solomon Empire trying to get ‘Himself’ diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder? Disharmony is actually a requirement… Without wearing too thick a mask, the corners of Klein’s lips curled up slightly.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Audrey turned her head to look at him and asked the same question that she had as Mr. Star, “Anchor?”
All of them knew that the aesthetic taste of the Fourth Epoch was disharmony and asymmetry and had considered it common sense, so they didn’t think too deeply about why there was such an aesthetic style.
“To the deities, believers and faith are an anchor,” Klein simply explained.
So that’s the case… Mr. Fool also said that it’s to stabilize one’s condition… Audrey felt her sights broaden, allowing her to consider the relationship between the deities and believers.
At the same time, she thought in puzzlement, In the early stages of Mr. Fool’s reawakening, “He” shouldn’t have many believers. Back then, what was “His” anchor?
Leonard listened attentively as he couldn’t help his expression from turning solemn. It was as though he had suddenly thought of many things.
He quickly focused his attention on Mobet. After some deliberation, he said, “What kind of an angel is Pallez Zoroast? What kind of habits does ‘He’ have?”
Hmm, Leonard is still very cautious. He still hasn’t fully believed that the grandpa in his body is Pallez Zoroast. Yes, we can’t rule out the possibility that the real Pallez has fallen, and that the one still alive is an imposter. To an angel of the Marauder pathway, such an action is rather normal… And to a secret existence, replacing a particular identity is equivalent to possessing that identity, so “He” wouldn’t deliberately expose the truth…
Heh heh, on more important matters, matters that he’s interested in, and those that involve his safety, Leonard is more reliable than I expected. If not for that, he wouldn’t have realized that I was still alive back then… As for other matters, he’s just too, too half-hearted. He’s too used to using his past experience. It’s not that he isn’t intelligent, but rather that he can’t be bothered to use it… Klein couldn’t help but sigh.
Composite Start
Composite End
Mobet was taken aback for two seconds before he drank a mouthful of hard liquor and said, “Old Man appears to be an ordinary elder at home. He’s a bit naggy and likes to throw blows at his descendants, and enjoys life. If one didn’t know it ahead of time, no one would’ve guessed that ‘He’ is a Sequence 1 angel. “‘His’ aesthetic style is different from His Majesty. ‘He’ is absorbed over categories and emphasizes cleanliness and tidiness… When facing enemies, ‘He’ is good at trickery and often likes to finish off ‘His’ enemies by making them break down…”
This is quite similar to how Old Man has acted to date… Leonard nodded and asked, “Do you have ‘His’ portrait?”
“How could I be carrying a portrait with me? It’s not like I’m looking for anyone!” Mobet shook his head in amusement.
At this point, Leonard suddenly pointed to the side.
“Isn’t that it!”
“Ah?” Mobet turned his head in confusion and doubt, only to discover that an oil painting had appeared in his right hand at some point in time.
As he picked up the oil painting, the content on it gradually became clearer, revealing an old man with dark brown eyes.
The man’s hair was already completely white. It wasn’t very sparse, and it was neatly combed to the back of his head. His forehead, the corners of his eyes, and the corners of his mouth didn’t seem to have any wrinkles, not appearing too old.
It was obvious that he looked quite good when he was young. He looked quite similar to Mobet, but he exuded a rather solemn air.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
I really can’t tell that this is a Sequence 1 angel… Is this also because “He” didn’t reveal “His” Mythical Creature form? Audrey tiptoed and looked at the oil painting.
After Leonard memorized the contents of the portrait, he mentioned a few relevant questions related to the Zoroast family and received a satisfactory answer. The only exception was the name of the potion names of Sequence 3 to 0. Mobet wasn’t too sure either; all he knew was that Sequence 1 was apparently Worm of Time.
After ending this topic, Leonard asked about the Solomon Empire:
“In your era, what major aristocratic families are there in the Empire?”
“There weren’t many families with dukes.” Mobet put down his cup and spread out his palm. “Our Zoroast family, the Abraham family, the Zaratul family. In addition, although the Medici family and Lord Ouroboros didn’t have any aristocratic titles, their standing wasn’t worse than the major aristocratic families.”
Every time he spoke, he would curl his finger, finally curling them into a fist.
Then, he smiled and said, “At that time, although Tudor and the Trunsoest were the most loyal angels under His Majesty, they were still ranked beneath us. They were on par with Augustus and Castiya.”
The history of the Augustus family can actually be traced to the era of the Solomon Empire… While Audrey was surprised, she became even more focused on listening.
Leonard thought and continued asking, “In that era, what was the situation in the Northern Continent?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“All living creatures submitted to His Majesty. Even deities acknowledged His Majesty’s rule in order to fight against opposing factions.” Mobet chuckled. “They’ all have countries that belong to ‘Them’ in poorer places. In short, Evernight, God of Combat, and Death were at odds. The three deities of Storm, Blazing Sun, and Wisdom had a great conflict with each other. Earth’s attitude was vague and unclear, but ‘She’ was more inclined towards the God of Combat. This made ‘Them’ unable to cooperate in a stable fashion, thus being unable to form an alliance to fight His Majesty and the True Creator.”
At this point, Mobet sighed and said, “And precisely for the sake of balance, His Majesty didn’t attack the Southern Continent, and allowed Death to unite the plains and the ancient forest to build the Balam Empire.”
No, ultimately, the six deities came to an agreement. Hence, the Black Emperor perished, establishing the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire… Leonard recalled Pallez Zoroast’s mention of this particular phase of history and, for a baffling reason, felt how history was filled with vicissitudes.
At that moment, Mobet turned his head and looked at him.
“Do you have cigarettes?
“These little devils that came out from the True Creator’s believers aren’t bad at all.”
Leonard immediately controlled the dream and conjured a cigarette before handing it over.
“Is this an improved version?” Mobet stretched out his right hand and snaked out a ball of fire from the kitchen behind the bar. He lit the cigarette and took a deep breath.
Seeing smoke coming out of his nostrils, Leonard asked curiously, “The True Creator’s believers like to smoke?”
“That’s right. Even Lord Medici would occasionally smoke a few sticks. Although it’s just a habit for ‘Him,” Mobet answered without hiding anything.
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard nodded and asked, “Which deity do you believe in?”
“Of course, it’s His Majesty. All the aristocrats in the Empire believe in His Majesty. Uh, other than Lords Medici and Ouroboros. They believe in the True Creator. Also, Duke Bethel Abraham might just be faking it. According to what I know, ‘He’ only believes in ‘Himself,” Mobet quipped.
Bethel Abraham… A thought came to Klein. He was about to signal Leonard to ask further when he heard the poet ask, “Is Duke Bethel Abraham very powerful?”
Clearly, the completely different behavior compared to the other aristocratic families in the Empire made this ancestor of the Abraham family stand out.
“Very powerful. Even Lord Medici and Ouroboros are afraid of ‘Him,” Mobet said as he puffed out smoke rings. “In the warring era, ‘He’ was publicly acknowledged as one of the angels most likely to become a deity.”
“Warring era?” Leonard asked curiously.
Mobet looked at the slowly burning cigarette in his hand and said, “This isn’t thrilling enough. Heh heh. The warring era refers to the time after the Cataclysm ended to the point when the Empire was established. It lasted about 112 years. Our Zoroast family’s first angel perished in the warring era. Thankfully, we were helped by His Majesty before ‘He’ became a god; thus, we didn’t lose the Beyonder characteristic.”
“Who did it?” Leonard immediately asked.
Mobet shook his head.
“I’m not Sequence 4 yet, so there are many things I’m not qualified to know.
“Let’s talk about Duke Bethel Abraham; I actually don’t really know much about ‘Him,’ but I was very interested in their family and the Beyonder pathway they control. It’s said that the Apprentice can wander the cosmos once they reach Sequence 2. Uh, there are also rumors that it’s at Sequence 3.”
Cosmos? Klein’s pupils dilated slightly as he became more focused.
At this moment, Mobet continued, “They left behind lots of information regarding the cosmos, recording many interesting things. Unfortunately, I never managed to borrow them. However, I heard of the three laws that they concluded for wandering the cosmos:
“First, don’t respond to any calls. Second, don’t be reckless and approach unknown creatures or buildings. Third, endure loneliness.”
It sounds like the cosmos is vast and dangerous… I wonder if the current Abraham family still has the travel notes related to the cosmos. I’ll get Miss Magician to ask in the future… When Klein’s gaze swept over, it happened to cross with Miss Justice’s gaze that was directed at him. They immediately realized that the other party had also thought of Miss Magician.
Leonard did the same. He nodded slightly and asked about other matters.
During this process, the dream changed with Mobet’s memories. Following that, they saw the appearances of Medici, Ouroboros, and other high-level figures.
Of course, as Mobet had few interactions with the Black Emperor and Bethel Abraham and didn’t dare to look at ‘Them’ head-on, his impression of ‘Them’ was a blur.
Towards the end, Audrey grabbed both Klein’s and Leonard’s arms and jumped into Siatas’s dream.
This Elven Songster was standing in the garden holding her stomach and frowning at Mobet.
“Can you steal the fetus in my stomach and stuff it into your body?”
“It can be done, but even if it’s stuffed into my body, I won’t be able to give birth to him,” Mobet replied fearfully.
Siatas thought seriously and said, “Then steal the corresponding organs that are needed?”
“…If it’s just the simple act of theft, then it might still succeed. But for what f-follows after, I’ll be at my wit’s end. This is beyond my capabilities…” Mobet said nervously.
The conversation between the human and elf left the trio dumbfounded.
After a few seconds, Audrey suggested, “…Why don’t I do it this time?”
Chapter 1066 Familiar Name
Upon hearing Miss Justice’s suggestion, Klein thought for a moment and said, “Guide the dream towards matters encompassing the Second Epoch’s history, the Queen of Calamity Cohinem, elf habits, and the most ancient language of the elves, as well as the legendary Western Continent.”
“…Alright.” Audrey’s eyes moved slightly, revealing a thoughtful expression as she digested the information that Mr. World had said.
Then, she walked to the Elven Songster’s side.
Under her guidance, Mobet’s figure in the garden rapidly blurred as he vanished from Siatas’s dream.
The ripples in Audrey’s green eyes stirred once again as her lips quivered, as though she was reciting something.
Nas
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The entire dream world began to shake as the garden was like a reflection of a lake that was smashed into pieces by an invisible stone that flew over from nowhere.
These fragments quickly gathered, but the scene that was restored was no longer a garden, but that of a palace made of coral.
Every detail in the palace was abnormally gorgeous. The entire structure was tall and majestic, but due to the layers of blue seawater, the sky couldn’t be seen, making it appear dark and gloomy.
Inside it, coral pillars propped up an exaggerated dome, and the walls and the top of it were filled with terrifying murals of the storm.
Above the murals and corals, silver bolts of lightning followed a certain trajectory as if they were alive. Finally, they converged at the nine steps that were inlaid with pearls, diamonds, emerald, and turquoise.
Siatas was standing there, with many elves standing opposite her.
On the nine steps, there were two huge chairs that seemed to be formed purely of lightning. One of them occupied the center, just like the ruler of this palace. One of them was on its left, appearing less eye-catching.
Sitting on the throne in the middle was a man wearing a simple loose robe. His ears were pointed, and his facial features were rather soft and his hair thick. His hair was a mix of black and blue colors. Not only did his facial features look outstanding on their own, they combined together to form an even more handsome face. However, he directly gave one a tyrannous impression, as though he wouldn’t say a word before picking up the electric spear leaning on his armrest, and then throwing it.
Sitting beside him was a beautiful woman with raven-black hair. Her hair was tied up into a high bun, her ears slightly pointed, and her facial features delicate. She had dark brown eyes that were as deep as the ocean, and in her hands, she was playing with a complicated golden wine cup.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without needing Siatas’s introduction, Klein and company could easily determine that this couple was the Elf King, the ancient god, Soniathrym, and the Elf Queen, Queen of Calamity, Cohinem.
“That traitor, Aurmir!” Suddenly, a voice resembling loud thunder boomed, causing the entire palace to shake violently. It made Siatas and the other attendants lower their heads in fear.
This roar came from the ancient god.
Aurmir, isn’t that the name of the Giant King? I’ve recently been drinking red wine named after him. I have to say that its quality is indeed higher than anything else. It’s just a little expensive… As Klein listened, he had a random thought.
He remembered that Little Sun had once said that Giant King Aurmir, Elf King Soniathrym, and Sanguine Ancestor Lilith-the three humanoid ancient gods—were allies. They fought against the opposing camp formed by Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt; Phoenix Ancestor, Gregrace; and the Mutant King, Kvastir. As for the Devil Monarch, Farbauti, and the Annihilation Demonic Wolf, Flegrea, they were independent beings who wanted to subvert all order and corrupt all living beings.
So, the alliance of three humanoid ancient gods eventually collapsed? Klein reined in his thoughts and waited for the subsequent changes in the dream.
Due to Derrick’s existence, Audrey wasn’t unfamiliar with the history of the Second Epoch. Without any hesitation, she directly made Siatas’s dream continue its development.
Despite the terrifying roar, Queen of Calamity Cohinem wasn’t affected at all. With a cold expression, “She” calmly said, “Wasn’t this already long confirmed?
“His’ reputation is exactly the opposite of ‘His’ physical build.”.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, the ancient god, Soniathrym, had already been enveloped by bolts of lightning. “He” said in a thunderous voice, “I thought that, after centuries, ‘He’ would understand the global situation even more. I’ve overestimated ‘His’ intelligence!
“If ‘He’ didn’t sell out Lilith back then, how could ‘She’ have perished?”
Eh… The Sanguine Ancestor Lilith perished so early? Klein’s eyelids twitched as he quickly focused his attention.
After the Elf King finished roaring, Queen of Calamity Cohinem maintained “Her” previous posture and said, “That’s not a bad thing. At the very least, Kvastir and Flegrea were dragged to the grave together with Lilith. All the deities no longer trust each other. Even if we don’t form an alliance, we can rule the ocean, lakes, and rivers.”
Upon hearing these words, Spectator Audrey, couldn’t help but feel alarmed. She had no choice but to use Placate on herself.
This… It means that the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith, Mutant King Kvastir, and the Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea perished in a battle between ancient gods. So the betrayal of Giant King Aurmir and the other ancient gods had nothing to do with the ancient sun god?
This is why Lilith didn’t fully die and is still able to occasionally deliver divine revelations? And because of this, the Antigonus Mother of the Sky and Hornacis mountain range managed to survive to the Fourth Epoch… Klein increasingly believed that the history recorded in the City of Silver had many fabrications or vague records. Thankfully, he hadn’t completely digested the Bizarro Sorcerer potion and didn’t need to consider advancing to Scholar of Yore. Otherwise, the “history” he used might not be real.
In ancient times, the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith and Mutant King Kvastir perished due to the other… The Sanguine has recently been working with the Mutant’s temperance faction. Time sure is a great magician… Heh heh, if The Moon Emlyn were to know of this, I wonder what kind of expression he would have… The Star Leonard sighed as he thought.
As their thoughts raced, the ancient god, Soniathrym, scoffed and said, “Recently, Aurmir wanted to work with some secret sects that have sprouted from the humans to deal with us. Apparently, this matter is led by Harvest and Dawn.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’m even thinking of working with Ankewelt to destroy the giants and the Giant King’s Court. Unfortunately, every time I see that dragon, I have the urge to string it up on a grill. It’s a type of attraction that’s simply irresistible!”
Just as he said that, the ancient god suddenly vanished. The entire palace shook violently, causing a rift to appear.
All of this had yet to subside when a bolt of lightning flashed. Soniathrym returned to the massive throne, holding a spear made of pure lightning
“You went to the Giant King’s Court?” Cohinem asked.
“I taught Aurmir a lesson,” Soniathrym answered without hiding anything.
Siatas and the other elven attendants lowered their heads even further. They faintly saw slippery tentacles that were thicker than their bodies flipping about on the ground, flashing with silver bolts of lightning.
Then, they shut their eyes.
The dream changed as Siatas “recalled” her interaction with other elves.
With their conversations and interactions, Klein, Leonard, and Audrey learned that Siatas lived in a relatively peaceful time period in the Second Epoch. The giants, elves, dragons, devils, and phoenixes coexisted, splitting up their rule over the Northern and Southern Continent, as well as the Five Seas. Vampires, demonic wolves, treants, sea monsters, mutants, and humans were vassals of the different factions, occupying the lower-middle classes.
“This doesn’t resemble the history recorded by the Church. Even the legends in the City of Silver aren’t like this.” Leonard sighed when he heard that. “Old Man probably doesn’t know this much.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“That isn’t necessarily true.” Klein shook his head indiscernibly. “Many existences in the Second Epoch have survived to the Fourth Epoch, or even to this very moment.”
“For example the Wisdom Angel?” Leonard asked with a guess.
“Perhaps.” Klein didn’t give an affirmative answer as he said with a smile, “When you were talking to Mobet, I thought you would make Miss Justice stand further away.”
Leonard immediately shot a glance at him and yawned.
“You mentioned before that there’s an existence behind me that might’ve been seen the second Blasphemy Slate. Then, when I was conversing with Mobet Zoroast, wouldn’t she be able to make the connection from me getting her to stand further away?
“Besides, you also mentioned that back when dealing with all of Amon’s avatars in Backlund, part of the clean-up operation involved Miss Justice. To a Sequence 5 Spectator, what she knows is sufficient. Once she understands the Zoroast family’s matters, the truth is practically in front of her eyes. In that case, why waste time trying to avoid her. It’s too troublesome. I might as well get Mr. Fool to be a witness as everyone vows not to divulge each other’s secrets.”
Klein nodded slightly and said, “If you were to get Miss Justice to stand further away, it wouldn’t be easy for you to bring up the matter of making a vow to keep things a secret…”
At this moment, Siatas continued, “After the death of the Sanguine Ancestor, the Annihilation Demonic Wolf, and the Mutant King, some of ‘Their’ subsidiary gods were killed, while others surrendered to other ancient gods. There were a few who vanished as they hid in the shadows.”
Having “transformed” herself into an elf, Audrey immediately asked, “Who surrendered to who? Who died?”
Siatas recalled and said, “I’ve never even seen it before. Uh, the Sanguine’s Goddess of Life and the Mutant King’s God of War were killed. No one even remembers ‘Their names… The Annihilation Demonic Wolf’s God of the Dead, Salinger, came under the Phoenix Ancestor. The Sanguine’s Goddess of Beauty, Auernia, came under us… The Mutant King’s God of Spiritual Creatures, Tolzna, and Annihilation Demonic Wolf’s Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises, vanished…”
Salinger… Auernia… These two names made Klein’s forehead twitch. He instinctively used his Clown powers to maintain his facial expression.
Auernia was the Blood Moon Queen, the wife of the Fourth Epoch’s Emperor, the Empress of the Trunsoest Empire!
As for Salinger, “He” was the founder of the Balam Empire, the Emperor of the Underworld – Death!
Chapter 1067 The Elven Version of History
This…The Second Epoch’s subsidiary gods truly are hidden powers. There was Dragon of Wisdom, Herabergen，and there’s God of the Dead, Salinger. They were all powerful figures that even reached the throne of Sequence 0. Of course, I can’t be sure about the Dragon of Wisdom. It’s just quite possible…
Yes, and there’s the God of Dawn, Badheil, and the Goddess of Harvest, Omebella. I can’t rule out the possibility that “They” have lived quite well all the way to the Fifth Epoch… I wonder if the God of Spiritual Creatures Tolzna and the Goddess of Misfortune Amanises managed to evade the authority retrieval operation by the City of Silver Creator at the end of the Second Epoch. If “They” managed to escape that fate, what roles did “They” play in the Third and Fourth Epoch? After a moment of shock, Klein began thinking poignantly.
Thinking back to the betrayal of the Kings of Angels in the Third Epoch, he couldn’t help but lampoon:
You have to be careful of fire, theft, and subsidiary gods!
At that moment, Audrey, who didn’t know much about the subsidiary gods’ true names or authorities, didn’t show any perturbations in her emotions. She acted as different female elves in Siatas’s memories, and she constantly talked to her about her experiences and things she knew about the Second Epoch.
According to Siatas, in the history of the elves, there was no concept of the First Epoch or Second Epoch. In the beginning years that were unknown to her, it was chaotic, dark, and crazy, and it didn’t leave behind any texts. After the supernatural races obtained a certain level of intelligence and had their own languages, creatures finally had some knowledge of history.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In that era, ancient gods appeared one after another. The sky, the land, the sea, and the underground world slowly changed from disorderliness to orderliness. However, other than the tyrannical and crazy ancient gods, no one knew how many years this stage lasted. She just knew that, very, very long ago, it was referred to by the major supernatural races as the “Sprouting Era.”
After the “Sprouting Era” was the “Early Era of Fire” in which the eight ancient gods fought against each other in different camps. This was also a long time before Siatas’s birth, so she could only understand this from the elven historical records that it was a time when quasi-humans fought non-humans, resisting the corruption and intrusion from the devils and demonic wolves. Amongst them, the humanoids were the giants, elves, Sanguine, as well as their slaves.
The “Early Era of Fire” lasted different periods of time according to the different records. However, a common point was that it lasted less than a thousand years, as the essence of the ancient gods was madness, tyranny, cruel, and cold. They were often driven by their instinct.
After the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith, Mutant King Kvastir, and Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea perished during the betrayal, the “E3rly Elm of Fire” ended, and the war broke out “The world was damaged, and it didiVt stop for centuries.
Due to the fact that the giants and dragons were relatively strong in this period of time, they were known as the “Dual Era.”
By the time the five races formed a new balance of powers, the Northern Continent, the Southern Continent, the East Continent, and the Five Seas had recovered some level of peace. This was when Siatas was born and had grown up in until she entered Groselle’s Travels.
In the history that she described, there were two important points. First of all, it proved the existence of the East Continent, a place where the Giant King’s Court was. Second, after the “Sprouting Era,” the supernatural races had their own kind of civilization. They weren’t completely irrational as their descendants believed them to be. Of course, the inclination towards tyranny, cruelty, coldness, and slaughtering still existed, as though they were all in a half-state of losing control. It was only after the “Dual Era” that the new generation of elves and giants gained some level of rationality. They had feelings just like Siatas and Groselle.
The East Continent seems to be the Forsaken Land of the Gods… It was abandoned during the Cataclysm? Similar thoughts surfaced in Klein’s, Leonard’s, and Audrey’s minds.
They were very interested in this, but it was a pity that Siatas had always lived in the Elf King’s court. Their occasional forays outside were limited to parades at sea. She had never been to the East Continent, and she lacked the required knowledge.
Composite Start
Composite End
Under Audrey’s influence, Siatas’s dream began to show the traditions and language of the elves.
According to the legends that the Queen’s attendant had heard of, Elvish was created by the king in the “Sprouting Era.” Every word was produced with the birth of a first-generation elf. The number of Elvish words meant the number of first-generation elves.
However, the traditions of the elves weren’t too unified. They relied heavily on their surroundings—the elves in the forests and the sea were undoubtedly different in all kinds of customs.
What they shared in common was that they believed in the king, who was an ancient god, and “His” queen. They liked to make food with the blood of their prey. Many of them had culinary methods such as roasting. Even sea elves often came up to the reefs for a bonfire party. They were close to nature and were good at using all kinds of spices. They idolized the strong, and they were proud of being quick to act before thinking…
With myths and reality mixed together, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake… Their traditions have destroyed my previous theories… Klein listened with a stoic expression as he quickly analyzed every word Siatas said.
After figuring out the relevant matters, Audrey circled around the keyword of the West Continent and made Siatas’s dream change. It reflected some of her subconscious memories.
The coral palace appeared before Klein and company again. Siatas followed behind Queen of Calamity Cohinem and walked to a crystal window.
She glanced at the Queen’s exquisite and complicated dress, and she stole a glance at the “deity” who controlled calamities. She asked curiously, “Your Highness, are you looking west?”
To the elves, as long as they didn’t feel the pressure of violence, they would ask questions on the spot.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why do you think so?” Cohinem didn’t turn back as “She” asked with an indifferent expression.
“I just learned of a legend that our elves originated from the Western Continent,” Siatas replied. “Your Highness, does the Western Continent really exist? Is that really where the first-generation elves were born?”
Cohinem’s lips curled slightly as she said with a slightly ethereal voice, “The Western Continent may exist, but it may not exist either. Every race needs to give themselves an illustrious origin, a home for the mind.
“Siatas, where is your home to you?”
“My home?” Siatas repeated the question as she replied blankly, “It’s where His Majesty and Your Highness are. It’s this palace that can lead to the forest where my parents live…”
As she said this, Siatas’s emotions gradually turned heavy, lost, and melancholic.
It was obvious that she was influenced by her subconscious’s corresponding memories.
She had entered Groselle’s Travels and had been away from home for two to three thousand years.
“Therefore, to elves like you, the Western Continent doesn’t exist, but to some elves, it definitely exists.” Queen of Calamity Cohinem calmly gave her final answer.
Composite Start
Composite End
Siatas didn’t ask further, because she suddenly remembered that the Queen wasn’t a first-generation elf.
Such a response made Klein increasingly confused and puzzled. Thankfully, from the Second Epoch to the Fifth Epoch, the Western Continent had zero presence, so it didn’t have any important secrets related to him. He was just trying to find out more about it and hadn’t held out much hope.
After ending the guiding of Siatas’s subconscious and since it was almost noon, without any other nearby dreams that they could leap into, Audrey left with Klein and Leonard, and they appeared in Mobet and Siatas’s bedroom.
Looking at the Fourth Epoch viscount whose body had been tightly bound by the elf, Audrey’s expression suddenly turned gentle as she said with a laugh, “They seem to be doing pretty well…”
“No, no, no, it’s terrifying to have such a violent, direct, and imaginative wife who dares to take action! Only a person like Mobet would like and enjoy being with her…” Leonard, who didn’t have a poet’s talent but had the liberal inclinations of a poet, shook his head as he kept his hands in his pockets.
At this point, he muttered in thought, On the contrary, it’s true that an experienced thief needs a woman like Siatas to rein him in. Hmm… I wonder what kind of members of the opposite sex Old Man’s other family members like…
“Sigh, they don’t need our envy or objections. This is how they live together. Emperor Roselle once wrote a poem, saying ‘for my love I’ll sacrifice my life[l]’…”
As Klein listened to their discussion, he opened his mouth and closed it again. He didn’t tell them that Siatas and Mobet had actually died. It was only when they died that they truly felt their love for one another. The ones living in the book were just copies created by the book world.
After leaving the couple’s house, the trio headed to Groselle’s blacksmith shop.
Along the way, when they went past a street, Klein saw Frunziar, who was known as a philosopher, and Audrey recognized him to be Loenese a glance.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Is that the soldier from a hundred years ago?” Audrey slowed down her pace and asked.
Klein recalled Frunziar’s longing for his hometown, and the ashes he had placed in Backlund’s cemetery. He fell silent for two seconds before nodding gently.
“Yes.”
Mr. World is feeling a little emotional… He’s like a calm river on the surface, with a lot of undercurrents and eddies underneath… Audrey nodded indiscernibly and asked, “Can we enter his dream? I want to get the Judge and Disciplinary Paladin’s potion formula.”
“No problem,” Klein replied as he glanced at Leonard.
Leonard continued having his hands in his pockets, but his eyes instantly darkened.
Sitting on the bench, Frunziar fell asleep.
Right on the heels of that, three people appeared in his dream.
This was a bustling city with buildings made from wood. The pedestrians who came and went were mostly Loenese.
The black-haired, blue-eyed Frunziar stood outside a house as he looked in without daring to approach. Only when a woman wearing an old long dress came out from inside did he excitedly go forward and attempt to hug her.
His hug went through the woman without them making contact at all.
Frunziar stood rooted to the ground as he blankly shouted, “Mother…”
Audrey, who wanted to guide the dream, quietly watched this scene. Then, she looked around and discovered the iconic clock.
“Backlund…” Audrey pursed her lips and turned her head. She looked at Klein and asked, “Can’t they leave the book world?”
“It’s been too long. If they leave, they will grow old, die, or even be reduced to dust.” Klein’s voice was like a serene river. “I delivered one of Frunziar’s items to Backlund.”
This… As a Spectator, Audrey acutely sensed the cruel reality behind those words. She couldn’t help but raise her head and look out of the dream, looking at the location where Mobet and Siatas were.
Leonard wanted to ask what it was, but after looking around, he maintained his silence.
Following that, Audrey seriously guided his dream. Outside of obtaining two potion formulas, she made Frunziar return home and live happily with his parents, brothers, and sisters.
It was a beautiful dream.
After leaving Frunziar, Klein, Leonard, and Audrey quickly saw Groselle’s home.
This was the last stop of their exploration. After obtaining information from Groselle’s subconscious, they would enter the book world’s sea of collective subconscious and seek out the secrets that might exist in this book.
[1] Adapted from a Hungarian poet, Sandor Petofi’s Liberty and Love.
Chapter 1068 Illogical Details
“W-which one is Groselle?” In the dream, Leonard looked ahead blankly.
There was a huge bonfire there, and there were more than ten grayish-blue-skinned, single-eyed giants who looked no different from each other.
To be honest, I wouldn’t be able to recognize him without the ability of a Faceless… To me, without their age, hairstyle, height, scars, clothes, and maturity, giants all look the same… Klein mumbled inwardly as he looked calmly at Miss Justice, as though saying that it shouldn’t stump a Spectator.
Audrey raised her hand and pointed at a giant who was gulping down alcohol. From time to time, he would shout twice to express his approval.
“That’s Groselle.
“It looks like, in the traditions of the giants, clapping isn’t a sign of affirmation and praise. Instead, it’s a roar. The louder the roar, the higher the level of praise.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Miss Justice is acting like a folk scholar now… Thankfully, he’s only shouting and not singing. If not, the noise would be worse. It’s obvious that the giants here aren’t adept at modulating their voices. That roar from before didn’t have any rhythm to it… Klein nodded and said to Audrey, “Begin guiding him then.”
As Audrey went forward as Leonard stepped back. He raised his right hand and stroked his chin.
“Tell me, in the Second Epoch, which supernatural race widely possessed the Beyonder characteristics of the Evernight pathway?”
“Isn’t it the demonic wolves?” Klein glanced at Leonard, wondering if the poet had contracted the traditional disease of the Nighthawkshaving a bad memory.
“I know.” Leonard maintained his original posture as he said with a strange expression, “Then how do they act as a Midnight Poet? Or should I say that the potion’s name back then was called Midnight Roarer?”
“There wasn’t a potion name in the beginning…” Klein’s thoughts were accidentally led astray by Leonard. The scene of such fellows crouching on the ground and howling at the moon surfaced in his mind. He couldn’t help but mutter, “This might be more suitable for you. There’s no need to write poems, making it very easy.”
The corners of Leonard’s mouth twitched as he said, “There are different types of poets. I’m a singing type.”
As the two idly chatted, Audrey’s guidance attempt gradually pushed through. Groselle’s dream began showing the Waning Forest, Barren Tunnel, the corner of the Giant King’s Court, Dawn Town, and the Nation of Gold.
Groselle wasn’t a subordinate of the “deities” like the Giant King, and he was only able to occasionally see these high-level existences while on duty at the Waning Forest or in particular spots of the Giant King’s Court and passageway. Furthermore, he didn’t dare look at “Them” head-on, receiving them while genuflecting and having his head bowed. Therefore, he wasn’t able to present the images of Giant King Aurmir, Giant Queen Omebella, and the eldest son of the Giant King, God of Dawn, Badheil. They only appeared as portraits.
Composite Start
Composite End
Similarly, Groselle knew very few secrets. His grasp of history and the situation in the world was completely incomparable to Elven Songster Siatas. However, an interesting point was that in the Giant King’s Court and the giants, the “traitor” was synonymous with Soniathrym. They claimed that “His” abandoning of the alliance had resulted in the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith’s death.
Klein strongly suspected that, because of his bad temper, Soniathrym, was obviously not good at such things.
The Queen of Calamity seems capable, but the problem is what “She” plots is extremely hard to hide from “Her” spouse, a true ancient god, Soniathrym… In contrast, Giant King Aurmir being the traitor makes more sense… Klein did a rough analysis as Audrey changed the direction of Guidance in an attempt to let Groselle present anything he had seen or heard beyond the Giant King’s Court.
It was a pity that, shortly after the giant left the King’s Court and passed through Dawn Town before arriving in the Nation of Gold, he obtained the book and entered it. He didn’t know much about the styles and appearances of people from different regions.
“Currently, the most valuable piece of information is how to avoid the front entrance after entering the Giant King’s Court from Afternoon Town. It’s through the Waning Forest and the Barren Tunnel.” Audrey ended the guidance and walked back to Klein’s and Leonard’s side. This is very useful for Little Sun and company’s subsequent explorations.”
“Yes, we can tell him at the next gathering.” Klein nodded.
Just as he was about to suggest that they enter the book world’s sea of collective subconscious through Groselle’s dream, Audrey suddenly looked back and said in thought,
“There’s one detail that’s illogical.”
“Which detail?” Leonard seriously recalled what he had seen and heard, but he didn’t find anything suspicious.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Justice Audrey glanced at The World and said, “In the matter regarding how Giant King Aurmir’s father and mother are buried in the Waning Forest, the rule that only the ancient god can enter is illogical.”
Klein didn’t notice that there was something wrong with that detail. But after Miss Justice mentioned it, he immediately had some ideas. He deliberated and said, “The father and mother of the Giant King are equivalent to the ancestors of the giants. Normally speaking, they should be consecrated by the entire race…”
“That’s right. Regardless of the race, they’ll have some level of worship towards their ancestor. The giants are no exception. From Groselle’s dream, the Keepers often make sacrifices to the ancestors outside the Waning Forest.” Audrey nodded in agreement. “If there aren’t any other factors of influence, the Giant King should occasionally organize things and make it a point to honor their ancestors instead of making it a rule that only ‘He’ can enter.”
“Perhaps the Waning Forest contains immense danger. Aren’t the oldest giants crazy, violent, and irrational? After their death, their corpses have corrupted the environment and affected the entire forest. It’s not something that can’t be understood.” Leonard gave his opinion.
Audrey and Klein shook their heads at the same time, denying the statement.
“If it’s only danger or corruption, Giant Queen Omebella and the God of Dawn Badheil can clearly withstand that. With the help of the Giant King, there are almost no problems. Yet ‘They’ are also forbidden from entering the Waning Forest, even with the ancient god by ‘Their’ side.” Klein simply explained his thoughts and guesses. “Perhaps what’s buried inside isn’t Giant King Aurmir’s parents; there might be some other secret.”
“That’s more likely the case.” Audrey nodded seriously.
She wore a silver mask, and her green eyes darted around slightly, faintly revealing a hint of curiosity.
“If that’s the case, what would a secret that can’t be known to ‘His’ wife, child, subsidiary gods, or fellow members of the same race be? That’s quite interesting…” Leonard smiled as he allowed his thoughts to wander.
Composite Start
Composite End
After another round of discussion, the three of them made use of the time to enter the Giant King’s Court through the Barren Tunnel and enter the place that was frozen amidst the
sunset.
According to Klein’s experience, this was actually the path to the borders of Groselle’s dream.
This time, there was no need for him to activate Creeping Hunger and use the strength of a Zombie to open the heavy door to the giant guards’ quarters. Audrey directly influenced the dream and made the door flutter open like a piece of paper. Due to the Unshadowed Crucifix, Klein was unable to wear the human-skinned glove.
Outside the door was a hazy world. There was no longer the scene of the Giant King’s Court ahead of them, but a cliff.
After a brief exchange of the various situations that could occur in the sea of collective subconscious, Audrey made a staircase appear on the edge of the cliff.
The staircase spun around, sinking deep into the dark, hazy, silent, and bottomless mind world.
The three of them didn’t delay as they stepped onto the staircase and walked down.
In this lonely environment that could drive one crazy, Audrey used Placate a few times every time they traveled a certain distance.
This wasn’t only to Placate Klein, Leonard, and herself, but it was also to Placate the grayish-white cliff-Groselle’s subconscious. It was to prevent him from causing a stir that would contaminate their Astral Projection and Body of Heart and Mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
The countless rotting giant palms that Klein “encountered” the last time didn’t appear. Even the most unbearable feelings of loneliness, silence, and being infinite didn’t feel that terrifying thanks to being able to speak to each other.
“This is the mind world. The domain of consciousness is indeed different from the others.” Leonard looked around as though he wanted to use a few poems to express his feelings, but he eventually chose to give up.
If it were any other mission elsewhere, Klein might’ve asked his dear poet to remain quiet, but here, he felt that it was good for him to say something-anything.
Audrey didn’t reject the exchange as she said seriously, “That’s the essence of the environment that we can sense. The cliffs, precipices, and the hazy world are a reflection of our subconscious. If it were another race, it might not be like that…”
“…I now find psychology rather interesting,” Leonard said with interest after hearing that.
Klein glanced at him and resisted the urge to say that, with his personality and habits, he really wasn’t suited to the Spectator pathway.
In this exchange, the three of them lost track of time until they finally stepped onto the solid but hazy ground.
Looking upwards, they could see the undulating shadows. They overlapped and formed an illusory sea.
Klein, Leonard, and Audrey were about to walk forward when a “water spout” suddenly surged over. A rather blurry figure stood up from within.
It was a grayish-blue giant that was six-to seven-meters tall. His chest was covered with dragon scales, and there were all sorts of indescribable patterns, symbols, and labels that went beyond what one would consider a normal language.
His single vertical eye was filled with blood vessels as it emitted a violent aura that couldn’t be concealed. It had obvious hints of destruction in it as it gnawed on a bloody human leg.
This was a demigod-level giant!
He was a projection left in the sea of collective subconscious. Perhaps it was an actual encounter with a human or some other race’s ancestor; or perhaps it was something Groselle and the other giants had heard about.
The moment he appeared, the madness spread towards Klein and company like a plague that could infect them.
This was a world that directly came into contact with one’s mind and consciousness!
Chapter 1069 “Under the Sea’
The leg-gnawing giant, whose vertical eye was filled with blood-red threads, wasn’t actually real. He was, in essence, a strong emotion produced by a particular living creature.
The emotions that originated from having a deep impression had entered the subconscious. It spread from one’s island of consciousness to the surrounding illusory “sea,” before slowly settling and forming a mark. It wasn’t possible for all of its emotions and consciousness to ultimately settle dowoi as the foundation. Most of them would be washed away with time by the “seawater.” Only extremely intense and repeated experiences would remain.
And once it formed a mark, it would be a drop of water in the sea of collective subconscious which would then affect living creatures of the same species in its surroundings. It would be a shared, ancient “memory” carved into one’s pulse.
Therefore, not only was the phantom image of the giant blurry, but it also had many mistakes caused by the subjective aspects of the mind. Normally, it wouldn’t result in Leonard and Audrey being unable to look straight at it, confusing their spirituality and breaking down their minds. However, the madness that came with it—an extreme sense of horror that stemmed from an unknown person—seemed all so real. It could contaminate every living creature’s Body of Heart and Mind, Astral Projection, and even Soul Body!
This was the essence of the danger in the sea of collective subconscious. It didn’t stem from the strength, level, and status itself, but from the emotions and feelings that were generated and imprinted there.
Of course, if one were to encounter a “mark” left behind by a high-level creature or deity, they could directly see some type or multiple types of Mythical Creature forms. However, the result was definitely nothing rosy. One would either have a mental breakdown or go crazy. Otherwise, they would be completely contaminated by the deity or high-level creature’s emotions and feelings—their outcome would ultimately be completely unpredictable.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
All in all, in this sea of collective subconscious, the style of combat was different from the outside world. Sometimes, the more anxious one was at trying to destroy the illusory figure, the more likely one would be contaminated by their stirring emotions.
It was precisely because of this that when Klein saw the 7-8-meter tall, grayish-blue giant rush over, he immediately took the initiative to control his emotions.
Then, he used “Illusion Creation.”
The target of “Illusion Creation” was Leonard and Audrey.
In the eyes of these two Sequence 5 Beyonders, those 2-3-story-tall giants no longer had the madness and violence that left one trembling from one’s heart. Everything seemed normal and ordinary.
Therefore, before those extreme feelings could truly contaminate them, Leonard and Audrey remained very calm, without showing any emotional fluctuations.
Then, with one hand in his pocket, Leonard reached out with his right hand and slightly opened his mouth.
Having become a Spirit Warlock, he originally wanted to use the first spirit—a Terror Banshee—that he sealed in his tooth with the help of the archbishop. It was a powerful spirit world creature with a beautiful face and rotting body. It had a pair of huge eagle wings and was good at draining the consciousness of others, injecting feelings of terror in them. However, he quickly remembered that not only was he in an Astral Projection form, but he had also been cleansed by the gray fog. How could there be other spirits still “on him.”
He had no choice but to use a Soul Assurer’s powers, turning his green eyes deep and quiet.
Composite Start
Composite End
The giant shadow instantly slowed down as if it was soothed.
At this moment, Audrey calmly spread her arms wide and used Placate.
An invisible wind blew past, and the giant figure seemed to pause as it instantly weakened the contamination around it.
During this process, Klein took out the bronze cross that had many sharp spikes. As he opened the bottle containing his blood, he poured a few drops onto it and solemnly said, “Light!”
Brilliant, pure, and flawless light burst out, and amidst Klein’s fluttering black trench coat, the giant phantom was drowned by the light.
The grayish-blue giant melted away almost immediately.
One of the main powers of the Unshadowed Crucifix was to cleanse and purify lingering spiritual imprints!
This was the reason why Klein brought this Sealed Artifact along.
And when he used the cross from the ancient sun god, Klein dispelled the illusion, allowing The Star Leonard and Justice Audrey to “see” the true appearance of the giant to enrich their experiences in such matters.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Although it didn’t even take a second before the giant phantom was drowned by the endless light, Audrey and Leonard still felt dizzy. M irresistible sense of fear surged from deep within their hearts, and they almost broke down.
This state didn’t last too long, as Audrey instinctively used Placate to calm her emotions before treating Mr. Star and Mr. World’s psychological problems one by one.
“How scary…Is this a giant at the demigod level?” When the light dissipated, Audrey looked around and sighed.
In that instant, she had a deeper understanding of the sentence:
“Do not look directly at God!”
Even at the saint level, the remnant impression a demigod leaves behind in a memory can’t be “seen” directly, let alone a real deity?
Leonard was also experienced. He laughed self-deprecatingly and said, “Sequence 4 is indeed a qualitative change in life’s natural order. However, that wasn’t very scary. It wasn’t as intense as when I was facing a pregnant woman.”
Is the essence of a poet to boast? At that time, you could still control yourself, but you were almost on the verge of breaking down just now… However, if Megose gave birth to that child, we would probably lose control and turn into monsters just by looking at her… As Klein lampooned Leonard, it stirred up some memories as he sighed poignantly.
“Was that pregnant lady a demigod?” Audrey asked curiously.
Composite Start
Composite End
“No.” Leonard shook his head. “But she was pregnant with an evil god’s spawn.”
Is that so… Audrey didn’t ask further. She knew very well that the adventure and exploration hadn’t ended, and that wasting time wasn’t an option.
She then looked at Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a black trench coat and holding a bronze cross and small metal bottle, and said with a smile, “Thank you for affecting our senses.
“Uh, where should we go next?”
As an experienced Spectator, it wasn’t difficult to determine the fact that she had received Mr. World’s help from making a comparison.
Klein controlled himself from subconsciously furrowing his brows, and he looked around.
“Doesn’t this sea of collective subconscious have a core region to it?”
“No.” Audrey shook her head seriously. “Wherever there are living beings, there’s a sea of subconscious. There’s no such thing as someone who’s more important and lofty. This illusory sea won’t really stir, and the situations within the different areas will depend on their actual surroundings. We call it a ‘precipitating effect.’ To put it simply, the sea of collective subconscious of Loen will be quite different from Intis, because it precipitates the strong emotions and feelings of generations of Loenese. In contrast, this will also affect the citizens of both countries, making them have different qualities and personalities to a certain extent…”
After explaining this a little, Audrey concluded:
“If that’s the case, how can there be a general consensus of a core within the sea of collective subconscious?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein nodded and asked thoughtfully, “In other words, you can’t give any effective suggestions on where to go?”
Mr. World is so direct… If it were another lady or gentleman with a more fragile heart, they would definitely be embarrassed and feel hurt… As the thought flashed through her mind, Audrey saw The World’s pair of deep, brown eyes which were nearly black in color. They were in no way crazy or cold. Instead, they were calm and tranquil.
This… Audrey instantly came to a realization. She realized that Mr. World was doing such things on purpose so that she could experience the various problems within the details of a joint operation, allowing her to gain more experience.
Yes.” She nodded frankly, not feeling embarrassed at all.
Klein secretly nodded and looked at The Star Leonard.
“Don’t look at me. My expertise isn’t in this strange sea of collective subconscious.” Leonard immediately waved his hands.
Compared to Miss Justice, having participated in countless operations, he knew that he shouldn’t force it when he shouldn’t.
“Then follow me.” Klein looked away and moved the Unshadowed Crucifix which had turned bronze again to the hand holding the metal bottle, and he took out a gold coin.
Ding!
As the gold coin tumbled, he grabbed it without looking at the results. He looked in a direction and widened his stride. This is a divination technique… Audrey was enlightened.
She looked at The World’s serious and calm side profile, black trench coat, silk top hat, and bronze cross. For some reason, she felt like the other party was a preacher.
Leonard suddenly recalled something from the past.
It was the first case he had worked with Klein—to find a kidnapped child. At that time, it was also a way for Klein to lead the way through divination. He had been beside him the entire time.
Compared to his awkwardness before, it seems as if he had entered the mysterious world for more than ten years now… Sigh, it’s only been over a year… Leonard placed his hands in his pockets as he followed closely behind Klein.
Audrey glanced at him and felt the change in his mood.
Mr. Star and Mr. World not only know each other in real life, but they were probably rather close friends. Yes, they have at least met frequently in the past one to two years… As she made the judgment, she didn’t slow down her steps. Combining what she had learned, she observed the surroundings and identified which spots might hide “maelstroms” and “dangerous creatures.”
With her help, Klein’s lead went very smoothly. It was nothing like how they had directly encountered a mark like the giant phantom.
Occasionally, they would walk straight and turn at other times. After some time, the area before the trio suddenly opened up.
In front of them was a huge crater in the deep sea. In the middle of the pit was an island-sized city.
The foundation of the city was grayish-white in color, and on it were several hundred-meter tall magnificent stone columns. They either stood there on their own, or they held up majestic ancient palaces together. They were bizarre and magnificent, unlike something built by ordinary creatures.
Although Audrey didn’t know the city, an idea instantly appeared in her mind:
City of Miracles, Liveseyd…
Chapter 1070 Maybe It“s Real
Liveseyd was a floating city that the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt “imagined” out of thin air. No matter what, it was a miracle, a divine miracle.
It was even more magnificent than the Giant King’s Court—more rugged and unique. Every stone pillar was nearly 100 meters tall, like a throne for the dragon to rest on. It was a city that left a deep, unforgettable impression just from hearing about it.
Therefore, although Audrey had never actually seen the City of Miracles, she instantly made connections from witnessing the scene. Of course, one of the main reasons for knowing that was because she knew that Groselle’s Travels came from the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt.
As for Klein, as he had once divined the origins of Groselle’s Travels and had seen the real City of Miracles, the Floating City, and now, he was sure that the island-sized city in the middle of the deep-sea crater was identical to Liveseyd. All it lacked were the dragons that flew in every direction!
Is this real, or is it a clone? Or is it a gathering of some special creature’s subconscious in the book world? Klein was slightly surprised as he quickly analyzed the situation.
According to his divination results and the contents of the dream from Giant Guardian Groselle and Elven Songster Siatas, he was certain that, when Groselle’s Travels was created, the City of Miracles Liveseyd still existed. When it reached the Giant King’s Court, the City of Miracles Liveseyd still existed. When Groselle began his adventure and when Siatas was sucked into the book world, Liveseyd still existed. If the City of Miracles Liveseyd were to vanish, the various supernatural races wouldn’t have any reaction.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In other words, these facts were undeniable proof that the city in the middle of the deep-sea crater was unlikely to be Liveseyd.
But very quickly, Klein remembered something.
That was the answer that Arrodes had once given him:
“…certain that it first appeared among the dragons, after the disappearance of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd.”
This is interesting… What did the magic mirror rely on to confirm that Groselle’s Travels was the first to appear and to believe that it was after the disappearance of the City of Miracles Liveseyd? It wasn’t even able to see matters related to Zaratul, so how could it pry into the origins of an ancient god’s possession? I originally used this conclusion to infer and consider things, but this point was completely overturned by my divination. I never expected… Klein observed the tall stone columns and magnificent city as many thoughts ran through his mind.
Suddenly, he grasped onto an idea:
The last owner of Groselle’s Travel was Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, a member of the Church of Knowledge. They believe in the God of Knowledge and Wisdom;
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom can almost be confirmed to be one of the Kings of Angels who served the ancient sun god, the Angel of Wisdom;
And from the Church’s history and the history of the Third Epoch, it’s reasonable to suspect that the Angel of Wisdom is most likely the Dragon of Wisdom, Herabergen!
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt’s subsidiary god, a high-level member of the dragons!
This… The appearance of Groselle’s Travels after the disappearance of the City of Miracles was thanks to the God of Knowledge and Wisdom passing it around through a certain method, which had convinced the magic mirror? If “He” really is a Dragon of Wisdom, it means that “He” was directly involved, and “His” level was already very high back then. “His” understanding of this matter definitely trumps the Groselle and Siatas… But how do I explain the scene I divined above the gray fog? Just recalling it now makes my head ache. What I saw was definitely the ancient god, Dragon of Imagination, “Himself… Klein cheered up when he managed to string up all these matters together, but he also fell into a state of puzzlement.
He tossed the gold coin continuously and quickly came up with some theories.
Since the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, was “imagined,” couldn’t it just be “imagined” again after it disappeared?
The original Liveseyd was stuffed into the book by the Dragon King Ankewelt. Then, the one that subsequently existed was one “He” “imagined” again?
This could fool all the dragons, but not the one that was known for being intelligent?
If this were true, then there were actually two instances of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd. The one here is the oldest one…
But here comes the question. Why didn’t the Dragon of Wisdom enter the book “Himself1? Even if “He” wasn’t a Spectator, with “His” title of being omniscient and omnipotent, “He” should have enough powers to perform a deeper exploration…
“He” has actually been here a long time ago, but didn’t alert any living beings in the book. Also, because of certain motives, “He” left this City of Miracles here?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As thoughts surfaced in Klein’s mind, The Star Leonard, who had both hands in his pockets, looked at him and then at Miss Justice, who had also been looking down in silence for a long time. He took the initiative to speak and break the silence:
“This city is grand and magnificent. It clearly doesn’t belong to humans or humanoid creatures, but there’s no need to stare at it for so long. You’re not an architect after all.”
Klein gathered his thoughts and glanced at Leonard.
“This might very well be Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt’s City of Miracles, Liveseyd. In a sense, it’s the divine kingdom of an ancient god.”
Of course, if there was really another Liveseyd, the nature of the divine kingdom here didn’t hold much importance. “Divine kingdom…” Leonard’s pupils dilated as he repeated the keyword.
Audrey regained her senses and whispered, “Is it really Liveseyd?”
“It’s only possible.” Klein had already calmed down and replied simply, “It’s not floating in the air like the legends, but has sunken to the bottom of the sea of collective subconscious, so it’s hard to tell if it’s real or fake.”
At this moment, Leonard finally managed to control himself. He looked at the magnificent city in the deep-sea crater again and smiled self-deprecatingly.
“I didn’t expect the day when I’ll come to the divine kingdom of an ancient god…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Frankly, if Miss Justice wasn’t here, he wouldn’t have been able to help but marvel at how “rich” Klein’s life was.
Ever since he reunited with his former teammate, not only did he meet the two sons of god—Kings of Angels—he had also entered the mysterious book world and found a city suspected to be a divine kingdom.
This was many times more interesting than what he had experienced in the past year. The level of such matters was many times higher!
Of course, it was a lot more dangerous.
Having said that, he looked up at the floating “seawater phantoms” and asked thoughtfully, “How do you know if the sea of collective subconscious is real or if it’s imagined?”
This was a continuation of the problem of determining Liveseyd’s authenticity.
Audrey thought for a while and said with uncertainty, “There’s no way to tell the difference, or rather, the sea of collective subconscious here is also real.
“In essence, collective subconscious is the accumulation and settling of strong emotions and feelings. Although the people in this world may be imaginary, their experiences, feelings, joy, anger, sadness, pain, and happiness, they all truly happened before…”
As she spoke, Audrey stopped as she vaguely realized something, but she was unable to say it out loud.
At this moment, Klein suddenly said, “The objects that ‘He’ can imagine will be conjured. The kingdom ‘He’ dreams of will surely descend upon the physical world…”
Composite Start
Composite End
As his voice echoed, Klein put away the gold coin in his hand and jumped into the deep-sea crater, his black trench coat flaring up as a result.
The future that ‘He’ declares will definitely be carried out, becoming reality…”
As his figure glided down, the following words came out.
Audrey’s green eyes were dazed at first before they lit up. Then, she “jumped” towards the City of Miracles.
“Aren’t you going to divine the level of danger? This might be the divine kingdom of an ancient god!” Leonard looked at the two of them in surprise and blurted out.
In the education he received, this wasn’t in line with the standard operating procedures.
When did you get the wrong impression that I didn’t divine it? You just didn’t notice my tiny actions. I just put away the gold coin… Also, I didn’t get any warnings from my intuition for danger… Furthermore, if my theory is right, then the Dragon of Wisdom Herabergen should’ve entered this place before…If there’s any form of danger that w head, it would’ve long been finished off by “Him”… If Miss Justice wasn’t here, I’d really wish to berate you… As Klein silently lampooned, he adjusted his direction and speed, passing through a few thick stone columns that stood nearly a hundred meters tall. He descended one level after another before stepping onto the grayish-white ground.
He was in a Spirit Body state now and could fly if he wanted to.
About two to three seconds later, the silver-masked Justice Audrey landed beside him.
Audrey looked up, and after reeling from a few seconds of shock due to the grandeur of the stone columns and palace, she said, “Looking from the inside and looking from a distance feels completely different…
“Perhaps, this is how a rat truly feels in Backlund…”
As she spoke, Leonard also glided over and looked sideways at Klein.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Klein, nor was he unaware of how cautious he was. He just needed to clarify such matters in a joint operation, because there was the possibility of teammates being unknowingly corrupted, turning reckless.
This was a conclusion the Nighthawks gleaned from their experience of repeated sacrifices.
“Currently, the indications don’t point to much danger,” Klein said truthfully.
Leonard no longer looked around and said, “The City of Miracles is really big…
“I mean that, for such a big city, even if we can fly, we won’t be able to completely explore it without spending a few days here. Or perhaps, do you have a destination in mind?”
The second half of his sentence was said while looking at Klein.
Klein nodded and pointed to a huge palace that was more than 200 meters tall.
“There.
“If I remember correctly, that is the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt’s residence.”
This was what he saw in the dream divination.
Seeing that Klein already had a plan, as if he had received Mr. Fool’s guidance, Leonard felt relieved. He looked at the grayish-white foundation on his feet and said, “Is this a divine kingdom?
“I don’t feel anything.”
At this moment, Audrey, who was observing the surroundings carefully, said with uncertainty, “All the abnormalities here seem to be gathering towards that palace.”
She was referring to the place that Klein had pointed out to be the ancient god’s residence.
Chapter 1071 Hall of Truth
In front of the grayish-white grand palace that was more than 200 meters tall, there were a few thick stone columns that were slightly shorter than it was, as though they were a squadron of soldiers standing at attention there.
Klein could imagine that, when the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, was still floating in mid-air, these stone columns would definitely have powerful dragons crouching on them.
These were the servants of the ancient god.
He then looked up at the open door and said to Leonard and Audrey, “Stay close to me. Once an accident happens, I’ll immediately take you out of the book world and return directly above the gray fog.”
This was the main reason why Klein dared to explore the area.
“Okay.” Audrey and Leonard didn’t try putting on a brave front as they walked to Klein’s side and walked alongside him.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Relying on their Spirit Bodies’ flight ability, the trio passed the stairs and entered the palace through the exaggerated and magnificent door.
The first thing they saw was a wide space that was enough for multiple dragons to roll around freely, as well as an ancient stone pillars that seemed to prop up the sky.
On the two sides of the hall, there were colorful and beautiful murals. They kept extending forward and intertwining themselves with a huge pillar that was multiple arm spans wide.
The giant pillar was in the deepest recesses of the hall right ahead of them. Without relying on anything else, just the pillar alone was enough to make people feel a strong sense of fear and make them experience the vicissitudes of time. It was like a fossilized deity.
Almost instantly, a grayish-white figure appeared on the pillar.
The figure was covered in scales, and every scale resembled a sturdy stone slab. Just the faint outline of the figure made it seem epic.
Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt! Just as this thought flashed through Klein’s mind, he heard an oddly familiar voice echoing in the spacious hall:
“Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt!”
As Klein looked around in astonishment, he heard Leonard sigh emotionally.
Composite Start
Composite End
“The deep air listen’d round ‘Him’ as ‘He’ rode, “And all the low wind hardly breathed for fear[l]…
…This fellow still has the mood to recite poetry, I wonder whose poem he’s reciting… Klein turned to look at Leonard. Then, he heard an echo:
“This fellow still has the mood to recite poetry, I wonder whose poem he’s reciting…”
At this moment, Leonard’s expression was one of shock. He shut his mouth tightly and shook his head in denial.
But the next second, a voice sounded beside him:
“I didn’t recite anything!”
“What’s going on? Strange…” At the same moment Klein had this thought, he realized that the strangely familiar voice belonged to him.
As it echoed again, repeating the thoughts that flashed through Klein’s mind.
Then, Audrey’s gentle and mumbling voice sounded:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“This… This hall is able to let our thoughts present themselves in our surroundings, and is even able to conjure them? Hmm…When I saw that huge pillar just now, I was imagining what the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt looked like. It was based on the blueprint of the mind dragon I saw before…
“Why is whatever I’m saying—No, indeed, the ‘hall’ articulates it…”
So that’s the case. Luckily, I didn’t think of anything strange just now. Yes, rein in my thoughts, rein in my thoughts… Klein began to use Cogitation to focus his mind and not let his imagination run wild.
At the same time, the corresponding words echoed around him almost in sync:
“…rein in my thoughts, rein in my thoughts…”
“So that’s what Mr. World’s inner world is like. He’s like a child who just started school, constantly emphasizing matters that he needs to take attention of. Also, the image for his Cogitation is actually layers of spherical lights. It’s so beautiful. No, no, I’m not thinking of this! I’m not describing you like this. Mr_ World, I_m serious「^ thoughts kept appearing as she finally couldn’t help but curl her lips.
As for Leonard, the voices around him were already echoing with “Hahaha.”
“These two fellows… No, why am I using ‘fellow’? Be polite, be more polite…” As Klein listened to his thoughts, he sighed helplessly. “This place is very suitable for playing ‘Truth or Dare.’ Perhaps it should be called ‘the Hall of Truth.…”
“What game is that?” Audrey didn’t need to open her mouth to express her doubts.
Composite Start
Composite End
“It was probably invented by Emperor Roselle… I have to be careful not to think about things I shouldn’t think about. Seriously, it’s too difficult to rein in random thoughts without the use of Cogitation…” As Klein replied, he habitually warned himself, only to have the hall ruthlessly betray him again.
This time, Audrey laughed and said, “Haha, Mr. World actually has such a side to him. I actually failed to read it in the past…”
“Hahaha, to think you’re experiencing such a day, Klein. No, what did I say…” Leonard suddenly raised his right hand and covered his mouth.
Unsurprisingly, he heard Miss Justice’s “question”:
“Klein?”
And a certain someone’s complaint:
“Perhaps only turning them into marionettes can stop these fellows from having wild thoughts. Wait, what was I thinking? Phew, calm down, calm down…”
Klein took a deep breath and began to focus his attention on the matter itself.
“Let’s take a look at what the murals describe. In ancient times, murals were very important methods for recording memories. They often contain plenty of information…”
At the same time he made the suggestion, he heard Audrey’s inner thoughts laugh and think:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Klein—is this Mr. World’s real name? No, no—Don’t think too much about it. Mr. World will be angry. No, I think it’s more likely for him to feel embarrassed. No, no—this is all Lie’s fault. Mr. World, please believe me! Phew, calm down. Calm down! Focus. Focus!”
Using the Spectator pathway’s ability to control her emotions and thoughts, Audrey gradually reined in her thoughts and cast her gaze on the mural on the right.
Compared to them, Leonard’s ability to control his mind was slightly weaker. There were still plenty of random thoughts resounding around him.
“Turning into marionettes… Is this fellow that dangerous now? Tsk tsk, so this is what’s truly on your mind. Haha, Miss Justice’s reaction is very interesting… I haven’t seen that fellow in such an embarrassing situation in a long time…”
When Klein and Audrey began seriously looking at the murals and were exchanging their thoughts through the stirrings in their hearts, only then did Leonard gradually calm his thoughts and focus his attention.
The mural on the right depicted historic developments. There was a scene of human construction, scenes of snow- covered plains, war and migration, various nations and cities, as well as towers and fruits that represented zero communication barriers…
It was obvious that these murals started from the entrance and ended at the Dragon of Imagination’s throne.
Towards the end, Klein suddenly noticed a familiar figure.
It was a gigantic dragon with bluish-blue eyes and ice-crystal scales.
It was the King of the North, Ulyssan!
“This… The book world’s development is based on these murals?” As Klein’s thoughts were exposed, he quickly looked back and found many blurry-faced adventurers hunting the frost dragon before opening a door to leave. The snow and ice melted before flourishing cities like Pessote appeared. They then discovered the weather turning cold, implying an end in which a new story was about to unfold.
“The contents of the murals will become reality in this book world?” Audrey couldn’t help but have such a thought.
“This wall, this mural looks very ordinary. It’s not even as good as the works of street artists… As expected of the Dragon of Imagination’s residence. Is this the power and authority of an ancient god…?” Leonard similarly had poignant thoughts.
“It’s possible.” Before Klein could give a more tactful reply, he heard his own voice. “Let’s look at the murals on the other side before putting everything together for analysis.”
Leonard and Audrey didn’t object and followed him to the other side.
During this process, they realized that even their Spirit Bodies couldn’t fly in the palace.
As the murals were huge, it didn’t take much walking before the three of them could see the corresponding content. The first mural near the entrance made Klein’s pupils suddenly dilate.
In the mural, a giant with blurry looks, grayish-blue skin, and a single vertical was holding a hard-covered book in his hand!
“This…” Klein heard his own shocked and hesitant voice.
In the subsequent murals, the common highlight was the goatskin binding. There was a dark brown-covered book: it was obtained by the elves; the words on its surface changed; it was being put into a collection; It was obtained by different people, and it kept exchanging hands until it flew above the clouds and came to the cosmos where it landed on a gigantic claw.
In the next mural, the book seemed to have nothing to do with the scenes in front. It suddenly appeared over the surface of the sea and stayed inside a blurry ship.
In the penultimate mural, it was taken away by a man wearing a top hat before he left that ship.
The next mural was located behind the gigantic pillar suspected to be Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt’s throne. It depicted that the book from before met a classic quill.
At this point, all the murals came to an end.
“0-08!” Leonard’s shocked voice echoed in the hall.
“The Dragon of Imagination wants to create a set with the book and quill? What will happen? When dealing with Ince Zangwill, this scene almost appeared… But ultimately, it didn’t happen because the book landed in my hands… before I sacrificed it to Mr. Fool. Otherwise, Adam was already prepared against it and deliberately provided some help?
“Oh right, previously while inside Groselle’s Travels, the moment the ascetic mentioned the Angel of Imagination Adam, the frost dragon attacked the camp … It was because the book itself didn’t allow him to finish his sentence, or had Adam heard his thoughts which became a connection for ‘Him’ to see and cast his gaze over, stirring up a certain reaction?” Klein’s thoughts wandered before sounding it out loud.
During this process, he could only control himself to treat The Fool as another existence.
At the same time as he “spoke,” Audrey’s thoughts appeared:
“The contents on this mural will become reality in the physical world?”
[1] Adapted from Tennyson’s Godiva.
Chapter 1072 The Call From Behind the Door
“The contents on this mural will become reality in the physical world…”
Be it Klein or Leonard, they couldn’t help but repeat Miss Justice’s words in their hearts.
If the murals on the other side determined the history of the book world, then it was only considered rather amazing. However, the discovery on this side would be enough to shake everyone’s hearts and bring about a huge upheaval throughout their bodies.
The pictures you depicted would definitely show up on stage in the real world, not in an illusory world. This was the performance of a deity!
“It’s not that exaggerated, right…” After Leonard repeated the statement, he whispered in a low voice, finding it hard to accept.
Klein, on the other hand, started his analysis out of habit.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Even if 0-08 can only affect a big city, making it difficult for it to exceed this range, a Sequence 1 Author of the Spectator pathway should be similar… And the Visionary’s Uniqueness has been confirmed to be in Adam’s hands… Then what does this City of Miracles rely on to guarantee that the contents on this mural will become a reality?
“The divine power of the Dragon of Imagination from back then? When this book was formed, the contents of the murals had already been branded into the sea of collective subconscious, sinking right inside and spreading its infection in every direction, so as to drive generation after generation to accomplish this without realizing it?
“If this is true, then the possibility of making another mural become a reality would definitely be nil, as the Dragon of Imagination has already perished, and there’s no way to provide any more divine power…
“But we can give it a try. If the contents of the new mural really happens in the physical world, it means that this City of Miracles really is Liveseyd, and it contains a huge secret. It also implies that matters regarding the Spectator pathway goes deeper than what I had imagined.”
“Author? There’s a potion name like that?” Hearing Klein’s thoughts, Leonard couldn’t help but mutter.
Compared to how the name “Dragon of Imagination” could be stretched to make an inference to the name “Visionary,” the potion name of “Author” was more eye-catching. It made one’s imagination run wild. It felt more like walking from reality and into the realm of fantasy.
Audrey, who had long known the name of the High-Sequence potions of the Spectator pathway, suddenly had another thought:
“Uniqueness… Mr. World actually managed to link up and analyze so many things in an instant. Impressive! Uh, did I praise him too directly? Mr. World has heard it all… This hall is really hard to adapt to… No, Mr. World, I really am praising you, I really mean it!”
Audrey felt a little ashamed at first, but then she quickly adjusted her state of mind, trying her best to keep calm.
Composite Start
Composite End
“…As expected of a Psychiatrist. She adjusted herself really quickly…” A thought came to Klein’s mind.
“As expected, Mr. World isn’t as cold as he looks. He’s the type of person who will inwardly mutter to himself-Uh… I didn’t say anything!” Just as Audrey instinctively thought of something, she immediately denied it.
The same voice echoed around Leonard:
“Klein’s Gehrman Sparrow disguise isn’t bad. Almost everyone who knows him believes that he’s cold and crazy. Hehe, who would’ve thought…”
Just as Leonard’s thoughts were about to wander, a voice interrupted him.
“Shut up!”
Looking at the way Gehrman Sparrow was dressed, he spread out his hands, and held back his laughter as he said, “Look, that isn’t cold enough, right?”
“Cold? Then I’ll directly press the Unshadowed Crucifix against your head! If you don’t want your Beyonder characteristic, donate it to the people who need it!” Without being able to use Cogitation to control his thoughts, Klein instinctively retorted.
“…” Audrey looked at Mr. World and then at Mr. Star, and her heart skipped a beat. “So they have so much drama in their hearts… I could only tell that was the case for Mr. Star, but I failed to read what’s under The World’s poker face. Uh… Jiant, Boss, Minnie…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At crucial moments like this, the experienced Audrey forcibly manipulated her thoughts to begin reciting names so as to stop her thoughts from wandering off.
“Who are they?” Leonard’s attention was diverted.
“They’re the hounds and horses my family rears,” Audrey replied politely.
“A hound costs 450 pounds…” Klein suddenly recalled Butler Walter’s suggestion of buying a batch of hunting dogs when he purchased Maygur Manor.
“Why is the first thing on Mr. World’s mind the price…?” This question floated into Audrey’s mind.
Leonard pursed his lips. Even though he didn’t say a word, he answered, “Isn’t this normal? This fellow has always been a little picky about this, I remember…”
Before he could “finish,” Klein coughed lightly and said, “We’ll continue exploring the other areas, and when we have time, we’ll perform experiments on the murals.
“Sigh, this hall really complicates matters very easily. The main point is that everyone’s privacy is brought to the forefront if we aren’t focused…”
Upon hearing the last sentence of his complaint, Audrey and Leonard couldn’t help but laugh out loud-but not by their own will.
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing that Mr. World clearly didn’t want the situation to develop into chaos again, Audrey raised her head, looked up at the ceiling, and focused her attention and got down to business.
“The mural on the right side controls the book world, and the left seems to affect reality… What if you draw the mural on the ceiling? What would happen?”
Klein immediately made a connection.
“The Dragon of Imagination’s authority contains at least three aspects: An ‘envisioned’ kingdom will descend upon the physical world, a declared future that will happen in the real world, and ‘imagined’ objects that will be conjured… The first point corresponds to the right mural, and the second point corresponds to our guesses on the left mural. Then, could the blank spot on the palace’s ceiling be related to the third authority?”
“As long as you draw an object you imagined onto the ceiling, it will be conjured and be usable?” Audrey easily understood what The World meant.
“Then what if I were to draw a Dragon of Imagination?” Leonard “suggested.”
Klein glanced at him again.
“First of all, you would’ve had to have seen the Dragon of Imagination without completely breaking down and losing control. Secondly, you need to restore the main details of ‘His’ body. Finally, you have to know how to draw.”
“…I might not know how to now, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t in the future. I can hire a home tutor to teach me,” Leonard “grumbled” in reply. “And what does ‘the main details’ refer to? ‘His’ body structure, or the symbols and labels depicted from godhood?”
At this moment, Audrey pursed her lips and “said” with a brisk tone, controlling herself so as to not burst out laughing, “I can draw.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the basic skill for a noble lady, and Audrey was quite talented in this aspect.
“Yeah, we can try it in the future when there’s time.” Klein nodded and walked towards the giant pillar right in front of the main hall.
His plan for this expedition was to first gain a complete understanding of the situation before considering how to venture deeper.
At the same time, he thought of something else because of Leonard’s question:
“The symbols and labels from godhood… These contain plenty of mixed knowledge. It can even let people learn the corresponding potion formulas and Beyonder powers after surviving the impact from witnessing it directly… Then, before the first Blasphemy Slate appeared, what would one obtain if they survived directly looking at a demigod or even an ancient god? There were no such things as potion formulas back then…
“Is it only through using a magic potion to advance one’s Mythical Creature form step by step that the godhood aspect is able to contain this portion of knowledge? Or perhaps, after the potion formula appears, Mythical Creatures who used any method of advancement had the corresponding knowledge forged within them?
“If it’s because of the two reasons I came up with, it means that the knowledge of godhood can change, and it can increase… Do angels of the Marauder pathway have the ability to alter such knowledge or even delete them directly?”
“Mr. World’s considerations are so deep and profound. They involve very high levels…” Audrey couldn’t help but “sigh.”
Leonard couldn’t control the voice in his heart either.
“There’s such a thing? I should ask Old Man when I return…
“This fellow sure knows a lot… It’s not entirely a pretense when he’s acting as Gehrman Sparrow. At least this sense of profoundness seems to belong to him…”
“Thank you for your praise. Stop!” With a small blood bottle in one hand and the Unshadowed Crucifix in the other, Klein forced himself to rein in his thoughts and cast his gaze at the ancient god’s “throne.”
They were in their Spirit Body forms now. Although they were unable to fly due to the restrictions from the main hall, their top speed was still much faster than their human form.
It was only then that Klein realized that, behind the pillar that looked like the Dragon of Imagination’s throne, there was a dark tunnel.
“I can’t see anything. If only there was light…” A thought subconsciously flashed through Audrey’s mind.
Then, in that tunnel, a pure and soft light shone out, illuminating the inside of the tunnel completely.
Without needing to enter, Klein, Leonard, and Audrey saw a pair of double bronze doors at the deepest end of the tunnel.
There were countless indescribable symbols covering the door, like countless chains that extended behind them, as if they were sealing something. It gave off a heavy and mysterious feeling.
In the City of Miracles of the dragons, in the residence of an ancient god, there was apparently a sealed door behind “His” throne.
Almost at the same time, the three of them seemed to look through the bronze door and into the darkness inside.
Following that, they heard the loud thumping of hearts.
It was from their own heartbeats.
Yet, they were in their Spirit Body states now, so there was no such thing as a heart!
After that, the bronze-green color on the surface of the Unshadowed Crucifix slowly peeled off, revealing a corporeal body formed from pure light that emitted a sun-like glow.
As for Klein, Audrey, and Leonard, they felt a baffling sense of coldness. It was as if every cell had their own sentience and wanted to form another “self.”
In their illusory vision, in the darkness behind the bronze door, an eye opened. Its pupil was dark, filled with ghostly-blue cracks.
One after another, similar-looking eyes opened too. They were densely packed together and wore a cold gaze that stared intently at them.
At this moment, Klein and the others seemed to hear a silent calling. It was an extremely attractive shout.
Without any hesitation, Klein’s Spirit Body burgeoned and enveloped Leonard and Audrey. He ended the summoning and returned above the gray fog.
Chapter 1073 Three Possibilities
As he returned to the world above the gray fog, Klein felt the coldness in his body rapidly dissipate. There were no more Worms of Spirit trying to give birth to new consciousnesses.
A moment later, the mottled long bronze table appeared in front of him. He saw that Miss Justice and Leonard’s Spirit Bodies were gradually becoming clearer amidst the thin gray fog, although they still maintained a certain blurriness to them.
After the gray fog swirled around them and sank into the “ground,” Klein asked, “How are you feeling now?”
He used Gehrman Sparrow’s usual tone, but he immediately recalled how his inner grumblings, inner thoughts, habitual analysis, and him dissing Leonard had been exposed. He was no longer able to maintain his image in front of Miss Justice.
It’s all Leonard’s fault! Sigh, as per the doctor’s advice, not only did I not wear a thick mask this time, but I even removed the thin kind… This thought flashed in his mind unconsciously as he cut off his thoughts and warily glanced around.
He still hadn’t gotten rid of the fear of having his thoughts “spoken” out loud.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Luckily, this was no longer the place that he had named “the Hall of Truth.” There were no more “magical” powers that he couldn’t defend again via normal means.
It was obvious that Audrey and Leonard also had a similar trauma due to their post-traumatic stress. One of them suddenly pursed her lips, while the other sat up straight, as though they had instinctively thought of something.
After a few seconds of silence, they then remembered that The World had asked about their situation, so they quickly turned their attention back on the right track.
“I feel like something was being purified… I had the illusion that I would dissociate into a second personality—no, it wasn’t a second personality—it seemed like a consciousness that didn’t belong to me was awakening inside my body. Yes, it’s now gone. Praise be to Mr. Fool!” Audrey rather professionally did a psychoanalysis on herself before sincerely expressing her gratitude.
I can openly accept such gratitude… That was a dangerous thought. Thankfully, Miss Justice’s and Leonard’s thoughts didn’t steer towards The Fool while inside the Hall of Truth. Otherwise, I’d definitely not be able to resist the urge to “reply.” That’d spell the end of me… My sense of shame will cause me to lose control on the spot, breaking down into a clump of Worms of Spirit… Klein’s thought flashed as he seriously replied, “Praise be to Mr. Fool!”
“…Praise be to Mr. Fool.” As a believer of the Evernight Goddess, Leonard hesitantly echoed and quickly changed the topic. “There’s nothing wrong with me too. Just now, I felt something calling me from behind the bronze door. What about you?”
Seeing that Leonard had confirmed his condition, Klein placed the Unshadowed Crucifix and the metal bottle containing his blood onto the long, mottled table in front of him.
“I felt the same way too,” he answered with certainty.
“Me too. It wasn’t an illusion. I did an analysis on my own mind,” Audrey said in a very clear and certain tone.
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard held his chin and said, “What could that be?
“It actually needed an ancient god to seal it behind ‘His’ throne…”
After what had happened before, he felt that he no longer had much of an image in front of Miss Justice, so his posture became more casual.
“We can try analyzing this…” Audrey carefully glanced at The World.
She had a deep impression of this gentleman’s ability to gather information, make connections, complete an analysis, and infer the information in a short period of time.
Klein thought for a moment and said without any inclinations, “There are only three possibilities. One, it’s a powerful creature from the Second Epoch of the real world. It’s at least close to Sequence 0, and the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt had sealed it behind ‘His’ throne and beneath the City of Miracles Liveseyd. However, I don’t think that’s very likely. This is because that ancient god definitely had ‘His* reasons for creating this book and stuffing Liveseyd into it while affecting the book world and the real world. It’s unlikely ‘He’ would place an unpredictable element in here for prolonged periods of time.”
“Yeah, we all know that we have to eliminate possible accidents, what’s more, an ancient god.” Audrey nodded slightly and began to discuss seriously with The World Gehrman.
At this moment, Leonard chuckled and said, “Perhaps an ancient god like the Dragon of Imagination had seen certain scenes of the distant future and believes that the sealed item will help ‘Him’ achieve ‘His’ goals?”
“That’s why I said that it’s not impossible, but it’s highly improbable,” Klein replied calmly. “The second possibility is that the sealed item is key to the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt’s ploy. Once this book and 0-08 meet, the seal will be released and that object will return to the real world and bring about certain changes. I believe that this theory has the highest possibility.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Amongst them, perhaps it also involves the Dragon of Wisdom’s true attitude or intent.
“Then what could it be? Mr. Fool once said that, after Adam obtained 0-08, ‘He’ is even closer to being divine. The times have changed as a result. Does this mean that Adam has gathered all the ingredients for Visionary and is just short of the ritual… Is there anything wrong with my understanding?” Audrey shared her point of view.
“I’m not sure either. I’ll pray to Mr. Fool and see if I can get a clearer revelation.” Klein didn’t want to say give a firm answer.
Unfortunately, Old Man is an angel from the Fourth Epoch and doesn’t know much about the Second Epoch, but “He” isn’t unfamiliar with Adam… The Star Leonard thoughtfully said, “I’ll try…”
He wanted to say that he would try investigating, but upon recalling that the two knew his secret, he gave up such thoughts and directly said, “…try asking Old Man.”
“Sorry to trouble you,” Audrey sincerely thanked him.
From her point of view, this was a matter regarding the Spectator pathway. The person most concerned about this was undoubtedly herself, while others were merely providing help.
Then she said, “The third possibility is that there is some sort of object or monster sealed inside the book world?”
“Yes, it might be closely related to the book world, and destroying it might cause the book world to collapse. Therefore, all Ankewelt did was seal it.” Klein shared his theory.
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey thought for a while before saying, “I have an idea regarding this possibility.”
Seeing Mr. World and Mr. Star cast their gazes over, awaiting an answer, she slowed down her pace and said, “I’m considering it from a psychological perspective.
“Since that book world was created by Ankewelt’s ‘envisioning’ it, the sea of collective subconscious there would definitely be formed as a result of ‘Him.’ It would have ‘His’ psyche, emotions, and feelings branded into it.
“Perhaps the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, seals the most extreme parts of these things. They’re the trauma or fears of the Dragon of Imagination. Some terrifying matters from ‘His1 consciousness might be projected onto this brand. As long as ‘He’ cannot defeat them, and if it hasn’t been dealt with in the real world, the book world’s sea of collective subconscious cannot be destroyed and can only be sealed. If it’s ignored, they will slowly contaminate the sea of collective subconscious and make the development of history deviate from its intended path.”
Leonard was more focused than when he attended Red Gloves meetings. He couldn’t help but mention when he had heard that:
“As an ancient god that ruled the sky and the mind, what could’ve left an irremovable trauma and create such an intense sense of fear?”
“I don’t know.” Audrey shook her head frankly. “If it’s just a psychological analysis, since it’s sealed under the throne and at the bottom of the City of Miracles, and is reached by a tunnel, it means that the source of the trauma and fear comes from underground. Therefore, the Dragon of Imagination sealed it—no, ‘He’ isolated the mental projection coming from underground. Otherwise, why wouldn’t it be beside the throne, in the depths of the hall, in a specially created jail, or somewhere else?”
Upon hearing Miss Justice’s words, Klein instantly thought of what had happened to Miss Magician and Miss Judgment.
According to the information provided by the Sanguine, they found an ancient castle of unknown age. At the bottom of the castle was a bronze door that seemed to seal something terrifying that came from underground. Once they approached the door or stayed in its vicinity for too long, they would be corrupted, dying a tragic death!
It was an ancient castle that was built to defend against something unknown. It was originally guarded by humans from an unknown era… After the Sanguine discovered it, no one dared to enter… Back then, I thought that it might be related to Devils and that one needed to be a demigod in order to explore it… Could this be related to the seal in Liveseyd? Klein’s thoughts wandered as he quickly found the relevant information from his memories.
Composite Start
Composite End
On the way to the ruins of the battle of the gods on Cattleya’s Future, he met a so-called “deep-sea well.”
At that time, the Future’s sailor, Nina, had dived to the bottom of the sea and did a series of investigations. She said that it wasn’t a giant well. It was deep and dark, impossible for a human child to enter. The bottom couldn’t be seen, and there were strange honeycombed signs of corrosion along the inner walls. Surrounding it were collapsed iron buildings.
In a sense, this is also a “tunnel” that goes deep underground… Klein looked around and deliberated before saying, “Do you remember the matter Miss Magician mentioned? Under an abandoned castle in Delaire Forest, there is a pair of doors that seals a powerful corruptive force.”
“Ah, right!” Audrey instantly recalled the past. “Could it be that in the early days of the Second Epoch—in that ancient era—supernatural beings had some common, terrifying enemy that came from underground?”
“Perhaps.” Klein couldn’t give an affirmative answer, so he took the opportunity to say, “It might also be like the many predictions of the apocalypse which state that the danger comes from the cosmos.”
“Yeah.” Audrey and Leonard didn’t know much about such matters, so they couldn’t discuss this matter too deeply.
“Let’s end it here for today. After we have a preliminary understanding of the situation, we will try to experiment on the murals. Also, remember to keep this a secret.” Klein shot a look at Leonard and said, “Oh, after you return, pray to Mr. Fool and request that ‘He’ be the witness to our vows to not divulge each other’s secrets.”
Audrey didn’t object and added, “I’ll use Hypnosis here to forget certain matters here to prevent myself from remembering it when I return.”
Chapter 1074 The Answer to Questions
After Audrey and Leonard left the gray fog, Klein didn’t immediately return to the real world.
He was still sitting on the high-back chair that belonged to The World, silent for more than ten seconds.
Then, he beckoned for an item.
It was a “heart” that was the size of a child’s fist, one that full of grayish-white wrinkles:
A Manipulator’s Beyonder characteristic!
Holding the Beyonder characteristic, Klein stood up and walked out of the majestic palace. He entered the depths of the mysterious space above the gray fog and arrived at the staircase of light that seemed to lead to a divine kingdom.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Walking along the stairs, he walked up to the floating grayish-white clouds and stood in front of the strange door of light and the hanging transparent cocoons. Klein raised his right hand, lifting the brain-like, heart-like Manipulator Beyonder characteristic to his chest and extended his spirituality, hoping to use it.
He wanted to see if there were still any subconscious thoughts in the people inside the “cocoons.” He wanted to see if they had put together a miniature sea of collective subconscious.
If that happened, he planned to use Hvin Rambis’s Manipulator Beyonder characteristic to enter the consciousness and check on the psyche branding to figure out what the people who had been hanging above the door of light had experienced before their “transmigration.” He wanted to know if they sensed anything during that long “slumber.”
This was the inspiration that the expedition today gave him.
Of course, the Beyonder characteristic left behind by Hvin Rambis might not be able to help Klein do what he wanted.
It was because it hadn’t been made into a mystical item, and it was very difficult to use effectively.
In an instant, the grayish-white and wrinkled “heart” in Klein’s hand started to beat slowly as it emitted thumping sounds.
Klein then heard the synchronized heartbeats among the transparent “cocoons.”
Thump! Thump…
Composite Start
Composite End
This meant that the people inside were still alive, only in a certain state of slumber.
In Klein’s vision, their figures gradually evolved into several blurry islands beneath them.
This represented their consciousness.
However, these spiritual islands were also trapped within transparent “cocoons,” separating them from the prying eyes of the outside world.
Similarly, they were unable to integrate and create a sea of collective subconscious.
Unless the ‘cocoon’ is destroyed, there’s no way to bypass them and enter the corresponding mind world… Klein muttered to himself and lowered the hand holding the Manipulator Beyonder characteristic.
After a few seconds, he sighed deeply and turned around to leave.
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.
With the silk blanket over her, Audrey, who was sleeping soundly with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
She then sat up, moved to the side of the bed, and prayed sincerely to Mr. Fool, asking “Him” to witness her vow to secrecy.
After she was done with this matter, she pulled a pillow over and placed it behind her waist, reminiscing over the experiences that she had yet to “forget” during the exploration.
The history of ancient times is really interesting and terrifying… Mr. Star’s performance is similar to my usual observations of him. He’s more carefree and casual, and his thoughts easily wander in an uncontrollable manner. Yet, there are matters where he shows his experience and acuity. He’s rather reliable… This isn’t a contradiction, as many people have such “mixed layers to themselves”…
Mr. World is indeed a gentle person. He doesn’t seem to wear much of an expression on his face, but he’s secretly inwardly muttering something to himself all the time. His mental conversations with Mr. Star can practically be adapted into a play…
People call him a crazy adventurer who doesn’t care about his surroundings, one that directly draws his gun to shoot when he sees a target… Well, at the last moment, I thought he would attempt to approach the bronze door, but in the end… He fled. No, he broke away so decisively! Audrey’s lips slowly curled up when she thought of this.
Then, she made a conclusion.
The facts have proven that, in the mysterious world, unless one has completely lost all sense of rationality or has given up on thinking, there will not be any Beyonders who will really do crazy things. One has to be careful and cautious, not seeing things that shouldn’t be seen, and not hear things that shouldn’t be heard.
Audrey, you must remember this!
7 Pinster Street. Leonard returned to his body.
Composite Start
Composite End
He quickly thought of how he should talk to Pallez Zoroast before pretending like nothing had happened and saying in a deep voice, “Old Man, I have something to ask you.”
In his mind, Pallez’s slightly-aged voice immediately laughed.
“You have to remember this. The more you ask, the more I can guess what you did tonight.”
“It’s not like there’s anything that needs to be kept a secret…” Leonard replied habitually before getting down to the main issue. “Old Man, what do you know about the Amon’s brother?”
“That depends on what you want to know.” Pallez Zoroast tossed the question back at Leonard.
Leonard thought for a moment and said, “After Amon’s brother obtained 0-08, is ‘He’ only short of the ritual to become a god?”
Probably.” Pallez didn’t give an affirmative answer.
Leonard wasn’t too satisfied with this answer. Instead, he said, “I remember you mentioning it once. In the early stages of the Solomon Empire, the two Kings of Angels, Medici and Ouroboros were quite scared of Amon and his brother. This means that they were already very close to being divine.”
This was something that Pallez had occasionally mentioned during their previous exchanges. This time, Leonard had confirmed it from some of Mobet’s answers.
“Heh, I’ve only said the first half of the sentence. I didn’t tell you that Amon and Adam are very close to being divine.” Pallez rejected Leonard’s claim. “There are too many possibilities as to why Medici and Ouroboros are afraid. It’s not just because ‘He’ is close to being divine. It’s not enough to make such a conclusion based on that.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The Sequence 1 angel cleared his throat and continued, “‘Them’ being close to being divine is one of the possibilities. Adam and Amon wield unique authorities, and them being hard to deal with is another possibility. For instance, you will always have no idea that Adam is sitting beside you. You have no idea if what you’re doing was arranged by ‘Him,’ nor do you know that you’re walking into ‘His’ trap by your own volition. Heh, I’m referring to you, not me. Of course, I also have to be way of such matters. Letting my guard down might result in terrible consequences for me too.
“As for Amon, ‘He’ has many different ideas and has a ‘do-it’ spirit, making it hard for people to guess ‘His’ motives and be on guard against ‘Him.’ Besides, ‘He’ is very good at deceit. There’s always some conspiracy behind ‘Him.’ In that era, apart from the true deities, there was no one who wasn’t afraid of ‘Him.’ Heh heh, even true deities had to be wary of him; otherwise, they might have certain authorities stolen by ‘Him’ at some point in time.”
Leonard nodded indiscemibly and diverted the topic:
“Old Man, do you think the Spectator pathway is hiding any secrets?”
“I don’t think there are any secrets below the level of angel. I’m not sure of anything above it.” Pallez said after pondering for a few seconds.
Without waiting for Leonard to respond, “He” hesitantly added, “I heard from Medici that high-level Beyonders of the Spectator pathway are the hardest to lose control or go crazy, but it’s also the easiest to lose control and go crazy.”
“Why?” Leonard asked in surprise.
Pallez Zoroast scoffed and said, “I have some guesses, but I lack the necessary evidence and logic behind them. I don’t want to tell you for the time being.”
“You actually don’t have any ideas or theories, right…” Leonard habitually grumbled.
“Don’t try your little tricks in front of me.” The slightly-aged voice wasn’t affected at all.
Leonard didn’t dare to ask further as he deliberated for a moment before saying, “Old Man, I went to a real dream this time. There were quite a lot of psyche remnants of people from ancient times in it.
“Do you know a viscount named Mobet Zoroast?”
“Mobet…” Pallez’s voice suddenly aged significantly before returning to normal. “He’s a direct descendant of my bloodline. He vanished after a large-scale war, and I thought that he had been killed by Amon or Jacob in passing, causing me to fail to divine the murderer… From the looks of it, things weren’t that simple.”
“Indeed.” Leonard gave an affirmative answer. Then, he briefly provided the gist of things: “He’s been dead for some time, leaving some of his psyche behind. In that real dream, he married a songster from the elves…”
After listening quietly, Pallez said after a while, “That’s good, too…”
Leonard had originally wanted to mention that Mobet also addressed Pallez as “Old Man,” but he suddenly couldn’t bring himself to. He had no choice but to end the conversation there.
After witnessing Leonard’s and Audrey’s vow, Klein returned to the real world.
He tidied up the altar in the room, took out a pen and paper, and drew a complicated symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying.
He wanted to summon Arrodes to ask how it had confirmed that Groselle’s Travels had appeared after the disappearance of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd.
After waiting for more than ten seconds, the full-body mirror in the room lit up with a faint aqueous light.
Silver words appeared one after another in the dim light:
“Exalted, benevolent, Great Master, your puny, loyal, and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
“Do you have any orders for me?”
“Some questions.” After giving his answer, Klein was in no hurry to ask about the matter regarding Groselle’s Travels, intending to start with something that wasn’t very sensitive first.
He thought and said, “Arrodes, there’s an abandoned castle in Delaire Forest. In the depths of it is a pair of bronze doors. It seems to be sealing some power coming from underground. Do you know what it is?”
The moment he finished speaking, the light on the full-body mirror’s surface suddenly dimmed and turned pitch-black. In the pitch-blackness, white, liquefied words appeared one after another:
“I came from underground…”
Chapter 1075 No Response
“I came from underground…”
Looking at the ghastly-white words that appeared on the full-body mirror, a chill suddenly ran down Klein’s back. His pupils dilated as he instinctively wanted to switch places with his marionette next door.
In the room where the valet was, Enuni, who was lying quietly, had opened his eyes.
His stomach began to expand and contract as though he had a second heart, one that beat extremely slowly.
At the same time, the scene of the magic mirror, Arrodes, answering where it came from flashed through Klein’s mind:
Large amounts of black sticky liquid spewed out from an underground hole, writhing and expanding, an uneven number of hands and legs that turned into numerous monsters grew out. During this process, a speck of light was shot out along with the black liquid before landing on a rock, to which it rapidly fused together, turning into a mirror with ancient patterns and black gems adorning its two sides—Arrodes’s main form.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It really came from underground… And this underground is the same as the underground area sealed by the bronze door inside the ancient abandoned castle… I didn’t make the connection before… It’s not like I could help it. There are just too many things that involve things from underground. Most of them have little special meaning, just like coal… Hmm, a few days ago, I didn’t think that there was anything overly special with the underground… Klein controlled the urge within him and ignored the shock from Arrodes’s answer, and he said with an unperturbed expression, “What’s the exact situation?”
The ghastly-pale words changed and gave off a baffling feeling, as though it was almost crying.
“Great Master, I’m not exactly sure what happened. I only came to the surface and became a mirror before I gained true sentience. I don’t remember anything from before.
“Oh yeah, there’s something that might be related. Do you want to hear it?”
“Speak.” Seeing that Arrodes’s attitude was still alright, Klein heaved a sigh of relief.
The color of the words on the full-body mirror’s surface had slightly recovered, and it became somewhat pure white:
“Didn’t I say it before? I see support and dominance from you, and other than that special calling, I have similar feelings towards the underground. It makes me feel warm and makes me want to return to submit myself. This might be why I became your servant.”
What? The things from underground give people the same feeling as the gray fog? They all involve support and dominance? Upon seeing Arrodes’s answer, Klein jumped in fright once again. If not for his Clown’s ability, he would’ve lost his composure.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled a Chinese joke he had seen in his previous life and substituted himself into it: “What? The things that the ancient gods fear come from underground?
Composite Start
Composite End
“What? Arrodes also comes from underground?
“What? I also come from underground?”
This is really funny and scary… No, this might not be a joke. The original owner of the mysterious space above the gray fog, the creator of that strange door of light, the existence that pulled all the transmigrators over, might be related to the underground, or he has all kinds of connections with it… Klein’s thoughts wandered as he instantly thought of many matters.
As an indescribable shadow loomed over him, he smiled and mocked himself, “No matter what, there are new clues and directions for the investigation into the gray fog and transmigration…”
Klein composed himself and asked in deliberation, “What do the Churches and secret organizations know about the underground objects that require sealing?”
On the full-length mirror, the white words returned to its silver color:
“It’s almost unheard of. It seems to be concealed by some sort of power.”
Isn’t that “concealment”… Klein frowned slightly and didn’t say a word.
The silver words on the mirror continued to appear:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“However, there are some legends that exist within a group of secret organizations.
“According to the legends, the underground is described as the lair of Devils and evil spirits, the source of humanity’s decadence, the primordial sins and evil.”
The first one is wrong. The underground object that needs to be sealed has a high chance of having nothing to do with Devils or evil spirits… Legends are actually similar to the mysterious symbols. Don’t look at what is said, but peel off its outer skin and figure out what it symbolizes… This symbolizes the fear of the underground, from the body to the spirit, from one’s consciousness to one’s feelings? Klein’s thoughts raced as he said with a nod, “It’s your turn to ask a question.”
“Great Master, your loyal servant, Arrodes, has a small suggestion. Do you want to hear it?” Silver words appeared on the full-body mirror one after another.
“Speak.” Klein could vaguely guess what Arrodes was suggesting.
“Before you return to being divine, try not to investigate anything related to being sealed underground.” The silver words quickly squirmed, reforming into a new sentence.
As expected… Klein sighed and calmly said, “Next question: how did you confirm that Groselle’s Travels appeared after the disappearance of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd?”
The words on the surface of the mirror quickly distorted, merging into a clump, and then quickly dispersing:
“It’s a revelation and information obtained from the spirit world; since it originated from the dragons’ subsidiary god, the Dragon of Wisdom, your loyal servant believes that it can be confirmed.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Great Master, is there a problem with that?”
How direct… After sighing, Klein instantly thought of how the Dragon of Wisdom, Herabergen, should’ve entered the book world before and approached the bronze door behind the ancient god’s throne, likely having some knowledge of what was sealed underground due to “His” “omniscience.” Furthermore, Klein believed that the ancient dragon had hidden a deeper layer of secrets in Groselle’s Travels.
He could vaguely grasp it, but he couldn’t tell what it was and grasp at it.
“No,” Klein answered Arrodes’s question.
Then, he probed, “Why didn’t you mention the Dragon of Wisdom’s true name?”
“It’s because I don’t dare to directly give the name of a god.” Arrodes gave a confirmed answer in a tacit manner.
Klein nodded and didn’t ask further.
“It’s your turn.”
“Great Master, do you have any more questions?” The silver word rapidly reorganized itself on the slightly dark mirror. “No, that’s all for today.” Klein shook his head.
With that said, he remembered what had happened the previous time and added, “I’ll summon you again when there are new questions.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The full-body mirror immediately brightened, and the silver words sparkled:
Yes, Master!
“Your loyal and strong servant, Arrodes, is waiting for you to call again!”
This time, it wasn’t a simple drawing but a white cat’s paw with a red center.
…There’s always something new…The corner of Klein’s mouth twitched slightly as he watched the full-body mirror the bedroom return to normal.
He stood in the darkness, bathed in the crimson moonlight shining through the curtains. After standing quietly for a while, he returned to his bed and quickly fell asleep with the help of Cogitation.
The next morning, on Monday morning, Klein woke up 15 minutes earlier than usual. He led his valet, Enuni, down to the first floor and said to Butler Walter, “I had a nightmare last night. I want to visit the cathedral before breakfast.”
Although Butler Walter was surprised by this, it wasn’t too strange. After all, as long as the cathedral’s doors were open, people could enter at any time.
He quickly arranged for a carriage and sent Dwayne Dantes all the way to the door.
When Klein arrived at Saint Samuel Cathedral, the door wasn’t opened yet. He waited until eight before entering the main hall with the first batch of believers. He found a seat in the first few pews and sat down facing the Dark Sacred Emblem. Closing his eyes in the tranquil environment, he focused on chanting the Goddess’s honorific name in ancient Hermes.
“The Evemight Goddess who stands higher than the cosmos and more eternal than eternity. You are also the Lady of Crimson, the Mother of Concealment, the Empress of Misfortune and Horror, Mistress of Repose and Silence…”
After he finished reciting the honorific name, he changed to his normal Loen language and said almost soundlessly, “There’s an ancient castle in the middle of Delaire Forest. There’s an ancient bronze door deep within it. It’s sealing a powerful corruptive force… How should I eliminate this latent problem there?”
This wasn’t a test of a deity, but an open report. As for what reaction the Church would have after that, and what they would see through their operations, was a whole other matter.
After repeating it seven times, he began to pray seriously.
Time passed. In the quiet and peaceful church, Klein stood up and walked out of Saint Samuel Cathedral with his valet, Enuni.
During this process, he didn’t receive any revelations, nor did he see the matron of the Evernight cloister, Arianna.
The feedback itself meant something.
That was he wasn’t qualified to know about the underground seal.
East Borough, in a two-bedroom apartment.
Fors pulled up the blanket and covered her head.
She abhorred the curtains here because they were too thin and translucent and couldn’t block out the morning sun. That seriously affected her quality of sleep.
I have to change it. No, we might have to move again soon… Just as Fors’s thoughts wandered about, she heard the sound of the bedroom door opening and Xio’s familiar gait.
In a flash, her blanket disappeared and a letter landed on her.
Your letter, from Pritz Harbor,” Xio informed her.
“…Teacher’s reply.” Fors sat up suddenly, opened the letter, and quickly read it.
After a moment of silence, she said, “I have to go out for a while. My teacher has already reached Backlund… This letter should’ve arrived two days ago!”
The letter had a date and address.
“The postman over here isn’t that responsible.” Xio glanced at her friend and said, “Will you be late?”
“Fortunately, Teacher said that he would wait three days for me.” Fors hurriedly got off the bed and started changing her clothes.
She had a feeling that she would be able to understand the Abraham family more deeply this time, and also receive the potion formula of Traveler and some Beyonder ingredients.
Chapter 1076 Dorian’s Request
Outside Room 2016 at the Hat Trick Inn on Cherwood Borough’s 22 Hope Street.
Fors directly walked through the wall without drawing anyone’s attention. Then, she knocked on the door in a rhythm that was previously agreed upon.
Not long after, Dorian Gray Abraham, who was dressed in black, with his broad shoulders and thick arms, unlocked the door and turned the doorknob.
The gentleman quickly sized up the area and made way for Fors to enter the room.
“I really didn’t expect you to become a Scribe so soon…” After closing the door, Dorian carefully examined the door’s lock before turning around and sighing.
Based on the standards of this era, he was considered a middle-aged man, but he was still a Sequence 7 Astrologer. He had no hope of advancing
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Yet, his student, Fors Wall, took about a year to go from Sequence 9 to Sequence 6.
This comparison between the two made Dorian feel poignant and sad.
The Abraham family’s bloodline should’ve been noble and enviable, but now, it was a heavy curse that made him depressed.
“It’s because you taught me well.” Although Fors didn’t like going out and enjoyed staying at home, she would still be invited by the nobles from time to time. She was a best-selling author who participated in high society’s literary salons, so she wasn’t clueless as to how to speak. Furthermore, she had indeed obtained quite a bit of help from her teacher—from providing knowledge and money to formulas and ingredients.
Dorian looked at her and shook his head with a smile.
“It’s not like you’re my only student. As far as I remember, this advancement speed can only be matched by one person.”
He paused and continued, “Next up, your target is Sequence 5 Traveler. And I have even higher expectations for you. I hope that you can obtain godhood and become a Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer.
“Of course, I also have a request. When you truly become a demigod, try to pray to a hidden existence and listen to ‘His’ answer to figure out what ‘He’ is talking about.
“This is indeed a bit dangerous, but a Sequence 4 demigod would have sufficient power to withstand it. Without any other elements at play, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Teacher, is this answer important to you?” Although Fors knew what was going on, she still acted curious and puzzled.
Dorian fell silent for a few seconds before sighing
“It’s very important. My parents, my brothers, my sisters, my children, too many people have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of this answer, but to no avail…
“Don’t worry. We paid such a huge price because there’s an ancient curse on our family’s bloodline, and you aren’t related to us by blood.
“I don’t expect to find a way to break the curse through that answer during my generation. However, I hope to know where it originates from and understand the cause of my death…”
Upon saying this, Dorian took a deep breath and didn’t continue.
For some reason, Fors could feel the weight of time that had accumulated over a thousand years, generation after generation, bearing down on her shoulders.
She really couldn’t imagine how painful it would be for a person’s ancestors, parents, brothers, sisters, and children to directly or indirectly die from the same curse.
Thinking of how well her teacher had been taking care of her, Fors, who had only received this type of care from her elders, opened her eyes, lowered her head, and nodded.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ll try my best.”
Dorian held back his feelings and nodded slightly.
“The most praiseworthy trait of yours is your kindness.”
Fors felt a little embarrassed as she turned to talk about a phrase the teacher had mentioned.
“Family?”
She remembered that her teacher had never told her about the Abraham family. He had claimed that he, Lawrence, and Aulisa were members of a secret organization.
In order to differentiate between matters which her teacher had told her and what she had learned at the Tarot Club, Fors had done a serious list of what she should know before she left home, to prevent herself from accidentally revealing information she shouldn’t have.
Dorian answered simply, “In order to solve the curse, everyone in my family joined that organization.”
He immediately changed the subject.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why did you move out in a hurry this time?”
“I was targeted by official Beyonders.” Fors first said a half-truth before complaining a little about the mailman.
Dorian didn’t say anything else as he stepped away from Fors and set up a ritual. He summoned the music-loving void creature, Malmouth, and he made it spit out three items.
One was a transparent, nearly illusory crystal, and the second item was a piece of ancient goatskin parchment. The third was a small hunter’s backpack.
“This is a Beyonder characteristic left behind by a Traveler. With it, you don’t need to gather any additional main ingredients. This is the Traveler potion formula. This backpack contains the corresponding supplementary ingredients. If you don’t have a good way to preserve them, try your best to finish digesting the Scribe potion within half a year. Otherwise, their spirituality will be completely lost…” Dorian handed everything over to Fors.
“Thank you, Teacher,” Fors said sincerely.
Then, she unfurled the goatskin and quickly skimmed through the potion formula before placing her focus on the ritual.
“Set up special coordinates in four completely different spots deep in the spirit world which are all set up extremely far away from each other.”
“The goal of this ritual is?” Fors thought for a few seconds and asked her teacher.
“After consuming the Traveler potion, you will wander the spirit world chaotically. When you grasp some degree of initial level over your powers, you will realize that you have lost your way. At that moment, you can use the four special coordinates to return to the real world. Otherwise, you will be trapped in the depths of the spirit world for a long time. Not only is it dangerous inside, but it will also assimilate you, making you lose your mind and become a living creature that is attached to the spirit world.” Although Dorian had no hope of becoming a Traveler, he had seen students advancing to Sequence 5 before.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Then there should be another alternative…” Fors muttered in thought.
“Yes.” Dorian nodded and said, “Previously, there was something in the organization that could allow people to instantly return to the real world from the spirit world. Unfortunately, it was lost.”
Without waiting for Fors to ask, Dorian said, “If I’m saying-if you really become a demigod and fulfill my wish, I’ll hand over an important item that I’m in charge of to you. This is an expectation your teacher has for
you.”
One of the powerful Sealed Artifacts of the Abraham family? Fors had a vague guess, but she didn’t dare promise anything. She said the same thing, “I’ll try my best.”
Following that, she asked curiously, “Teacher, you mentioned that Sequence 4 is a Secrets Sorcerer. What about Sequence 3, 2, and Sequence 1?”
Dorian immediately laughed.
“You’re only a Sequence 6.
“Yes, Sequence 3’s name is ‘Wanderer.’ Sequence 2 is ‘Planeswalker,’ and the Sequence 1 potion name is ‘Key of Stars.’
“Heh heh, it’s a good thing that you mentioned this. I actually forgot to organize a list of things to take note of in the spirit world. These are things that must be remembered after becoming a Traveler.
“In that case, I’ll stay for another night. You can visit me tomorrow for the documents.”
As Fors ruminated over the names of the High-Sequence potions of the Apprentice pathway, she agreed.
“Alright, Teacher.”
After settling these matters, Dorian paced back and forth and thought for a moment before instructing, “The Beyonder characteristics of the same pathway have a certain attraction towards each other. It’s not obvious when one’s at a low Sequence, but the higher the Sequence, the stronger it becomes.
“Sometimes, this kind of attraction isn’t something you can directly feel, while also making you unknowingly approach a High-Sequence Beyonder of the same pathway. When you become a Traveler, you have to pay attention to this matter.”
At this point, Dorian paused and said, “Not many demigods of the Apprentice pathway are still alive. Among them, you need to be extra careful of a man named Botis. He is the Saint of Secrets from the Aurora Order and, just like Lewis, he’s a traitor of our organization. I will give you his portrait tomorrow.”
Botis… Fors repeated the name her teacher had mentioned in her mind.
At the same time, she had a new understanding about the Aurora Order Oracle, Lewis Wien, over the previous chance encounter.
Perhaps it wasn’t a chance encounter, but the attraction force between Beyonder characteristics. Teacher had a sufficiently powerful Sealed Artifact from the Apprentice pathway on him!
Fors quickly suppressed this thought and began asking for advice on how to act as a Scribe.
In the Berg household in the City of Silver.
There’s actually a path that can bypass the front of the Giant King’s Court and enter the interior from the Waning Forest and Barren Tunnel… Derrick Berg recalled the information he had been shared by Mr. World above the gray fog.
This was very important to the City of Silver, as the early-stage explorations after the Afternoon Town camp had set off implied that the closer they were to the Giant King’s Court, the stronger the monsters that originated from the darkness were.
“I have to tell the Chief!” Derrick abruptly stood up and rushed out of his house, heading straight for the spire. As he wished, he saw the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad.
He followed Mr. Hanged Man’s instructions and said that he had recalled some murals he had seen in the Afternoon Town’s “shadow.” On it was a secret passage that led into the Giant King’s Court.
Colin Iliad listened quietly without interrupting Derrick’s narration. Finally, he nodded gently and said, “Good, you did well.
“What do you want to exchange for this contribution?”
“A mature mind dragon’s complete brain.” Derrick was prepared.
Colin didn’t ask why as he thought for a moment and said, “If that secret passage is real, then the value will definitely exceed the complete brain of an adult mind dragon. Hmm… You can pick something else. Are you interested in the potion formula for a relatively higher Sequence of the Planter pathway?”
This is a question for Mr. Fool… While Derrick was enlightened, he said in surprise, “Do we have a relatively higher Sequence potion formula for the Planter pathway?”
He had no recollection of it.
“Of course. You should remember that the Giant King’s queen is the Goddess of Harvest, but the surrounding areas lack the corresponding Beyonder ingredients. There’s no rush. You can think about it again.” Colin Iliad calmly changed the subject. “Are you skilled with your Priest of Light powers?”
“Yes,” Derrick replied succinctly.
Colin was silent for a moment as he looked at the adolescent child before him and said, “What kind of Saint-level Sealed Artifact do you want to choose?”
Chapter 1077 Four Choices
What kind of Saint-level Sealed Artifact do I want to choose? Derrick Berg subconsciously considered what he needed.
Due to the fact that the Sun pathway was rather powerful against the monsters in the darkness, and with Thunder God’s Roar, he didn’t have the desire for Sealed Artifacts that provided offensive or supportive effects. Instead, the pain from being beaten up while making friends made him subconsciously hope to obtain a mystical item that could provide stronger defensive capabilities.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Derrick suddenly realized that the question wasn’t directed at the Saint- level Sealed Artifact he wanted, but which Saint-level Sealed Artifact could be used to exchange for the Creator’s cross from Mr. Fool.
He hesitated and frankly asked, “Your Excellency, do you have any suggestions?”
Colin glanced at him and left his original position. He slowly walked to the window and turned around.
“There are four Sealed Artifacts that are relatively suitable for you.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The first item is called ‘Sword of Silverdawn.’ It was left behind by an elder who died thirteen hundred years ago.
“With this sword in hand, one can hide their malicious intent and certain actions, effectively interfering with divination and prophecy. They would obtain an exaggerated amount of strength and bring to their surroundings a dawn that can resist evil and degeneration.
“It can also stir up a powerful destructive Hurricane of Light. It can create an invisible and sturdy defensive wall around the wielder. Every time it connects to the land, its defensive strength will be unshakeable.
“At the tip of the hilt is a single-eyed, huge-mouthed head engraving with living characteristics. Feeding the corresponding herbs, essential oils, and medicine to this engraving will give the Sword of Silverdawn different effects. For example, Lightning Strike, Freeze, Purification, Decay, and Exorcism.
“This sword has strict requirements for its usage. It’s impossible to lift up if one isn’t at least 180 centimeters tall. Below 200 centimeters, it will be hard to unleash its full strength. In addition, the head engraving at the hilt is very fond of talking. It’s always talking non-stop. If the wielder doesn’t respond, the Sword of Silverdawn might suddenly give up resisting at a critical moment and even attack its owner. If the wielder is willing to converse with the head engraving, they will be pushed to the edge of madness.”
This is what I want, a Sealed Artifact that’s good at defense… Derrick muttered to himself. He didn’t interrupt the Chiefs explanation as he quietly listened to him introduce the other Sealed Artifacts.
“The second is ‘Twilight Mask.’ This is from the first Chief. It’s a mask made from a skull. It can hide any malicious intent, thoughts, and inclinations. It makes the wearer feel like a dead person without any thoughts.
“As long as one puts on this mask, one will possess the power of a real giant and have control over the undead. Any living creature that looks directly into the eyes of the wearer will immediately die. Even those that possess godhood will be seriously injured. And even without any direct eye contact, the target of the wearer will slowly wither away as if they were floating across a river of death.
“The person wearing this mask can also create a terrifying Twilight Storm. Any item stained with the dim light will disintegrate, rot, wither, and die, losing the vibrancy of life.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Most of the attacks, aside from purification, are ineffective against the wearer of Twilight Mask, as though no one can kill a dead person.
“This Twilight Mask is extremely powerful, but it’s extremely dangerous. Even if it’s not doing anything, the people around it would suddenly die one after another for no reason. Therefore, it must have a proper sealing method…
“No matter who it is, once you put on this mask, you will hear the sharp shriek and howls that seem to come from deep within the Underworld. This is a psyche attack that will drive people crazy and make them lose their minds. At the same time, as long as you wear this mask for more than five minutes, you will permanently become its slave.”
This Sealed Artifact is almost useless. Although it’s powerful, it can only be sealed… Uh… Only a mighty existence like Mr. Fool can ignore its negative effects… Derrick opened his mouth but didn’t say a word.
Colin Iliad did some recollecting and continued, “The third item is called ‘Life’s Cane.’ It can control Beyonder creatures with low intelligence and reduce their insanity for a short period of time. It can use incomplete spirits and various materials to complete the ultimate ‘Alchemical Life.’ This could create an ordinary human that can exist for a long time. It can also create different dolls that could be used for battle and various kinds of things; this includes stone golems, mud golems, and steel golems.
“Any living creature lashed by this cane would have an increased tendency towards madness and losing control. Their bodies would also have a certain chance of mutating, producing watermelons, mushrooms, and wheat. Of course, these things cannot be eaten, as they would result in contamination.
“As for the living beings touched by the cane’s tip, they’ll be healed no matter how seriously injured they are—other than those that have already lost control.
“This cane will fill the surrounding areas with a vibrant life force. Be it plants or animals, it can grow with exuberance and reproduce rapidly. Unfortunately, it is useless against this land that is cursed.
“The person carrying Life’s Cane has a high chance of mutating. The longer one holds it, the higher the odds. This will result in additional organs, or even them having missing body parts, being replaced by various plants.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Sounds very sinister… For some reason, Derrick felt a little horrified. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the fourth Sealed Artifact?”
“It’s from a demon which lost control. I hunted it and called it ‘Fallen Flute.’
This is a plain-looking silver flute. However, once someone blows it, the living around it will fall into an unavoidable illusion. Their anger, sorrow, pain, greed, vanity, arrogance, and other desires would rapidly swell. Some would have their mind explode, others lose their sanity or experience a loss of control.
“Being in the vicinity of Fallen Flute, all sentient beings, other than the wielder, will significantly have their mental facilities deteriorate and will easily make mistakes.
“At the same time, the wielder of the flute is exceptionally sensitive to danger. Sometimes, they can even predict the possibility of a threat to their lives one to two days early.
“Wherever this Fallen Flute is, one’s humanity will gradually degenerate, and all kinds of desires will enter center stage as their beliefs are cast aside. The wielder will also turn cold and be unable to have normal emotions again. The more they use it and the more they carry it, the worse it will be. And this might result in conflict with their own pathway’s acting, leading to an increased risk of losing control.”
After introducing the fourth Sealed Artifact, Colin Iliad’s light blue eyes, which seemed to be filled with stories, looked at Derrick and asked, “What do you think?”
“…I need some time to consider,” Derrick replied rather skillfully.
“Indeed, this is really important to you. You can’t rashly make a decision.” Colin nodded. “Three days later, we will set off for the Afternoon Town camp. Tell me your answer before we set off, and reserve some time to familiarize yourself with the Sealed Artifact.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes, Your Excellency.” Derrick bowed seriously and left the Chiefs room.
He wasn’t in a rush to return home to pray to Mr. Fool. Instead, he planned on heading to the training field first to temper his various “Sun” domain theurgical spells.
This was a habit engraved deep within the pulses of every single person in the City of Silver. Only a self-disciplined person who could endure hardship was able to live longer in these desolate and dark lands.
In a dark alley in the Backlund Bridge area.
Xio once again met the golden-masked MI9 member who clearly showed kindness to her.
The Judge potion formula might take some time,” the golden-masked man said.
This was because, although the investigation into Xio didn’t continue, it didn’t end.
Xio pursed her lips and nodded, as though she had finally made up her mind.
“I don’t want that formula anymore.”
“You… gave up?” The golden-masked man was surprised and couldn’t hide his joy.
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio didn’t directly answer as she turned her head to the side and said, “I-I’ll exchange all my contributions for cash.” After hearing her answer, the golden-masked man nodded in relief.
“It’s best that you understand.
“Let bygones be bygones. You, your mother, and brother will have a brand new future.
Yes, if your contributions are exchanged for cash, it’ll be about 2,000 pounds. I’ll help you gain more. After that, you can continue being an outer circle member of MI9. Having an official status is very useful for unaffiliated Beyonders.”
Xio was silent for a few seconds before her lips quivered.
“Thank you.”
She could clearly sense the kindness coming from the man in front of her, so she sincerely thanked him.
However, there was no way she was giving up. The reason why she chose cash was because she had already reserved the Judge potion formula from The World Gehrman Sparrow—the crazy adventurer had also claimed that the Disciplinary Paladin potion formula would subsequently follow.
At the same time, giving up on the surface could effectively dispel the suspicions of MI9.
After briefly explaining the progress of the previous commissions, Xio bade farewell to the golden-masked man and left the alley.
On Tuesday morning, Fors went out early and came to the Hat Trick Inn in Cherwood Borough where she met her teacher, Dorian Gray.
“This is one of the things to take note of in the spirit world. This is a portrait of Botis.” Dorian covered his mouth and yawned before handing a thick stack of paper to Fors.
Fors wasn’t in a rush to read the documents as she cast her gaze at the portrait.
On it was a black-robed man who likely wasn’t even forty. His brown hair was slightly curled, but it gave off an unusually firm feeling. His dark eyes seemed to contain countless objects.
This is the Saint of Secrets… Fors rubbed her fingers together and used her Trickmaster powers to burn that portrait. “Not bad. Very cautious.” Dorian nodded approvingly.
He then carried his suitcase and said to Fors, “I have to return to Pritz Harbor. It will arouse suspicion if I come to Backlund for too long.”
Fors knew that the situation in Backlund had been tense recently, so she was eager for her teacher to leave as soon as possible; therefore, she didn’t hold him back and watched him leave the room.
Then, with the help of Door Opening, she walked all the way to the alley behind the hotel.
Just as she got her bearings and turned into a street, she suddenly saw a man in a black trench coat walking over.
The person swept a glance at her before looking away naturally. However, Fors’s back muscles tensed up.
Her eyes reflected the other person’s appearance:
A man who likely wasn’t even forty. His brown hair was slightly curled, but it gave off an unusually firm feeling. His dark eyes seemed to contain countless objects.
Chapter 1078 The Hidden Secre
Saint of Secrets Botis… Fors had experienced many things recently, to the point of being watched by a King of Angels, so she didn’t show any signs of abnormality. She retracted her gaze in a natural manner and didn’t slow down her pace as she walked towards the man in the black trench coat.
After a few steps, they brushed past each other.
…Did he happen to pass by here because of the attraction between Beyonder characteristics? If he knew that Teacher was here, he wouldn’t be so slow and would use Teleport to chase after him… Luckily, Teacher has already boarded the carriage and left the inn… Fors’s heart calmed down, her tense mind relaxing a little.
She took a few more steps forward and looked up at the sky. She wanted to confirm if it would rain later.
At this moment, a raven flew over and landed on a tree along the way. It faced the spot where Fors had just passed by.
Fors stopped thinking about Saint of Secrets Botis as she maintained her speed and left the street.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As the Aurora Order hadn’t held a gathering in Backlund for a long period of time, and with the target being a demigod, Fors didn’t have any thoughts of seeking revenge for her teacher. Ignoring her lack of combat strength, just finding and locking onto a Secrets Sorcerer was a nearly impossible task.
…It’s best that I wait till I become a Traveler. I might encounter Botis by chance before entrusting Mr. World the corresponding mission. I’ll take the time to save up money… Now, it’s certain that the Aurora Order has saints in Backlund… Hmm, I can’t eliminate the possibility that during Botis’s “Travel” elsewhere today, he was influenced by the attraction force of Beyonder characteristic and had accidentally lost his way in Backlund… Fors very naturally considered looking for The World Gehrman Sparrow’s help.
From what she knew, this gentleman had killed two demigods with his own hands, and he had only become a demigod for three months!
In the upper echelons of the seven Churches, they only have about ten demigods… Based on Mr. World’s progress, it will take him at most two years to wipe out the powerhouses of a Church… Of course, the real world isn’t an ideal measurement… Having received higher education, Fors, who had been a surgeon, gradually let her thoughts wander. She walked to the street and boarded a rental carriage.
Above the gray fog, there was a mini-gathering with The Sun Derrick, The Hanged Man Alger, and The World Gehrman Sparrow.
However, unlike before, Mr. Fool was present as the witness because The Sun’s main motive was to find out which Sealed Artifact could please this great existence, as well as to exchange it for the cross left behind by the Creator.
At the same time, he still had some questions to consult Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. World about, so he had applied for a private exchange.
Sword of Silverdawn, Twilight Mask, Life’s Cane, Fallen Flute… These were all items that have outstanding powers and negative effects, ones that require sealing. This also confirms that the City of Silver doesn’t have any Beyonders from the Artisan pathway. All the spoils can only be formed naturally. Even with a godlike Sealed Artifact, they can shatter the characteristics, but they are unable to reform them in a better way… As The Fool Klein listened to Little Sun’s description, he quickly analyzed the pros and cons of different Sealed Artifacts in his mind.
The first thing he did was eliminate the Twilight Mask because the negative effects of the Sealed Artifact from the City of Silver’s first Chief were too great.
Composite Start
Composite End
Although Klein could let his marionette wear this mask and cut off the aural senses; thus, avoiding the continuous howls and screams. Furthermore, he didn’t have to worry about his marionette becoming a slave to the Twilight Mask. However, in that case, his actual body might become a member of the dead who died suddenly for no reason.
Following that, Klein similarly gave up the Fallen Flute for the same reasons. This Sealed Artifact’s ability to predict danger ahead of time was indeed better than the Desire Apostle in Creeping Hunger. It was alluring, but the negative effects were also not easy to avoid.
If Klein used this flute with his actual body, he would gradually turn cold and lose his normal emotions. This would be completely contradictory with the concept of using humanity to battle godhood to maintain balance. And if he were to hand it over to his marionette, he would experience a significant decrease in his mental facilities and easily make mistakes. This caused him to lose his main advantage as a Beyonder of the Seer pathway.
In addition, this flute will make the people around it give themselves up to degeneration and desires. I don’t want the residents on Boklund Street to be degenerates who give up on their morals. By then, how many illegitimate children will be bom… I can only consider the Sword of Silverdawn and Life’s Cane… Klein mumbled silently before quickly choosing between two.
The Sword of Silverdawn’s head engraving seemed to have a living characteristic. To Klein, this meant that communication was possible, and as long as they could communicate, the negative effects could naturally be reduced. As for the height restriction, he could just ignore his thickness and only focus on his height. After all, this didn’t affect a Clown due to its extremely high sense of balance.
Regarding the problem of mutation with Life’s Cane, he could avoid it by handing it to his marionettes. When he lost or gained any organs, he could heal himself with Flower of Blood. And causing the surroundings to be filled with vitality, allowing for lush growth wasn’t much of a negative effect.
Since the negative effects of the two Sealed Artifacts weren’t too serious, he had to consider their effects. The Sword
of Silverdawn was clearly from a Demon Hunter of the Warrior pathway. Be it attacks or defense, they were both potent. It could hide his malintent and be good at dealing with Devils. As for Life’s Cane, it was good at creating and causing mutations, which made it rather sinister.
After a few seconds of consideration, when Derrick asked for the answer, The Fool Klein spoke unhurriedly, as though he was discussing something ordinary.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The cane.”
In the end, he decided on Life’s Cane!
In fact, the Sword of Silverdawn and Life’s Cane had their own pros, making it a tough decision. Klein’s final decision stemmed from an uncommon reason:
The sinister Life’s Cane could be described as bizarre, so it could effectively aid him in acting as a Bizarro Sorcerer and raise his potion digestion speed!
“Yes, Mr. Fool!” Derrick replied, unable to hide his joy.
This meant that when he completed the sacrificial and bestowment ritual, he would obtain the cross from the Creator. After determining this, he cast his gaze at the figure at the bottom of the long bronze table.
“Mr. World, other than the complete brain of an adult mind dragon, do you still need a relatively high Sequence potion formula for the Planter pathway?”
As the secret passage of the Giant King’s Court was shared by The World, he became the target of Derrick’s question, and not Mr. Fool.
Of course, to Derrick, The World was Mr. Fool’s Blessed. His answer represented Mr. Fool’s intentions to a certain extent.
Composite Start
Composite End
A relatively high Sequence potion formula for the Planter pathway… Sitting at the end of the long bronze table, The Fool Klein immediately had a headache and fell into an intense internal struggle.
He could roughly understand what the Chief of the City of Silver’s thought process was. On the one hand, this experienced Demon Hunter hopes that he can usher in a bright future through the Giant King’s Court’s exploration, while on the other hand, he’s still cautious and doesn’t hold much hope. He’s prepared to continue staying in the darkness, so he mentioned the Planter potion formula to see if Mr. Fool has the corresponding authority, or rather, does the faction that “He” watches over have a need for it. If this could bring about certain feedback, it would effectively improve the survival of the City of Silver.
Meanwhile, on Klein’s end, Frank Lee had recently come to believe that he’s just one step away from his research goals. When he becomes a Druid, he should be able to succeed. This made Klein very hesitant on whether he should give him a push.
…I don’t know what the future holds… I’ll just focus on what’s in front of me. A Sequence 5 Beyonder who doesn’t even have godhood wouldn’t be able to do anything too serious. Furthermore, Ma’am Hermit is already a demigod. It’s not a big problem for her to watch out for Frank…Klein thought for a moment and let The World Gehrman Sparrow say, “Sequence 5.”
“What if there’s more?” Derrick pressed.
Klein felt like he was being tested. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “If your side is willing to give it, then that works…”
“Alright.” Derrick didn’t probe any further. Instead, he asked the person beside him, “Mr. Hanged Man, I have a strange feeling about this. Why did the Chief suddenly mention the relatively high Sequence potion formula of the Planter pathway?”
The Hanged Man Alger looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow and said, “This should be a test from your Chief, to see if the City of Silver can change its environment.
“I remember you mentioning that you only know that the Goddess of Harvest is the Giant King’s queen, and according to the records of the Sanguine from The Moon, the Goddess of Harvest is named Omebella. Your City of Silver originally believed in ‘Her.’
“I was originally only certain that the name Omebella was real, so I didn’t have any inclination towards other explanations. Now, with your Chief suddenly taking out a relatively high Sequence potion formula that you didn’t know before, this makes me suspect that The Moon is right.
Composite Start
Composite End
“This means that your City of Silver hid the fact that they once believed in the Goddess of Harvest. They even deliberately didn’t mention ‘Her’ true name.
“There must be a huge secret behind this.”
“A huge secret…” Derrick thought seriously but couldn’t think of any secret.
Fortunately, this wasn’t an important matter to him. He quickly ended the private conversation and returned to the City of Silver to prepare for the exchange of Sealed Artifacts.
Chapter 1079 The Hardworking Gardeners
Above the gray fog, Klein, who was sitting at The Fool’s seat, beckoned for the Unshadowed Crucifix.
The bronze cross was tied together with an ordinary-looking button, and the surface of the latter was already covered with a layer of crystalline but heavy-feeling particles.
This was The Hermit Cattleya’s Judge button. It was reserved for Judgment Xio at a price of 3,500 pounds. Therefore, Admiral of Stars had sacrificed it to Mr. Fool in advance, requesting the mighty existence to get an angel under him to shatter it.
And on Monday’s Tarot Gathering, Xio had made a reservation for the Judge potion formula at a price of 2,000 pounds.
According to their agreement, Justice Audrey wasn’t to share anything they obtained from exploring Groselle’s Travels —other than knowledge. She was only providing free help for The World killing Hvin Rambis. As for The Star Leonard, he had the right to sell the potion formulas and historical knowledge, but obviously, Judgment Xio trusted The World Gehrman Sparrow more.
The purging should be almost done. This way, I can trade the Unshadowed Crucifix with Little Sun without any worries… In the future, if there are other similar requests, they’ll definitely be more willing to trade with Little Sun, instead of asking Mr. Fool for help. No one will dare frequently disturb a hidden existence, unless there’s really no other way…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When Little Sun has the chance to become a demigod and transform the Unshadowed Crucifix into a special characteristic, I should be a Sequence 3. I’ll be able to use the power of this mysterious space above the gray fog to shatter Sealed Artifacts…
After the “disinfection” process of the gray fog, Adam probably wouldn’t be able to rely on the Unshadowed Crucifix to lock onto Little Sun. However, even if he were able to find it through this, it wouldn’t be too serious. His brother,
Amon, knew long ago that Little Sun is related to Mr. Fool…
Yes, it seems that Amon can freely enter and leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods. I wonder if that’s also the case for Adam… As Klein separated the Unshadowed Crucifix from the button that had begun to praise the sun, he looked at the Beyonder characteristic that had been purged while waiting for Little Sun to hold a sacrificial and bestowment ceremony.
The City of Silver, within the spire.
Derrick Berg had finished setting up the ritual. He watched as a black, mud-covered doll approached with a wooden cane which looked like nothing special, and he placed it on the altar.
After a serious prayer and doing some work, the illusory sacrifice and bestowment door opened and took away Life’s Cane, leaving behind a bronze-green and spiky cross.
At the same time, the name of the cross suddenly appeared in Derrick’s mind, including information of its usage and its negative effects.
He suppressed his excitement and first thanked Mr. Fool before ending the ritual. He walked to the front of the altar, picked up the Unshadowed Crucifix, and scrutinized it repeatedly.
Composite Start
Composite End
After tidying up, Derrick left and went to a room opposite and knocked on the Chiefs door.
“Come in.” Colin Iliad’s deep voice rang out.
Derrick turned the doorknob, pushed open the door, walked in, and openly revealed the bronze cross.
Your Excellency, this is the item left behind by the Lord I previously mentioned. It’s called the ‘Unshadowed Crucifix.’ The method is to let the spikes on it be stained with the blood of the holder.”
He had deliberately changed the term “relic” to the “item left behind.”
The white-haired Colin had already cast his gaze over when Derrick took out the ancient cross. After listening to the introduction, he walked towards it with heavy steps. He took the item and kept examining it.
Finally, Colin Iliad placed his thumb on a thorn and allowed fresh blood to flow out.
The mottled bronze-green started to peel away as the Unshadowed Crucifix revealed a physical body formed from pure light, illuminating the entire room without any trace of darkness.
After an indescribable sacred feeling filled the surrounding area, Colin released his fingers and sighed.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“This is indeed the Lord’s item…”
Although he was born in an era more than two thousand years since the City of Silver was “forsaken,” making it impossible for them to sense the aura of god, this city still had quite a few things that were used to offer sacrifices to the Creator. Every time the Black-Faced Grass was harvested, they would be taken out and used in the ritual. Through a comparison with these items, Colin Iliad could almost confirm the origins of the cross.
Derrick had wanted to give a response, but the heavy tone in the Chiefs words suddenly pressed down on his heart, preventing him from speaking.
Colin Iliad didn’t make any further comments and just stood there silently with the Unshadowed Crucifix in hand.
After a few seconds, the City of Silver Chief broke the silence and said with a slightly hoarse voice, “The return of the Lord’s item is a sign. We shall welcome the sign of dawn.
“I will hold onto this Unshadowed Crucifix for half a day. I want to gather all the Elders in the city to present this item to them.
“Heh heh, even I can’t casually deal with a saint-level Sealed Artifact. Since I lost Life’s Cane, I have to explain it to the other Elders and request to be punished. You must remember that, as Chief, you must have the courage to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. You can’t avoid punishment just because you think that it’s good for the City of Silver. You might be right this time, but you can’t guarantee that you’re always right.
“Don’t worry. This Unshadowed Crucifix will eventually return to you.”
The Chiefs words are deep and profound… I’ll get Mr. Hanged Man to explain it to me at the next Tarot Gathering… Derrick instinctively wanted to raise his right hand and scratch the back of his head, but in the end, he endured it and informed Colin Iliad of the negative effects of the Unshadowed Crucifix.
Composite Start
Composite End
Backlund North Borough, 160 Boklund Street.
Klein sacrificed Winner Enuni above the gray fog to ensure “marionette preservation.” This was to make it convenient for him to use him in the future. He planned on getting Earl of The Fallen Qonas Kilgor to wear the Flower of Blood ring and wield Life’s Cane. In day-to-day life, he would create some harrowing and bizarre situations from time to time, helping him expedite the digestion of his potion. This way, Enuni had no way of using Flower of Blood to hide in Qonas Kilgor’s stomach. He needed to hide in a more concealed manner, making it rather troublesome. Therefore,
Klein decided to simply leave him above the gray fog. After all, Klein could create ordinary marionettes anytime he wanted.
Why does the action of placing a marionette in a preservation cabinet to keep fresh feel odd… It’s not like I’m acting in a horror movie… However, this does fit the name of Bizarro Sorcerer a bit. The angel from the Antigonus and Zaratul family all hang up their marionettes to “wind dry,” so I’m much better than them! After rubbing his chin, Klein stuffed the ordinary wood-colored cane into a specially-made cane he bought through Miss Judgment.
The cane was hollow, and it could be used to contain a sword that wasn’t considered too wide. It was perfect for hiding Life’s Cane.
After he was done with this work, he allowed the servant who looked like Enuni, who was actually Qonas, to take away his cane and return to the room next door. He washed up himself before getting into bed.
While sleeping soundly in a pleasant, relaxed state, Klein’s spiritual perception suddenly stirred. He abruptly sat up and cast his gaze at the attached balcony.
The curtains weren’t fully drawn, and he could see the situation outside.
It was dark green outside the window with vine-leaves, and flowers were growing all over the place in layers. This made him suspect that he had been transported to the forest.
This… The corners of his mouth twitched as he vaguely guessed what was going on.
Composite Start
Composite End
He rolled out of bed and walked to the balcony, drawing the curtains open.
What entered his vision was no longer the garden in the residence of Dwayne Dantes. Instead, it was a lush forest.
This is what it means to make the surrounding area become filled with a vibrant life force. Be it animals or plants, they’re all flourishing and growing rapidly. Isn’t this a little too fast? Klein’s expression instantly turned a little blank.
Previously, when he had divined that the Life’s Cane’s negative effects, he had “seen” similar scenes. However, the revelation he received was that it wasn’t harmful to the surrounding area. Thus, he believed that the growing and proliferation process took a fairly long period of time and could be effectively controlled, allowing one to pay no attention to it for a very, very long time before seeing such a scene.
With this thought in mind, he observed all the Spirit Body Threads in the surrounding area. He realized that humans weren’t affected at all, but the number of rats and cockroaches was clearly increasing.
This result made him heave a sigh of relief. He looked out of the window at the “forest” and sighed silently.
Indeed, there isn’t much danger. It’s just quite exaggerated… I still have to keep it above the gray fog most of the time…
More than ten seconds later, figures appeared within the “forest.” Some of them were very thin, and others were thick. They all wore black trench coats, and their faces were very flat. They had no eyes, noses, and mouths.
These figures were either crouching or standing—busy burning weeds, cutting the vines, and removing the unnecessary flowers in the quiet night.
The next morning, Butler Walter woke up as usual and opened the window.
The garden outside was bathed in the morning fog. There was some dew that gathered, emitting a fresh scent.
Better than yesterday… Walter nodded slightly and praised the two gardeners.
The vibrant scene made him feel a little restless as he began missing his wife for no apparent reason, so he left the room to patrol the estate and made arrangements for all sorts of affairs. Finally, he waited at the entrance of the dining room.
Not long after, his employer, Dwayne Dantes, led his valet, Enuni, down from the third floor.
Walter went forward to bow and talked about today’s arrangements before taking the initiative to mention it.
“Sir, I would like to take one day leave from the current month’s allowance.”
As he spoke, he suddenly saw the mixed-blood servant’s neck split open, revealing a black eye.
Walter was shocked and nearly tumbled backward. But in the blink of an eye, he realized that there was no strange eye on Enuni’s neck.
It must be because I didn’t sleep well last night and had a strange dream, resulting in me being distracted and having hallucinations… Walter hurriedly gathered his thoughts and lowered his head slightly.
In his heart, Klein apologized and nodded.
“No problem. Have a wonderful day with your family.”
Chapter 1080 The Line of Thinking for Acting
After watching Butler Walter leave the second floor, Klein entered the dining hall. As he looked around, he realized that the servants were much more energetic than usual. They even felt a little agitated.
Indeed, Life’s Cane also affects humans, but it’s not that ridiculous. It’s at a rather normal level and still within acceptable levels… According to this logic, the servants’ reproduction abilities would definitely increase. The only problem is that they don’t have spouses, so there’s no way to show that…
Eh… Will Mr. Butler’s act of returning home today result in him having another child in nine to ten months… His wife is almost 40 years old. It’s a little dangerous for her to have children at this age. Of course, as the other party in the copulation process, the effects of Life’s Cane would pass over to them. There shouldn’t be any problems…
Man, I wonder if the potential effect will result in an increase in conceiving a child. If Dwayne Dantes’s moving into Boklund Street causes one to have an increased chance of having children, my reputation will practically be doomed… Klein’s thoughts drifted without end. Finally, he concluded in his mind:
Life’s Cane truly is very sinister!
In the future, he would only bring it into the real world for some time each day and try his best not to affect the humans around him!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After breakfast, Klein brought his valet, Enuni, to the first floor and prepared to take a stroll.
At that moment, two chambermaids were cleaning in the main hall.
“Good morning, sir.” Upon seeing Dwayne Dantes approach, the two chambermaids immediately stood up, made way for him, and greeted him.
Of course, if they were in a more remote comer, they would try their best not to make a sound, just in case they disturbed their employer. This was something they learned from Butler Walter’s teachings.
Klein nodded and gave a simple response as he slowly approached the door.
At that moment, the two maids suddenly saw a wheat head embedded in Enuni’s head. It was full of golden particles and was extremely attractive.
Before they could even take a closer look, the valet seemed to have sensed something amiss. He raised his right hand and yanked off the piece of wheat using plenty of force.
The two maids looked at each other in surprise and amusement.
They imagined that Enuni had accidentally gotten some wheat on his body when he followed Mr. Dantes over to Maygur Manor, bringing it all the way back to 160 Boklund Street, where they scattered in places that weren’t easy to clean. For example, under the pillow he slept last night. In his dreams, he pushed the pillow away and ended up lodging a piece of wheat into his hair without realizing it when washing up in the morning and during breakfast.
Composite Start
Composite End
Although this process was complicated and not easily achieved, it was still possible.
It can’t be that Enuni grew a single wheat head, right… The two maids mumbled to themselves as they continued with their work.
After exiting 160 Boklund Street, Klein and Enuni slowly walked with one behind the other under the withered Intis parasol trees, breathing in the fresh autumn air.
Like him, a number of neighbors were taking a morning stroll.
Of course, this wasn’t a habit belonging to those amongst Backlund’s high society. Last year, the smog was very serious, and the air was quite pungent. No one was willing to waste their time in the streets, braving the cold wind and the humidity.
As a neighbor, since they had met each other, there was no doubt that they would greet each other. When they walked past each other, one of the lawyers glanced at Dwayne Dantes’s valet from the corner of his eye—he had raised his hand to cover his mouth as if he was yawning.
When the mixed-blood youth put down his right hand, the lawyer suddenly realized something was different.
His nose seems to be even higher…
Haha, I must’ve been thinking too much about such matters, causing me to hallucinate…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If only my nose was slightly higher…
As the lawyer thought about it, he raised his hand and rubbed his nose. At the same time, he saw two wild dogs engaged in a chase in front of him, attempting to reproduce on the street.
After the stroll, Klein returned to the activity room on the third floor and sent Life’s Cane above the gray fog.
Indeed, there’s a certain effect. The main point of the Bizarro Sorcerer’s digestion is actually to create shocking scenes to scare people, as well as use a strange method to make people horrified… This really does resemble a “director,” but it’s just a horror flick’s director…
Yes, I don’t have to really scare them… Peaceful daily life events contain terrifying scenes, but the surrounding humans don’t notice them at all. They only occasionally made the connection, and when they think about it, they would feel a sense of fear from certain possibilities, to the point of not daring to turn off the lights and ending up having nightmares. That’s also a horror film archetype… As Klein observed his condition, he summarized his experiences over the past few months and finally summed it all up with the keyword “horror film director.”
After understanding this, he had many ideas on how to quickly digest the potion.
Not only did he have to deal with enemies, but he also had to turn his enemies into the main characters or important supporting roles in a horror film!
This will be quite troublesome. I definitely have to give my all to the targets at the demigod level. I wouldn’t be in the mood to waste my time and effort on pulling some tricks… Well, there’s no need to find a demigod target. There’s no restriction for acting like this. I can “Teleport” to the sea, and find some lucky pirates to “participate,” creating some horror stories…
That’s right. Since I’m a director, I have to let my “works” spread! It seems like I have to let some of the actors escape successfully every time and spread the nightmare that they experienced, creating a corresponding myth at sea. I can’t feed them to Creeping Hunger… As he formed his plan, Klein suddenly thought of a question:
Composite Start
Composite End
In the horrifying legends of the people in the Northern Continent and the sea, how many of them were deliberately created by Bizarro Sorcerers?
There must be some… Sigh, if Amon were to act as a Bizarro Sorcerer, “He” would probably be able to digest the potion in less than a month. “His” talent in this aspect is astounding, and “He” doesn’t consider the consequences… In truth, while looking for pirates to “film the horror movie,” I can find an opportunity to scare other demigods. I don’t have to fight them to the death. Once my goal is accomplished, I can escape… With this thought in mind, Klein came up with a plan for the supporting role.
Hence, he carefully considered his targets.
There’s no way I can find an angel or higher. Those who I’m not familiar with will make me the leading character of a horror movie on the spot. Those who are familiar with me are well aware that I’m a Bizarro Sorcerer, so there’s no way to scare them…
There are many saints that I have no idea about their whereabouts. Frightening the archbishops will easily cause unnecessary chain reactions, causing the world situation to become even more tense and for the war to erupt premature^”
Uh, after eliminating all the possibilities, the most suitable target is the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction’s demigod, Patrick Biyan, as well as the councilors of Will Auceptin’s Fate Council, as weH ^
After creating a name list, Klein decided to take some time over the next two days to visit Dr. Aaron Ceres. He wanted to bring some ice-cream for a certain baby to ask where the “councilors” were recently seen.
If he wanted to frighten someone else’s subordinates, he had to get the approval of the president!
Klein was in a good mood after organizing his thoughts. He went out again and went to Saint Samuel Cathedral to pray and donate before heading to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation where he stayed till noon.
In the afternoon, he saw a few businessmen and professional lawyers and accountants who were seeking investments, behaving like a normal tycoon.
Composite Start
Composite End
After filling his stomach, he returned to the half-opened room with the balcony. Just as he was considering whether to visit Dr. Aaron Ceres’s house directly tomorrow, or invite their family to have a nice dinner at the Srenzo Restaurant which served excellent ice-cream, his spiritual perception was triggered.
He turned his head and, without any surprise, saw Miss Messenger walk out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads.
One of the heads bit on a letter.
“Who sent it?” Klein habitually and expectantly asked.
As he had yet to receive the letter, Reinette Tinekerr could only answer with three heads.
“King…” “Of…” “Idiots…”
Patrick Bryan? This nickname has even evolved? Klein reached out and took the letter. When he opened it, he realized that it was indeed from the Artificial Death faction’s demigod.
He wrote on the letter:
“…I’ve already prepared the special ritual that will help my teacher, Haiter, recover further. Your Excellency, I will hold it tomorrow at midnight given your permission…”
The ritual that points towards the angel, Haiter? There’s no way to avoid the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction’s testing of Patrick… This can be interfered with using Paper Angel… Just in time… With a flick of his wrist, Klein burned the letter.
Following that, he took out a piece of paper and wrote down an answer:
Yes, you may. You must be careful.”
In the quiet night, near midnight, in a uninhabited clothes factory in St. George Borough.
There was an open area that had been cleared. Nearly ten black-robed figures were standing there.
In the middle of them was a deep black coffin that looked rather heavy. Around the coffin were many golden ornaments with mud stains. There were many candles flickering with pale-white flames, as well as one skull after another.
The hideous white skulls belonged to humans, others from animals. Some were extremely strange and had a deformed look to it. It was hard to imagine their original appearance.
The skulls were piled the highest up at the front, with Patrick Bryan standing there.
He had also changed into a black robe, but he didn’t pull up his hood, revealing a deep outline. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a rather long face.
This demigod hadn’t done anything, but his surroundings had turned extremely cold, as though countless invisible creatures were celebrating.
As Patrick Bryan raised his right hand, the hooded believers jumped up and twitched a little. It was a crazy and rhythmic dance.
This was a Spirit Dance, a ritual that Death loved. The stronger the spirituality of the dancers, the better the effects.
As the dance became more intense, a cold and formless wind blew out from the coffin. Patrick Bryan lowered his head and recited in a language that seemed to come from the Underworld:
“The King from the depths of Hell;
“An Angel playing the music of death;
The Ruler above River Styx.”
Chapter 1081 The Returnee
With Patrick Bryan’s chanting, the bones around the black casket were gradually stained with a dark green layer. They blended with the white, bringing out an extremely scary sensation.
As the Spirit Dance became more and more intense, as though the voices from the Underworld were constantly reverberating, the bones floated up one by one, as though they possessed lives of their own.
Then, they were cast towards the heavy and pitch-black casket in what could be described as orderly chaos. They passed through the lid and entered as though they were incorporeal.
The casket immediately transformed into a deep whirlpool that seemed like it couldn’t be filled. It expanded on the spot, emitting a cold aura that was high and mighty. This made Patrick Bryan instinctively tremble and lower his head.
This was an angel, the aura of a Death Consul!
At that moment, the believers of Death, the ones who were dancing Spirit Dance, all collapsed to the ground with their bodies left convulsing. Their consciousness became muddled, as though they were touring the Underworld.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And above the gray fog, with the help of his marionettes’ prayer points of light, The Fool Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief because the leader of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction, the angel who was sleeping in the mausoleum, the High Priest Haiter’s test didn’t exceed his expectations. Using the enslavement and control higher Sequence Beyonders of the Death pathway had on lower Sequence Beyonders, “He” could directly obtain information from Patrick Bryan.
From a certain point of view, this was an “interrogation” at the psyche level, something that Klein was rather proficient at dealing with.
He immediately let the Red Priest card fly into his hand and enter his body.
All of a sudden, Klein had a dark red robe draped over him. This appearance seemed to look like rust and settled gunpowder. As for his face, it was covered by a dark gold mask. The patterns on it were ancient and set off a contrasting appearance with the crown he wore that was embedded with gems that sparkled red, blue, and green.
Following that, he mobilized all the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog that he could, turning them into invisible torrents that surrounded the paper figurines he had prepared in advance. Through the prayer lights, it shot towards Undying Patrick Bryan.
At this moment, Patrick’s body trembled slightly due to the feeling of submission he felt towards his teacher’s aura, as though he could see layers of holy wings.
Klein had hidden the exact appearance of the flaming angel, allowing a portion of it to be revealed. This also meant that he had interfered with the special effects.
One holy wing after another enveloped Patrick before vanishing, causing him to hallucinate in confusion.
As a Sequence 4 demigod, he quickly came to his senses. He realized that he no longer yearned to submit and not be able to disobey his teacher’s orders. His consciousness seemed to have been pulled out of his body as he stared calmly at everything above the mind world.
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, as a zealot, Patrick Bryan didn’t hesitate to view Angel’s Embrace as a gift from Death. There was no doubt about it.
At that moment, in the deep vortex formed from the black casket, an old and cold voice sounded out—one that could rip out a person’s soul from their bodies:
“Not bad.
“Any progress in awakening God recently?”
Patrick Bryan followed the instructions given by the Blessed, and he described his efforts and intentions in a half- truthful manner.
After a series of questions and answers, the Death domain angel on the other side of the vortex, Haiter, didn’t suspect anything. “He” calmly said, “Very good. Continue doing it. I will support you.”
“He” paused for a moment and nonchalantly said, “I’ll send you an assistant first. A Sequence 5 Gatekeeper to help you in completing the corresponding tasks to relieve your stress.”
Is this what His Excellency mentioned about not being at ease with me? Teacher is indeed unwilling to see me gain the favor of God and threaten “His” position… Having been slowly influenced by Klein through his daily communications with him, Patrick Bryan, who had slowly changed his mindset, had no way of rejecting such “kind intentions.” He could only answer politely, “Yes, Teacher.”
Just as he said that, the pitch-black vortex suddenly opened up. It transformed into a mysterious pattern, conjuring up a pair of indescribable double bronze doors.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With a creaking sound, the door opened and a crack widened.
There was still darkness behind the rift, and there seemed to be eyes hidden in the depths of the darkness, quietly watching the outside.
At that moment, a palm stretched out and rested on the door crack.
Its skin was rather pale, allowing one to see the blue blood veins underneath.
With a tug, a figure leaped out of the door.
This was a young, tall man wearing a black robe with red linings with his hood pulled up.
His facial features were gentle, and his skin was slightly brown. It was obvious at a glance that he was from a Southern Continent bloodline. He was rather handsome, but he looked anemic.
Stepping on the solid ground beneath his feet, the young man didn’t even glance at Patrick Bryan. He raised his head and looked into the sky. The corners of his mouth curled up as he narrowed his eyes and sighed.
“This intoxicating atmosphere…”
Composite Start
Composite End
As a Beyonder of the Death pathway, to be ignored by someone whose Sequence was lower than his, there was no doubt that Patrick Bryan was a little angry, but in front of his teacher, he had no choice but to follow the flow and end the ritual.
During this process, The Fool’s response above the gray fog was even more intense than Patrick’s.
Because through the gray fog’s “true vision,” he could see the abnormality of the new Gatekeeper!
The Gatekeeper’s internal Underworld expanded in an odd manner, covering every part of his body. And there was only one soul in the Underworld—a young and handsome soul with red hair, signs of rotting on its face, and a flag mark on its glabella. It wore black blood-stained armor.
Klein wasn’t unfamiliar with this soul, for he immediately recognized it:
The Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhom Medici!
This fellow has returned to Backlund again, and had a certain working relationship with the angel of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction… Klein instinctively took out the Red Priest card and accommodated the Tyrant card before summoning the Sea God Scepter. He planned on giving the Red Angel evil spirit a zap of Lightning Storm, but as his thoughts raced, he restrained this impulse and gave up on the corresponding thoughts.
This would expose Patrick Bryan’s problem and let the angel from the Death domain guess that something had happened to Artificial Death!
This wasn’t beneficial to the Evernight Goddess’s control and digestion of the Death pathway’s Uniqueness.
Amidst his thoughts, he quickly left the world above the gray fog and returned to the real world. He made his marionette secretly leave the clothing factory and “Teleport” away with his body.
Composite Start
Composite End
He had originally planned on creating a shocking experience for Patrick Bryan after the ritual. He had even made some preparations beforehand. Now, he could only give up to prevent the Red Angel evil spirit from discovering him.
Inside the clothing factory, the young Gatekeeper, who had been possessed by Sauron Einhorn Medici, pulled his hood even lower before turning his head slightly and looking in a particular direction outside.
That was the spot where Klein’s marionette, Qonas Kilgor, had been hiding, nearly a kilometer away from the factory.
After staring at it for a few seconds, the young Gatekeeper revealed an obvious smile.
Just as Patrick Bryan was about to say something, planning to use his identity of the person-in-charge of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction to haze the envoy of his teacher, his spiritual perception was triggered. He turned around in a bizarre manner, casting his gaze on another building in the factory.
On the second floor of the building, behind a glass window in a room, there was a pair of emotionless black eyes staring at them.
Patrick Bryan’s eyelids twitched, and his body suddenly vanished.
Woo!
A cold wind blew, causing the glass window to rot silently. Without any movement, it crumbled into countless “snowflakes.”
In the corresponding room, a skinny Patrick in a black robe and a thin face emerged. He saw that the master of that pair of cold, black eyes was a rough mud doll.
Who made the doll… Who moved it here? Patrick Bryan looked around cautiously, not missing any corners.
Just as he turned his gaze towards the corridor and faced the glass window with his body slanted, the crude, black eyes of the mud doll suddenly turned. Then, it raised its hands and grabbed Patrick’s neck.
Halfway through the action, the mud doll seemed to lose its support and lost all mobility. Many cracks appeared on its surface as it instantly shattered into pieces.
Patrick Bryan’s figure disappeared first before he appeared in the corridor, staring at the collapsed doll as if he was facing a most powerful enemy.
At that moment, he had really jumped in fright. Although there were all sorts of bizarre and harrowing matters related to spirits, it was still quite scary for a puppet to suddenly come alive without the influence of an external Spirit Body.
The mud doll lay there quietly in fragments without so much as a stir. Patrick Bryan waited patiently for a while before finally confirming that there were no more abnormalities.
He shuttled through the spirit world once again and returned to the place where the ritual had been held.
At that moment, the heavy, pitch-black casket had completely decayed. It was as if it had been buried in the ground for centuries, if not millennia. And the surrounding Underworld believers were slowly recovering from their semiconscious state.
Patrick Bryan looked around but could not find the young Gatekeeper sent by his teacher. He didn’t know when he had left.
Isn’t he here to spy on me? The demigod of the Death pathway was at a loss.
Taking into consideration the abnormal discovery he had made—the living mud doll—Patrick Bryan didn’t delay any further. He quickly snapped his followers awake and cleaned up the scene and removed all traces.
After he was done, he suddenly heard a voice:
“Is this clothing factory yours?”
Patrick Bryan’s figure instantly disappeared and appeared again, now facing the person who spoke. That was the young Gatekeeper who had gone somewhere.
“No.” Patrick frowned slightly.
How could he do such a thing in his own factory? If he was exposed, wouldn’t there be no way out?
“Not too stupid…” The young Gatekeeper nodded gently.
Patrick narrowed his eyes and suppressed his anger.
“Where did you go?”
The young Gatekeeper chuckled and said, “I visited some familiar spots and met a friend.”
Chapter 1082 Sudden Turn of Events
160 Böklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantès’s mansion.
After “Teleporting” back, Klein didn’t delay at all. He immediately set up an altar and held a ritual to pray to Death.
“You are the essence of death;
“You are the lord of the dead;
“You are the final home to all living beings.
“I pray for your help. I pray that you will know how to resolve the problem of the Red Angel evil spirit. ‘He’ has possessed the body of a Gatekeeper and is cooperating with the Numinous Episcopate’s High Priest, Haiter. He has come to Backlund and been made an assistant to Patrick Bryan…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With regard to this matter, there was really no choice but to seek help from the Evernight Goddess.
Ignoring the possibility of seeking out the ascetic leader, Arianna, in a cooperation effort, or whether he had the ability to get finish off Sauron Einhorn Medici, even if he could, once the Red Angel evil spirit disappeared, the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction’s High Priest would immediately understand that something major had happened here. “He” could then connect it to other abnormalities and determined that there was something wrong with Artificial Death’s condition. Then, using “His” own level and status, possible Sealed Artifacts, and “His” familiarity with the pathway, “He” might be able to create mutually harmful acts of destruction.
And if he ignored the Red Angel, this evil spirit who was a Conspirer wouldn’t take long to detect something abnormal with Patrick Bryan. With “His” knowledge and intelligence, it wasn’t difficult to guess the nature of the problem.
No matter how I deal with it, it’ll be a problem. As expected of an angel in the War domain. Even if “He” is a three-in-one Spirit Body, “He” can still create unresolvable problems for others. This must’ve actually been an idea that “He” gave Haiter…
Actually, I do have an extreme idea; that is to let the Red Angel evil spirit be killed by other Churches, official organizations, or secret organizations for another whole different matter. In short, anything related to the Goddess cannot come center stage. Things must be made very clear…
The difficulty with this approach is how to let an extremely experienced, high-ranking member of the conspiring domain fall into a trap… If I don’t handle it well, it might backfire on me… After the prayer ended, Klein casually let his thoughts wander as he waited patiently for the Evernight Goddess to give him a response.
After more than ten seconds, the herbal dregs that pleased the deity were swept up by an invisible wind. They flew out and landed on the table, forming words:
“His’ coming spells the raising of arms.”
What does that mean? Looking at the sentence that gave him a sense of déjà vu, he frowned slightly.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a Seer, he habitually interpreted it:
Due to the king’s problem, Loen has fallen into the shadows of war. Hence, the Red Angel that symbolizes war came.
This means that it might no longer be possible to stop the war.
Upon reaching Sequence 1, one would become a symbol of certain phenomena.
As these thoughts flashed through Klein’s mind, the invisible wind came to a stop. The altar which was completely isolated by the wall of spirituality turned extremely silent.
There are no other revelations? After waiting for a while, Klein confirmed that this was all, so he ended the ritual and cleared the altar.
He then walked to the sofa in the room and sat down to see if anything else would happen.
After a full fifteen minutes, he didn’t usher in the arrival of the matron of the Evernight cloister, the leader of the thirteen archbishops, angel of Concealment, Arianna.
I don’t have to deal with the Red Angel evil spirit, and I should just leave “Him” be? Or, there’s another solution, but my involvement isn’t needed? In essence, he wasn’t a devout believer of Evernight. Since the Goddess said that he didn’t need to bother about it, he naturally couldn’t be bothered to do so. After all, this matter was not only extremely troublesome for him, but it was also extremely dangerous.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Shaking his head, Klein took out a pen and paper from his pocket and began a dream divination.
What had happened tonight made him feel that he couldn’t waste any time. He had to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion as soon as possible.
Above the Fog Sea, inside a steam-powered merchant ship that was extremely close to a pirate ship.
One by one, the men and older women were tied up and pushed to the edge of the deck. Then, the pirates either used their hands or legs to throw them into the sea.
The splashing sounds didn’t affect the pirates at all, guffawing over this bloodless massacre.
After clearing the captives, they carried their guns and lanterns to the shipboard, preparing to enjoy the pitiful bugs’ struggling.
However, under the light, the dark blue sea beside the boat quietly undulated. No one was there.
“They sank so quickly,” a pirate blurted out in surprise.
The leader of this pirate crew frowned. After looking at it for a while, he said, “Perhaps some sea monsters passed by and treated those who dared resist us as food bestowed by the gods.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Perfect timing. If we feed it, it won’t attack us…”
Upon saying this, the leader waved his hand.
“Everyone, enjoy yourselves!”
As a fairly experienced pirate, he knew that there were many strange things at sea. It was best not to seek out the reason and try to figure out the truth. Since it didn’t harm him or his crew, he would thank the Lord of Storms for his blessings, doing so as though nothing had happened.
After making sure that there were people on duty, the pirates began gulping down copious amounts of alcohol, ate huge chunks of meat, and sang loudly, and fought for the rights to the young female captives.
In the noisy and lively atmosphere, the pirate leader led a beautiful passenger that he had long taken a liking to into the captain’s room. He eagerly began the final process for that night of revelry.
In the middle of the night, the tired pirate leader stretched out his right hand and touched something cold.
He jolted awake. Through the crimson moonlight shining through the window, he saw a piece of coarse wood in his arms.
A series of branches with green leaves grew out from the wooden block, hugging him like a human’s limbs.
Pa!
Composite Start
Composite End
The pirate leader’s pupils rapidly dilated. As he pushed away the wood, jumped off the bed, and stumbled back.
Was I with such a thing previously? His mind was filled with terror. He couldn’t care less about his clothes, picking up a flintlock and cutlass before leaving the room immediately.
Outside, there was a pirate on duty.
“How can I be happy to steal your ear…” When the pirate saw his leader open the door, he quickly asked.
The pirate leader had originally wanted to chide the other party for secretly drinking, resulting in his incoherence. However, when he looked up, he saw that his subordinate’s mouth and his surroundings were filled with golden grains. Even the surface of his tongue was covered in dense clusters.
The pirate leader’s scalp tightened as he felt a numbing chill run down his spine.
At this moment, the door across the corridor opened as well. A pirate shouted with a sobbing tone, “Oh no! Boss, I-I have a lot of mushrooms growing there!”
As he spoke, the pirate ran out.
At the same time, he felt his eyes itch. He raised his hand and rubbed his right eye.
As he rubbed his eyes, a green vine slowly grew out from the gaps between his eye socket and his eyeball. There was a dark red grape at the end of it.
The flesh around the grape was a blur.
The pirate leader’s body froze when he saw this. He asked in a voice that didn’t belong to him, “What… did you guys encounter…”
While rubbing his eye, the pirates who didn’t notice the problem said without any recollection, “A pole-like shadow struck me!”
“W… Ye You…” The pirate whose tongue was covered in golden wheat echoed.
He was blocked by his leader and didn’t see his fellow crew member’s terrifying appearance.
The pirate leader’s legs began to shake uncontrollably. He instinctively turned around and ran out of the cabin.
At this moment, he saw a long wall that looked like a shadow from a pole rapidly sweep towards him before lashing out at him.
The shadow flashed and soon disappeared. It was as though it was a surreal nightmare.
The pirate leader was just a beat slower before he subconsciously raised his hand to block. This was obviously not effective.
Then, he looked at himself in panic and didn’t find anything unusual.
“Thankfully, thankfully…” The pirate leader couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
Before he could finish, he suddenly heard a slightly muffled voice:
“Thankfully, thankfully…”
This voice seemed to come from his body!
The pirate leader’s pupils dilated to the extreme as he involuntarily lifted up his clothes.
He then saw three cracks appear between his chest-one big, two small.
Two rows of white teeth were neatly arranged in the large crack, and in the middle of the small crack were two lively and nimble eyeballs embedded in them.
It was a mouth and two eyes!
The pirate leader had a mouth and two eyes on his chest!
“No!
A scream rang out from the boat, filled with indescribable terror.
In the next fifteen minutes, some of the pirates went mad and killed their companions. Some successfully escaped back to their own ship, only to discover that the people on it had also turned mutated. Hence, they jumped into the sea in despair.
By the time everything calmed down, there were only about ten normal pirates slumped on the deck and hiding in their rooms. There was a stench around them.
After a while, passengers came out of the cabin one after another.
They looked at the scene in front of them in disbelief. They either thanked the gods or stood there in a daze.
It was early in the morning. Klein got out of bed and began to wash up.
Just as he was changing his clothes with the help of his valet, Enuni, he saw Butler Walter, who had just returned from a leave of absence, walk to the door and say, “Sir, Bishop Elektra is here to pay a visit.”
“… Let him wait for me in the activity room where he can enjoy a cigar.” Klein hesitated for a moment before saying.
He suspected that this was a late response from the Goddess.
Walter immediately turned around and went downstairs to make the arrangements. Before long, he returned and said, “Sir, Bishop Elektra has already bade farewell and left. He wanted me to tell you that you must go to Saint Samuel Cathedral in the morning. He said that the Church and the government are going to hold an air-raid drill together.”
“Air-raid drill?” Klein frowned.
At that moment, his spiritual perception was triggered. He turned around and looked out the window.
In the air, there were rows of dark brown-colored airships approaching.
These airships had slanted patterns of red, white, and yellow emblems. This was the flag of Feysac!
Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly understood what he had overlooked.
War might not be initiated by the Loen Kingdom!
An ancient and hidden organization definitely had very high-ranking members in other countries. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been able to affect the world’s situation!
Chapter 1083 Backlund in Chaos
Although the Sonia Sea wasn’t like the Fog Sea, with it often being filled with fog, the northern regions would occasionally fill up with a rather thick fog every autumn and winter morning.
Alger Wilson’s Blue Avenger was sailing in such an environment, following the borders of the Sonia Island back to the Loen coast.
He had already spent too long in the North Sonia Sea, so he needed to return for a routine report.
Within the pale white fog, the ghost ship quietly proceeded forward, occasionally appearing like a dream that didn’t leave any traces.
Alger was wrapped by the wind as he stood in midair in front of the window, admiring the white world outside. He allowed his thoughts to wander in different directions.
Suddenly, his eyes focused as some silvery-white light flashed in his pupils. He saw a large sail through the fog in the distance, and a massive ship silently cruised past.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This ship wasn’t alone. Behind it were several similar ships. One, two, three… they formed a fleet that spanned a great distance.
Feysac’s Sonia Sea Fleet… They’ve all been mobilized… Where are they heading to? Alger’s feet landed on the deck.
His gaze immediately turned to the other side, where Sonia Island was located.
After the various exchanges at the Tarot Club, Alger was already certain that the world situation was tense, with war about to break out at any moment. At that moment, he made some connections and made a guess.
To the Feysac Empire and the Loen Kingdom, Sonia Island was extremely important. If it were occupied by the Loen Kingdom, Feysac’s eastern naval fleet would be completely blocked off in the cold north, unable to vie for any of the various colonies in the Sonia Sea or head to East Balam. Meanwhile, after waging war, if they wanted to threaten the Loen Kingdom’s hinterlands, they would have to cross the Amantha mountain range or cross the Midseashire, passing through the defenses of several counties. That would be extremely difficult.
And if Sonia Island was conquered by the Feysac Empire, then they could use that as a base to attack all the ports in the north and central regions of Loen, including but not limited to Enmat Harbor or Pritz Harbor. If the Feysac commander was more daring and unfazed by the losses, he could even be able to directly target the capital of the Loen Kingdom, Backlund, which was not far from the port.
It was precisely because of this that the two countries had waged the Twenty Year War. The Feysac Empire clinched victory, and they had obtained the crucial southern path.
In the Battle of the Violated Oath, Loen had won the war but had failed to regain this territory. Its strategic goals for the war were only half-achieved.
Alger stared at this scene for a moment before speaking in a serious tone, “Is war about to erupt…?”
Composite Start
Composite End
In Backlund, a large number of airships from Feysac had entered from North Borough and arrived above the huge city.
As soon as they drew near, the Holy Wind Cathedral seemed to have made certain precautions. The howling of the wind intensified, turning into several giant bluish-black blades that whistled towards the target like surface-to-air missiles.
Seeing that the huge blades were about to hit the airbags of the airship, an invisible layer of defense appeared and shielded it from all the attacks.
Under the violent strike, the transparent “wall” shook, but ultimately managed to hold on.
At the same time, the compartment for guns, projectile launchers, and cannons of the airship opened up and aimed downwards.
Boom!
As a hurricane around the Holy Wind Cathedral took form, a loud explosive boom emanated in every direction.
In such a terrifying storm, the airships were like boats sailing through the sea where they met mountain-like waves and were about to be tossed into the distance.
At that moment, the blood and rust-like beams of light flashed on the leading airship. They enveloped all the other accompanying airships and connected them together.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, Feysac’s airship fleet had stabilized in the hurricane and was no longer a puny boat in the gigantic waves. The power of the high-level Red Priest pathway belonged to war, and war was the art of gathering the masses!
This was the authority of a War Bishop!
After the Feysacians blocked this wave of attacks, they took advantage of the gap in between the wave of attacks to deliver their bombs through the hatches and allow them to drop beneath them.
And in the hurricane, the trajectories of the bombs became unpredictable.
Boom! Boom!
The cannon hatches also lit up and showed off their prowess that would honor the God of War.
This airship fleet didn’t attempt to travel through Backlund. After entering North Borough, it immediately turned to West Borough, the center of politics for the Loen Kingdom.
North Borough, Backlund University of Technology.
The withered Intis parasol tree leaves swayed in the wind. Students were either carrying books or bags as they walked around the campus.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a member of an institute of higher education, as the first batch of students of this reorganized university, these young adults were full of vigor. They looked forward to their future and would gather together every day to discuss their ideals, recite poems, and research technology. They were pure and happy.
Melissa Moretti walked amidst them as she raised her head to look at the wall clock at the top of the main teaching building and involuntarily hastened her pace.
She had to go to Chancellor Moment’s office today to prepare for the upcoming mechanical laboratory that was to be officially launched.
This was something that she enjoyed greatly, something which made her feel happy every day. She felt that life on campus was so wonderful and that her classmates were so adorable.
Subconsciously, Melissa looked at the steam locomotive in the middle of the square. Its massive, complicated body was displaying its infinite charm in the machinery industry.
Quite a number of students liked to gather there, knocking, hitting, and analyzing its structure. As for the school, it didn’t encourage or forbid it.
The corners of Melissa’s lips curled into a smile as she moved to look away.
Suddenly, a metallic gray object descended from the sky and landed in the middle of the square.
Boom!
The ground shook violently as all the windows of the main teaching building shattered. If not for the distance, Melissa might’ve been thrown up by the blast of air.
Composite Start
Composite End
Countless screams rang out, and like the other students, Melissa fled in panic, not knowing what had happened.
She was only 16 years old after all—she had never experienced such a scene before.
The billowing dust and smoke gradually fell. After hiding behind a tree, Melissa subconsciously looked at the spot where the explosion had just occurred.
Her expression instantly froze, and her eyes glazed over.
The steam locomotive’s head was already in pieces, its components and fragments were scattered everywhere.
The students around it, and those passing by, had already collapsed to the ground, their bodies no longer intact. They were no longer breathing. Some of them were covered in blood, others charred. There were some moaning in pain.
This scene was like an oil painting that wasn’t realistic enough. Melissa stared at it in a daze, momentarily at a loss for a reaction.
Carter—she knew that male student who had a great spirit for research. Every time everyone was in discussion, he would confidently say that he was going to be a ship engineer. Now, he only had half his lower body left, and his intestines were all over the ground.
Eudora—she was a student from the same faculty as her. Despite studying machinery, she loved poetry very much and was rather talented in this aspect. She was loved by the people around her. Sometimes, Melissa would also attend their gatherings and quietly listen to Eudora’s recital. She felt that this girl was really attractive, but now, her leg was badly mutilated, and she was moaning half-consciously in pain.
In just a few seconds, these people’s future had been cruelly changed.
It was only when many teachers rushed out of the teaching block and started to rescue the injured and evacuate the students that Melissa woke up from her trance and hurriedly moved closer to the teachers.
“Listen to me! All of you are to split up into two groups. One batch will head to the laboratories, and the other to Tiffany Cathedral. They all have an underground area that you can hide in.” One of the teachers wore a look of terror, but he still held his breath and made arrangements with his clear voice as though he had been specially trained.
He looked around and saw that the students didn’t dare to leave the teachers. He hurriedly said, “Don’t worry. The enemy’s airship has already turned and gone to West Borough. There’s no danger here.”
His words were accompanied by a rumbling explosion that came from the southwest.
West Borough… The kingdom’s parliament, various departments, and municipal halls are there… Upon hearing the teacher’s words, Melissa immediately thought of many things.
As the light in her eyes flickered, she suddenly pursed her lips tightly and ran towards the school gate, ignoring her teacher calling from behind.
As she moved along a sheltered area, Melissa quickly arrived on the streets. She panted heavily and looked around, trying to get her bearings.
At that moment, she saw the subway entrance nearby. Although she was flustered, she still remembered what the teacher had just said.
“…underground area that you can hide in!”
Isn’t the subway underground? The bombing has just started, and the subway probably hadn’t stopped moving… As her thoughts raced, Melissa rushed towards the entrance that showed signs of bombardment.
Upon going underground, she realized that the people here weren’t as many as she had expected. Most ordinary people who had never been trained wouldn’t think of hiding in here immediately.
The subway had indeed not stopped moving, but no one was checking the tickets. After a short wait, Melissa ran over, her lips tightly pursed and her face filled with anxiety.
After three stops, the subway stopped at King’s Avenue. Melissa squeezed through the crowd and rushed out of the carriage.
She had already recovered her stamina. She ran along the stairs, her speed increasing ever so slightly before she quickly reached the surface.
At this moment, whatever she could see was in a state of chaos. Many buildings had collapsed as they were burning in scarlet flames. Broken limbs, blood, and the dead were everywhere. She could hear cries, screams, and orders.
Upon seeing this scene, Melissa became even more anxious as she tried to run towards the four-story building where the kingdom’s Ministry of Finance was located.
However, the area had already been sealed. She could see that many window panes had shattered. The walls were riddled with bullet holes, and there were still traces of an explosion.
Melissa tried to enter the perimeter but was stopped by the soldiers who were maintaining order. This only served to increase her anxiety as her eyes reddened.
At this moment, she saw a familiar figure. It was the black-haired, brown-eyed Benson who wasn’t wearing a hat.
Upon seeing Melissa, Benson immediately rushed over. He looked anxious and angry as he shouted, “Why are you here? Why aren’t you hiding underground! I’m very safe here!
“Quick, follow me there!”
Didn’t you not go underground either… Melissa, who had never been shouted at by her brother, wanted to instinctively retort, but her vision was already blurry.
“Phew…” After he shouted, he let out a breath and softened his tone. “It’s good that you’re okay. Quick, don’t wander around on the streets.”
Upon hearing his words, the panic and concern in Melissa’s heart calmed down. At this moment, she felt that even if she were to die, it wouldn’t be that scary anymore. At least, she wouldn’t be the only one left at home.
At this moment, a bomb was blown over by a hurricane and was landing towards the area.
But suddenly, the bomb changed directions abruptly and flew off horizontally.
Boom!
It exploded in midair, only stirring up a blast of air.
Chapter 1084 The People in War
Boom! Boom!
In the building at Cherwood Borough’s 17 Minsk Street, the female owner of the building, Stelyn Sammer, and her maidservants heard a loud explosion from afar. She fearfully hid in a corner of the room, feeling as though the ground beneath her feet was trembling.
Only after the constant, terrifying commotion started to fade away did she straighten her body and look left and right with an unusually strained mind.
“What exactly happened?”
The two maidservants simultaneously shook their heads. They were both at a loss and also afraid.
As soon as she left the comer of the room, she instinctively wanted to walk out of the room and talk to her neighbors to figure out what had just happened. However, she was worried that another attack would happen again, so she had no choice but to pace around in the living room.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After a few minutes, she suddenly heard the sound of the door opening. She quickly turned her head and realized that her husband, Luke Sammer, had returned with his valet.
“Aren’t you working?” Stelyn asked subconsciously.
The stout Luke replied solemnly, “I happened to pass by the vicinity and came back immediately.
“Quick, put on your coat. Let’s go to the cathedral now!”
“What happened? What happened?” Stelyn asked again.
Luke took two steps forward and said, “Feysac’s airships are bombarding Backlund!”
“How… How could this be?” Stelyn’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Now is not the time to discuss this. Whatever it is, it has already happened. We have to go to the cathedral immediately!” Luke gave his wife a hug. “Don’t worry too much. I think those airships aren’t heading over.”
“Alright, alright!” Stelyn replied in a panic.
Composite Start
Composite End
As she wore the coat the maidservant had brought over, she instinctively said with concern, “What about the children?”
“They’re at the Church’s school, so there will be people who will arrange for them to take shelter. We don’t have the time to reach them,” Luke said calmly.
“Alright.” Stelyn made a prayer gesture, hoping that the deity she believed in would provide them with protection.
The two of them, along with their male and female servants, quickly exited their house and walked towards the other end of the street.
As she passed by Unit 58, Stelyn took a glance and whispered, “Previously, I had laughed at Lawyer Jurgen, saying that he gave up a lot of opportunities in Backlund from moving to the south just because of Mrs. Doris’s ailments. Now, I’m starting to envy him…”
Luke shot her a look and said, “Don’t worry too much. It’ll be fine.”
While walking quickly, Stelyn couldn’t help but ask, “Luke, are we fleeing Backlund?”
“No, there’s no need!” Luke Sammer answered firmly. “This was just an accident.”
Seeing that his wife was clearly confused, he added, “Backlund is the capital of the kingdom, so it has to be the most well-defended area. This time, it was just an oversight that no one expected. The next time, the Feysacians won’t have another chance!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The kingdom has the strongest military in the Northern and Southern continents. The Feysacians will definitely be taught a lesson. There’s no way they can invade Backlund again. After this, Backlund will definitely be the safest place to be!”
“I see…” Stelyn felt that her husband’s words made sense, and she was willing to believe him.
After the explanation, Luke fell silent for a few seconds.
“However, we still have to make some preparations. Once the Church announces that we can move freely, we’ll immediately fetch the children back and buy more food. We’ll buy as much as we can!”
Inside a public school in the Backlund Bridge area.
Due to the distance, Daisy and her classmates didn’t realize what had happened in the North and West Boroughs, nor did they sense the chaos that had spread from Hillston Borough to Cherwood Borough.
However, teachers still came to their classrooms and arranged for them to line up to head to the nearest cathedral.
This made Daisy recall the Great Smog of Backlund last year. Back then, they had also been asked to hide in the cathedral beside the school.
D-did something similar happen again… The trauma in Daisy’s heart made her tremble slightly as she felt intense sadness and anger.
Composite Start
Composite End
When she passed by the door, she couldn’t help but turn her head to look at the teacher in charge and ask, “Is it another disaster?”
“Maybe…” The teacher didn’t know the details and had only followed the orders sent by a telegram.
“Is there a disaster like this every year, or maybe even more than one?” Daisy asked with a slightly ethereal voice with a tinge of innocence.
The teacher looked at her with pity and shook his head.
“All difficulties will pass. God will protect everyone.”
Daisy didn’t waste his time and followed the crowd to the nearest cathedral in a somewhat blank manner.
North Borough, 22 Phelps Street.
After hearing the explosion inside the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, the first thing Audrey did was to conceal her dragon scales before rushing to the window.
Seeing the airships with the Feysac flag appearing in the air and the bombs being carried away by a hurricane and being thrown into the distance, either landing on the ground and exploding or disappearing as though they had entered the spirit world, a thought flashed across her mind—the words that The World Mr. Gehrman Sparrow had said, as well as the mission of the Psychology Alchemists. She came to a realization:
War had truly erupted!
Composite Start
Composite End
She immediately turned her head and said to the huge golden retriever, Susie; her personal lady’s maid, Annie; and the others, “Quick, hide in Saint Samuel Cathedral!”
Although Audrey didn’t know how to deal with an air raid, the education she received from a young age told her to go to a cathedral as soon as possible if she ever encountered danger.
In fact, she instinctively wanted to rush back to Empress Borough to protect her mother. However, considering that Annie, the other servants, and staff were ordinary people who lacked experience and the ability to deal with su^ crisis, she had no choice but to take care of them and accompany them to Saint Samuel Cathedral.
In order to resolve any dangers that she might encounter along the way, she planned to put on Hand of Horror and Lie. On the one hand, she could “Distort” the trajectory of bullets, while on the other hand, she could control flames and trigger the bombs in advance.
In the face of long-range attacks, the Beyonder powers of the Spectator pathway were indeed not effective.
While secretly protecting her servants and the foundation’s staff, she successfully entered Saint Samuel Cathedral and saw a few bishops and priests approaching her.
“Miss Audrey, you don’t have to worry about the Earl and his wife, as well as Lord Hibbert. They have people to protect them. An air raid like this won’t harm them. Besides, you also know how grand your family basement is and how strong it is.” One of the bishops quickly brought her to the side to console her.
After taking off her fishnet gloves, she nodded and acknowledged the words of the bishop. She was no longer in a hurry to return home and instead asked, “What’s the current situation like?”
The Feysacians have lost two airships and have moved towards West Borough. Don’t worry, all the defenses have been mustered. They won’t cause any further damage.” After a simple exchange of words, the bishop led Audrey’s group towards the underground area of the cathedral. And further below was where the Nighthawks were active.
160 Boklund Street. Butler Walter and a group of servants hid in an underground area which was used as a wine cellar.
This was done under Dwayne Dantes’s orders, and this gentleman had headed out to find Bishop Elektra with his valet.
After an unknown period of time, Walter and company heard a knock on the door. Through the peephole, they confirmed that their employer had returned.
“There aren’t any more raids now, but it’s best you hide at Saint Samuel Cathedral for a while,” Klein said as he surveyed the area.
“Yes, sir,” Walter replied on behalf of the servants before asking, “And after that?”
As a qualified butler, he often read the papers and understood that the situation was tense. It wasn’t difficult to guess that a war would break out after the explosions.
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “Once the Church has verified the situation, we’ll head to Maygur Manor. You can bring your family along.
“No matter what, the capital of the kingdom is definitely a relatively safe place. And the manor at the periphery of the capital definitely wouldn’t be a target of air raids, as it’s of no value. Yes, there’s enough food in Maygur Manor, and there’s a large supply of wine. Even if the war were to be extended for a long time, we won’t have to worry about starving to death.”
Upon hearing the employer’s words, the servants who had already formed a family immediately revealed looks of delight, wiping away their pale looks of fear. Walter expressed his gratitude directly.
He said with some deliberation, “You can buy more food. Under such circumstances, no one will find it excessive.
“Also, there might not be any more attacks near Backlund, but I can’t say the same for security. The manor outside the city must be on guard.”
Klein nodded.
“I’ve also considered this. I’ll discuss this with Member of Parliament Macht and military personnel about purchasing a batch of ‘decommissioned’ weapons and bullets. You must practice more.
“Anyway, during this period of time, Enuni and I will return to Backlund to handle certain matters according to the situation. If there’s anything I haven’t considered, I’ll make up for it later.”
As for the food, he didn’t forbid Butler Walter from buying it. This way, if a famine really happened, he would have the ability to save them.
After discussing the follow-up procedures, everyone in the residence of Dwayne Dantes packed up their luggage and brought their valuables. They followed their employer into Saint Samuel Cathedral and arrived underground.
With a single glance, he saw Audrey walking amidst the people, Placating their moods. He smiled and nodded at her.
Upon seeing Dwayne Dantes, Audrey smiled back and confirmed that nothing major had happened from his attitude.
Fors and Xio had moved again, but they were still at the borders of East Borough, and they were even closer to the Backlund Bridge area.
After waking up naturally, Fors rubbed her hair and walked out of the bedroom to prepare lunch.
As she looked around, she saw Xio, who had gone out early, sitting on a chair and flipping through the newspapers. “What’s wrong?” Fors asked blankly.
Xio frowned and said, “The Feysacians air raids bombed North and West Borough…”
“What?” Fors first blurted out before recalling the matters that had been discussed at the Tarot Club.
At that moment, a paperboy’s voice came from outside.
“Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!”
“Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!”
Chapter 1085 Scrutinizing the Situation
“Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!”
On the way from Maygur Manor to Backlund, Klein heard the paperboy shouting on the streets with brisk steps while on a horse carriage.
Although he had already made preparations, he still sighed after confirming that the war had truly erupted. He couldn’t help but feel depressed again.
The grudge from having Sonia Island, a key territory, taken away… The conflict over the rights of the colonies… The defeat from the previous war… The political corruption leading to a recession… Ever since the repeal of the Grain Act, many farmers of the kingdom have gone bankrupt due to the importing of foreign food products… The lower-class live in abject conditions… The rich-poor divide only grew deeper…
The middle class’s blind confidence in the Loen Kingdom’s might, and the eager desire to raise their own positions… The intensifying conflict between different political factions in high society leading to a fracture… The king and his faction wish for a large-scale war… With all these factors combined, just from an objective standpoint, and considering this from the angle of materialism, it’s almost inevitable for Loen to start a war… Reality is the best author… Jumping out from his experience from the past, Klein scrutinized the Loen Kingdom’s situation from a fresh point of view. He realized that the tides of the times had already formed and were surging over. Without a true deity’s descent, it was completely unstoppable.
In comparison, what puzzled him more was why the Feysac Empire would be willing to initiate a war.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Even if the members of an ancient secret organization were indeed members of the upper echelons of Feysac or the Church of the God of Combat—key figures who had the right to make the decision—there was no way they could be alone in deciding such an important matter. How could the others agree to a world war?
Could it be that the conflict between the various classes in the Feysac Empire has also completely escalated to the point that it urgently needs a war? With his lack of understanding of the empire of the north, it was difficult for Klein to make an accurate judgment. But they just won the East Balam war and reaped more of the rights to the colonies. There’s no reason for its situation to be more serious than Loen’s… Yes, the royal family—the Einhorn family—is in control of the Red Priest pathway. It’s understandable that they crave war, but the Church of the God of Combat has no reason not to stop it. As a member of the orthodox deity alliance, they lacked the motivation to help Amon’s brother advance to Sequence 0.
Thinking of this, Klein suddenly came up with a theory.
Did that brother of Amon realize that the Goddess has already acquired the Uniqueness of the Death pathway and is in a critical stage, so “He” revealed this information to the Church of the God of Combat? And the God of Combat is in a neighboring pathway with the Goddess, so there’s no way “He” can ignore this matter; “He” will definitely make an intense response…
Of course, it might not be done by the brother of Amon. It might also be because of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction’s angel, Haiter. After being warned by Einhom Sauron Medici, this Conspirer expert, “He” discovered the abnormalities ahead of time. On the one hand, “He” pretends not to notice anything and continues to set up a probe. On the other hand, “He” pulled in the Church of the God of Combat to worsen the situation and make it more chaotic… The Red Angel evil spirit is truly a symbol of war…
If this is really the case, then it’s inevitable for Feysac to wage this war. Furthermore, the matter regarding the Uniqueness of the Death pathway has no room for compromise. At the critical moment, the God of Combat might descend, causing a battle of gods that hasn’t happened since the end of the Fourth Epoch to happen…
This time, for the airship fleet from Feysac could stealthily to travel from the coast for nearly a hundred kilometers without being detected, it would definitely have a Weather Warlock providing protection. Otherwise, even if they were to take a detour across places with few people, they’ll still be seen ahead of time and definitely be stopped by the Loen airships… A Weather Warlock is an angel. Since the Fifth Epoch, the number of wars that have Beyonders at this level are few and far between… After Emperor Roselle’s death, most soldiers don’t even know of Beyonders, even in the colonial wars… To have a Weather Warlock be involved in this means…
This is really a battle that will sweep through the entire world. It involves battles at all levels. Is this what Amon’s brother wants?
When the time comes, the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Earth Mother, the God of Steam and Machinery, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom will have to take their respective stances. Would the conflicts that “They” have temporarily suppressed for almost two thousand years be escalated…
Composite Start
Composite End
Earth Mother likes the giants, and even amongst “Her” Blessed, they are Feysacians. And because of the splitting of Lenburg, Masin, and Segar, these made the Feynapotter Kingdom bear a bone-deep grudge with the Loen Kingdom and Intis. The king’s powers and the divine powers are highly likely to be unified, and they might form an alliance with Feysac. From the south to the north, they will attack Loen and Intis. Of course, countries like Lenburg and the Church of Knowledge, who are in the crossfire, will definitely try to stop it. Uh… As for Desi Bay, Feynapotter, and the Loen Kingdom are directly connected, the south wouldn’t be peaceful either…
The more Klein thought about it, the more he felt that the situation in the Northern Continent would become abnormally chaotic. And no matter what direction it developed into, he couldn’t stop it.
Even if he were a Sequence 4 demigod, under the tide of the times, there was no way for him to cause any major impact in this battle of gods, or exert any key influence. It would be pretty good if he could protect himself and the people he cared about.
Previously, when the Feysac air fleet attacked, the first thing he did was arrange for Butler Walter and company to hide in the underground area that was used as a wine cellar. Then, he “Teleported” to Backlund University of Technology. At that time, a bomb had already hit the ground. Some had died, and others were injured. The only thing he was thankful for was that his sister, Melissa, wasn’t within the vicinity of the explosion.
By the time Melissa and Benson met, the airships from Feysac didn’t stay for long and quickly retreated from Backlund. Only then did he return to Dwayne Dantes’s residence.
Phew…Klein let out a slow sigh of relief. He turned his head to look out the window and saw that, after hearing that the kingdom was declaring war on Feysac, a small number of pedestrians on the street wore a look of horror as though they had recalled the air raid in the morning. Most of them wore blank expressions with a look of panic. They had no idea what they could do even if they wanted to.
They might not have truly understood what this war would bring, but they instinctively felt that peace had been broken. The future was a chaotic mess, fraught with danger.
Klein retracted his gaze and looked at his valet, Enuni, who was sitting opposite him. From his eyes, he realized that he was somewhat at a loss.
He gave a half-smile and sighed. He raised his hand to rub his temples and wiped away his depressed and helpless feelings. He thought about what he could do and what he needed to take note of.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
No matter what, with this experience and lesson, the king’s faction has had a war spark out as they wished. Before all of Loen collapses, it’s nearly impossible for Feysac to invade Backlund again. It would be safer for Benson and Melissa to stay here…
What’s most worrisome is the lack of food and various assassinations. The latter is nothing. The place where Melissa and Benson live in is decided by their own levels. They aren’t anywhere close to coming into contact with someone important who is a target for assassination, so they won’t be implicated. Fortunately, Portland Moment’s research laboratory has just been established, and there are no results from it yet. It won’t become a target that must be destroyed. As for the former, I can provide some “help” through Miss Audrey…
The Winter County at the Holy Cathedral is located in the far north reaches of the kingdom, next to Feysac. It’s always the front line of every war. Ma’am Arianna might’ve returned to help the military. Oh, “She” might also be sent elsewhere to protect the coast. After all, the defenses of Backlund are sufficient. The royal family definitely has Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts and also angels. The three Churches most likely have hidden tricks up their sleeves… In that case, my greatest pillar of support is gone. At most, I can get some help from the Church and use some Sealed Artifacts…
In the past, I wasn’t too worried about the effects the Red Angel evil spirit’s return has on me. Now, I have to raise my guard for this matter.
Patrick Bryan knows very well that Dwayne Dantes is equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow, who is equivalent to the Blessed of Death. I had intentionally revealed this information, hoping that it would direct the points of suspicion to Mr. Azik, the Death Consul. And now, this also means that the Red Angel evil spirit would be able to grasp this information in no time…
The Red Angel evil spirit currently only has a high level, but “His” actual standard shouldn’t have recovered to the level of an angel. There’s no irreconcilable feud between “Him” and me, nor do I have what “He” wants. Even if “He” knows that Dantes is equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow, it would be very unlikely for him to deal with me directly…
Other than attacking me directly, what harm will it bring after “He” grasps this situation?
Is he using this to set up a conspiracy or sell the intelligence to someone who needs it?
What conspiracy… Who would want it…
Composite Start
Composite End
Many thoughts and names surfaced in his mind, but they were quickly eliminated by him. This included Amon’s brother and the Angel of Fate Ouroboros. From the Red Angel evil spirit’s past actions, for the time being, “He” wouldn’t make contact with Rose Redemption, and Amon’s brother is a sworn enemy of Medici and company.
Suddenly, a name appeared in his mind:
Zaratul!
The leader of the Secret Order, the Sequence 1 Seer pathway angel, Zaratul, who had returned to normalcy after becoming mad!
According to Arrodes’s feedback, this powerful and concealed existence had already left “His” original location, and “His” whereabouts were unknown.
Previously, Klein had been wondering if “He” would come to Backlund due to the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence.
Medici and the Zaratul and Zoroast families were serving under the Solomon Empire. Even if they weren’t friendly with each other, they must be very familiar with each other… In the foggy town, Zaratul had met Gehrman Sparrow. If he really wants to pursue something, he would definitely chase after the crazy adventurer… With a thought in his mind, Klein instinctively began to assume that Zaratul was in Backlund in search of Gehrman Sparrow, and with that, he began to analyze the situation for other abnormalities.
At almost the same instant that he thought of something, Klein recalled the failure of the joint operation between Sharron and the Sanguine.
The Rose School of Thought is also looking for Gehrman Sparrow, so would Zaratul, who received the corresponding news, work with them?
Back then, the operation was on the brink of success. The Rose School of Thought’s person-in-charge in Backlund had left in a hurry. Clearly, he had only noticed the problem at the last moment. With the Sanguine preparing the corresponding Sealed Artifact, it’s rather impossible for such a failure to happen. Even the Sanguine Duke was puzzled and confused, but what if—what if it was thanks to the perceptive intuition of a Sequence 1 angel of the Seer pathway?
Composite Start
Composite End
This would explain it perfectly!
Back then, Zaratul was sitting opposite the Rose School of Thought’s Backlund person-in-charge?
The Rose School of Thought retreated in a panic and had even deliberately left behind a doll to create moonlight and cleanse everything so as to cover up the existence of Zaratul?
Also, the fact that Gehrman Sparrow has a certain relationship with the Death Consul isn’t a secret. Will Zaratul spread out all his marionettes and sense if there’s the power of Death in Backlund? Previously, when Patrick Bryan was holding rituals, there was actually Zaratul’s marionette watching him?
If the Red Angel evil spirit has already sold the intelligence to Zaratul, then wouldn’t my returning to Boklund Street in such a chaotic situation be giving myself up?
His pupils constricted, and he immediately said to the coachman in front, “Just stop here. I suddenly thought of something else I need to settle.”
After he said that, he felt extremely tense, afraid that the coachman wouldn’t answer him and continue driving.
Fortunately, none of this happened. The horse carriage stopped by the side of the road, and with his valet, Enuni, Klein walked towards a small alley nearby.
Immediately following that, he snapped his fingers and allowed the scarlet flames to emerge from his pocket, covering both himself and his marionette.
He had to rush to Saint Samuel Cathedral as soon as possible in a concealed manner!
With a flash of flames, their two figures disappeared.
However, after completing a leap, the flames within his senses suddenly disappeared—all of them.
A spacious living room appeared in front of him. On an ordinary reclining chair was a tall and thin man. He was young and had Southern Continent blood in him. He looked rather handsome and appeared a little anemic.
The Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhom Medici!
This Red Angel played with a ball of scarlet-red flames in “His” hand as the corners of “His” mouth curled up.
You actually sensed it earlier than I expected.
“Heh, using Flaming Jump in front of me…”
Chapter 1086 A Simple Inference
The moment he saw the Red Angel evil spirit, Klein’s pupils dilated. The human-skinned glove on his left hand suddenly turned transparent.
He didn’t listen to what the other party had to say. His instinctive reaction was to immediately “Teleport” away, but at this moment, the spirit world that entered his eyes was different from usual.
Countless transparent creatures in indescribable forms were all dyed in a color that was a mixture of iron and blood. The surrounding area was filled with thick smoke, and there were seven rays of light that contained infinite knowledge hidden above them. It was almost impossible to see them.
Klein’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t rashly “Teleport.”
Upon seeing this, the Red Angel evil spirit chuckled.
“What are you afraid of? Zaratul?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon hearing this, Klein subconsciously looked around, but he didn’t discover anything unusual.
The Red Angel evil spirit maintained that annoying smile and pointed to the sofa opposite the reclining chair.
“If I had already informed him that Dwayne Dantes is Gehrman Sparrow, and that you will return to 160 Boklund Street in the morning, then the person waiting in the wine cellar wouldn’t be a living person. Instead, it would be your hungup butler and servants, looking as though they were ham left to dry-age. Of course, they would similarly welcome you warmly.
“Sit. Under such circumstances, listening to my thoughts and intentions first isn’t a bad thing.”
He imagined the scene described by the Red Angel evil spirit. Although Klein had done similar things himself, his hair stood on end, and he was horrified.
He kept his guard up, allowing the marionette, Qonas Kilgor, in the form of Dwayne Dantes to sit on the sofa while he waited by the side as though he was his personal servant, Enuni.
He had unknowingly swapped places with his marionette and instantly changed their appearances.
“Perhaps it’s because you just learned of this information from Patrick Bryan, and you haven’t even informed Zaratul yet?” Klein retorted through his marionette.
At the same time, he determined from the words of the Red Angel evil spirit that Zaratul had really come to Backlund!
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a complete and unrestricted, terrifying, and bizarre Sequence 1 angel. It was enough to be called a hidden existence!
The Red Angel evil spirit’s gaze swept across the valet and his master before smiling.
“I’ll be able to get something I want to know in 15 minutes from a fool like Patrick Bryan. Furthermore, an entire night and a morning has passed since the ritual.”
…You and Miss Messenger might have something in common… Klein made the marionette raise his eyebrows.
“And so?”
The Red Angel evil spirit gently rocked the reclining chair it was in.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of such a saying. When you choose a Beyonder pathway, your corresponding friends and enemies will be determined. As for us, we aren’t friends, but we aren’t enemies either.
“Of course, you did have some conflicts with me, but no one suffered any great losses. The matter has passed. To me, your growth will bring great trouble to a few people I hate, so I don’t want to kill you in advance. I’m happy to see you continue your advancement.”
The emperor had said similar words… A few people “He” hates… Klein deliberated and asked, “Blasphemer Amon?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Not that ignorant and not that stupid either.” The Red Angel evil spirit laughed and stroked “His” chin.
Be it “His” words or actions, “He” gave people the urge to hit “Him.”
After some thought, Klein calmly pointed out a question:
“Then you can definitely choose Zaratul. If ‘He* can rise up because of this, ‘He’ will similarly bring about extreme trouble for Blasphemer Amon. Compared to ‘Him,’ I’m still too weak. I’ll still need a long time to grow. There are too many possible accidents from this point forth.”
The Red Angel evil spirit nodded seriously.
“Indeed, that’s what I thought in the beginning as well. A fellow like you, who isn’t much stronger than a wild dog, what are you going to use to compete with the already Sequence 1 Zaratul? Die faster than anyone else?”
At this point, the Red Angel evil spirit changed the topic and sighed.
“However, if one can choose the most ideal proposal in this world, that would be too wonderful…”
Before “He” could finish “His” sentence, a bloody gash appeared on “His” left bloody cheek.
Composite Start
Composite End
The wound opened up in a wide manner, opening and closing like a mouth, and revealed two rows of illusory white teeth.
“I’ve investigated. The collapse of the Sauron family was caused by Zaratul and Roselle!”
Is this the spirit left behind by the ancestor of the Sauron family? The dissociation of the Red Angel is worse than I imagined. No, this isn’t considered a normal split personality, but three people being stuffed into one body. No matter what they do, they have to first come to a unanimous decision, or there will be internal strife… Klein believed that the Red Angel evil spirit wasn’t setting up a trap, but that “He” had no way of informing Zaratul of the relevant information.
This is ‘His’ weakness. I can use it in the future… Klein muttered silently before asking, “Then why did you come to me? Just to say those words?”
The Red Angel evil spirit raised its hand to rub “His” left cheek, causing the mouth that appeared to slowly disappear.
At the same time, “He” smiled and said, “Aren’t you investigating the Loen royal family?
“It seems to involve a high-ranking Demoness named Katarina. If you have any tracks from her, inform me before you carry out any operation.”
Saintess of White Katarina… Why is the Red Angel evil spirit looking for her? Hmm, the Hunter pathway’s Sequence 4 can cause women to become men. The Sequence 7 of the Demoness pathway can make men into women. This should be two separate Beyonder pathways that can be interchanged… The Red Angel evil spirit can’t find a suitable Hunter pathway Beyonder characteristic, so it plans to jump to the Demoness pathway? That’s right. As an evil spirit, as long as “He” resolves his issue of survival, “He” can still advance using potions and characteristics… Klein was first taken aback before he used the secrets he knew of to come up with a guess.
He suddenly had a strange idea:
When there are both High-Sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Hunter and Demoness pathways within a body, would the Red Angel evil spirit display a male form or a female form? Whoever has a higher level and is in charge decides?
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, the Red Angel evil spirit looked at Dwayne Dantes and his valet and scoffed.
You have a great talent for provoking others.”
I haven’t said anything… Klein inwardly replied in a daze.
The Red Angel evil spirit curled his lips and said, “I can guess what you’re thinking, unless you admit that you’re ignorant.
“However, this might be a good thing for ‘Them.'”
“Shut up!” A bloody mouth appeared on both sides of the Red Angel evil spirit’s cheeks.
Looking at the dissociative identity disorder happening before him, Klein rationally gave up on the idea of going deeper into the topic and said, “It’s not impossible to inform you in advance, but the problem is how should I inform you?”
From his point of view, the Demoness of Unaging, Katarina, was a vile person. It was the same with the Red Angel evil spirit. It wasn’t a bad thing to have them clash.
The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and said, “Of course it’s by reciting my honorific name:
The great God of War, the symbol of iron and blood, the ruler of chaos and strife.”
“Pui!” The mouth on both sides of the Red Angel evil spirit’s cheeks let out a disdainful sound, as though they didn’t approve of it.
This is a standard deity’s honorific name… After gaining control of the Uniqueness, to a certain extent, Medici had already become a quasi-god? And as long as no one can accommodate the Uniqueness of the Red Priest pathway, this evil spirit’s level will not drop? The honorific name will always point towards “Him”? Klein nodded thoughtfully and probed, “What do you know about the secret ruins of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor?”
Upon hearing this name, the Red Angel’s facial muscles twitched slightly before sneering.
“Are you asking what the secret of the Loen royal family is?”
“You might not know this, but you might be familiar with the Blood Emperor’s secret ruins,” Klein said deliberately.
The Red Angel evil spirit suddenly laughed out loud and slapped the armrest of the reclining chair.
“Your tricks are so childish that they look like a three-year-old’s!
“Haha, the secret hidden by the Loen royal family is very simple. I could guess it just by reading the newspapers. Tsk, you only have a smart-looking face. Your brain is filled with squirming worms.”
“You can guess it just by reading the newspapers?” Klein frowned and asked.
The Red Angel evil spirit finished laughing and curled “His” lips.
“Of course, it needs some basic knowledge. I believe you should have it.
“How about this? I’ll ask you a few questions, and you’ll understand how simple the answer is.
“Is that Blood Emperor secret ruins the kind known by the Churches?”
“No.” Klein shook his head firmly.
The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and continued asking, “Do you know which Sequence the Blood Emperor, Alista Tudor, was in before he advanced to Sequence 0?”
“The Black Emperor pathway, Sequence 1 Prince of Abolition,” Klein calmly replied.
The Red Angel evil spirit nodded slightly.
“Did you know that before Alista Trunsoest became Blood Emperor, ‘He’ was one of the two consuls of the Tudor- Trunsoest United Empire and that the ones supporting him were six of the seven present deities, including Evernight and Storm?”
Klein nodded and gave an affirmative answer.
The half-slumped Red Angel evil spirit crossed one leg over the other.
“Then do you know that, after Alista became Blood Emperor, ‘He’ had truly gone mad and even died during the battle of the gods?”
“Kind of.” Klein didn’t dare to be too sure, because this was something he had read from Roselle’s diary, and the Emperor had learned it from Mr. Door.
The Red Angel evil spirit chuckled and said, “Then do you think that Alista Tudor would have the rationality and opportunity to leave behind secret ruins after ‘He’ became Blood Emperor?”
“No.” Klein slowly shook his head.
The Red Angel evil spirit spread its hands and said, “Since it’s a ruin left behind by Alista before ‘He’ became Blood Emperor, and if the six deities who supported ‘Him’ aren’t aware of it, what could it be? If you had a choice, would you take a path destined to go mad?”
This… Klein instantly thought of the nine mausoleums that the Black Emperor needed in the ritual needed to become a god.
To a Prince of Abolition, before the return of the former Black Emperor, secretly seeking out a way to advance to Black Emperor was something “He” wanted to do!
“Is that ruin related to the Black Emperor?” Klein asked in a deep voice.
The Red Angel evil spirit rubbed “His” chin and chuckled.
You seem to know the Black Emperor’s ritual.
“Isn’t that simple? What has the King of Loen been doing in the past two to three years? The Grain Act was abolished; there’s the Civil Servant Unified Examination, a restructuring of the military, the House of Lords and nobles are struck down a notch, strengthening the authority of the House of Commons… Isn’t this something that was published in the newspapers?
“Besides, isn’t it common knowledge that the Justiciar pathway can be switched to the Black Emperor pathway?”
As many of these things were the trends of the times to Klein, with one of them being pushed by him, he had never considered them from a mysticism perspective in the past. Now that they were connected, he immediately understood.
Soon, he recalled something else:
The last person who wanted to become Black Emperor was Roselle. He happened to be related to Amon’s brother!
Chapter 1087 The Deities’ Attitudes
The Grain Act was abolished… The Civil Servant Unified Examination… A concession was made, bringing the Church’s forces into the military… These seem to be in line with the trends of the times, but in essence, they’re oppressive, weakening the nobles, and supporting a new class. Compared to the previous thousand-year rule, this can really be considered to be against the norm. It’s the order needed to become Black Emperor…
In the past decade or so, the changes in architecture style have been very drastic as well…
For Roselle to be able to obtain the Uniqueness and obtain the corresponding Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic, that ancient secret organization must’ve put in quite a bit of effort. It might’ve even provided part of it directly. When this emperor perished, who took away those characteristics?
Also, Bernadette has been in Backlund for the past few months and has been coming here frequently…
Sigh, the main issue is that the asymmetrical aesthetics of the empires in the Fourth Epoch had affected my understanding, making me believe that rules that violate normal circumstances are odd and against the order that humans would strive for. Now that I think about it again, what does it mean by normal circumstances? Isn’t it just something that everyone has already gotten used to and therefore, won’t have an instinctive sense of resistance towards it? From the tribes to the countries, from feudalism to republicanism, don’t they all violate the normal circumstances of the period they were in, with countless people wishing to return to the past?
The phrase “old fogies and left-overs from the old dynasties” encompasses this problem…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
From the looks of it, as long as a deity doesn’t intervene, the revolution that the Black Emperor needs will definitely happen. It’s just a matter of time… With the tides of the times surging over, it’s really hard to stop it. That brother of Amon is indeed a powerful and terrifying Author…
In the depths of the Blood Emperor’s ruins, there should be a mausoleum similar to a pyramid. And according to the ritual requirements, one has to drive one’s citizens to build it. Therefore, there are cases of people going missing in the East Borough and overseas slave trade…
When the war develops to a certain stage, using the excuse of praying for victory, or the nation’s mourning for soldiers, a huge gathering with a large number of citizens can be convened to participate in the sacrificial ritual in the various cities in the royal capital…
Yes. Many years ago, the Loen royal family obtained the crown of the Balam Empire, and they connected the king’s name to the title of “Emperor.”
What a great plan!
When he was alerted by the Red Angel evil spirit’s questions, Klein’s mind tensed up. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and at the same time, he had another question.
He looked at the tall, thin, young Gatekeeper who didn’t look rosy. He said after some deliberation, “George III wishes to directly become Black Emperor?
“But he isn’t even at Sequence 4…”
Even if George III could act ahead of time to make himself “more talented” and reduce the impact caused by the mental imprint in the potion, Klein didn’t believe that a Sequence 5 Beyonder could become a god directly. Unless he was lucky enough with that very slim chance of success.
Composite Start
Composite End
And such luck wasn’t something that could be described simply as being “sufficient.” The Snake of Mercury who represents fate, Will Auceptin, didn’t even dare to directly devour the Die of Probability, and he had to seriously find a way to accommodate it.
The Red Angel evil spirit scoffed when “He” heard that.
“How do you know that George III is only Sequence 5?
“How are you so sure that the George III under investigation is the real George III? Could it be that he was ‘imagined’ into existence, or could it be a Faceless at the angel level?
“These are truly very difficult things to accomplish, but to a certain zealot, these are all within the scope of one’s ability and the resources in one’s grasp.
“I suspect that George III is an official member of the secret organization that was created to mimic our Rose Redemption. His true level might already be at the angel level. Heh heh, I wouldn’t be surprised if “He” is already at Sequence 1.”
… This, Emperor Roselle once said that the members of that ancient secret organization are all important figures that he couldn’t imagine. When they combine forces, other than dealing with the seven Churches, there’s nothing that can’t be done… This actually includes the king of a country? That’s right, later on, the emperor also became the ruler of Intis… Zealot… Is this what the Red Angel evil spirit thinks of Amon’s brother? Although this is clearly a little extreme, with a strong bias, there’s a certain reason for it. A nickname isn’t given randomly… Klein made his marionette frown slightly.
“You seem to be able to see through the truth of this matter easily, but why hasn’t the Church of Evernight, Storm, and Steam realized this problem?
“Their understanding of the Black Emperor is no less than yours…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After all, the two Churches of the Evernight and the Storm had supported the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire!
The Red Angel evil spirit wore an amused expression again as “He” sized up Dwayne Dantès and his valet.
“How old are you?
“Why are you still so naive and childish?
“The six deities and the six Churches are not necessarily equivalent at times. The things the six deities know might not be told to the angels and saints beneath ‘Them.”
The Red Angel evil spirit let out a chortle again when “He” saw that Dwayne Dantès was still frowning in confusion.
“Trust me, what I said, and what I’ll be saying next, is undoubtedly a form of provocation to ruin the image of the six deities, but you can consider whether it’s the truth.
“Let’s put it this way. In regards to someone wanting to become the Black Emperor, the attitude of the six deities—uh, the seven deities is rather ambiguous. They’ often have conflicts of ‘Their’ own. More precisely, ‘They’ are happy to see a mentally-sound Black Emperor be born, but they also wish that it’s one ‘They’ support. Therefore, ‘They’ will not give any detailed revelations to the various Churches. ‘They’ will only follow the normal procedure and deliver punishment if there are results to the investigation. Otherwise, they will tacitly approve of its development.
“Of course, during this process, we cannot eliminate the possibility that a certain existence might want to do some damage, but it will not be so direct and obvious, because it will definitely be stopped by the other deities.
Composite Start
Composite End
“If it wasn’t because he knew of ‘Them’ taking such attitudes, how could George III dare take the risk?
“Alright, now that the war has broken out, he has overcome the crisis. He can wait for the next opportunity.”
At that moment, Klein thought of the news that had been leaked out during the operation launched at the Blood Emperor ruins. He was momentarily unsure if he should suspect that the upper echelons of the three Churches had a member of the ancient secret organization, or that a certain deity had personally reminded Amon’s brother. And if it were the latter, the suspect was undoubtedly not the Lord of Storms.
After a moment of silence, Klein hesitantly asked, “So, as long as nothing goes wrong, George III will carry out the ritual to become a god, despite everything that he has done? And if everything goes smoothly and he survives the backlash from the potion, will he ascend to the throne of Black Emperor?”
The Red Angel evil spirit replied in a relaxed tone, “Is there a problem?”
“Why would the seven deities…” Klein couldn’t help but ask.
The Red Angel evil spirit tsked and said, “Do you want to know? If you want to know, I can tell you now.”
Just as he was about to say “of course,” Klein suddenly recalled the warning that Ma’am Arianna had given him.
“There are some things that make it easier to be ‘infected’ the more you know. Both your body and soul will be infected. Once you become an angel, you can seek out the exact answer.”
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein made his marionette smile.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Forget it then.”
“Very good. You nearly died out of curiosity and foolishness.” The Red Angel evil spirit shook “His” head regretfully.
“He” then looked out the window and said, “If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”
“Alright.” Klein made the marionette stand up and raise his right hand.
At this moment, the half-slumped Red Angel evil spirit suddenly asked, “I have this nagging feeling that if I had attacked you just now, you wouldn’t be completely helpless, am I right?”
Of course, why do you think I chose Flaming Jump instead of “Teleporting”? That was to hide the burning of the paper crane in my wallet! This way, Snake of Fate Will Auceptin’s gaze would silently land on me. If anything happens, “He” would use the Yesterday Once More charm… To “deal” with an existence at your level, one can’t be too careful. How could one not be careful and keep a trump card hidden? Klein didn’t directly answer the Red Angel evil spirit’s question. He smiled and expressed his tacit agreement.
Pa!
He snapped his fingers, causing scarlet flames to surge out of his pocket and envelop him.
As the scarlet streams dispersed, Klein’s figure disappeared in front of the Red Angel evil spirit.
Backlund, at Dr. Aaron Ceres’s home, in a black pram.
The chubby baby rubbed his eyes and muttered silently, “Backlund really isn’t suitable for children to live in!”
39 Böklund Street. Having done a divination, Klein saw Member of Parliament Macht who was about to head to West Borough.
“Didn’t you go to Maygur Manor? I’m planning on letting Riana and Hazel hide in Moose Manor.” Macht pinched the sockets of his eyes.
I wonder when this side effect will disappear… Klein retracted his gaze from this action and sighed.
“I have to prepare some weapons for the manor, so I came to seek your help.
“Also, if you have the means to get food, you can help me buy some.”
In his opinion, the low-level citizens weren’t able to stock up on food because they didn’t have any money at all. At most, they would stock up a few days’ worths of food. Therefore, his purchase wouldn’t affect them for the time being. Once the food situation worsened, he could donate more of it through Miss Audrey. Before food rationing was implemented, if Klein didn’t stockpile, other rich people would do so. Furthermore, they might not donate it.
“No problem,” Macht agreed without any hesitation.
Klein didn’t ask about the price, because he had given Housekeeper Taneja a total of 5,000 pounds for such matters.
Of course, after confirming that Zaratul was in Backlund and that Dwayne Dantès being equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow was known to the Red Angel evil spirit, he decided not to return to Maygur Manor. He planned on changing his identity so as not to affect the innocent.
As for the excuse, it had been arranged by the Church of Evernight that he would perform certain tasks and that he was unable to return for a long period of time. If there was a charity event that required his help, he gave Miss Audrey the authority to stand in his place.
Chapter 1088 Hiding in Secre
On the way to Saint Samuel Cathedral from Boklund Street, Klein passed by the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation at 22 Phelps Street. He was surprised to find that the door was still open.
As the initiator and current director, he placed quite a bit of concern over this matter. He temporarily slowed down and walked over.
Just as he entered the door, he saw Miss Audrey walking down from the second floor with her personal maidservant, a big golden retriever, and a few staff members beside her.
“Good afternoon. In this situation, there doesn’t seem to be a need to insist on doing anything.” Klein went forward and voiced out his doubts.
Audrey held the newspaper in her hand as she looked at Dwayne Dantes.
“Some of our beneficiaries were injured in the air raid. I just went to visit them and arranged for follow-up treatment.” The noble lady’s eyes were slightly red, as though she had seen all sorts of heart-wrenching scenes in the hospital.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“May the Goddess bless them.” Klein came to a realization and drew a crimson moon on his chest.
He took the opportunity to say the idea that he had come up with long ago.
“I plan to donate some more money to buy food, medicine, and medical equipment for the foundation. In this manmade disaster, we can do more things.”
“A brilliant idea. Those who are suffering will be grateful to you from the bottom of their hearts, Mr. Dantes.” Audrey tapped her chest four times in a fluid motion. There was obvious joy and pity in her eyes. “I will do my best as well.”
She didn’t want to just donate money, but to spearhead certain matters.
Klein nodded.
“You don’t have to praise me. At times like these, I only did what I should do.
“Apart from donating funds, I will also donate food. All of you can discuss this directly with my butler, Walter. Yes, Miss Audrey, I can write a letter of authorization to you now so that you can use my name to transfer the resources of Maygur Manor.”
“What about you, Mr. Dantes?” Audrey asked with a vague guess.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the most normal response in such a conversation.
“I received a notice from the Church that I need to help them perform certain tasks. As for what they are, I haven’t gone to Saint Samuel Cathedral yet, so I’m not sure either. The only thing I can confirm is that I have to travel around. I won’t be able to return to Maygur Manor for a long time.” Klein gave the reason he had come up with previously. “Miss Audrey, during this period of time at the foundation, I have come to understand your character and ability. Your background and standing also determine your visions and style. Handing these matters to you is the best solution I can come up with.”
Klein didn’t expect his lies to fool a senior Spectator. He only wanted to deceive the people around Justice—oh, these people didn’t include the dog.
Does Mr. World want to temporarily give up on his identity as Dwayne Dantes so that he can perform certain matters in secret? Feeling enlightened, Audrey pretended to think. After a few seconds of silence, she said, “With the current situation, I can’t refuse such a request.”
Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately got his personal servant, Enuni, to go upstairs to get a piece of paper and a pen. Then, while being witnessed by the staff, he personally drafted a letter of authorization, signed his name, printed his thumbprint, and stamped the seal.
After doing all of this, Klein cast his gaze at the newspaper in Audrey’s hand.
“Is there anything else? I just came back from outside the city. I only heard the paperboy shout that the kingdom has declared war on Feysac.”
Audrey pursed her lips and said with a slightly gloomy expression, “Not long after the airship fleet from Feysac attacked Backlund, their Sonia Sea fleet took advantage of the thick fog to attack the Imperial Navy’s base at Pritz Harbor’s Oak Island and the shipyards in the surrounding area. Fortunately, the Church of the Lord of Storms received a warning beforehand and sent a telegram in advance. Pritz Harbor wasn’t lost, but it lost quite a number of ships and factories. It’s said that many people died and were seriously injured…”
“This is war…” Klein sighed. “Can I see how the king declared war?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey knew that there was something wrong with King George III, so she could tell that Mr. World was hiding his contempt. She didn’t refuse and handed the newspaper over.
It was the Tussock Times.
Without needing to spread it open, he directly saw the king’s declaration on the headlines:
“…708 years ago, the Feysacians took away Sonia Island from us.
“A year ago, the Feysacians stole half of our interests in East Balam.
“Today, they bombarded Backlund and attacked Pritz Harbor. Many Loenese were killed and injured, and their blood has stained the ground.
“There’s no way for us to back down any further. We can only be bullied again and again by the Feysacians if we back off. If we continue retreating, we will lose all our interests overseas. Large amounts of our products will not be sold. Countless workers will lose their jobs, and even more peasants will go bankrupt!
“Everything from the past and now states that justice is in our hands, and we have enough strength to seize complete victory.
“Everyone, I, your emperor, George III, represent the parliament and the kingdom’s government to declare war on Feysac. Unless they raise the white flag and surrender, we will never stop advancing!
Composite Start
Composite End
“Advance, we shall take back Sonia Island! Advance, we shall conquer St. Millom!
“Victory will definitely belong to us. The gods will be with us!”
Klein quickly browsed through it and used his Clown ability to stop his lips from curling up.
He then returned the Tussock Times to Audrey. He took off his hat and bowed.
“I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“I will, please rest assured.” Audrey held the letter of authorization and newspapers and bowed.
Without any further delay, Klein left the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation with his valet, Enuni, and arrived at Saint Samuel Cathedral.
At that moment, the church no longer had many believers present. Most of them had returned to their homes, busy preparing for their life with war having been declared.
In the dark and quiet environment, Klein found a seat and sat down. He took off his hat, clasped his hands, and placed them in front of his mouth and nose. He softly recited the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess, then said, “…I received news from the Red Angel evil spirit that it’s very likely that Zaratul has already arrived in Backlund. As for the secret ruins of the Blood Emperor, there’s a high chance that it’s the mausoleum needed for the Black Emperor ritual …”
After the prayer, Klein waited patiently for a while. He saw the archbishop, Anthony Stevenson, enter from the side door and walk towards him.
Composite Start
Composite End
This saint was clean-shaven. He wore a black robe that had the crimson moon’s emblem on it. He walked without making a sound, as though he was the night that slowly descended.
Anthony didn’t say a word after he approached Dwayne Dantes. He only signaled with his eyes before turning towards the library.
With that, Klein got up, put on his hat, and followed silently behind.
As for his personal servant, Enuni, he held his cane and walked to the entrance of the cathedral to wait.
Outside the library, Archbishop Anthony turned around and revealed a smile. He said to Dwayne Dantes, “War has erupted. There are too many things that need to be done. As a devout believer of the Goddess, are you willing to provide some help?”
Indeed… From the looks of it, Ma’am Arianna has left Backlund… As Klein sighed, he drew the crimson moon on his chest.
“It’s my honor. Praise the Lady.”
After responding, he immediately asked, “What do you need me to do?”
“I’ll inform you when needed. Try not to go home during this period of time,” Saint Anthony said in an illogical tone.
And in an instant, he understood what the other party meant. He had to hide for now. They had no time to deal with Zaratul. At most, they could provide him protection within a certain range.
Just as I thought, the Goddess is digesting the Uniqueness of the Death pathway. “She will not be able to do a divine descent for a long period of time. The upper echelons of the Church have to deal with the war, while the negative effects of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are more terrifying than the last… Klein nodded gently.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“May the Goddess bless you.” Saint Anthony drew the crimson moon.
“Praise the Lady. The only escape is tranquility.” Klein responded with a familiar gesture.
Then, he left Saint Samuel Cathedral and headed to another street with his valet.
After walking for a while, both of them disappeared at some point in time.
East Borough, in a two-bedroom rental apartment.
Wearing an ordinary face, Klein took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew at it.
Soon, Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. She wasn’t surprised by her contractor’s appearance.
Without giving a letter, he directly said, “Tell Miss Sharron and Marie that Zaratul has come to Backlund and is very likely to be in contact with the Rose School of Thought. They must be careful. It’s best not to go to the Bravehearts Bar in the near future.”
“Zaratul…” This time, Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads spoke at the same time, as though they had spent a great deal of effort to recall who it was.
“Leader of the Secret Order, a Sequence 1 angel who once lost his mind before becoming normal again.” Klein took out a gold coin and handed it to Miss Messenger.
He didn’t mention that Zaratul was very interested in Gehrman Sparrow. He believed that, as a high-level spirit world creature, Miss Messenger would be able to sense his uniqueness to a certain extent. Otherwise, there was no need for this angel to lower “Her” status to be his messenger. If it was for Yesterday Once More charms, “She” could provide him help in a more decent manner.
As for why Zaratul didn’t discover the gray fog’s aura in the foggy town but now shows interest in Gehrman Sparrow, Klein believed that there were three reasons. The first reason was that the gray fog’s Beyonder convergence had compelled this powerful Seer to come to Backlund, and “He” predicted something. The second reason was that Gehrman Sparrow was able to leave the foggy town despite receiving the wrong symbol and return to the real world. The third reason was that Gehrman Sparrow was likely related to the organization that believed in The Fool.
By the time Zaratul came into contact with the Rose School of Thought and realized that the Mother Tree of Desire was somewhat interested in Gehrman Sparrow, even if he didn’t have a guess, the importance he placed on Gehrman Sparrow would still rise exponentially.
Reinette Tinekerr didn’t say anything else. One of the heads tilted forward and bit the gold coin.
After watching Miss Messenger leave, he pulled a chair and sat down. He sized up the sky outside the window across a wooden desk.
The layout of the rental apartment was the same as the one he used to live in Tingen City. There was a bedroom inside, and outside of it was a living room, dining room, and study room. There was also a bunk bed.
At that moment, in the room, other than him, there were only his marionettes—Qonas and Enuni.
Chapter 1089 A Difficult Decision
After sitting for a while, Klein raised his hand to rub his temples. He then stood up, took four steps counterclockwise, and went above the gray fog.
He then conjured Gehrman Sparrow. By praying to Mr. Fool, he sent messages to Danitz and The Hermit Cattleya.
The message for the former was to remind him to be careful of the Secret Order. Although he didn’t believe that Zaratul would directly seek out Danitz, a person who had crossed paths with Gehrman Sparrow on the surface, there was nothing wrong with reminding him regardless. As a Bizarro Sorcerer, Klein had a certain level of understanding of the Beyonders of the Seer pathway. He believed that those who could truly advance to such a state were sufficiently cautious and careful. This didn’t exclude certain oddities and exceptions, but it definitely didn’t exclude Zaratul who was at Sequence 1.
And in this situation, in the eyes of an angel who was in control of enough secrets, Danitz was more like bait that was deliberately thrown out to fish for certain targets. Therefore, it was highly likely that Zaratul would very carefully and cautiously avoid him. At most, he would send members of the Secret Order to do some direct or indirect investigations.
By the same logic, the message that Klein gave The Hermit Cattleya had the same content. However, this wasn’t the main point. The main point was for her to immediately contact Queen Mystic Bernadette, saying that Gehrman Sparrow wanted to meet her as soon as possible. In addition, he also informed the Admiral of Stars—something he wanted to delay till the next Tarot Gathering—that she was to decide if she wanted to purchase the Sequence 5 Druid and Sequence 4 Classical Metallurgist of the Planter pathway.
West of the Berserk Sea, Theros Island.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Danitz, who was gathering clues about Vice Admiral Ailment, held a cup filled with golden beer when his expression suddenly became extremely complicated.
“What’s wrong? You saw someone and recalled an indescribable encounter?” Anderson shook the Lanti Proof distilled liquor in his hand as he teased the abnormal Danitz.
Danitz gulped down a mouthful of beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before saying with a somewhat depressed expression, “We have to be careful of Secret Order members from now on…”
Ever since he met Gehrman Sparrow, such words were a common occurrence for him. His initial reaction had gone from the point of panic to numbness and depression.
He suspected that one day, he would be listed as being wanted by all organizations of different sizes, except Mr. Fool’s organization.
Anderson sized up Danitz when he heard that as he chuckled.
“Sometimes, I feel that Gehrman Sparrow is more like a hunter than me.
“Heh, so the two of you have a special method of communication. You don’t even need to summon a messenger.”
Danitz was just about to say a few perfunctory words when a person from Intis rushed into the tavern. He held a telegram and shouted, “Feysac launched an air raid on Backlund, Loen has officially declared war!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Declared war? Anderson and Danitz looked at each other. By relying on their pathway’s characteristics, they acutely caught the scent of a large-scale war.
Feysac attacked Backlund and Pritz Harbor, and in return, Loen has officially declared war… The three ironclad warship fleets weren’t at the harbor, so there wasn’t many losses. They’re heading back to the Loen coast…Cattleya’s crew happened to pass through Oravi Island, and they had gathered all sorts of information from the telegrams.
Just as she was thinking about how the pirate crew would react in this situation, she suddenly saw an endless gray fog and heard The World Gehrman Sparrow.
“Be careful of the Secret Order members. Be careful of Zaratul…” As someone from Intis to a certain extent, what caught Cattleya’s attention was something that with the least importance.
And it was precisely because of this that she had no doubts about The World Gehrman Sparrow’s request to meet the Queen as soon as possible. She believed that this was related to the Secret Order and Zaratul.
Finally, she said the two potion names softly, “Druid… Classical Metallurgist…
“This Sequence 4’s modern name should be the Ancient Metallurgist. It was previously called Human Metallurgist…”
Cattleya subconsciously walked to the window and cast her gaze down. On these seas which had a time difference between it and Backlund, Frank Lee and Artisan Cielf were leaning on the side of the ship’ sunbathing. The former ^ a relaxed expression and looked very pleased, but there was a pensive look in his eyes. It was as though there were still some problems that couldn’t be resolved. The latter’s face was pale, and his lips were quivering. Scattered over his clothes were mushrooms.
Druid… Ancient Metallurgist… Admiral of Stars Cattleya repeated the two terms again, feeling as though something was pressing down on her.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After about ten seconds, Cattleya adjusted the heavy glasses on her nose bridge and consoled herself.
Mr. Fool didn’t give any warnings. It means it’s not a big deal…
With this thought in mind, specks of bright light floated down, forming a staircase of light between the captain’s cabin window and the deck.
Cattleya went down the stairs and walked to Frank Lee and Cielf s side.
After a few seconds of silence, Cattleya asked, “Frank, what are your dreams?”
Only then did Frank Lee realize that his captain had arrived. With a push of his palm, he flipped to his feet.
“Dreams?”
This Biologist thought about it seriously and said, “I wish to be able to study the soil, the creation of objects, and crossbreeding techniques without restrictions, so as to ensure that humans will no longer be hungry anymore. Equality between people will be achieved. What you can do, I can do. What you can grow, I can also grow…”
Upon hearing this, Artisan Cielf slowly got up and silently crouched to the side, opening his mouth and vomiting.
Composite Start
Composite End
Frank Lee continued without being affected, “In order to have such a world, one has to have sufficient food and resources, so I hope to create all kinds of creatures that can deal with different environments and conditions. Heh heh, everyone has their own tendencies. I prefer fish, beef, and spores…”
Cattleya finished listening to Frank’s description with a deadpan expression. However, during this process, she repeatedly nudged the thick glasses on her nose thrice.
After a moment of silence, Cattleya asked, “There’s only one step left to your research now?”
“That’s right. I’m just short of a Dmid’s ability for catalyzing it. If I can_t get the formula, I_m 伽 help me make the Druid Beyonder characteristic I have into a mystical item,” Frank answered frankly.
“No, I won’t help you! You devil!” the silently vomiting Artisan Cielf raised his head and shouted anxiously.
Cattleya watched this scene quietly. With a flip of her hand, she produced a gold coin.
Ding!
The gold coin flipped up before landing in Cattleya’s palm, heads facing up.
“I have the Druid potion formula. It’s from Gehrman Sparrow, 5,000 pounds,” Cattleya explained in detail, as though she was deliberately telling Artisan Cielf, informing him who the true “murderer” was.
A look of pure joy immediately appeared in Frank Lee’s eyes.
Composite Start
Composite End
“He really is a swell guy!
“Uh, Captain, I’ve only saved up to 3,000 pounds. Can you lend me 2,000 pounds?”
Most of his previous savings had been used to buy the Druid Beyonder characteristic, and he had even sold some of his items.
Cattleya fell silent once again. A few seconds later, she nodded while Frank Lee’s expectant eyes were on her. “Okay.”
North Borough, Backlund Medical University’s affiliated hospital.
Eudora lay on the bed with a blank expression, lacking the vibrancy a young girl should have.
She had woken up from her coma some time ago, but she hadn’t opened her eyes. Thus, she heard the doctor tell her parents that the injury she received to her right leg from the air raid likely couldn’t be saved. They had to be prepared for an amputation procedure.
After that, she lay down in a daze, feeling as though there were many people coming and going one after another. Among them, the person who had originally only visited the student next door, the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation director, Audrey, indicated that she was willing to pay for the subsequent treatments after hearing about her. The school’s chancellor, Mr. Portland Moment, had promised to create the most advanced and most convenient robotic limb for her to walk like a normal person.
However, none of this dispelled the gloominess, heaviness, sorrow, and despair in Eudora’s heart.
She wasn’t even 18, and she had yet to enjoy the beauty of life, but now, she was about to lose a leg and lose her dreams.
Her family wasn’t considered wealthy. Her father was the owner of a grocery store that believed in the Lord of Storms. He was violent, barbaric, and unwilling to reason with women. Her mother was timid and weak, and she relied on her father to survive. If not for the fact that her family didn’t have a second child at home, Eudora wouldn’t have been able to study at all. But even so, her father had chosen a place like the Backlund Technical School where results could be quickly seen.
Previously, she had commented on how lucky she was that the Backlund Technical School had been turned into the Backlund University of Technology; furthermore, she had passed the examinations and become a real university student. This made her smile every day as she passed the joy to the people around her while having the time to indulge in her hobby for poetry.
Eudora’s dream was to remain in the university and be a university teacher, finding a husband who loved her as she loved him. At the same time, she could constantly keep true to her pursuit of poetry, hoping that they would one day be published in magazines and newspapers.
Now, all of this had been destroyed by a bomb that fell from the sky. It had been mercilessly and cruelly destroyed.
After an unknown period of time, Eudora silently pulled up the blanket and covered her face. She let out a soft whimper that sounded like a baby beast.
The crying didn’t stop for a while. After a while, Eudora suddenly lifted the blanket and saw a black figure standing by her bed.
Half of the black figure’s face was covered by mushrooms, while the other half was covered in weeds. In the black figure’s hand was a wooden cane.
Eudora couldn’t even scream. She felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.
The black figure touched her with the tip of the cane.
Eudora felt her heart return to normal while her right leg felt cold, as though she could feel her leg again.
When she looked at the bedside again, the black figure wasn’t there anymore.
In her daze, Eudora moved her right leg and realized that it wasn’t painful at all. It was if she had never been hurt before.
She pulled up the blanket again and covered her face.
A few seconds later, there was a sound of disbelief under the blanket. It was filled with fear, but it was also mixed with crying that were tears of joy.
Chapter 1090 Haunted Tales
Nighttime, Pritz Harbor, in a cemetery in the suburbs.
The people who died in the airship bombings had been brought here. The priests and bishops of the three Churches were busy comforting the souls of the dead to prevent any anomalies from happening.
In that short day, many wives lost their husbands, many children lost their mothers, and many families were down to a single person. Some of them loitered in the cemetery—some silent, others sobbing. Some even wept until they fainted.
Wearing an ordinary-looking face, Klein stood among them and watched everything without saying a word. It was as if he had recalled the funeral he had attended before.
While it was dark, he had just used Life’s Cane to treat the injured in Backlund and Pritz Harbor’s various hospitals— victims of the air raid. He had also left behind a strange and horrifying urban myth to help him further digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion.
And he knew that, once such haunted tales spread like wildfire, Zaratul, who was in Backlund, would immediately be able to understand what was going on. “He” would send his marionettes to monitor the corresponding areas. Hence, before the news spread, he relied on “Teleporting” to travel to all the hospitals in Backlund and Pritz Harbor, leaving behind all sorts of horror stories to treat patients with severe illnesses.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When this matter spread, he believed that he would receive a great deal of feedback, allowing him to take a firm and huge step in the direction of completely digesting the potion.
However, Klein didn’t stop there. The existence of a conspiracy created by the Red Angel evil spirit, and the fact that Zaratul was in Backlund, was like a guillotine hanging above his head, urging him to continue searching for opportunities.
Hence, he came here to witness the grief of the ordinary citizens.
After a moment of silence, Klein retracted his gaze and turned to leave the cemetery.
After arriving at an empty spot, his left glove quickly turned dark blue, and slippery fish scales grew out.
With a whoosh, the wind swept over, and Klein flew up into the air towards the harbor.
In the sea beyond the land, the Sonia Sea fleet from the Feysac Empire was quietly waiting. It was as if they were prepared to launch another bombardment after daybreak, destroying the rest of the shipyards.
Soon, Klein arrived above the harbor ruins and looked at the faint flames in the dark night.
At the same time, his two marionettes had used Flaming Jump to rush over from the ground, splitting up into different hidden locations.
Composite Start
Composite End
From what he had heard and seen, Klein didn’t have any doubts or feelings towards what he was about to do. However, he was still confused.
Taking revenge on the invaders was a legitimate matter, but if he were to seriously injure the Feysac fleet, the happiest person would be the Loen King, George III—the true mastermind behind all of this, one of the culprits who had pushed for war!
There are too many principles in this world, but only those who have truly experienced it will realize that there are times when doing nothing is the correct path. It will fill one’s heart with conflict… With a sigh, Klein turned his attention to the information he had received from The Hanged Man.
The commander of the Sonia Sea fleet from the Feysac Empire was Admiral Egor Einhorn. He was a demigod from the royal family, currently a Sequence 4 Iron-blooded Knight of the Red Priest pathway!
Through this information, together with the contents of the Red Priest card, more key points surfaced in Klein’s mind.
Iron-blooded Knight can make women turn into men, and also make them have courage that is comparable to steel. Not only can they control multiple types of flames, but they’re also masters in this domain. They can even turn their own flames into steel…
On the Nepos, the flagship of the Feysac Empire’s Sonia Sea fleet.
A burly man with a thick beard more than two meters tall, Egor Einhorn, was sitting behind a desk. As he drank Sonia blood wine, he pondered over what to do next.
After daybreak, Loen’s airship crew will definitely attack. Their Pritz ironclad warship and the corresponding fleet will return soon. If they continue staying here, I’ll be left in a passive situation.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Although I’m a Iron-blooded Knight, allowing the entire fleet’s power to gather onto me while distributing the damage, the commanding officer of the ironclad warship is most likely a demigod of the Arbiter pathway, or they have the corresponding Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, so it won’t be easy to deal with them… If I’m not careful, they might be able to make use of the advantage of their fleet’s speed and armaments…
Retreating is the best option. After that, we’ll continue attacking the coastal ports while the Loen navy is damaged… Heh heh, this war is indeed a good opportunity to digest potions.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to become a War Bishop before this. Otherwise, I might have a chance to advance to the level of an angel after the war. Sigh, only a War Bishop can truly unleash the strength of an army. It’s not like how I am right now, only able to focus power on myself…
In the midst of Egor Einhom’s thoughts, he planned on using the hidden connection between an Iron-blooded Knight and the soldiers that were under his command to inform his adjutant to pay him a visit, so that he could give the orders of performing a retreat overnight.
Suddenly, he looked up at the door.
Thump!
There was a knock on the door, and it instantly reverberated in the quiet room.
An advance warning before an attack… This thought flashed across Egor’s mind and he became extremely tense.
In a battle between demigods, setting up an environment, sudden attacks, and catching enemies by surprise was a good way to seize the initiative. It was a combination that could effectively defeat or even kill an enemy of the same level. On the contrary, it was very difficult to accomplish it successfully. Therefore, giving an advance notice before an attack was either a warning without any follow-ups, or it meant that the attacker’s level and strength far exceeded the target.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a senior Iron-blooded Knight, Egor instinctively considered the worst situation. He immediately woke up every sailor and soldier on the Nepos to establish a connection with him.
At that moment, the noise sounded again.
Boom!
This time, the knocking sound on the door was comparable to the loud boom of a salvo. It made Egor feel like a bomb had exploded in his ears.
Under his high-strung nerves, he carefully listened to the commotion. This wasn’t much different from the roar of a Cataclysmic Interrer!
In an instant, Egor’s ears buzzed and he felt dizzy.
He quickly spread out the damage and let every member of the Nepos hear a faint buzz.
Then, Egor grabbed the fountain pen on the table and threw it at the door.
This dark red fountain pen left afterimages along the way, like a cannonball that had been fired.
To an Iron-blooded Knight, no matter how ordinary it was, it could become a terrifying murderous weapon through his augmentation!
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
The door that was hit by the fountain pen cracked open, revealing the person in the corridor who had knocked on the door.
It was a man in a black trench coat. His body was as thin as paper, and his face had no facial features.
At that moment, the fountain pen had already exploded. The tiny fragments were like storms brought about by the sweeping of a machine gun. It embroiled the person who knocked on the door, tearing him into pieces of flesh and blood.
Egor didn’t relax. Instead, he stood up and looked around warily.
He clearly knew that the person who had knocked on the door hadn’t appeared!
At this moment, the adjutant, whose bunk was diagonally across from him, opened the door and ran out. When he saw the flesh and blood on the ground, he said in surprise, “Admiral, what happened?”
“There’s an intruder…” Before Egor could finish his sentence, his gaze suddenly froze on the adjutant.
The adjutant retracted his gaze from the flesh and blood on the ground and slowly raised his head.
There were no eyebrows, eyes, nose, or mouth on his face. It was the same as the person who had knocked just now—a featureless surface.
Egor’s heart palpitated, and his entire body ignited, transforming into flames that shot out in all directions.
After the scarlet flames dispersed, they swept forward and surrounded the adjutant.
The fire quickly spread, revealing the already charred adjutant.
When the cold wind blew past, the adjutant collapsed into a pile of ashes.
The flames didn’t stop as they flew out of the room, one after another, forming a tall and burly Egor in midair.
At that moment, he saw seagulls flying around him. All of them had a human head without any facial features—their heads bare!
Egor let out a secret grunt as a blazing flame surrounded him before he sent towards the strange seagulls at high speeds.
At that moment, he heard the sound of metal rubbing against each other and immediately looked over with the help of the soldiers.
When he saw this, his body suddenly turned cold. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of horror.
On one of the ships on the other sail-powered battleship of the Sonia Sea fleet, the cannons seemed to come alive and had a life of their own!
They turned around and aimed into the air.
As for the cannonballs, they actively leaped into the cannons.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The moment these shells were fired, they were struck by fireballs that followed different trajectories, exploding prematurely mid-flight.
Seizing this opportunity, Egor quickly recited the honorific name of the highest commander in the Sonia Sea theater—a Weather Warlock from the royal family.
“The ruler of the fog of the battlefield, the symbol of weather flux, the totem of the storm and lightning, the great Awatoma Einhorn…”
This was also the reason why it was difficult to kill a demigod of the same level when an advanced warning was given. They could always find an opportunity to seek help.
Of course, the main goal of the attacker, Klein, was to create a bizarre scene to scare a demigod and help him digest his potion. He had no intention of completing the hunt.
Upon seeing this, he hid beneath the water. Having achieved his goal, he immediately got Qonas and Enuni to swap locations over to him and “Teleport” away with them.
As for Egor, he didn’t let his guard down. He remained extremely tense and guarded against any possible attacks.
Only when the angel responded did he truly heave a sigh of relief.
Following that, Egor didn’t let the fleet stay any longer. He abandoned the sail-powered battleship that had turned into an urban myth, and he left those waters.
After a while, a seagull flew over and landed on the sail-powered battleship that had regained its silence.
The seagull had obvious dark eye circles. It looked around and said in the language of humans, “I can smell the aura of a Seer demigod…”
Chapter 1091 Asking Himself
Backlund, East Borough, in a cramped rental apartment.
Wearing a rather thick jacket, Klein stood behind a desk and looked at the glass window in front of him. He carefully sensed the speed at which the Bizarro Sorcerer potion was being digested.
It’s really fast. It’s even more than the first three months of my digestion combined… However, there’s nothing I can do about it. Before I received Life’s Cane, I couldn’t provide sufficient treatment. I have to make sure that the heart of the target can withstand the fright they experience, so as a result, I wasn’t able to go to the hospital to create an urban
Similarly, if it wasn’t for the fact that a war broke out, it would be rather difficult to find other demigods. Those whose whereabouts that I can confirm are mostly on their own home ground. To secretly invade and create a bizarre sense of horror will involve turning innocents into marionettes. Even if there’s no other choice, I wouldn’t have considered it… Klein shifted his attention away from himself and sighed silently.
He then repeated a word in his mind:
War…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, the street lamps in the distance were lit up. East Borough was pitch black with the occasional policemen patrolling the streets with lanterns.
In the past, these policemen wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic. Now that the war had broken out, they had to carry out the corresponding curfew orders to ensure that there was order and security.
“War…” Klein repeated the word softly again, and in a daze, he saw a part of the ending.
The Loen King, George III, has finally broken through the shackles. He’s no longer worried that any of the seven deities will strongly object to his apotheosis. He can officially push for the various rituals needed of Black Emperor. What follows will depend on himself, or should I say “Himself.” As long as “He” can withstand the impact of the potion, and as long as “He” can maintain “His” rationality, “He” would be able to ascend to the divine throne and advance to Sequence 0.
The Einhorn family of Feysac used this war that can embroil the entire world to allow its key members to significantly digest their potions, and without much difficulty, they can prepare the corresponding rituals and allow their family’s overall strength to be enhanced.
As for Amon’s brother, “He” can consume the potion during these tumultuous times and experience a transformation to become a Visionary, allowing this world to have another true god…
As Klein’s thoughts drifted, a question suddenly popped up in his mind:
Can I accept such an outcome?
Can I accept such an outcome… Klein opened his mouth and slowly closed it. Everything he saw seemed to pass through the limitations of time and space before returning to another place:
Composite Start
Composite End
It was the extremely thick, slightly pungent, cold, and moist smog which was yellow and slightly iron-black in color which had permeated through the entirety of Backlund;
It was the tramps who were suffering from ailments, hunger, pain, and cold before being pushed to the brink of death. He was also struggling to survive. For the sake of food, he pushed himself with all his might, not daring to slack off at all. Finally, he saw the light of life. He bought his long-awaited ham, but in the hazy smog, he fell to the ground and never got up again;
She was a hardworking widow. In order to survive, and to provide for her two children, she had abandoned all her dignity and made herself a shrew that spewed vulgarities. With pain-ridden joints that suffered repeatedly from the invasion of the humidity on a daily basis, she supported a roof that could block out the elements. However, the roof had collapsed in the Great Smog. The child she wanted to protect had died in her arms;
It was a young girl who yearned to study and fantasized about a bright future. She doted on her mother and her younger sister, working hard in the room that was filled with moisture, always carrying that tiny bit of hope. However, after the Great Smog, she was no longer able to see the future she longed for;
It was a girl who desperately took in knowledge under the care of her mother and elder sister. She had gone through too much suffering, and she walked out of her predicament one step at a time, hoping to improve herself. She hoped that her mother and sister wouldn’t tire themselves out anymore and that she would have a chance to let her family of three to live an ideal life. However, all of this ultimately shattered. In that terrifying smog, this girl was left alone. No matter how much pain or joy she felt, she was no longer able to share it with her mother and sister. That fantasy of her family life never appeared, nor would it ever appear again;
They were living beings that fell to the ground like straw, one family after another, one human after another. They would never be able to erase the pain in their bones;
It was a student who clearly had a bright future, but only half of his body was left—his intestines splattered all over the ground;
They were children who returned home from school, only to suddenly realize that they had lost their parents and had become orphans;
It was the pain of writhing on the ground while crawling with great difficulty. He was an ordinary person who wanted to approach the future, but was powerless to swallow his last breath;
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was the people in the cemetery who were so silent that it made one’s heart ache, or those who cried until they fainted several times;
It was a land stained with blood;
It was the air filled with gunpowder;
They were cold and ruthless shells.
And for the mastermind behind all of this, the greatest murderer, he would step up to the divine throne over piles of corpses, only to receive cheers and escape his mortal coils.
Can you accept such a development?
Can you accept such an arrangement?
Can you accept such an outcome?
After a moment of silence, Klein suddenly spoke with a deep voice:
Composite Start
Composite End
“No, I can’t.”
This voice immediately echoed in the room. It was layered and interlinked:
“No, I don’t accept it!”
There were still lingering echoes in his ears as the corners of his mouth curled up. Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“The seven deities already tacitly accepted it. What meaning is there even if you don’t accept it?”
Once again, he fell silent. After a long while, he finally exhaled and said to himself with a calm expression, “Even if it’s meaningless, some things still ought to be done.”
In this world, how could there be many things that were guaranteed to succeed? That they were of value and be of use?
The corners of Klein’s mouth curled up. He looked away, turned around, and entered the room inside the rental flat.
Although he had already made up his mind, he had no intention of doing it rashly. With his current level and status, no matter how hard he tried, it would be difficult for him to affect George Ill’s matters. Other than throwing away his life, there wouldn’t be any other outcome.
Furthermore, if this resulted in chaos in the Loen Kingdom during a critical period of the war, resulting in the invasion of the Feysac army, then the deaths and injuries of the innocent would only be ten times or even a hundred times worse than the Great Smog of Backlund.
Composite Start
Composite End
All I can do now is make preparations. On the one hand, I have to improve myself. On the other hand, I have to make more preparations and patiently wait for an opportunity… Klein muttered silently to himself. He found a black sticky blob and split it into two before smearing one half uniformly on a mirror.
This was a way to contact Demoness Trissy.
However, when all the black objects disappeared, there was still no abnormality in the mirror.
There’s no response… After being frightened by an angel like Miss Messenger, Trissy has already decided not to have any contact with Gehrman Sparrow… Klein sighed and walked to the bed to sit down.
His thoughts quickly shifted to the reason why the Demoness Sect had helped King George III.
…One of them is that the Demonesses need a catastrophe to digest the potion and hold a ritual. The other is that George III has made a promise to them? He promised them that they could openly spread their religion? No, this should be something that the seven deities wouldn’t allow. Even if the Black Emperor is a Sequence 0, and with the Primordial Demoness and the True Creator, “They” wouldn’t be able to fight against the seven deity alliance. Of course, after this war, the existence of an alliance between the seven deities is itself a question…
In that case, the seven deities that know that George III is working with the Demoness Sect shouldn’t let “Him” become the Black Emperor…
The promise is for something else? The Demoness pathway has a true god, and there are very few valuable items left outside… Similar pathways? Isn’t that the Red Priest pathway… George III—no, Amon’s brother doesn’t only know of the secret mausoleum needed by the Black Emperor from Blood Emperor Alista Tudor, but “He” also obtained the angel-level Beyonder characteristics or Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts of the Red Priest pathway?
With the condition that having a Sequence 0 means no Sequence 1, this is probably the greatest hope for the upper echelons of the Demoness Sect to advance further. Yes, the Primordial Demoness should also be very interested…
This can explain why the Demoness Sect is providing help… The Red Angel evil spirit is searching for Saintess of White Katarina, and it doesn’t seem to be as simple as “He” said… No, “He” didn’t say anything else besides using common knowledge and reactions to guide me into thinking that way…
Klein’s train of thought gradually became clear. He decided to use Saintess of White Katarina, as a breakthrough point, making her his next target. However, before that, he had to listen to what Queen Mystic had predicted. He wanted to know what she was planning to do in Backlund from her mouth.
Only by understanding the situation could he find and seize the opportunity!
The next morning, The Hermit Cattleya conveyed the words of Queen Mystic Bernadette:
Today between 12 to 12:30 p.m. at Srenzo Restaurant, Golden Theater.”
It was the name of a private room.
When Klein arrived at 11:55 a.m., he used an illusion to deceive the waiter, and he walked all the way to the room and waited patiently.
After a while, he took out his golden pocket watch and opened it.
With that, he put away his pocket watch and counted down to ten silently. Then, he raised his hand and knocked on the door of the Golden Theater.
At that moment, his marionette, Qonas, was sitting on a bench across the restaurant and reading the newspapers leisurely. Enuni was with a group of students, giving off a flyer that promoted the evilness of Feysac. Of course, the three of them would switch positions from time to time, making it impossible for anyone to make an accurate judgment.
“Come in.” Bernadette’s voice came from the room.
Very impressive. I didn’t notice anyone inside, nor did I notice anyone entering… Well, it’s also because I didn’t activate my Spirit Body Threads vision… Klein mumbled to himself before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.
The first thing he saw was large swaths of gold before noticing the chestnut-haired woman sitting at the head of the table.
Chapter 1092 Ridiculous People
Bernadette was wearing an Intis-styled blouse and was sitting there quietly. Her chestnut-colored hair was naturally draped over her shoulders, and her straight brows were spread out perfectly. She actually had the aura of a female professional from Earth, one that had been in a high position for a long period of time.
The Emperor’s sense of aesthetics still has quite the influence over Queen Mystic. However, it’s limited by the environment around her, and it cannot be fully manifested… Klein took off his hat and pressed it to his chest. He bowed slightly before casually pulling out a chair and sitting down.
With a sweep of her blue eyes that resembled the deep-blue sea, Bernadette’s gentle and calm voice rang out:
“Why did you contact me so urgently this time?”
Aren’t you a Clairvoyant? Didn’t you receive a hint of a revelation? Klein subconsciously replied in his mind before he felt that he was being too arrogant.
This should be the aftereffects of interacting with the Red Angel evil spirit for too long… With “His” level, it would naturally affect the people around “Him.” If “He” was willing, this effect would definitely turn into a form of corruption… Klein quickly did a self-analysis and made a judgment.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He pondered for a moment before asking, “Have you attained what you wanted to achieve in Backlund?”
Bernadette slowly shook her head.
“No.
You can even say that I failed.”
“Oh?” Klein used a tone to express his surprise and puzzlement.
Bernadette glanced at him and said unhurriedly, “There’s a strange name for the Sequence 2 potion of the Mystery Pryer pathway. It’s called ‘the Sage.’ To advance to this level, one has to prevent a disaster that involves a higher level of power.”
Sage… So that’s where “sage” of the Hidden Sage comes from… Klein was momentarily enlightened. Just as he was about to ask, he heard Queen Mystic continue, “I anticipated such an opportunity in Backlund, so I came here a few years in advance to make preparations. I’ve recently been waiting for it for a long time.
“Unfortunately, I predicted that it would happen in the second half of this year. Last year, I wasn’t in Backlund at the end of the year, so I wasn’t able to stop the Great Smog. And in this war, I tried my best to do something, and I achieved something. But to my surprise, Feysac directly attacked Backlund with an air raid, and the disaster ultimately erupted.”
That’s why you said you failed… Klein nodded indiscernibly and said with a sigh, “I didn’t expect the ones to start the war to be the Feysacians either.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As he spoke, he sighed inwardly. The difficulty of Queen Mystic’s advancement ritual was controversial. It all depended on one’s luck.
One had to know that before he became a demigod, Klein had already stopped the True Creator from descending. He had saved Tingen and Backlund, which were feats that could definitely satisfy the ritual requirements of becoming a Sage. But under normal circumstances, there weren’t as many disasters like these, and they weren’t things that could easily be stopped.
Just like the present situation, Amon’s brother had planned for one to two thousand years. Even if something went awry with King George III, war would erupt as “He” had expected. This was because the root cause of the Uniqueness of the Death pathway hadn’t been resolved.
This made him suspect that Mr. Azik’s life in the Northern Continent had always been under the arrangement of Amon’s brother. If not, how did “He,” who had lost his memories, escape from the sights of the various major Churches without a shape-shifting mask?
More importantly, it was unknown why Azik had used his real name in this life!
And this wasn’t something that was suspected by anyone, nor did it incur any investigations!
Is this all part of your plan? Amon’s brother… Upon thinking of this, Klein felt a certain trauma, a result of post- traumatic stress disorder. His body nearly trembled.
He silently took a deep breath and looked at Queen Mystic and added, “This war involves the son of the Creator, King of Angels, and the true deities. It’s not something you can stop.”
With Bernadette’s knowledge and experience, she still had some changes to her facial expression when she heard the sentence. She repeated a few keywords in a low voice:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The son of the Creator… King of Angels… Deities…”
She wasn’t too surprised by this, as if she had already made a prediction. However, even if she was a Clairvoyant, she wasn’t able to pry into the “script” composed by Amon’s brother.
After repeating it again, Bernadette fell silent for two to three seconds before sighing to herself, “So that’s the reason…” Klein adjusted his posture and thought.
“Actually, to you, this war is also an opportunity.
“Next, there will be many disasters, including the clashing of powers at the angel level. I believe that you should at least be in control of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. You can stop certain matters from happening at the critical moment. Of course, you have to choose a good time and method.”
Bernadette nodded gently and agreed with what he said. She also tacitly acknowledged that she possessed at least one Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Of course, as the daughter of the protagonist of the previous era, as the child Emperor Roselle doted on the most, it would be unbelievable if her father didn’t leave her one or two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts.
What was more important was that Bernadette was already preparing the ritual needed to advance to Sage. This meant that she definitely had the corresponding Sequence 2 Beyonder characteristic in her hands. To a certain extent, it was equivalent to a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
After tacitly agreeing, Queen Mystic Bernadette’s gentle but emotionless voice changed slightly.
Composite Start
Composite End
“However, I still don’t like war, even though it will give me a chance.
“I once hated him and couldn’t understand him. That’s why I didn’t call him father for many years. It’s because he did too many things against the trend of the times and hurt the innocent. I couldn’t accept my heroic father turning into a crazy tyrant…
“And now, through the answers from the entity behind you and my own investigations, I somewhat understand his situation. I understand that he was suffering from despair, pain, and loneliness. I understand him as a drowning person, only struggling on instinct.”
When Klein heard that, he sighed and felt his emotions in turmoil.
In this world, the only people who understood Huang Tao—Roselle Gustav—the most were probably the two people sitting here.
Of course, this feeling didn’t stop him from sensing that Queen Mystic Bernadette’s condition was a little different today. In the past few times they had met, this king’s daughter had never said so much, nor had she opened her heart so directly. At most, she would play the tune of music, subtly expressing her sadness.
After some thought, Klein pretended not to notice, and he asked, “When did ‘He’ start changing? Do you think there was any prior warning, or something worth paying attention to?”
Queen Mystic Bernadette’s deep blue eyes moved slightly, as though she had sunken into her trove of memories.
After a while, she slowly said, “Not long ago, he proudly said to me, ‘Haven’t you always wanted to know what’s surrounding our moon and other planets? In the future, our journey might be towards the sea of stars.”1
The sea of stars… What’s on the moon and other planets… As Klein pondered over Queen Mystic’s words, he suddenly recalled a key phrase and something.
Composite Start
Composite End
The keyword was:
Cosmos!
That matter was:
Mr. Door had once told Emperor Roselle that once he had the ability, he could take a look at the moon. That would resolve many of his doubts.
The emperor finally went? That hysterical diary page[l] was written after this exploration attempt? He had unknowingly changed his personality, becoming extreme? Klein recalled the corresponding content. Under Queen Mystic Bernadette’s gaze, he deliberated and said, “At your level, you should more or less know that there’s corruption coming from the cosmos.”
Bernadette nodded and didn’t pursue the matter. It was as though she knew that Gehrman Sparrow wasn’t sure either. She knew that only an angel-level demigod could detect and resist the corruption.
After more than ten seconds of silence, the topic was directed towards Klein’s reason for being here.
“One of the reasons for this war is because the Loen King, George III, discovered the nine secret mausoleums left behind by the Blood Emperor, doing so with the intention of switching to the Black Emperor pathway and becoming a Sequence 0. As such, he abolished the Grain Act…”
Klein didn’t care if Queen Mystic knew anything about these matters. He followed his own pace and roughly told her everything without missing out any key matters. Finally, he said, “The Black Emperor does have the ability to revive, but once a new Black Emperor appears, the original entity would perish completely.”
The original entity here referred to Emperor Roselle, who might’ve succeeded before being “assassinated.”
Sometimes, Klein even suspected that Roselle had intentionally given others a chance which resulted in him perishing on the spot. This way, when he revived from the astral world and regained his Uniqueness and absorbed the three Sequence 1 characteristics, he would no longer absorb the characteristics of Knowledge Emperor, Arcane Scholar, and the characteristics of another pathway. He could make himself pure; thus, free from madness.
This was a way to live through death, but the prerequisite was that Roselle’s ritual had succeeded. He had died during or after the ritual, and not before the ritual.
Queen Mystic Bernadette took it all in before slowly saying, “You want to stop George III?”
“Yes.” Klein nodded frankly.
“Why?” Bernadette pressed in an unperturbed tone.
The corners of Klein’s mouth curled up as he smiled.
“Some ridiculous reasons that aren’t worth mentioning.”
Bernadette’s gaze landed on his face for a moment before she said, “That’s enough. I’m also doing such things for something that has slim chances, one that’s almost impossible to happen.
“We can cooperate on stopping George III.”
We’re all “ridiculous” people… Klein sighed and said, “I’ll give you the method to summon my messenger.” “Alright.” Bernadette reached out her right hand and lightly tapped the table.
The fountain pen that was originally placed diagonally in front of her suddenly jumped up, as if it was held by an invisible elf before writing fluidly on the paper.
“This is the method needed for summoning my messenger,” said Bernadette calmly.
Chapter 1093 The Angels of The Fool
Queen Mystic’s powers are all very fantastical—no, fairytale-like… Klein glanced at the fountain pen that was writing on its own. He took out a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote the incantation to summon his messenger. He also indicated that each letter delivery needed the payment of a gold coin.
Right on the heels of that, he handed the piece of paper to Bernadette and took the other party’s piece of paper. He quickly scanned through it.
“An invisible creature that roams the upper realms, a strange spiritual body that is friendly to humans, a messenger that belongs solely to Bernadette Gustav…”
There’s a certain difference between this and a standard incantation, but it’s essentially the same… Hmm, Queen Mystic must’ve deliberately changed it to this to prevent others from trying out the summoning incantation and using the connection between the messenger and the contractor to lock onto her… For me, it doesn’t matter. My messenger is an angel. Only “She” can threaten others, and no one can threaten “Her.” Even if “She” were to meet Zaratul, “She” should have the ability to protect “Herself and escape… Klein mumbled inwardly and shook the piece of paper, igniting a scarlet red flame.
As she looked at the piece of paper turning into dark ashes amidst the flames, Queen Mystic Bernadette said without emotion, “What are your thoughts regarding the preventing of George Ill’s matter?”
Having already made some considerations, Klein deliberately spoke slowly, “First, don’t be rash. Don’t take risks that we can’t bear. Don’t hurt the innocent.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If not for the fact that Queen Mystic Bernadette had mentioned earlier that she hated wars and hated harming the innocent, Klein wouldn’t have said so directly to prevent exposing his weaknesses. He would’ve used a milder and more roundabout method to achieve his goal.
Upon hearing this, Bernadette nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
“Then, there are only three possibilities. One is to destroy the ritual at the critical moment and let George Ill’s advancement fail. The second is to attempt an assassination in advance so that ‘He’ won’t be able to hold the ritual.” Klein deliberately didn’t give his third idea as he first analyzed the viability of the first two possibilities. “Assassination has an extremely slim chance of success. George III, or should I say, the one who will become Black Emperor should be a Sequence 1, so it’s not someone we can deal with.
“Even if ‘He1 has yet to advance to Sequence 1, he will definitely have acted ahead of time. Once ‘He* completes the preparations for the ritual and consumes the potion, ‘He’ will be able to quickly digest it and build a foundation for the future.
“Of course, even if this situation has a very slim chance of happening, that person must be at least at the Sequence 2 level. Furthermore, the Augustus family definitely has no lack of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts. Together with the protection bestowed to ‘Him,’ it’s impossible for us to succeed.”
Here, he changed the way he addressed George III from ‘him’ to “Him.”
After calmly listening to everything, Bernadette seemed to do an assessment.
“As long as we can create a good opportunity, a Sequence 2 can also be assassinated, but at least one of us will die, or perhaps both of us.”
What she meant was that the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact she wielded was sufficiently powerful, magical, and terrifying. However, if she wanted to fully utilize it, the price paid would be very high.
Composite Start
Composite End
In that case, there really is a chance. That’s because I lied just now. If I really had to give it my all, I could still find Will Auceptin, Pallez Zoroast, and Miss Messenger to help me. I can let “Them” use the Yesterday Once More charm to recover “Their” normal states for a short period of time. The problem is that I don’t know how much of a price needs to be paid, or what kind of effects it would have on the situation. I also need to consider if it would end up involving Kings of Angels like Ouroboros and Amon…
It would be great if Mr. Azik woke up. With four angels and Queen Mystic’s Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, as long as we create an opportunity, we can even place our sights on a Sequence 1. Of course, the chances of failure are extremely high, since there’s no way to sustain it for long… Klein’s heart was stirred when he heard that, but he didn’t discuss it further.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to be honest during the cooperation effort, nor was it that he didn’t trust Queen Mystic. Instead, Will Auceptin and Pallez Zoroast were being pursued, so once “Their” whereabouts were exposed, it was very likely that it would lead to “Their” deaths. This was something that Klein absolutely didn’t want to see happen.
He vaguely said, “If assassination attempt is the only solution left, I can invite at least two angels to help.”
This was referring to Death Consul Azik Eggers and Snake of Fate Will Auceptin who Bernadette already knew of. She could guess the latter through the drop of Mythical Creature’s blood.
Bernadette was extremely surprised.
“This is that entity’s will?”
Without the consent of The Fool, how could “His” Blessed seek the help of an angel?
“‘He’ has tacitly agreed to it,” Klein spoke the absolute truth.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Queen Mystic’s blue eyes turned darker. She didn’t say another word and only nodded slowly.
As for Klein, he brought the topic back on track.
The destruction of the ritual might be relatively simple, but it has to be done at the most critical moment. Otherwise, it will only be delaying George Ill’s apotheosis. ‘He’ has already received the tacit consent of the deities, so ‘He’ isn’t concerned about that. Even if the mausoleum is destroyed, it wouldn’t take long for ‘Him’ to rebuild it.
“And it being destroyed at the critical moment will cause ‘Him’ to fail at the advancement and lose control to become a monster. No deity would allow such a creature to roam the world freely. A deity’s descent will definitely happen to kill it off. The problem is that, with a King of Angels’s reminder and help, George III won’t take it lightly. ‘He’ will definitely arrange for the most secure protective measures. The difficulty might only be lower than directly killing ‘Him.’
“This requires us to gather intelligence as soon as possible and find an incisive angle to be used.
“And be it the first line of thought or the second line of thought, it’s best that you advance to Sequence 2 in advance and become a Sage.”
Bernadette nodded slightly to show that she understood.
She then said, “What about the third line of thought?”
Klein was silent for a few seconds before saying, “If the ritual was successful back then and the emperor had already advanced to Sequence 0, then ‘He’ would still have a chance to revive. As long as we could find the arrangements left behind by the emperor before George Ill’s apotheosis and allow ‘Him’ to return, the plot of George III will fail.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t use the word “him” to refer to Roselle as Bernadette did, to avoid exposing his identity.
Queen Mystic’s eyes clearly flickered before they turned dark and reserved.
She opened her mouth slightly and said, “I’ll hand over selected diary entries to Cattleya.”
Klein didn’t discuss the matter deeply. Instead, he smiled and said, “Actually, there’s still a fourth line of thought.”
Bernadette’s eyebrows twitched as she expressed her doubts.Read more chapter on our vipnovel.com
“That’s to do nothing. Let George III hold the ritual and attempt to become a god while we wait for ‘Him’ to fail.” Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh. “The higher the Sequence is, the greater the chance of failure.”
This was actually the truth. Even if there was the “script” written by Amon’s brother with the road to success completely paved, and even if George III had perfectly digested the previous potions, the odds of “Him” successfully advancing to become a god didn’t exceed fifty percent.
Of course, what Klein said was just a self-deprecating remark.
Queen Mystic didn’t immediately respond. She looked seriously at Gehrman Sparrow for a few seconds before saying, “The feeling you give off to me now is different from the previous few meetings.”
“I’m taking advice from my psychiatrist.” Klein smiled, describing himself as a very serious mental patient.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without another word, Bernadette retracted her gaze and looked at the fountain pen lying on the table.
“Then, let’s gather the corresponding information and maintain communication through letters.”
At this point, she paused for a moment before speaking again. Her gaze remained unchanged.
“Actually, I’m wondering if he might’ve already been resurrected. It’s just that he’s still finding his past self… I’m not sure what details the Black Emperor’s resurrection entails. I wonder if he really chose to be the Black Emperor in the end…”
Bernadette’s voice gradually became ethereal and carried an indescribable feeling.
As Klein listened, he suddenly understood what Queen Mystic was thinking or expecting.
She suspected that The Fool was the resurrected Roselle, suspecting that the emperor had fooled every one in the past. In fact, he had never thought of switching to the Black Emperor pathway. Instead, he had chosen another path. As such, he needed to find himself by seeking out his past diary pages and Cards of Blasphemy.
Unfortunately, I’m just Uncle Zhou from next door… Klein originally wanted to say something cheeky, but his emotions gradually turned staid, making it difficult for him to force himself to relax.
Without saying anything, he stood up, bowed, put on his hat, and left the room.
After closing the door to the Golden Theater room and taking two steps forward, he suddenly heard a tranquil and melodious tune.
This melody was ethereal and carried with it a faint sense of melancholy.
After pausing for a few seconds, Klein turned towards the hall and left with Flaming Jump.
City of Silver, a team gathered at the city gate and was about to set off.
This was the team that was headed for Afternoon Town to prepare the exploration of the Giant King’s Court.
Derrick Berg was standing in the middle and was the second shortest person. In his hand was a bronze cross with sharp spikes.
To his sides were Joshua and Haim. They were prepared to receive the Unshadowed Crucifix at any time to prevent Derrick’s Beyonder characteristic from being purged.
This Sealed Artifact required three people to take turns to resist the negative effects.
As he looked down at the Creator’s relic, he suddenly felt someone looking at him. He subconsciously looked up and saw that it was a member of the six-member council, Shepherd Elder Lovia.
The woman, who was shortest in the group, had long silver and slightly curled hair. She was looking at the ancient, mottled Unshadowed Crucifix with her pale gray eyes. Her gaze seemed to be blazing hot.
Upon sensing Derrick’s gaze, this Shepherd Elder’s lips twitched, revealing an indescribable smile.
“This is the Lord’s item.”
For some reason, Derrick shivered. Then, he heard the Chief, Colin Iliad, say, “Let’s set off.”
Chapter 1094 Breakthrough Poin
In a small alley in the Backlund Bridge area, Xio once again met the MI9 staff responsible for contacting her.
“This is your reward from exchanging your merit points. A total of 2,500 pounds. Heh heh, I helped you get another 500 pounds.” The golden-masked man threw a bulging envelope at Xio.
Xio caught it accurately and didn’t count. She instinctively pressed down and sincerely said, “Thank you.”
The golden-masked man waved his hand and said, “There’s no need to thank me. This is also a good thing for me. If you continue to harp on past matters without letting go, I’m very worried that I’ll go to military court one day.
“Are you still going to stay in Backlund?”
“Yes, I’m already used to living in a big city. When the war stops, I’ll bring my family here,” Xio said, having already made up her mind.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Wait for the war to stop…” The golden-masked man repeated Xio’s words with a slightly odd tone. He smiled and said, “May the Lord bless us to live until the end of the war.”
Here, the “Lord” referred to the Lord of Storms.
“I believe in the Goddess,” Xio replied seriously.
“You understand what I mean.” The golden-masked man waved his hand and said, “Are you still planning to take on missions from MI9?”
“I won’t reject an opportunity to earn money,” Xio scratched her slightly coarse hair and said half-truths.
“Yes.” The golden-masked man nodded and said, “The main thing to take note of during the war is to deal with spies from all over the world. If there’s a suitable mission for you, I’ll look for you.”
“Alright,” Xio replied without staying any longer. She cautiously and carefully retreated out of the dark alley.
After watching her figure disappear, the golden-masked man looked at the shadow in the corner and said, “She was likely used by some particular faction. She was abandoned after she stopped investigating the matter.”
In the shadows in the corner, a deep voice sounded:
Composite Start
Composite End
“On the surface, it looks like that, but there’s no need to pursue or worry about the truth. Even if she can figure out the truth and spread it, it will not affect His Majesty’s matters. Heh heh, the Church of Evernight has already tacitly agreed.”
“That’s for the best…” The golden-masked man silently exhaled.
After returning to her residence at the edge of East Borough, Xio said to Fors, who was sitting by the bed and reading the newspapers, “I received 2,500 pounds.”
Fors put down the newspaper, her eyes moving slightly as she focused on making calculations.
“That’s enough.”
Xio had savings of more than 600 pounds, and with the 2,500 pounds, other than her necessary expenses, she had 3100 pounds to spend freely.
And her purchase of the Judge potion formula was 2000 pounds, and the Beyonder characteristic was 3,500 pounds. In other words, she was still short of 2,400 pounds, something that Fors could lend her.
After borrowing this sum of money, Fors’s savings would be reduced to 780 pounds. However, this didn’t affect her at all. She had the subsequent potion formula and main ingredients, so she didn’t have many expenditures for a long period of time into the future. Occasionally, she could even earn a little from renting out Leymano’s Travels.
Yes.” Xio nodded. “I’ll complete the transaction as soon as possible and strive to advance to Sequence 6 as soon as possible.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing that her friend’s matter was settled, Fors turned to worry about herself.
“I don’t know when my Scribe potion will be completely digested. Now that the war has broken out, it will be much safer with the ability to ‘Travel.'”
“The crux of a Scribe is definitely ‘Recording.’ When I become a Judge, you’ll have new Beyonder powers to repeatedly ‘Record.’ This should be able to speed up the digestion of the potion.” Xio pulled a chair over and sat down.
Fors sighed.
“I suspect that, other than the ‘Recording’ of Beyonder powers, I need to ‘Record’ down the sights and customs of different places. Only then can it be matched with the subsequent Traveler Sequence. But with war having broken out now, it’s fine if I go further inland, but it will be difficult and dangerous if I go somewhere else. Sigh, the price of bread is rising. The price of one pound of bread has risen by a farthing. It’s even more expensive than before the Grain Act was abolished!”
“Indeed.” Xio thought seriously and agreed with Fors’s conclusion.
The two fell silent. After about ten seconds, Xio suddenly had an idea.
“Actually, there’s a very simple solution.”
“What?” Fors sat up slightly and asked.
Composite Start
Composite End
“You can spend money to hire that person to take you ‘Traveling.'” Xio was very careful not to mention specific code names and actual names. “You can be thrown somewhere unfamiliar each time for three to four days, or even a week.
Then, you wouldn’t take long to ‘Record’ all kinds of customs and traditions. Besides, you can rent some mystical items from him—from them—to ‘Record’ Beyonder powers. This can both improve your strength and help your digestion.”
“That’s right!” Fors’s eyes lit up when she heard that.
Only then did she realize that her usage of the Tarot Gathering was very superficial.
After the pleasant surprise, Fors gradually frowned. This method meant that she had to frequently deal with The World Gehrman Sparrow, and the thought of the crazy adventurer left her trembling.
Indeed, there’s nothing that doesn’t require a price… To digest the potion, I can only take the risk… Finally, Fors made up her mind to make the request next week at the Tarot Gathering.
In an apartment several streets away from where Xio and Fors stayed.
After returning from the Srenzo Restaurant, Klein was sitting in front of a table. He quickly flipped through today’s newspaper and summarized the important information he had received:
The Feysac Empire’s Sonia Sea fleet has retreated from Pritz Harbor, their whereabouts are unknown…
The Ministry of Defense, Admiral Amyrius, has indicated that he will strengthen the coastal defenses and allow the three ironclad warship fleet to not return too hastily, and will take detours to avoid being ambushed…
Composite Start
Composite End
Feysac’s two-headed giant army invaded the Winter County’s Amantha mountain range and suffered intense resistance. They failed to pass through the few strongholds…
Feysac’s Subjugation Fleet attacked Constant and other large-scale industrial cities along the Midseashire’s eastern coast. There was a large-scale sea battle with the kingdom’s Midseashire Fleet. Both sides suffered losses…
East Balam’s Feysac and the Loen colonial armies are fighting in multiple locations…
The rest of the countries have yet to make their stance clear. In the corresponding capitals, the ambassadors are running around to contact each other to have emergency diplomatic meetings… The electrical transmission waves contain all kinds of important news and are intertwining with each other in the different cities of the Northern and Southern continents…
We are still in the early stages of the war… Klein didn’t believe that the diplomats were able to avert the war. He put down the newspaper and thought about how he could gather information regarding George Ill’s Black Emperor ritual.
According to normal logic, before Blood Emperor Alista went crazy, “He” did things in a reasonable manner. That is to say, “He” couldn’t build all nine mausoleums in the same hidden area; this would’ve been easy for others to wipe them out all at once, causing “His” resurrection to fail.
Therefore, in the surrounding areas of Backlund, in other parts of the kingdom, there should be eight other mausoleums that are similar. They haven’t been exposed yet, so they might not be as heavily guarded as Ruins No. 1. This might give us an opportunity…
Perhaps the Red Angel evil spirit might know something, but I can’t contact “Him” now. Ignoring the question of whether chanting “His” honorific name will be dangerous, just this act alone will expose my intention to prevent George III from becoming the Black Emperor. To a terrifying Conspirer, there are too many points that can be exploited.
Queen Mystic might have some channels and clues, but I can’t just rely on her… At the moment, the Church doesn’t know how many of the Blood Emperor’s secret ruins there are, or where they are…
Attacking a key figure beside the king, such as a demigod from the royal family who is deeply involved in this matter? They must be on their guard. Furthermore, the angel of the Augustus family and that ancient secret organization would most likely be watching everything, one in the open, and one in the dark… In addition, as long as the royal family’s demigod ends up in an accident, George III would definitely guess that someone is trying to stop “Him” from becoming a god…
Yes, Demoness of White Katarina will be easier to deal with than the demigods of the royal family. It would attract much less attention…
Hmm, theoretically speaking, George III, who has been tacitly accepted by the few major Churches, no longer needs to work with the Demoness Sect. Not that there is a need for that. If not for some particular reason, the two sides would’ve been completely tied together in this matter. The first thing “He” needs to do now is to cut off ties with the Demoness Sect.
Of course, “He” would most likely not betray the Demoness Sect directly. On the one hand, the Demonesses are also adept at ploys, so they wouldn’t be unwary. On the other hand, if they anger the upper echelons of the Demoness Sect, George Ill’s Black Emperor ritual might not be that safe. This is a secret organization with a true deity, Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, and angels.
As long as George III is still rational, the correct method is to follow the agreement and give everything that needs to be given. Then, “He” will send the members of the Demoness Sect away. During this process, “He” will use the help of angels from the mind domain or even a King of Angels to erase the key memories of the Demon Sect participating in the matter.
If that’s the case, even if Demoness of White Katarina goes missing for some time, it wouldn’t alert George III. “He” might not even know.
And from the perspective of the Demoness Sect, the matter has come to an end. The various Churches have also tacitly agreed to it. They no longer need to hide like they did in the past and can move about freely. This gives me and Queen Mystic a chance.
Yes, Vice Admiral Ailment will likely appear again. From her appearance and the attitude of Demoness of White from back then, it can be determined that she and Katarina are related by blood…
With this in mind, Klein heaved a sigh of relief. He cast his gaze out the window and silently muttered, I hope Anderson and Danitz can find that pirate admiral as soon as possible…
I hope that the City of Miracles in Groselle’s Travels can effectively destroy the influence of the mind domain…
And all he could do now was to wait patiently.
Berserk Sea, Theros Island.
Danitz said to Anderson in delight, “I just learned that the southwest region of this place isn’t a normal sea route. There’s an island with no resources but is hidden enough.”
Chapter 1095 Acting as Himself
“You suspect that Vice Admiral Ailment’s fleet is hidden there?” Anderson asked in thought when he heard Danitz’s words.
Danitz replied in excitement, “It’s very likely! Didn’t the Black Death vanish after steering towards the west and after leaving Theros Island?”
Anderson curled his lips and chuckled.
“If Vice Admiral Ailment’s whereabouts were so easily discovered by you, why would she need to hide?
“How can islands that you can find out about be considered hidden enough?”
“Hey! What do you mean by that?” Danitz felt like he had been mocked.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Anderson shrugged.
“I don’t mean anything. I’m just using my brain to analyze it.
“That island should exist, but it either belongs to the type that many people here know about, or it’s intel that someone deliberately released.
“If it’s the former, Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy’s fleet definitely wouldn’t be hiding there. If it’s the latter, that would be interesting. Who would release this intel?”
Danitz was still a little angry at first, but later, he began analyzing Anderson’s line of thought.
“A trap set up by some pirates or adventurers? However, an island without any resources isn’t enough to lure others into exploring it.
“Vice Admiral Ailment herself? To figure out who’s investigating her whereabouts?”
Anderson smiled.
“That’s right. After my teachings, you’ve improved quite a bit. Otherwise, I suspect that even if you drink the Conspirer potion, you wouldn’t be able to enhance your brain. You’ll only mutate and turn your enemy stupid, bringing him down to a level at which you’re familiar with, and then defeat him with experience.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I didn’t say that. It was Emperor Roselle.”
After this period of searching, Anderson had already helped Danitz obtain one of the main ingredients of the Conspirer potion and nearly all the supplementary ingredients. He was just one step away from success.
“I suspect that you have such an ability…” Danitz muttered softly in response.
Anderson ignored him and continued, “If Vice Admiral Ailment got someone to release the news herself, the secret island must be a trap. Perhaps there’s nothing other than a mirror that monitors the ships and humans that approach the island. Or perhaps it might be an important gathering base of the Demoness Sect that Gehrman Sparrow mentioned.”
“Then what should we do next?” Danitz subconsciously asked.
Anderson chuckled when he heard that.
“You can’t even figure out such a simple matter?
“Naturally, we’ll seek out the person you heard this intel from. After finding the source of his information, we can trace it back, and we’ll eventually find something.”
That’s right… Danitz wanted to nod in agreement, but the words that reached his mouth turned into a “heh.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Nearing dawn, on the second floor of a casino.
Bartz, with his brown hair, yawned and walked into his room.
Before he could use the moonlight outside the window to light the candle, he suddenly saw a bright white flame light up in front of him, momentarily blinding him.
Bartz’s heart tightened as he pounced to the side and rolled.
After rolling twice, he suddenly stopped his actions, as though he had been petrified.
This was because there was a bone-chilling coldness and a slight pain around his neck. This made him have no doubt that if he proceeded any further, blood would definitely spray onto the roof.
“What do you want?” At that moment, Bartz’s vision had recovered. He saw a blond man with one hand in his pocket and a black short sword in the other. Beside him was a man wearing a black cloak that covered half of his face with a hood.
Danitz didn’t answer Bartz’s question as he looked at Anderson in surprise.
“Why didn’t you disguise yourself?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“If you disguise yourself, how can you let others know who to hate?” Anderson replied with a nonchalant look.
Danitz exhaled. “Thankfully, I haven’t been infected by this crappy habit of yours.”
“It’s fine,” Anderson said with a smile. “Any random person on the island can know who I’ve been hanging out with.” “Dogsh*t!” Danitz cursed.
Bartz, who had Anderson’s sword at his neck, didn’t dare to move. All he could do was listen quietly. He felt as though he had returned to Trier and was watching a comical scene.
What are the two of them here for…? The intelligence peddler was deeply puzzled.
At that moment, Anderson retracted his gaze and looked down at Bartz.
“Who told you about the secret island to the southwest that deviates from the main sea route?”
Bartz suddenly came to a realization as he looked at Danitz.
“It’s you!”
In the past few days, this information had only been sold to one person!
Composite Start
Composite End
…I was recognized so quickly? Danitz was momentarily at a loss as to how to respond.
Anderson slightly lowered the pitch-black short sword in his hand, making the stabbing pain even more obvious. “Please respect the order of what is to come and follow.”
Bartz immediately felt as though his life was rapidly slipping away. He hurriedly replied, “I-it was Vice Admiral Ailment!”
“When did she tell you? Why did she tell you?” Anderson asked without any surprise.
“The night before the Black Death left Theros Island,” Bartz replied quickly, afraid that he would die from excessive blood loss. “I didn’t ask her why. Back then, I was only focused on admiring her beauty. She lives up to being the infamous Ailment Maiden of the Five Seas…”
Even after a long time, Bartz couldn’t hide his admiration of her, even when he recalled her while being in extreme danger.
“Is this the charm of a Demoness?” Anderson muttered to himself before asking, “Do you have a way to contact her?”
“No.” Bartz quickly shook his head and said, “She told me to take note of everyone who asked about her whereabouts. I’ll tell her when she returns to Theros Island. And if anyone leaves the port after obtaining the information on that secret island, they shall be left alone to leave freely.”
“Is that so… Very reasonable.” Anderson nodded and withdrew the short pitch-black sword. “Is there a trap?”
“I don’t know either,” Bartz replied frankly.
Anderson didn’t say a word as he searched for the money on Bartz’s person and in the room. Then, he pointed at the intelligence peddler with his short sword.
“I wanted to kill you, but no one will hate me if that’s the case.
“Live well, curse me a few more times every day.”
He then turned around, walked to Danitz’s side, and jumped down the window with him, disappearing into the dark, unlit night.
Bartz touched his bleeding neck and stood up in fear. He ran to the window and confirmed that the two of them had disappeared.
Thankfully, I met a guy with mental problems. If not, I would be dead today… He closed the window and locked the wooden door. After carefully inspecting the room, he finally sat down and gulped down half a bottle of Lanti Proof.
In his tipsy state, Bartz collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
Time ticked by slowly until it was three in the morning.
Suddenly, Bartz flipped over and sat up. His eyes were bright and spirited, and he didn’t even feel the slightest bit drunk.
He found a dagger and pried open a wooden floor in the room. He took out a thumb-sized ball of paper.
After the white paper unfolded layer by layer, there was a sticky black object in the middle.
After taking a quarter of the blob, Bartz walked to the mirror in the room and was about to smear it.
At this moment, he saw two figures reflected in the mirror. One of them was wearing a white shirt and a black vest with one of his hands in his pocket and the other carrying a short sword. The other wore a black cloak that didn’t reveal his face.
Just as Bartz’s pupils dilated, Danitz punched the back of his head, causing him to faint.
And his final memory was a voice with a smiling tone.
“He really didn’t disappoint.”
After dealing with Bartz, Danitz bent down to pick up the sticky substance that had fallen to the ground. He chuckled and said, “This fellow actually believed you. He believed that you didn’t kill him because you wanted him to hate you.”
The conversation he had with Anderson was actually a rehearsed play. It was to make it reasonable for Anderson to let Bartz go without being suspected.
“This means that you acted sufficiently well,” Anderson said with a smile. “It’s truly different when you’re acting as yourself.”
“Dogsh*t!” Danitz cursed without any qualms.
He then sighed.
“I didn’t expect him to be so patient. He waited past midnight before he took action. But we were more patient.”
“If a hunter wants to capture his prey, he has to be patient. Sometimes, he can wait a few days,” Anderson replied.
To the two of them, there was actually nothing they could do. Be it a Hunter and Provoker, or Pyromaniac and Reaper, none of them were good at mediumship, much less having the ability to hypnotize others. In order to obtain information, other than interrogating and threatening others, they had to work hard on “scheming.”
This is very reasonable, but in the future, it will be done with the words I use to school others… Danitz looked at the black sticky blob in his hand and said, “It seems like it should be applied on the surface of the mirror… before contacting Vice Admiral Ailment?”
“That should be the case. However, what’s the point even if we contact her? Are we going to ask her out on a date to join us for breakfast at Theros Island?” Anderson mocked.
Danitz knew that he and Anderson were unable to influence the person in the mirror. All he instinctively wanted to do was to do something more, so as to better complete the task that Gehrman Sparrow assigned him.
He frowned slightly and said, “Then what should we do next?”
“Of course it’s to contact Gehrman Sparrow. Let him handle the aftermath. This fellow is very mysterious in every aspect, so he should have a way to resolve it,” Anderson said with a tsk. “Besides, the mission he gave us is to seek out Vice Admiral Ailment’s whereabouts. And there are results already now.”
Danitz acknowledged and began taking out the candles and other items for the ritual.
“What are you doing?” Anderson asked with an odd expression.
Danitz set up the altar without looking back.
“Summoning Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger.”
Anderson fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll go out for a smoke first.”
Chapter 1096 Cooperation
At just past six in the morning, the entirety of Backlund remained dark. It was very quiet, with most areas being illuminated only by the street lamps.
Wearing his pajamas, Klein sat on the bed and looked at Miss Messenger who was carrying four heads. He rubbed his temples and asked helplessly, “Who sent the letter?”
Why couldn’t he have a good night’s rest?
The three heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hands replied one by one, “That…” “Particular…” “Brainless…”
“Servant…” “Of…” “Yours…”
Danitz… He prayed in the middle of the night in the past, and now he’s sending letters in the morning… Klein took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Following that, he received the letter from Miss Messenger.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When he opened it, his expression gradually turned solemn. This was because Danitz’s and Anderson’s discovery of Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy’s location was extremely untimely.
According to Klein’s deductions, it wouldn’t take long for the pirate admiral and Demoness of White Katarina to regain their “freedom.” They wouldn’t be hiding much, making it easier to find them. Now that they had dealt with the intelligence peddler, Bartz, and obtained the items to contact Tracy from him, the greatest possibility was that they had frightened the target and made her continue hiding.
Of course, Klein could seek the help of Queen Mystic Bernadette to find a way to lock onto Vice Admiral Ailment through the mirror. However, the problem was that he suspected that the target’s hiding place was an important stronghold of the Demoness Sect. It might even be the headquarters where there were Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts. This way, even if he had confirmed the whereabouts of Tracy, he wouldn’t dare to “Teleport” over to capture her. Hence, any contact would alert the pirate admiral.
And if he didn’t take the opportunity to contact her, regardless of whether Bartz was dead or alive, the news would spread after daybreak. Similarly, Tracy would be on guard.
Seriously… However, this is also because Anderson and Danitz don’t know the truth. They don’t know the changes in the situation of the Loen Kingdom… After some thought, he said to Miss Messenger who was waiting by the side, “Wait for me. I’ll write a reply.”
He had originally planned to “Teleport” over directly to decide what to do next, but after some consideration, he still chose to write a letter.
Although he believed that Zaratul wouldn’t waste time on an obvious “bait” like Danitz, he still felt that he had to be more careful. If Zaratul didn’t do so, it didn’t mean that the members of the Secret Order under “Him” would do the same. Such a huge secret organization definitely had a few demigods at the saint level. Once he got entangled by the other party, it would be a huge problem.
“Alright.” The head carried by Reinette Tinekerr that had failed to speak previously rushed to answer first.
Klein got out of bed, walked out of the bedroom, and came to the room outside. He took out a pen and paper and wrote fluidly:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Think of a way to make Bartz faint until dawn.
Then, leave his room immediately and stay far away. There is a great danger lurking there.
“Monitor Bartz again when daybreak arrives, but don’t alarm him.”
The so-called danger was a half-truth, and his main goal was to get Anderson and Danitz to leave the scene, so as to draw away any possible spying.
Putting down the pen and looking through it again, he folded the letter and handed it to his messenger, Reinette Tinekerr, who had followed him out.
At 3:10 a.m. in the Berserk Sea, Theros Island, Bartz’s room.
Danitz had just finished clearing the altar and wiping away the traces when he saw the terrifying messenger with four heads return.
Gehrman Sparrow actually didn’t come… Danitz reached out to receive the letter in surprise, then he took out a gold coin for the messenger.
After the figure with four heads and dark, complicated long dress disappeared into the void, he opened the letter and quickly read through it.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
T-there’s danger! Danitz’s pupils dilated as he rushed towards the door as if he had been burned in the ass.
After leaving the room, he said to Anderson, who was standing in the corridor with his back against the wall with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, “Quick, let’s go. It’s very dangerous here!”
“…Did Gehrman Sparrow say that?” Anderson was taken aback as he asked thoughtfully.
“Yes, how do you know? Couldn’t it be that I discovered something?” Danitz replied instinctively.
“You? Heh.” Anderson chuckled and asked rather relaxed, “What else did he say?”
“Aren’t you nervous? Gehrman Sparrow is very reliable on such matters.” Danitz’s focus was completely off.
Anderson fell silent for a moment before saying, “His messenger is more reliable. At least, within the few minutes of his messenger’s return trip, there won’t be any danger here.”
If there really was any “danger” lurking here, they would silently shrink back when they saw the messenger.
Danitz originally wanted to reply that it may seem so in terms of her image, but for some reason, he instinctively gave up on that sentence.
Composite Start
Composite End
He switched to saying, “Gehrman Sparrow also said to let Bartz pass out until dawn so that we can monitor him again when the sun rises without exposing ourselves.”
Anderson frowned. “What does he want to do? There won’t be any latent dangers anymore once the sun rises?”
Without waiting for Danitz to respond, the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea turned around and entered the room. He took out a small metal bottle he carried with him and pulled out the stopper. He placed it at the tip of Bartz’s nose and moved it back and forth.
“It’s done. Let’s go.” Anderson didn’t hide his curiosity as he surveyed the area before leading Danitz out of Bartz’s room and walked far into the distance.
Backlund, Empress Borough, Inside the Hall family’s luxurious mansion.
At 7:25 a.m., Audrey suddenly woke up from her dream.
She dreamed of the boundless gray fog and dreamed of The World Gehrman Sparrow asking her to help hypnotize someone, making the target forget everything that had happened in the past six hours, as well as all the people who asked about a particular secret island.
This is something that can be used as contributions needed for the Manipulator potion formula and Beyonder characteristic… Also, Mr. World said that he would donate 7,000 pounds for the war efforts… Audrey got off the bed very lightly and put a teal cloak over her white nightgown.
Following that, she followed Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions and set up a ritual, praying for Mr. Fool’s bestowment.
The illusory door quickly took shape and opened, sending three items flying out and landing on the altar.Read more chapter on our vipnovel.com
Composite Start
Composite End
One of them was a thin human-skinned glove, the other was the “instruction manual” on a piece of paper, and the other was a neat stack of cash that wasn’t tied up.
This is Creeping Hunger? Audrey scrutinized the altar and thanked Mr. Fool.
Then, she put on the glove and, according to the “instruction manual,” activated the spirit of the Traveler.
When the glove turned transparent, the twelve sacred angels with fiery wings suddenly appeared in front of her.
This is the Angel’s Embrace that Mr. World has requested? Its effect is to interfere with divination and prophecy powers at the scene, so as to ensure that my identity won’t be exposed? Audrey’s eyes darted around as she changed the Lie accessory which she had already prepared into a silver mask, and she wore it on her face.
Following that, she followed the coordinates given by The World Gehrman Sparrow and began the “Teleportation” step.
During this process, the strange scenery of the spirit world and all kinds of strange creatures left a deep impression on her. However, before she could carefully observe them, she arrived at her destination. She saw that the colors were saturated, and the stacked scenes rapidly faded away, becoming normal. It was still late at night outside.
It feels like I’ve recovered my feelings and mood from when I first entered the mysterious world… Audrey analyzed her mental state and focused her attention on the target lying on the floor in the room she was in.
It was an unconscious man. The door to his Body of Heart and Mind was rather weak, meaning that he was someone who could easily be charmed, even if it didn’t involve Beyonder powers.
Hypnotizing such a target wasn’t difficult for Audrey. However, in order to digest the potion, she decided to use dreams to help with the “Hypnosis.”
The unconscious Bartz had a dream. He dreamed of a blurry female figure. In his dream, he believed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, a perfect state that Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy could achieve.
Bartz wildly chased her as he ran back and forth in the wilderness, hills, and mountains. However, he couldn’t catch up to her, as though he had left behind something very important.
After an unknown period of time, he woke up from exhaustion and slowly recalled what had happened last night. He was in a bad mood because of him losing money. He had fallen drunk after drinking only half a bottle of Lanti Proof. Up to now, his temples were still throbbing in pain.
I even knocked the back of my head… Bartz rubbed the swollen area and lumbered back to the bed. He fell into it and continued sleeping.
And for Audrey who had completed a milder form of hypnosis with the Dreamwalker’s powers, she had long followed The World Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions and restored the scene completely, leaving nothing suspicious behind.
This was the ability of a senior Spectator.
Then, she “Teleported” back to Backlund and sacrificed Creeping Hunger to Mr. Fool.
The entire process didn’t cause much of a stir. The Church of Evernight Beyonders in charge of protecting the Hall family were completely unaware.
After dealing with all kinds of traces, Audrey pulled a bell and let the maidservants waiting outside enter.
Her personal maidservant, Annie, gestured for the other maidservants to get busy as she said to Audrey, “Miss, there’s a piece of news from the bursary foundation.”
“What news?” Audrey interpreted the shock, confusion, disbelief, joy, and curiosity in Annie’s tone.
Annie replied quickly, “That Miss Eudora who needed to have her leg amputated has completely recovered. It’s as though she was never injured. This… this is a medical miracle!”
Audrey was similarly stunned. She had some guesses, but she didn’t dare to confirm them. She lacked sufficient clues and evidence.
“Also, all the patients with serious medical conditions have fully recovered!” At this point, Annie couldn’t control herself. She lowered her voice and said, “I heard that there was a ghost wandering around. Half of its face had mushrooms growing all over, and the other half was covered in weeds. It ate illnesses, trauma, and grief. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s scary.”
“Mushroom… Weeds…” Audrey repeated the two words, momentarily at a loss.
Chapter 1097 Different Conundrum
Seeing that her mistress was clearly interested in ghost tales, Annie glanced at the other maids who were preparing hot water, combs, and other items. She continued, “The doctors and nurses wished to invite the Church’s bishop to host a Mass, but the remaining patients strongly objected to it. They look forward to meeting that ghost. They all call it ‘the Clown Angel.’ They say that its terrifying appearance resembles a specially dressed clown, but in actual fact, it’s an angel who can resolve pain and torment.”
“This title is very interesting…” Audrey said with a faint smile.
If it were in the past, she would definitely be very interested in this, perhaps eager to make a trip to the hospital via Dream Traversal to figure out what was going on with the so-called “Clown Angel.” However, the sudden eruption of the war made her feel rather depressed. She felt that there were too many important things that she needed to do, so she wasn’t in the mood to probe further.
In fact, if she hadn’t experienced the air raid herself and seen those who were injured because of it, she would definitely feel like a war had never happened over the past few days and that Backlund was still very peaceful.
This was because, after that air raid, the airship fleet of the Loen Kingdom had been roped into the war effort. The air defenses of the coastal city’s had all been raised, and Backlund didn’t suffer another attack again. Currently, the battle between Feysac and Loen was mainly focused in three places—the Winter County’s Amantha mountain range, the heavy industry metropolitan area along the Midseashire’s east coast, and the few harbors along the Sonia Sea coast. Furthermore, they were in a deadlock with no side gaining an advantage over the other. Even if there were casualties, it didn’t have any material impact on Backlund. Other than the rise in prices with several editorial pieces in the newspapers, this city seemed to restore its peace in a few short days.
However, Audrey didn’t think so. Her father and brother have been busy with work recently, often returning late at night or convening a private gathering with a group of nobles, Members of Parliament, and clergymen. Through the other charity organizations in the Church of Evernight, she learned of the exact number of casualties at the front lines of Pritz Harbor and Amantha. She even saw some photos of the battlefield. She was working hard to gather funds, contacting various pharmaceutical companies and hospitals, hoping that she could organize help and treatment needed in the war effort.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Who would’ve thought that the crazy adventurer has not only offered the excess food in his manor, but he has even donated 7,000 pounds in cash… Audrey sighed secretly and began letting the maidservant help doll her up.
South of the Bridge, Rose Street.
Emlyn White casually donated ten pounds to a charity organization’s solicitor. He pressed his top hat and walked up the stairs, entering the Harvest Church.
At this moment, there were no believers in the cathedral. Father Utravsky, who looked like a half-giant, sat at the front and prayed sincerely.
Emlyn was in no hurry to change into his priest robes. He sat beside the priest and wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he ended up scoffing.
“It must be your typical Feysac appearance and figure that made those believers fearful of coming over,” Emlyn said casually as he looked at the altar in front of him.
Bishop Utravsky put down his hands and opened his eyes.
“I can understand them.”
“What’s the point of understanding them? If the war gets more intense and the number of soldiers who die in the battle increase a bit more, the believers might rush in here and bum the cathedral and hang you to death.” Emlyn continued to look at the Sacred Emblem of Life.
Composite Start
Composite End
Father Utravsky shook his head slightly.
“No, they won’t. They sincerely believe in the Earth Mother. They won’t bum the cathedral. At most, they will banish me. If I express that I’ve given up on my Feysac nationality, there will always be people who will understand and accept me.”
Emlyn tsked and said without moving his gaze, “What if Feynapotter joins in the war and attacks Desi Bay, Loen territory?
“What if the Church of Earth Mother calls all clergymen to arms and become enemies with Loen?
“Are you going to obey the orders of the Church and abandon the believers here, or are you going to pretend that you don’t know anything? Continuing promoting how precious life is, how joyous the harvest is as you are now? Or, will you directly organize those believers to make them become enemies with their own kind, using blood and sacrifices to prove their faith?”
Bishop Utravsky slowly looked at the Sacred Emblems of Life up and above the altar, not saying anything for a long time.
Emlyn didn’t bring up any more questions as he fell silent like the priest.
The entire Harvest Church was silent.
On a colonial island, Alger Wilson, who hadn’t had the chance to return to Pasu Island, didn’t leave the Blue Avenger due to his principles of being cautious. He only sent his sailors to take turns to gather information.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Captain, there still isn’t any news about mustering us,” a sailor reported to Alger of his findings of the day while reeking of alcohol.
Alger waved his hand and dismissed his subordinate to leave the room. Then, he frowned slightly and muttered silently to himself, The Church doesn’t seem to care much about this war…
From what Alger knew, this was likely an intense war that would cover a huge scale. As the victim of an invasion, the Church of the Lord of Storms would definitely mobilize all its strength to defeat the enemy, including the “captains” who were scattered across the sea by giving them corresponding missions. However, at this moment in time, Alger had yet to receive orders from Pasu Island.
This didn’t mean that the Church of the Lord of Storms was slacking off. The activity of the Church’s forces amongst the Loen army and the air raid drills it was involved in the various major cities, and the activities of the demigods implied that the Church of the Lord of Storms was seriously resisting the invasion of the Feysac Empire. It was just that it wasn’t going all-out.
Could it be that it’s because we’re still in the early stages of the war? The Church wishes to preserve a portion of its strength for the critical moment? Alger held back the stirrings in his heart and waited for further information.
At night, another group of sailors returned with news that had nothing to do with the war.
“Captain, there seems to be some kind of monster hiding on this island. Many pirates say that they encountered a terrifying situation when they head out to pee after drinking too much. Some of them were violently slapped by the branches of trees, while others saw fruits growing on their bodies—ones filled with blood and flesh in them. Some of them encountered skinny ghostly figures with wheat faces…” A rather sober sailor described the rumors he had heard.
Tales about ghosts and monsters… Alger didn’t have the intention to probe into the truth of the matter. He nodded and sternly warned, “Don’t go out at night.”
After such paranormal tales started in Backlund and Pritz Harbor, Klein never went to those hospitals again, afraid that he would directly meet Zaratul’s marionettes.
Composite Start
Composite End
With the Creeping Hunger and the ability to “Travel,” he expanded his range for creating terrifying tales. Sometimes, he would be in the Sonia Sea, at other times in the Fog Sea. He would go to Lenburg, sometimes to Feynapotter, and sometimes appear in places like East and West Balam, the highlands and valley. He didn’t abide by any rules, and he relied solely on his momentary inspiration. He would visit some cities two or three times while not stepping foot into others even once.
During this process, Klein felt an inexplicable strange feeling. In the terrifying darkness, invisible tentacles extended out, either searching for his whereabouts or attempting to predict his movements so as to intercept him ahead of time.
They were silent and cold, and once they entangled him, the consequences were unimaginable.
Klein knew that this might be the result of Zaratul’s “search.” His best solution was to temporarily stop acting and to lay low in wait. However, it was also this subtle feeling that made him wish to digest the potion as soon as possible. Hence, he made use of the gray fog’s powers. Every time he randomly chose a target location, he would go above the gray fog to divine the danger level and use Paper Angels to interfere.
At this moment, with the huge progress in his digestion, he “Teleported” to Cookawa, which was in the Northern State of West Balam.
This was where he had killed Ince Zangwill to avenge himself and the captain.
The moment his figure appeared in the White Feather Square, he suddenly sensed something amiss.
The residence that belonged to Maysanchez was too quiet. It was so quiet that it sent chills down his spine.
Maysanchez was a native general who had previously bought arms from Dwayne Dantes. He was a Beyonder of the Death pathway, and he was backed by the Church of Knowledge.
What happened? Klein frowned slightly as he considered whether he should enter to confirm the situation. After all, that was his “collaboration partner.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Furthermore, if he were to encounter an enemy that wasn’t weak, it would be a very good opportunity for him to act. After doing a self-analysis of the situation, he believed that if he could use a saint-level demigod as the main lead and create a few more horror tales, then his Bizarro Sorcerer potion would be digested for the most part.
Of course, the prerequisite for everything is to be safe. I have to be careful and cautious… As he made his marionette, Qonas Kilgor, transform into the appearance of Dwayne Dantes, he took out a gold coin.
This time, the revelation he received was that there wasn’t any danger.
Strange… Klein didn’t let his guard down as his body turned incorporeal before becoming a shadow that disappeared into the darkness of the night. As for his marionette, Qonas Kilgor walked slowly towards Maysanchez’s mansion with his face facing down.
This was the ability to hide in the shadows that Creeping Hunger provided itself.
As for the other marionette, Enuni, he was waiting about 1000 meters away. As for the few “rats” that belonged to the marionette, they were spaced out nearly 1000 meters away from each other, but they were unable to do anything.
Soon, Dwayne Dantes arrived in front of the general’s residence and activated his Spirit Body Threads vision.
What entered his vision were black illusory threads that were “grown” in a messy fashion. They seemed to come from different people, but they also had an obviously similar aura.
And normal Spirit Body Threads didn’t exist at all.
After a few seconds of silence, Dwayne Dantes extended his right hand and pushed open the closed door.
The scene inside was completely different from what he remembered. The pillars that were covered with golden foils, the golden sculptures on the walls, and gorgeous stairs were now rolled into a bunch like a huge porcupine with golden spikes growing out of it. On the ground, there were sharp stone pillars and shattered glass everywhere.
Apart from these, there were more illusory bookshelves in the hall that didn’t appear real. There were pools of black shadows hidden in different spots on the bookshelf as they curled and stretched like eyes from time to time.
As the door opened, the pool of liquid-like shadows suddenly came alive and produced the same sound:
“It’s you!
“My prediction was right. You’re the one who can help me out of my conundrum!”
Chapter 1098 Contribution Accumulation
Upon hearing the words of the pools of black shadows, a figure suddenly appeared in Klein’s mind.
It was the elder in a white robe with inlaid brass lines. His hair was completely white and neatly combed. His pair of gray-green eyes left a deep impression on him.
He claimed to be a member of the Church of Knowledge and that he was in charge of matters in West Balam and had a close relationship with Maysanchez.
Back then, he had suddenly paid a visit to Dwayne Dantes, giving the excuse for his visit as him having predicted that he would be in a very troublesome situation in the future, and that someone he met during that time period would help him resolve the problem.
After some thought, he slowly said, “Lucca Brewster?”
“Yes, it’s me. You actually still remember me!” In the different parts of the illusory bookshelves, the pool of liquid-like shadows rushed to answer.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Their voices were no longer uniform. They were layered over each other, echoing endlessly. Even though he was separated by his marionette, Klein’s ears still rang, and he felt a sense of dizziness.
This isn’t a normal sound. It contains a certain inclination towards losing control or experiencing mental corruption… The illusory bookshelves themselves are just for show… Just as this thought flashed through Klein’s mind, he heard the black shadows curling and extending at the same time.
“Sorry, I was too agitated just now and couldn’t control myself.”
Hiding in the shadows outside the mansion, Klein controlled his marionette, Qonas Kilgor, and said, “What did you encounter? How did you end up like this?”
The black figures sighed and said, “The Adjudicator of the Feynapotter military, Bellacosta, and the Church of Earth Mother’s archbishop, Martina, jointly attacked this place, with their main target being me. I had no choice but to activate my Mythical Creature form and make them temporarily retreat. Seeing as you entered without noticing anything, you must’ve ‘Teleported’ here.
“You’re also a demigod. You should know that once you reveal your Mythical Creature form, it won’t be easy for you to return to normal. I was also affected by inclinations towards going insane, and I nearly lost control. Fortunately, I was once a Mysticism Magister and had mastered many strange but effective mystic arts. Hence, I sealed myself to a certain extent at the critical moment and ended up like this.
“Sigh, this can only last for some time. The madness is still eating at me. I’ve already contacted the See, and it wouldn’t be long before a helper comes. However, I don’t know if I can last that long.
“I was just thinking that this should be that very troublesome conundrum in the prophecy, and I was wondering if the person who could help me solve this problem would appear. I’m so happy that you’re here. This proves that my prediction and interpretation wasn’t wrong. This has improved my mental state…”
He really is a demigod who’s determined to see his predictions succeed… If I were to turn around and leave at this moment, would you just break down and lose control on the spot… After lampooning silently in his heart, Klein began thinking about the key information that was revealed by Lucca Brewster.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Feynapotter military and the Church of Earth Mother had begun taking action!
He then got his marionette, Qonas Kilgor, to take out a gold coin and flick it before reaching out to catch it.
From what he knew, the clergymen of the seven Churches were focused on maintaining order and ensuring the safety of their believers, regardless of the situation. From this angle, it was impossible for Lucca Brewster to be a Devil or a Demon.
As for the impression that Vice Admiral Iceberg and Detective Isengard Stanton gave him, it made him feel that the Church of Knowledge wasn’t too bad. He felt that, other than their habitual discrimination against people with low intelligence and those who were not fond of studying, there was nothing wrong with their actions and style.
This is also the reason why they’re unable to develop and expand. They can only stay in a few small countries… Klein didn’t look at the result from flipping the gold coin. He mumbled a few words before saying, “How can I help you?”
The excited black shadows fell silent. A few seconds later, they said, “I don’t know either…”
Klein looked at them, and they looked back at him in silence. Instantly, there was a mutual silence.
Why don’t I suggest turning you into my marionette? Nearly ten seconds later, Klein lampooned inwardly.
His thoughts raced as he began to think of a way to resolve the Lucca Brewster’s problem of not being able to recover from his Mythical Creature form.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To be honest, his seriousness towards helping Lucca out wasn’t just because of his good impression of the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom, but also because of interests that could benefit him.
Firstly, there was the inkling of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom’s existence in the matter of Groselle’s Travels. At present, he was unable to determine the true god’s goal. He felt that showing some goodwill might lead to pleasant surprises. Secondly, if Roselle’s return really happened, the attitude of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom was rather important.
From the Red Angel evil spirit’s tone and manner of speech, Klein could make a preliminary judgment: Compared to the Fourth Epoch, the seven deities of the present era had a drastic change in attitude towards the appearance of a Black Emperor. Their reaction wasn’t as intense as before, and they were more inclined to tacitly approve of it, even if the person wasn’t their own candidate of choice.
Under such circumstances, if Emperor Roselle were to return, the only ones who would be against it would probably be the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery. After all, back when Roselle perished, “They” had been involved in the matter to some extent.
However, this objection wouldn’t be too strong either. As long as Roselle’s mental state was normal and he escaped the corruption and madness, there was a chance of being accepted. After all, the Black Emperor didn’t have the problem of switching with the Sun and Savant pathway, so there weren’t any direct conflicts of interest.
As for the original grudge, it wasn’t too serious at the level of a deity. Of course, this was just a guess Klein made from his knowledge of ancient history and from the angle of mysticism. According to his understanding of the situation, other than the God of Craftsmanship, the other six deities had been enemies with each other back during Solomon’s first empire. “They” had left behind countless grudges, and had no choice but to rope in the Black Emperor back then to help “Them.” In the end, “They” still put these matters behind “Them” and formed an alliance that lasted to this day.
Even the deities of neighboring pathways could coexist peacefully to a certain extent. As long as Roselle could really be revived, then as someone who wasn’t completely dead, the feud between him and the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery could be resolved.
Of course, with his understanding of Roselle, it was only a matter of time before Roselle took revenge. As long as he wasn’t crazy and wasn’t forced into a corner and wasn’t extreme, he could still understand the situation clearly and know what to do and what it meant to wait for an opportunity.
Under such circumstances, Klein believed that the ones who were able to suppress the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery when “They” expressed “Their” objections and also make “Them” tacitly agree to it were definitely the Lord of Storms and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, because “They” and the Eternal Blazing Sun were on Beyonder paths that could be interchanged.
Composite Start
Composite End
I’m just afraid that the corruption that stems from the cosmos isn’t that easy to resolve. The revived Roselle may end up completely turning into an evil god, but such matters can only be done one step at a time. Only by understanding the situation can one grasp the crux of the matter and decide whether to press the “button” at the final moment… Humans can’t stop because of worries with low odds. If that’s the case, nothing can be done. Even drinking a mouthful of water might lead to the descent of an evil god…
Similarly, what are the reactions of the various parties towards Roselle’s return, and how intense would they be? This will require me to wait and make further observations before I can find the most acceptable solution for everyone… At the moment, causing damage during the ritual at the critical moment has the highest chance of success… As his thoughts raced, Klein looked at the pool of dark shadows and slowly said, “How long can you last?”
Lucca Brewster observed his condition and said, “Seven, seven minutes.’
I thought you were going to say “seven, six, five, four, three…” After lampooning, Klein said, “I’ll get you a Psychiatrist.”
As he spoke, he retreated a few hundred meters out of the shadows of Maysanchez’s residence. Then, he set up a ritual and sacrificed Creeping Hunger above the gray fog.
After doing all of this, he sat in The Fool’s chair, conjured Gehrman Sparrow’s figure, and made him do a simple and quick prayer.
At this moment, it was almost dawn. As for Audrey, who had been busy with charity work, she had yet to sleep.
Treat a demigod who has shown signs of losing control… I can accumulate more merit points as well… Audrey put down the fountain pen in her hand and put on a white cloak with golden patterns.
Just like the previous mission, she set up a ritual to receive Creeping Hunger and wore Lie, which was in the form of a silver mask. Under the protection of Angel’s Embrace, she “Teleported” to the Maysanchez mansion in West Balam according to the map provided by Gehrman Sparrow.
The difference this time was that, due to her facing a demigod, not only was she wearing a mask, she had also used Lie to adjust her figure, aura, and appearance under the mask.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, she saw “Mr. World” in the form of Dwayne Dantes.
“That demigod has broken down into pools of black liquid. Try not to communicate with his Body of Heart and Mind directly. This will infect you with his inclination to lose control. If you can’t treat him, I can lend you a Beyonder characteristic.” Klein specially warned Miss Justice.
Audrey didn’t say that she was very clear about this. She was very professional in this aspect and listened attentively. “Let me give it a try first.”
She tugged at the cloak covering her body and took a few steps forward, casting her gaze at the illusory bookshelves and the pools of black liquid.
“Thankfully, he hasn’t truly lost control.” After examining for a few seconds, Audrey said gently.
Accompanied by her calm and powerful words, an invisible wind of Placate began to blow.
The frequency at which the pools of black liquid curled up and stretched began to decrease as the sense of anxiety weakened.
Audrey used Placate a few more times. It was only when Lucca Brewster’s mental state was completely stabilized and he had the ability to cooperate did she get him to open up his mind and receive the treatment.
And she took the opportunity to open the door to the demigod’s Body of Heart and Mind. She split her use of Placate into multiple treatments during the process of purifying the corruption. She planted psychological cues, cuing Lucca Brewster into believing that everything was fine, allowing him to easily converge his Mythical Creature form and turn back into a human.
The reason for splitting up the process was because if Audrey was affected by the slightest bit of corruption and the negative effects, then she would immediately retreat and resolve her mental problems first.
Finally, she completed the treatment and cues before taking a few steps back.
“Your Excellency, you can remove your Mythical Creature form.”
The moment she finished speaking, the illusory bookshelves in the hall vanished. The pools of black liquid gathered together like life, taking on a human form.
The black colors quickly faded away, turning back into Lucca Brewster’s original form. He sighed and said with a smile, Thank you very much. When I saw a Sequence 5 Spectator come over, I thought that I would become the main ingredient for her switching to another pathway…”
This old man’s words are so direct… I don’t even know how to respond to his words… Klein turned his head to look at Justice Audrey. He realized that her eyes were closed tightly.
Uh… Klein opened his mouth to respond to Lucca Brewster.
“Don’t worry. What you need the most right now is a set of clothes.”
Chapter 1099 1368
“…”Lucca Brewster looked down at himself and hurriedly raised his right hand to grab something beside him.
Then, his grayish-green eyes darkened.
The gold that mixed with the stairs suddenly flew out and fused in midair, forming a thin piece of armor that then covered Lucca Brewster.
Lucca stretched his arms and explained as he took in the feedback, “Stiano’s Golden Armor Art. Its defensive capabilities are equivalent to that of a Sequence 5 Guardian.”
“Stiano?” Klein asked casually.
Lucca said in a tone as though he was introducing a famous historical figure, “One of the earliest founders of the Moses Ascetic Order.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I heard that Emperor Roselle had previously modified this Golden Armor Art. I wonder what effects it eventually produced.”
…I can roughly imagine… Maybe this “Golden Armor” has twelve different styles[l]… After muttering inwardly for a while, Klein changed the topic to the main topic at hand:
“Will Feynapotter and the Church of Earth Mother officially join the war?”
When Lucca introduced the Stiano’s Golden Armor, Audrey opened her eyes and turned her head in a controlled manner. Without any perturbation in her eyes, she looked at the glimmering demigod.
Lucca sighed and said, “Regardless of what they were thinking previously, they’ll officially join the war tonight.
“Of course, they wouldn’t target Loen for the time being. There’s a high chance that they will attack either Lenburg, Masin, or Segar. It’s to prevent an extended battlefront and from making too many enemies which would prevent them from being able to concentrate their strength. Furthermore, the Church of Earth Mother might not be willing to exert too much strength…”
After sighing, this demigod from the Church of Knowledge earnestly said to the silver-masked Audrey, “What kind of consultation fee should I pay you?”
Audrey glanced at Mr. World beside her.
“He has already paid.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Lucca Brewster immediately shifted his gaze to Dwayne Dantes.
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “Let me ask a few questions.”
“Please speak.” At that moment, Lucca didn’t look like a demigod at all. Instead, he looked more like a professor waiting to answer his student’s questions in class.
Of course, if he could take off that set of golden armor and change into a three-piece suit, the resemblance would be uncanny.
Without thinking, Klein directly asked, “What do you know about the corruption from underground?”
In his opinion, if the Church of Knowledge, which was famous for being knowledgeable, knew about it, then he was definitely at a strong enough level to bear the effects. And if this wasn’t suitable for Miss Justice’s ears, then he believed that Lucca would bring it up. After all, he wasn’t merely a bookworm.
As the discussion about the underground corruption stemmed from their experiences from exploring the sea of collective subconscious in Groselle’s Travels, Audrey had a certain understanding of it. At that moment, it didn’t feel as though she couldn’t understand anything. She was very focused on waiting for the demigod to give an answer.
Lucca frowned slightly and said, “I don’t know much about it. It’s as though just knowing about it will result in corruption in of itself.
“Uh, I’ve seen a sentence before in an ancient book: The higher the Sequence, the more dangerous it is to be closer underground.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
So the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt left an extremely deep trauma and some kind of fear down there? Audrey instantly thought of the object sealed in the bronze door of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd.
She then looked at Mr. World beside her, but she didn’t notice any changes in his expression.
However, Klein made his marionette nod gently, so as to tell Miss Justice that the connections he made with were identical to hers.
This made Audrey feel like she had returned to the past. Back then, she was still a Low-Sequence Beyonder of the Spectator pathway. There was no way she could decipher any useful information from Mr. World’s expression and actions.
The higher the Sequence, the greater the threat of underground objects? This doesn’t make sense… Realizing that Lucca was unable to provide more information, Klein thought for a moment and said, “Second question, what prophecy do you have regarding this war?”
With the mention of a prophecy, Lucca Brewster suddenly became spirited.
“It’s only the beginning. It’s far from reaching its peak.
“Also, a greater portion of the damage stems from the war and is also present beyond the war. I don’t know what it is exactly though.”
The war has just begun… Audrey’s heart sank uncontrollably.
Composite Start
Composite End
Stems from the war and is also present beyond the war? Is it the apotheosis ritual of Amon’s brother, or is it the advancement of the Black Emperor? Or perhaps, the return of Roselle? With a guess, Klein nodded and raised the third question:
“Have you heard of the prophecy of the apocalypse? How do you interpret it?”
Lucca Brewster’s expression instantly turned serious.
“No, this is not a prophecy•
“Anyone with the ability to predict the future is certain that the apocalypse will definitely come.
“God mentioned in ‘His’ holy bible that the apocalypse will happen in the year 1368 in the Fifth Epoch.
“Of course, God also said that there will be a savior.”
The prophecy of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom? 1368, there’s only about ten years left… Could the Goddess’s act of destroying the alliance with the God of Combat to control the Uniqueness of the Death pathway have something to do with the impending apocalypse? Without realizing it, Klein’s expression turned serious. However, he didn’t show his reaction on the marionette’s face.
It will be the apocalypse in about ten years… As for Audrey, she ruminated over the demigod’s words in a daze.
To be honest, she felt that it was fake. It was used by people who pretended to be mysticism experts and were religious cheats so as to deceive the people and earn money through that.
Composite Start
Composite End
Although she could foresee a large-scale war breaking out, she had never imagined that this world was very close to ending.
This was the understanding of almost all ordinary people and Beyonders.
“Why 1368?” Klein couldn’t help but ask.
Lucca Brewster shook his head.
“I don’t know either. That’s what God’s prophecy says.”
At the thought that he was only a Sequence 4, making him not have the ability to resist the apocalypse, Klein rationally ended the topic. He said to the saint of the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom, “That shall be all.”
What he really wanted to ask were things that the other party probably didn’t know either—matters like the corruption that stemmed from the cosmos, or whether Roselle could return or not, or what his state was.
Lucca Brewster nodded and said, “In the future, if there’s anything you need help with, you can come to me. For the details, find them out through Edwina.”
He remembered that Dwayne Dantes’s firearms transaction with Maysanchez had been facilitated by Edwina Edwards.
Edwina… Vice Admiral Iceberg? Audrey was taken aback for a second before coming to a realization. She glanced at Mr. World curiously.
She remembered that she had read a newspaper article before. It contained the story of Gehrman Sparrow and the three female pirate admirals.
“Alright.” Klein was never worried about having too many helpers.
After he nodded at Justice Audrey, Lucca Brewster’s figure quickly turned transparent, as though he had fused with the spirit world.
Then, he disappeared.
Looking at the spot where he had been standing earlier and then at the hall that no longer had any gold. Klein let out a terse remark inwardly and fell silent for two seconds.
He then made his marionette look at Justice Audrey.
“I thought it would be a little more troublesome.”
“That saint had saved himself in time and was willing to trust me, allowing me to plant a psychological cue,” Audrey replied with a faint smile, trying her best to appear sincere and humble.
Dwayne Dantes nodded and said, “This help will be taken into account. Go back as soon as possible. It’s very dangerous here.”
Seeing that a demigod had nearly lost control, Audrey had no doubts about the danger Mr. World warned her about. She immediately used Creeping Hunger and “Teleported” back to the Northern Continent through the spirit world.
After she sacrificed the human-skinned glove to Mr. Fool and settled the rest of the matters, Earl Hall and his eldest son, Hibbert, returned home.
Just as Audrey was about to head out to meet her father and chat with him, she heard her mother, Lady Caitlyn, ask in the hall, “Did something happen again? You came back a lot later than scheduled today.”
Earl Hall sighed and said, “Feynapotter has invaded Lenburg.”
“Extra! Extra! Feynapotter invades Lenburg!”
Leonard, who was wearing a pair of red gloves, got off the carriage. Just as he was about to enter Saint Samuel Cathedral, he saw the paperboy waving a newspaper and running quickly across the streets and square.
He stopped the paperboy and took out a penny and bought a newspaper. As he flipped through it, he said in a low voice, “Perhaps it won’t be long before the south becomes a battlefield.”
“That’s right.” Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice echoed in Leonard’s mind.
“But why am I still staying in Backlund…” Leonard muttered in confusion.
After advancing to Spirit Warlock, he had already become the captain of a Red Gloves team. The members had been transferred from other teams, including the familiar faces of Cindy and Bob.
After the war broke out, Leonard had originally thought that his team would be transferred back to the Holy Cathedral like Soest’s team, so as to participate in the battle at the Amantha mountain range. To his surprise, he was arranged to be used as a reserve force for the Backlund diocese.
As for this large city, due to its implementation of a night-time curfew and other emergency policies, its security was good, and there weren’t many Beyonders who came out to cause destruction. Even the Devils who liked to murder didn’t create chaos. It made Leonard rather free, making it more relaxed for him than during non-wartime duty.
At that moment, Pallez Zoroast smiled and said, “I have a guess.”
“What guess?” Leonard hurriedly asked in a low voice.
“I’m not telling you now,” Pallez replied leisurely.
Leonard didn’t say a word. He straightened his collar and entered Saint Samuel Cathedral. He exchanged a few words with the archbishop and prayed for five minutes.
Then, he went underground and pushed open the door to his Red Gloves team’s temporary office.
“Good morning, Captain.” Bob, Cindy, and the other Red Gloves all stood up and bowed.
Upon hearing their greetings, Leonard, who felt that he was already used to it, was once again in a daze.
In the blink of an eye, it was Monday afternoon. Leonard arranged for his team members to go on separate missions, and he found a lounge to wait for the gathering to begin.
[1] Reference to Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac.
Chapter 1100 One Book
Above the boundless gray fog, inside the ancient palace that resembled a god’s residence.
Dark red beams of light shot up from both sides of the long bronze table, materializing into blurry figures.
Justice Audrey immediately stood up, lifted her skirt, and curtsied towards the seat of honor.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.”
She wasn’t in a bad mood, but with everything that had happened recently, she couldn’t keep her spirits up like before.
After all the members bowed and took their seats, Audrey swept her gaze and habitually began observing.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Almost instantly, she discovered that Ma’am Hermit’s mental state and body language indicated that she was worried about something.
It has something to do with Queen Mystic? Or could it be that there are other problems? Or could it be that both factors are involved in the matter? Audrey was slightly surprised, and she curiously considered the possible reasons for this.
After so many Tarot Gatherings, she had long drawn a psychological portrait of Ma’am Hermit. She believed that she was a rather contradictory Beyonder. She was experienced, knowledgeable, and calm. She was also bold and reckless in certain aspects, like a young girl who had yet to mature.
Combined with the relationship between the other party and Queen Mystic, Audrey’s interpretation of this analysis was that, although Ma’am Hermit had experienced a lot, she had managed to resolve many problems successfully with Queen Mystic’s protection and arrangements. Deep in her heart, she was still a young girl who yearned to be loved and cared for.
And it was precisely within such a concealed state that Audrey boldly guessed that, when facing someone who had been “abandoned” and one who didn’t commit any serious mistakes, she would unknowingly show mercy, pity them, and help them.
At the same time, due to her being a woman who was active at sea, with the strength of Sequence 5 who also had quite a number of mystical items, experience, and knowledge, while wearing heavy glasses and having interactions with Gehrman Sparrow, Audrey believed that if she casually flipped through the wanted posters and newspapers related to pirates, she would be able to confirm Ma’am Hermit’s identity without a doubt. However, she deliberately didn’t do this. She only had a general idea as to her identity.
No, Ma’am Hermit should already be a Sequence 4 demigod, so there shouldn’t be too many things for her to be worried about… It’s definitely not because of the war. It’s impossible for a powerful pirate to be too troubled over it…
As her thoughts raced, due to her lack of knowledge, Audrey had no clues apart from guessing that it was related to Queen Mystic.
And at this moment, there were two matters echoing in Cattleya’s mind:
Composite Start
Composite End
Why did Her Majesty send so many diary pages over? If I hadn’t become a Mysticologist and grasped certain secret techniques, I wouldn’t have been able to memorize all of them in such a short period of time… What exactly happened? Has the Queen fallen into some sort of dilemma?
That fellow, Frank, actually didn’t want to hold a ritual and wanted to directly consume the potion. Thankfully, I stopped him. However, the Druid ritual isn’t difficult for him at all. Being aware of the behavior and physical structure of various ordinary animals and three kinds of extraordinary creatures. As a crazy Biologist, he has already done his homework in advance by trying to crossbreed plants and animals. Next week—no, he will become a Druid in the next two days. What he needs to do is write down all the knowledge and experience that he has built up as part of the ritual…
Amidst her thoughts, Cattleya shelved her concerns and turned to the end of the long bronze table. She lowered her head and respectfully said, “Honorable Mr. Fool, I have found an entire book of Roselle’s diary this time.”
An entire book… Upon hearing Ma’am Hermit’s words, all the members, including The Hanged Man Alger, were clearly stunned. This was something that exceeded their understanding.
In the past, submissions ranged from one to three pages at a time. This time, it was an entire book!
Did something happen? Even though he was the least concerned about such matters, the slowest-to-react The Sun Derrick, had noticed something unusual.
They all knew that Queen Mystic Bernadette was the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle. It was normal for her to be able to provide an entire diary. However, it was abnormal for her to give an entire book!
Cattleya ignored everyone’s gazes and continued, “These diary pages aren’t connected, but they all originated from Emperor Roselle’s later years.”
Very good.” The Fool Klein nodded slightly, indicating that The Hermit could begin conjuring them.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
One page after another, the slightly yellow pages of the diary took shape, and soon, it was stacked into one book.
After receiving it, he casually flipped through it. Without reading it, he put down the diary and looked at The Hermit Cattleya.
“You can raise your questions now.
“Including the contributions you previously accumulated, you can ask a total often questions.”
He didn’t read the diary carefully, because there were too many pages this time. There were at least thirty pages to read. It would require the members of the Tarot Club to wait for too long, affecting Mr. Fool’s image; therefore, he planned to read it slowly after the gathering ended.
Ten… Cattleya immediately felt a headache. This was because there were only two questions that Queen Mystic had asked her to raise.
She deliberated for a moment before saying, “Honorable Mr. Fool, can we split the questions into multiple sessions?”
“Sure.” Klein nodded with a smile.
This was convenient for what he had in mind. To answer ten questions at once was also a very difficult task for Mr. Fool.
Composite Start
Composite End
Cattleya secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
There are two questions this time:
“First, why does one need to be careful of the Spectator?”
Be careful of the Spectator? Audrey wore a blank look. For a moment, she was unable to find any leads for coming up with a guess. She even examined herself.
Be careful of the Spectator? The Moon Emlyn, The Star Leonard, and the other members of the Tarot Club all cast their gazes at Miss Justice.
The Fool Klein chuckled and leisurely said, “A Spectator always likes to hide in the shadows to secretly control certain matters, making it difficult for people to notice and be on their guard.
“In particular, one needs to be especially careful towards Angel of Imagination Adam. ‘His’ apotheosis ritual is to consume the potion when the trend of the times follows what ‘He’ envisioned.”
“The trend of the times that follows what ‘He’ envisioned… Allow the development of the times to meet ‘His’ expectations?” Justice Audrey couldn’t help but ask Mr. Fool.
Klein nodded slightly and said, “That’s right.
“A war that sweeps the entire world is exactly what Adam wants.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This… The Hanged Man Alger, The Hermit Cattleya, and the other members of the Tarot Club were bombarded by the information divulged by Mr. Fool, and their minds were momentarily incapable of thought.
Be it the apotheosis ritual or the trend of the times, all of them involved a very, very high level. It was so high that they could only look up at it!
Suddenly, they vaguely understood the reason why the Psychology Alchemists were deeply involved in the royal family’s conspiracy. And the members who knew of the Twilight Hermit Order further understood the essence of keeping the trend of the times on track.
Only an existence at Mr. Fool’s level can understand these secrets and participate in the corresponding game… Alger quickly found his train of thought and sighed inwardly. He was increasingly eager to become a demigod.
He believed that this war would bring him plenty of opportunities, but he didn’t know if he could seize them.
The members of the Tarot Club were silent. As their thoughts ran through their heads, The Fool Klein, let out an inexplicable sigh. This was because he had no way of stopping this war. If it was only the matter of making George Ill’s Black Emperor ritual fail, he could jump through some hoops and stretch himself out to affect it slightly. However, in this war involving the trend of the times, even if he was an angel—a Sequence 1 angel—there was no way he could affect the overall situation. Forcibly trying to stop it would only squish him under the rolling wheels of history.
Apart from Adam, who has spent one to two thousand years arranging for such a plot to play out, the rest of them— even the Kings of Angels—can only change certain situations but not the overall trend. Only a true deity at Sequence 0 can truly participate in this game… It’s no wonder the emperor said that only by becoming a god can he protect those who he wants to protect… The only thing I can do now is to make preparations for the Resistance in the Rorsted Archipelago. I hope they have the opportunity of being liberated from being colonies… Klein reined in his thoughts and made his gaze maintain a smiling look.
He wasn’t blindly opposed to everything about war. The education he had received in his previous life, and what he had seen at sea and in East and West Bayam, had made him have a supportive attitude towards overthrowing colonial rule.
To put it simply, what he didn’t like and abhorred was an “unjust war.”
Sensing Mr. Fool’s gaze, The Hermit Cattleya controlled her chaotic thoughts and said again, “Secondly, where is the secret mausoleum that Emperor Roselle has yet to discover?”
Secret mausoleum? Yet to be discovered? Fors became more focused as she felt that this was material for a bestselling novel that possessed all kinds of popular elements.
On the other hand, Audrey and Alger could acutely sense something from this question:
The eldest daughter of Roselle probably wasn’t willing to accept her father’s death, and was still searching for traces left behind by “Him,” hoping to find clues to revive the emperor.
Of course, they couldn’t eliminate the possibility that there were other important items in the secret mausoleum. That might be Queen Mystic’s goal as well.
Roselle even left behind a secret mausoleum? I wonder what’s inside… The Star Leonard and Judgment Xio were more concerned about this.
The Fool Klein was already prepared for this. He smiled and said, “Perhaps in the Fog Sea—in the secret primitive island Roselle discovered—or the Abyss.”
Abyss… Emlyn immediately felt his eyelids twitch.
In the history of the Sanguine, there were many records of Second Epoch Devils wreaking havoc. Even when he read those materials after thousands of years since it happened, he still felt himself turn impetuous and become entangled by chaos.
The Sun Derrick had a similar feeling as him, but he didn’t think too much about it. When reading certain documents, his mental state would be over-exerted, and his mental state would unknowingly be affected. This was common knowledge known by everyone in the City of Silver, so he had to first receive general education and listen to a teacher’s recount.
Abyss… Audrey, Xio, and company subconsciously repeated that term in their hearts.
In their daily lives, the Abyss was an abstract expression. It was synonymous with danger, pain, decadence, and corruption.
They never expected that it really existed somewhere in the Fog Sea!
Chapter 1101 Special Reward
Cattleya also didn’t return to her senses for a few seconds. She never expected Emperor Roselle’s secret mausoleum to involve the Abyss.
However, after some careful thought, she realized that it wasn’t surprising that a conflict at that level would involve something like that.
For a moment, she hoped that the Queen wouldn’t pursue this matter, but in the end, she suppressed this thought to the bottom of her heart. She felt that if it were her, then she would also make the same choice.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind as she bowed towards the end of the long, mottled table.
“Thank you for your answer. I have no further questions today.”
The Fool nodded slightly and surveyed the area.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You may begin.”
Just as he finished speaking, Fors, who had been mustering her courage all this while, said as she closed her eyes as though she had resolved herself to charge towards death, “Mr. World, I have a commission for you.”
Seeing The World Gehrman Sparrow look over, she hurriedly explained, “You don’t have to do much. You’ll just leave me at an unfamiliar place every once in a while, and you can pick me up after a few days. If you’re really busy, you can present ‘Traveling’ to me several times at a particular point in time for me to ‘Record.'”
Upon hearing Miss Magician’s words, the first thought that came to Klein’s mind was:
Man vs. Wild?
I have too many suitable places, such as the battlefield of the gods on the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea, Calderon City in the spirit world, the City of Miracles Liveseyd in Groselle’s Travels. They’re ten times, a hundred times, or even a thousand times more dangerous than the wilderness. I’m just afraid that Miss Magician won’t be able to handle the danger… Klein didn’t let The World Gehrman Sparrow immediately answer. He controlled the fake person and cast its gaze on Miss Magician with a pressuring look.
Fors silently took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and added in more detail, “This is the thing: I’m a Sequence 6 Scribe of the Apprentice pathway now. In order to digest the potion, aside from recording all kinds of Beyonder powers, I still need to record down the local customs and traditions of different places. I h-hope that I can become a Traveler as soon as possible. Only then can I avoid most of the dangers during the war.
“Mr. World, I’ve only ‘Recorded’ ‘Traveling’ once, so I won’t be able to return if I go somewhere else. I can only ask for your help. I wonder if you’re interested, and what kind of payment you’d wish to receive?”
So that’s how it is… Justice Audrey finally came to a realization. Furthermore, she felt that Fors’s method was really great.
Composite Start
Composite End
Especially since she’s a best-selling novel author, her act of “Recording” scenery and customs and publishing it as a book should be able to greatly aid in her potion digestion rate… Audrey nodded silently as she felt sincerely happy for her friend.
However, as a senior Spectator, how could she not sense Fors’s horror and fear towards Mr. World? She was looking forward to knowing what would happen when the two of them formally interacted.
Audrey, this state of mind isn’t good! However, this is the attitude of a Spectator… Fors definitely wouldn’t expect that the so-called crazy adventurer she fears is only a mask. Beneath it is a gentle and kind heart… I also have to work hard to digest the Dreamwalker potion. I should visit the dreams surrounding me every night… Audrey didn’t show any changes in her expression or gaze as she maintained the attitude of a spectator.
After The Hanged Man Alger heard The Magician’s words, he sighed. This was because even this Apprentice was beginning to break through to Sequence 5, while he was still stuck at that level.
The World and The Hermit are already at Sequence 4, Justice, The Sun, The Moon, and The Star are also all at Sequence 5. Apart from The Magician, the newly joined Judgment is lower than my Sequence… As his thoughts churned, Alger felt that stifled, a heavy feeling that was difficult to resolve. He wished he could immediately find an opportunity to make contributions and become a demigod—a Cataclysmic Interrer.
He yearned to have a high position and be in a position of power. He wanted others to acknowledge and respect him and be submissive to him. He didn’t wish to fall behind in the Tarot Club.
Is that so… At the same time that Klein understood what Miss Magician was thinking, he suddenly recalled something. It was the identity that the other party had mentioned in front of Mr. Fool during a particular full moon.
An ex-surgeon who was now a novelist!
Hmm, will spreading the terrifying legends that I create into text form help me digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion further… Hmm, the more shocking, harrowing, terrifying, and incomprehensible the description in the novel is, the better the effects… Klein suddenly had inspiration and controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to say, “This commission is very simple, but the payment I need is very special.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon hearing that Mr. World was inclined to agree, Fors asked in both joy and anxiousness, “What’s the payment?”
The World Gehrman Sparrow pondered for a moment and said, “Collect information about the ghost stories that have happened recently in the various major hospitals in Backlund, and write them into a small publication or have them published in the newspapers.
“The requirement for the novel is that it’s even more terrifying and bizarre. It’s best if it can be a best-selling novel.”
The reason why he only mentioned the matters of the major hospitals in Backlund was because Miss Magician was a local author who was part of medical circles. Being able to come to know of the urban myths and use that as material for a novel was very reasonable, and it wouldn’t incur suspicion. However, if she had even learned of the urban myths in the Rorsted Archipelago, Fog Sea, and East and West Balam, then Zaratul’s marionette would definitely “visit” her.
The ghost tales of the various hospitals in Backlund… After hearing The World Gehrman Sparrow’s words, Audrey was stunned for nearly three seconds.
She had originally thought that those rumors were caused by the Church’s Beyonders secretly treating the injured victims. Mushroom and weeds were the negative effects of the mystical items, but she never expected it to be something else.
Audrey had also guessed if it was done by “Dwayne Dantes.” After all, this gentleman had heard from her about the victims of the air raid. Furthermore, he was a very kind gentleman. However, due to the lack of clues and evidence, she could only believe that it was more likely to be related to the Church.
At this moment, she was almost certain that the Clown Angel was Mr. World Gehrman Sparrow. Even if it wasn’t, they definitely had a deep connection.
A Mr. World who wears a mushroom and weed mask is the same as the Gehrman Sparrow who wears a crazy adventurer mask… Why does he act like that when he’s doing something good? Is it because he needs the feeling or corresponding feedback from creating fear? Audrey thought to herself with some guesses.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for The Star Leonard and The Hanged Man Alger, one immediately thought of the strange urban myths that the Nighthawks who belonged to Saint Samuel Cathedral were discussing recently, while the other fell deep into thought about the horror stories his subordinates had heard or encountered.
Uh, I’ve never really heard of such payment before. It’s not like I’m writing a biography… Although there has been a recent war, the sales of newspapers and novels seem to have increased. My previous editor has been urging me to write a new book… Yes, I must keep my identity a secret. I have to convince my editor to change my pen name. The excuse is that novels of different styles should use different pen names… Fors didn’t think too much about it. After a slight period of deliberation, she agreed, “Alright, no problem.”
The World Gehrman Sparrow chuckled and hoarsely said, “If you do well, I’ll give you the opportunity to ‘Record’ the Beyonder powers of a demigod.”
“…No problem!” Fors swept away her usual languidness and firmly replied.
To her, “Recording” a demigod’s powers not only increased her ability to protect herself, but it could also effectively help her digest the potion.
This also made Audrey, Xio, Leonard and the other members sigh in their hearts. Scribes were truly enviable…
Once a demigod-level expert became a backer, a Scribe wielded extremely powerful strength. They wouldn’t be weaker than a Sequence 5, or may even be stronger than one at times!
After coming to an agreement, the scene fell silent for a moment. This was because the other members of the Tarot Club currently didn’t have any requirements.
Leonard had become a Spirit Warlock recently, and he had yet to conclude the acting principles. There was still the possibility of him advancing from within the Church of Evernight. As for mystical items, he had already bought the Word of the Sea. If there were any special circumstances, he could request to use Sealed Artifacts of the Church.
Emlyn was reading the Sanguine’s research information regarding the Moon domain every day, hoping to make a Scarlet Scholar more practical. As for the Sequence 4 Shaman King’s potion formula and Beyonder ingredients, he didn’t need them for an extensive period of time, nor could he afford them.
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick had recently mastered the powers of Priest of Light, and he was still very far from advancing. As for the Unshadowed main ingredient, he had already obtained it.
Similarly, Audrey and Xio had also recently advanced. One of them was working hard to help Mr. World, accumulating contribution points, while the other was burdened with a huge debt and was eager to repay it.
Alger was in the Church of the Lord of Storms, so he had to keep a secret. He was currently in an awkward position which required him to find a chance to advance. Furthermore, he had obtained the Cataclysmic Interrer’s potion formula from The World.
Cattleya had just become a demigod. She was currently deep in research on all kinds of secrets and all sorts of mysticism knowledge. She was pleasantly surprised that, despite having recently advanced, just recalling the knowledge and secrets she knew from the past had allowed her to directly digest quite a bit of the potion. Amongst them, the various things she had heard from the Tarot Club had contributed greatly!
The transaction segment quickly ended as the members began their free exchange.
Emlyn surveyed the area and his gaze landed on Leonard’s face.
“If you’re an official Beyonder, how will you deal with a clergyman of an opposing faction in your area of jurisdiction? He hasn’t done anything wrong, nor does he plan on doing anything wrong.”
Although Feynapotter had yet to start a war with Loen, they had invaded Loen’s ally, Lenburg. This made the believers and citizens living around the Harvest Church look at Bishop Utravsky in an increasingly odd manner.
Leonard thought carefully and said, “Protective custody.”
Chapter 1102 Engaging Tigers to Hunt Wolves
Protective custody… That’s quite a witty answer. As expected of a newly promoted Red Gloves team captain… When The Fool Klein heard The Star Leonard’s answer, he couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
He knew very well who Emlyn was referring to, and he knew quite a bit about Bishop Utravsky, who wished to be called a priest.
He didn’t really believe Emlyn White’s claim that “he hasn’t done anything wrong, nor does he plan on doing anything wrong.” This was because, to a deity’s Blessed or a zealot, their understanding of something wrong might be different from a normal person’s.
Of course, Klein never suspected Father Utravsky’s claim that life was precious and his piousness and acknowledgment of a joyous harvest, but the problem was that the Church of Earth Mother also preached that lives were like “plants,” which would ultimately wither and die, returning to the embrace of the Earth Mother. They would then grow again when the “next year” came.
A qualified bishop of the Church of Earth Mother wouldn’t treat death in the same manner as the most ordinary of people.
Regardless, Father Utravsky has to be controlled. This is both a form of protection for the Earth Mother’s believers, as well as the citizens around him. It’s also a form of protection for this half-giant bishop, in case some irredeemable situation occurs… While Klein was thinking to himself, Leonard, who had no lack of understanding of the Harvest Church, also understood the meat of Emlyn’s question. He planned on leading his team members to confirm the situation in the next two days, taking the Earth Mother’s Blessed into protective custody with the help of the official organizations that were in charge of the area south of the bridge.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And when Emlyn heard the answer, he slowly nodded without saying a word.
Seeing that he was silent, Leonard turned to ask a question he wanted to get some feedback on.
“Are there any major matters lurking beneath Backlund recently?”
What he really wanted to ask was why his Red Gloves team had been left behind in the Capital of Capitals as a part of the reserve forces.
As soon as he finished speaking, the other members of the Tarot Club, including The Sun Derrick, who wasn’t too concerned about matters of the outside world, all cast their gazes at The World Gehrman Sparrow.
From what they knew, whenever something happened in Backlund, Mr. World would more or less give a warning.
What major matters has been lurking beneath Backlund recently? There’s plenty… The Black Emperor ritual of George III, my secret alliance with Queen Mystic, the three Churches may seem to be tacitly in approval but all have different attitudes… As Klein’s thoughts raced, he suddenly understood what Leonard wanted to ask. After all, they would occasionally communicate privately.
That’s right. Why was Leonard left in Backlund? Because of me, the Church doesn’t want to put Leonard in a dangerous situation? Am I thinking too highly of myself? Klein secretly shook his head and rejected the thought that first came to him.
He quickly changed his train of thought and analyzed the problem on matters that Leonard could be of service.
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard is only a Sequence 5, so what use can he play in Backlund that has deep undercurrents?
Even if he’s of use, they wouldn’t use him. Instead, they would make use of me, who’s related to him, or Pallez Zoroast.
This can rule me out. I’m still a qualified Blessed at the moment. If I really needed to do anything, then a simple instruction would suffice…
The clearing of the Amon avatars in Backlund last time made the Goddess or the upper echelons of the Church guess that Pallez Zoroast is hiding in the vicinity of Boklund Street, and they ended up suspecting Leonard?
There’s a possibility, and it’s not a low one either. Back then, I was concerned to some extent. I only believed that, in the case of Amon becoming a god, the Church and Pallez Zoroast were on the same page, that they could form some sort of tacit understanding. In fact, I believed that that grandpa had such considerations when “He” first chose Leonard as a target for “Parasitizing.”
But why is Pallez Zoroast being kept in Backlund? To fish for Amon?
Even among the Kings of Angels, Amon ranks among the top. It’s almost impossible for the Goddess to engage in a divine descent. With the Church’s angels, Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, and Pallez Zoroast, it shouldn’t be difficult to expel Amon, but it’s almost impossible to kill “Him,” unless “He” doesn’t come with “His” actual body. But in that case, it’s not worth making such arrangements…
Klein’s thoughts quickly developed, and soon, he had a new idea:
Fishing for “Amon” isn’t done so as to deal with “Him.” Instead, it’s to hold back Zaratul who’s currently in Backlund?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Similar pathways could be interchanged at high levels. Even if one became a true god at Sequence 0, “They” still have a strong desire for the Uniqueness and Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics of neighboring pathways. On this point, the Evernight Goddess’s plan was excellent evidence.
The Goddess wants to make Backlund into a potpourri mess before wiping them all out? Klein made The World Gehrman Sparrow hesitate for a few seconds before saying, “The leader of the Secret Order, a Sequence 1 angel, and an old friend of Emperor Roselle, Zaratul, is currently hiding in Backlund.”
Seeing that the members of the Tarot Club were clearly a little confused and perplexed, The World added in a hoarse voice, “The Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation we often refer to often refers to the conservation of Beyonder characteristics of neighboring pathways.
“In other words, similar pathways also obey the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics.”
Leonard immediately fell into deep thought. After a few seconds, he deliberated and asked, “The Marauder and the Seer pathways are neighboring pathways?”
Yes, the Apprentice pathway is also a neighboring pathway,” The World answered frankly.
Upon hearing their conversation, Fors first connected the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics to the attraction between Beyonder characteristics taught to her by her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham. She connected it to the Saint of Secrets who had been “attracted.”
Then, she began to consider a question.
If it really is as Mr. World said, that Beyonder characteristics of neighboring pathways attract one another, then would it have attracted the attention of Zaratul back then? After all, “He” is in Backlund.
Composite Start
Composite End
All of a sudden, Fors thought of the raven that was staring at Botis’s back.
Uh… Fors hurriedly raised her hand, indicating that she had something to say.
Seeing all the members looking over, she hurriedly said, “My teacher is a member of the Abraham family. He wields a rather important Sealed Artifact.”
As the first part of the sentence was known by the other members other than The Star, Fors had no intention of hiding anything. As for the second half of the sentence, she had made some modifications. It was very important to change the phrase to “rather important.”
Seeing that no one was raising any questions, Fors continued, “This causes him to occasionally encounter High- Sequence Beyonders of the Apprentice pathway. Previously, when he came to Backlund, the Aurora Order’s Saint of Secrets, Botis, had appeared nearby.
“As for me, I noticed that a raven was looking in the direction where Botis was heading.”
A raven… The details of the foggy town surfaced in Klein’s mind. At the top of the pitch-black cathedral, there were ravens flying around, as if they were holding a memorial or in grief. As for Zaratul’s avatar, it was hidden inside the cathedral.
Zaratul is used to using ravens as marionettes? Is this a mark left behind during his phase as a Bizarro Sorcerer? While in thought, Klein made The World speak:
“That might very well be Zaratul.”
I actually met a Sequence 1 angel… Fors felt a sense of fear and horror.
Composite Start
Composite End
She then recalled how she and Xio had discussed Adam and thus ended up possibly targeted. For some reason, she had the illusion that she had become the protagonist of a novel. Despite being only a Sequence 7 or 6, she had established connections with the Kings of Angels and Sequence 1 angels!
With this in mind, Fors hurriedly turned her head to Miss Justice and said, “Can you hypnotize me later into forgetting certain matters? I’m afraid that I might accidentally recall something and attract attention.”
“No problem.” As Audrey answered, she glanced at Xio and nodded at her.
As for The Star Leonard, he had some ideas as well. He planned on discussing it with “Old Man” when he returned to hear “His” opinion.
Klein didn’t continue talking about the major matters that lurked beneath Backlund. This was because they were just too high-end for the other members of the Tarot Club. Not only were they unable to participate in it directly, but even having a complete understanding of them could bring about a disaster upon themselves.
In this aspect, Klein’s idea was that he could get the help of the members of the Tarot Club in certain segments, but it was like commissioning a bounty hunter to do something, without getting them too involved in the matter and figuring out the reason for the commission. It was a form of protection for them.
At this moment, Alger looked around and said, “According to my observations, the Church of Storms isn’t too enthusiastic about this war.”
They aren’t too enthusiastic? This doesn’t match the image of the Church of the Lord of Storms… Although their teachings don’t advocate combat and don’t promote war, they definitely emphasize the need to treat their enemies like a storm, and vent whatever anger they have on the spot… When Klein heard this, he felt a little surprised. He then combined his understanding of the deities and began his preliminary analysis.
According to my previous speculations, Storm, Sun, Reader, Spectator, and Shepherd can switch paths at high levels. There should be an immense conflict between them…
As for the Lord of Storms, “He” is highly likely the Wind Angel of yesteryear. “He” had “eaten” Adam’s father, the ancient sun god, the City of Silver Creator. Even if “He” had tacitly allowed George III to become Black Emperor, it’s impossible for “Him” to sit back and watch Adam make use of the ‘flood of the times’ to ascend to divinity…
Therefore, the Church of the Lord of Storms is unwilling to have the war increase in scope and allow it to turn into a world war. Hence, “He” is trying hard to control “His” impulse?
It must be really hard on them…
This can explain why Loen and Intis would maintain their strange silence when Feynapotter invaded Lenburg, Masin, and Segar… The Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the Lord of Storms are probably in a difficult position. They’re unable to make up their minds.
On the one hand, at the level of the deities, it isn’t that there is no possibility of abandoning their alliance to deal with the Church of Knowledge. On the other hand, the battle strategies at the national-level also prompts them to protect those countries. Forcefully breaking the perceptions built-up by the citizens of a country, would be an act that causes the anchors to become unstable.
Also, once they participate in the battle, they would help Adam fulfill the conditions of “His” advancement to Sequence0.
Klein deliberately made The World silent for a moment before replying to The Hanged Man’s intelligence.
“At present, this is inevitable.”
Chapter 1103 Hin
Klein didn’t actually remember if he had told The Hanged Man and the others that the Sailor, Spectator, Sun, Reader and Secrets Suppliant pathways were interchangeable—unless he used dream divination to recall it.
However, since The Hanged Man had expressed his doubts towards the Church of the Lord of Storms, it meant that he hadn’t thought about the interchangeability of both paths. Regardless of whether he knew it or not, or if he had yet to connect the two matters together, Klein believed that there was a need for him to explain things clearly. This allowed the members of the Tarot Club to grasp the true stances of the various major factions, thus letting them avoid many dangers.
After The Hanged Man, Alger, and the others cast their gazes at him, he controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow and made him say in a low, uncertain tone, “The Storm, Sun, Spectator, Reader, and Secrets Suppliant pathways are neighboring pathways.
“Likewise for Evernight, God of Combat, and Death.
“And neighboring pathways often become enemies. Of course, that’s not absolute. At least the seven deities have established an alliance.”
Upon hearing The World’s reply, Alger first recalled Adam pushing for the “flood of the times” to become a god. Following that, thoughts flashed through his mind as he gained a certain level of understanding of the Church of the Lord of Storms’s current attitude.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This made him feel a rather special sense of superiority and joy. It was as if he had seen the essence of the matter, exceeding the level of most Beyonders in the Church of the Lord of Storms.
Similarly, Audrey had a brand new understanding of Intis’s strange silence in this war. She was even more worried about the situation in Lenburg, Masin, and Segar.
In addition, she also knew that she could switch to Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, and to the corresponding Sequence 4 demigod of the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom she had recently met.
As for the corresponding Sequence 4 of the Secrets Suppliant pathway, it wasn’t within her considerations at all.
Of course, compared to other pathways, she still preferred Manipulator. She liked the Spectator pathway from the bottom of her heart. However, she also felt deep fear towards the upper echelons of the Spectator pathway—Hvin Rambis had left a rather bad impression on her. Adam’s “any mention of it will be known” had left her with a trauma.
She had no choice but to undergo self-evaluations and treat the corresponding problems from time to time.
The Hermit Cattleya had always been deeply knowledgeable about such matters. Apart from the information mentioned by The World Gehrman Sparrow, she also knew that the Mystery Pryer and Savant pathways were neighboring pathways that could be interchanged at high Sequences. It was likewise for the Arbiter and Lawyer pathways, the Prisoner and Criminal pathways, the Hunter and Assassin pathway, and the Planter and Apothecary pathway.
As the other members of the Tarot Club dispersed their thoughts, Alger said to The World Gehrman Sparrow, “Thank you for your answer.”
He didn’t say exactly what insights he had gleaned from the answer.
Composite Start
Composite End
In fact, for an instant, Alger wanted to leave the Church of the Lord of Storms and switch to another pathway. This was better than waiting for a very slim chance in the Church. However, he ultimately gave up on this idea. After all, his goal for a long time was to become a cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms. At present, he was beginning to yearn to be ranked first amongst the cardinal ranks, becoming an angel in charge of the Mandated Punishers or Ascetics.
As for the position of pontiff, Alger didn’t yearn for it. This was because it was too close to the Lord of Storms, and he had many secrets he kept close to his chest.
If he were to be chosen as pontiff, Alger suspected that he would be smote to ashes by a lightning storm that descended from the sky the moment he put on the papal tiara.
Seeing that the exchange between The World and The Hanged Man had ended, Emlyn asked with curiosity, “Which pathway can the Apothecary pathway be interchanged with?”
Being from the Sanguine race made them have no thoughts of switching to other pathways, as it would often mean that they had lost their “identify.” Therefore, Emlyn wasn’t too concerned about such matters.
“The Planter pathway of the Church of Earth Mother,” Cattleya answered casually.
The Planter pathway… Possessed by the Church of Earth Mother… Emlyn frowned as he vaguely grasped something.
At this moment, Xio also asked, “Which pathway neighbors the Arbiter pathway?”
“Lawyer,” Cattleya answered simply.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Lawyer of the Black Emperor pathway… In other words, if I could become a Sequence 5,1 would be able to switch to Sequence 4 of the Black Emperor pathway. And Fors had previously told me that Mr. Fool has the Card of Blasphemy; it contains all the secrets of the Black Emperor pathway… Xio suddenly realized that there was a glimmer of light for her future.
It had to be known that the Arbiter pathway was firmly controlled by the two royal families. Even the corresponding military only had the potion formula for the Low- and Mid-Sequences. If they wanted to advance beyond Sequence 5, they had to receive a bestowment from the royal family. Just like how every general had to be conferred by the king or queen. Furthermore, what they obtained in the end was the concocted potion and the ritual.
To Xio, this meant that it was almost impossible for her to get the Sequence 4 potion formula for the Arbiter pathway.
Of course, no matter how tightly guarded the potion formulas was, there were bound to be loopholes. The military’s demigods knew of the ritual, and from time to time, they would cooperate with the royal family to hunt powerful supernatural beings. They could roughly narrow down the candidates for the main ingredient to a small area, but this also meant that they could only confirm the formula through repeated experiments. At the same time, the military demigods were also unable to grasp the supplementary ingredients. If they wanted to rely only on the main ingredients to advance, they needed to seek out the benediction of fate.
And now, Xio had seen another possibility.
At this moment, Audrey had already summarized the neighboring pathways that Mr. World and Ma’am Hermit had mentioned before thoughtfully asking:
“Among Prisoner, Criminal, Hunter, Assassin, Savant, Mystery Pryer, and Monster, which ones are neighboring similar pathways?”
The World Gehrman Sparrow glanced at The Hermit and replied hoarsely, “Prisoner and Criminal, Hunter and Assassin, and Savant and Mystery Pryer are similar pathways that can be interchanged at high Sequences.”
This was knowledge that could be confirmed by Klein. Among them, the interchangeability between Prisoner and Criminal was something mentioned by the Red Angel evil spirit to which Miss Sharron tacitly accepted. The interchangeability between Savant and Mystery Pryer had been personally demonstrated by Emperor Roselle. As for Hunter and Assassin, it was information that he had accumulated over time which could finally be confirmed.
Composite Start
Composite End
’’What about Monster? There’s only this one left, Fors, who was listening, couldn’t help but ask.
Seeing The World remain silent, Cattleya thought for a moment before saying, “It’s difficult to be categorized as a neighbor of any other Beyonder pathway. Just like fate, it can only objectively exist alone.
“I can be sure of that. I can only say that the most fundamental order in our world’s supernatural powers might be chaos and disharmony.”
The reason why Cattleya was certain that the Monster pathway didn’t have the means to be interchanged with other pathways was because her advancement ritual required her to analyze the Snake of Fate’s blood.
I see… Audrey was slightly uncomfortable with this disharmonious situation, but she quickly adjusted her state of mind.
After the exchange was almost complete, all the members of the Tarot Club looked at The Sun Derrick.
The youth said without any hesitation, “We’ve already set off. We’re currently less than a day away from Afternoon Town. When we arrive, we’ll be resting for another day or two before we begin exploring the Giant King’s Court.”
The Sun’s words made Alger, Cattleya, and company suddenly feel like myths were entering reality. Compared to places like the ruins of the battlefield of the gods, the Giant King’s Court was a symbolic entity that appeared in various legends and in different secret documents.
What secret was it hiding? What was buried in it? The answer was about to be revealed!
Even though they had followed The World Gehrman Sparrow into the City of Miracles Liveseyd, which was on par with the Giant King’s Court, The Star Leonard and Justice Audrey were also secretly excited and looking forward to hearing more. After all, the city that the Dragon King had “imagined” into existence had lost too much in the process of being transferred to Groselle’s Travels. There were no traces of anything of value. Apart from the building itself, there was only the hall that expressed the extraordinariness of the ancient myths.
Composite Start
Composite End
Furthermore, what was even more important was that Derrick had mentioned that the Kings of Angels had come to a secret plot in the Giant King’s Court!
As for The Fool Klein, he was thinking of something else:
Should I get Little Sun to pray to The Fool before the exploration? Then, I’ll use the crimson star and the Sea God Scepter to extend my vision to a certain distance so that I can watch a live broadcast…
Yes. In that case, if there are any accidents, I can still provide some help. The only problem is that this method of relying on the prayer points of light for “observation” cannot last too long.
This has nothing to do with my own spirituality. It’s just that this connection will fade away with time and last forty- five minutes at most… Let Little Sun pray every once in a while? Uh, that’s under the premise that it doesn’t affect his battle or attract the attention of the people around him…
In that case, my spirituality can probably last for two hours. It’s not on the same level as my Sequence 5. Heh heh, it’s also because of my recent rapid digestion of the potion.
After pondering for a moment, Klein didn’t speak. He controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to hint to The Sun:
“Before exploring the Giant King’s Court, you can pray to Mr. Fool and pray for good luck. In the process, you can also pray many times.”
Mr. World really is a nice guy… After Derrick sincerely thanked him, he hurriedly turned his body towards the end of the long, mottled table.
Then, he saw Mr. Fool, who was enveloped by the grayish-white fog, nod slightly.
Chapter 1104 Contradiction
The world above the gray fog had been restored to its state of silence, as though the gathering that had just ended was an illusion.
Klein bent his finger and lightly knocked on the edge of the long, mottled table. He made the pages of the Roselle diary which Cattleya had just given appear once again.
Amidst an indescribable stillness, Klein cast his gaze towards the first paragraph of the first page with a solemn expression.
“27th September, I saw Miss Ithaca once again. I had a nerve-wracking and thrilling but sufficiently wonderful experience with her. As expected, I prefer women of this age. I’m not just reminiscing about my youth, but rather that I haven’t changed after so many years. Heh heh, I’m really dedicated.”
…I read your diary with such seriousness, and you’re giving me this? The corners of Klein’s mouth twitched as he lampooned at the emperor who he had only seen a portrait of.
He immediately gathered his thoughts and shifted his gaze.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In a lounge at the basement of Saint Samuel Cathedral.
After Leonard Mitchell opened his eyes, he deliberated for a moment and said in a low voice, “Old man, the Secret Order’s Zaratul seems to be in Backlund.”
In his mind, the slightly-aged voice quickly sounded:
“Indeed…”
Upon hearing this, Leonard immediately asked, “Old Man, are you familiar with that Zaratul? Didn’t you say that the Zoroast family and the Zaratul family are both important nobles of the Solomon Empire?”
From his point of view, as ex-colleagues and former comrades in arms, how could Old Man not be familiar with Zaratul?
Pallez Zoroast scoffed.
“I’m familiar with the Zaratul who died in the War of the Four Emperors. The one alive who’s now should be ‘His’ descendant. I might or might not have seen him before.
“Sigh, the Zaratul back then had already obtained clues regarding the second Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic from the True Creator. ‘He’ was waiting for the War of the Four Emperors to end before searching for it. If he succeeded, ‘He’ would be considered a King of Angels. Unfortunately, in the War of the Four Emperors, ‘He’ directly encountered the existence from the Antigonus family who could be known as ‘The Half-Fool,’ and Bethel Abraham was also involved. ‘He’ could appear anywhere, anytime. If ‘He’ hadn’t been quickly banished and sealed by Evernight and Storm, I might not have survived to the end of the War of the Four Emperors either.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The Half-Fool… Leonard’s eyelids twitched when he heard this title as he thought of the entity above the gray fog for some baffling reason.
He then forced himself to control himself and directed his thoughts to something else:
Even from the description of a bystander, Mr. Door was clearly one of the top existences among the Kings of Angels. It required two true deities to join forces to banish and seal “Him.” Uh, there’s a high chance that “He” was especially good at escaping, making it very difficult to kill. And back then, the battle situation was tense, so it was imperative to eliminate an enemy that posed a threat as soon as possible…
Heh heh, Old Man is reminiscing about the past, so he’s feeling a little uneasy. He actually said so much in one breath…
Amidst his thoughts, Leonard suddenly said, “I was left in Backlund because they wish to use you to attract Amon here?”
The wistful feelings in Pallez Zoroast’s tone vanished as he clicked “His” tongue.
“Who made this guess? I don’t think it’s you.
“However, it’s not bad that you know how to use your own resources to probe for the truth.”
This is something I’ve been very familiar with ever since I joined the Nighthawks! Leonard replied inwardly but didn’t say a word.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Pallez Zoroast continued, “I guessed that too.
“To be honest, your ex-colleague’s relationship with Evernight really confuses me. If it wasn’t for how familiar the concealment forces that appeared that day was, I wouldn’t have dared to make such a guess.
“Heh heh, with Zaratul and I in Backlund, Amon will arrive soon too. It truly is a perfect triangle of balance.”
What do you mean… The concealment forces used to deal with Amon came from the Evernight domain, not Mr. Fool? Does this point that there is a certain level of cooperation between Mr. Fool and the Goddess, or is it that the faith of those higher-up in the Church actually to Mr. Fool? Leonard suddenly felt a strong sense of confusion and puzzlement regarding his position in the grand scheme of things.
Seeing that Pallez was also quite confused, he converged his thoughts and didn’t ask any questions regarding this. He frowned and said, “Two Sequence 1 angels and a King of Angels. Will this bring about a devastating disaster to Backlund?”
He remembered that Amon was a terrifying existence that could kill countless people silently, and could even live happily as “His” victim.
Using this as a reference, Zaratul, who was of a neighboring pathway, definitely possessed similarly terrifying powers.
If “He” and Amon were to clash, half of Backlund or the entirety of Backlund could become the Capital of Death or the Capital of Bizarreness!
Pallez Zoroast laughed and said, “Balance also means that everyone will be very restrained. Besides, it’s very likely that Amon won’t let ‘His’ true body enter Backlund. At most, ‘He’ will send a large number of avatars over. After all, the impossibility of a divine descent by Evemight doesn’t mean that Storm or Steam can’t.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“What do you mean?” Leonard acutely grasped the key point in Old Man’s words.
Pallez Zoroast’s tone suddenly became more relaxed.
“Regardless of whether it’s because of the war or for other reasons, Evemight is likely unable to interfere with the matters on the ground at the moment. Otherwise, why would ‘She’ need to lure Amon over to form a balance? ‘She’ directly set up a trap, and who knows, ‘She’ might be able to capture Zaratul or scare the cowardly Seer away.”
“…Did something happen to the Goddess?” Leonard suddenly turned nervous.
The slightly-aged voice replied, “It might not be a bad thing, and it might be a good thing.”
Without waiting for Leonard to ask further, Pallez Zoroast sighed again.
“Amon was attracted to Backlund by me. What about Zaratul? What about me?”
“I think Zaratul is also here because of you, and you’re in Backlund because of me…” Leonard pondered as he replied. “Heh, why do you think you’re in Backlund?” Pallez immediately scoffed.
Leonard immediately replied, “This is the arrangement of the Church. It can’t be the effect of the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics, right?”
“That’s not necessarily true.” Pallez’s tone turned a little stem. “Most of the time, the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence will not directly show in places where you can sense it. Most of the time, it will influence fate. Just like when you board a train, you’ll suddenly feel that the scenery along the way is beautiful and will get off the train in advance, resulting in you entering the small city. This might be because there are Beyonders or mystical items of neighboring pathways around you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“In other words, there are other things in Backlund that attracts you and Zaratul here, and through you, my fate is affected, causing me to be arranged by the Church to stay in Backlund most of the time?” Leonard asked in enlightenment, hoping to gain confirmation.
Pallez Zoroast slowly sighed and said, “That possibility can’t be ruled out.”
Above the gray fog, Klein soon flipped to a diary page of value.
“21st November. As I had made too many preparations in the early stages, I obtained that chaotic and terrifying Grade
0 Sealed Artifact even faster than I imagined.
“And then, after a difficult battle, and with some help, I finally restored it to a pure Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic.
“In a few more days, the ritual will be completed. I should be able to advance to Sequence 1 Knowledge Emperor of the Mystery Pryer pathway.”
“26th November. Sunny and breezy.
“The ritual was very successful. I digested it thoroughly, and my anchors were even more stable. There weren’t many difficulties during the entire process.
“I’m already a Sequence 1 angel, a Knowledge Emperor. Bernadette no longer has to worry about the influence of the Hidden Sage. She can abide by the words ‘do as you wish, but do no harm,’ and continue on this path!
“At the same time, the level of an angel at Sequence 1 means that I can greatly resist the notice and corruption from the cosmos. I can head to the crimson moon and see what’s happening there.
“Regardless of whether Mr. Door is lying or not, everything points to the fact that the crimson moon is the key to the problem. If I wish to become a true deity, I have to figure out the reason.
“I’ll make preparations for another three more days before attempting to land on the moon!
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind! Haha, don’t quote me on that.”
Upon seeing this, Klein recalled the hysterical diary page of Roselle. He began to suspect that it was written after the emperor’s “landing on the moon.”
Putting down the remaining, unread diary pages, Klein began to use dream divination to recall the content he had read over the past year. He wanted to use the comparison to find clues to Roselle’s abnormal mental state.
Not long after, he saw a few lines of text in his dream. It was the last diary entry that was theoretically written by Roselle:
“I’m unable to give any actual suggestions because I myself can’t see the true faces of the seven deities or those evil gods. This might be partially related to the second Blasphemy Slate that the ancient organization hides. Unfortunately,
1 only have a rough idea of the hidden parts, and I’m unable to verify them.”
In this diary, the Emperor had even solemnly warned his “friends” to be careful of the moon.
The dream suddenly shattered, and Klein snapped awake. There was an obvious look of fear in his eyes.
He clearly remembered that, a long time ago, Roselle had confirmed that there was a hidden portion in the second Blasphemy slate.
“19th July. The night of the Blood Moon.
“Mr. Door’s answer allowed me to confirm one thing: In that ancient secret organization, the second Blasphemy Slate I saw wasn’t complete!”
This… The emperor forgot? No, how could he have forgotten such an important matter? He only appeared a little extreme, and he didn’t have much of a problem. Why did this happen… Klein couldn’t help but mutter to himself silently, having an inexplicable and terrifying feeling.
The last diary entry, or rather, the Emperor Roselle who wrote that sentence seemed to be another person.
Chapter 1105 The Key Diary Entry
Above the grayish-white that wasn’t perturbed at all, Klein silently sat at the end of the long, mottled table, like a stone statue that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years.
Regarding the discovery he had just now, he felt a deep sense of fear from the bottom of his heart. He felt a chill rush out from the back of his head, spreading across his entire body, bringing with it obvious yet real shudders.
It was as if he had witnessed a familiar friend become a stranger in a very short span of time. His actions were abnormal, as though he had been replaced by someone else.
Of course, there was a clearer and more direct analogy in this aspect: It would be Leonard Mitchell coming to visit and discuss the matter regarding Pallez Zoroast as a monocle is suddenly taken out and then put on.
Could it be that the emperor was unknowingly corrupted after his ascension to the crimson moon, and he didn’t notice it at all? He usually didn’t show any abnormalities. Only through reminiscing about his past through his diary entries, analyzing his inner voice, and talking to himself would certain premonitions surface in his mind? Or could it be that this was a form of hypnosis by Adam? But Roselle was at least a Sequence 1 when that happened… Klein couldn’t help but lower his head to inspect himself. He imagined how another version of himself existed in his body without realizing it. He wasn’t sure if this entity could be called a “human.”
This truly is an extreme sense of horror… Klein slowly took a deep breath and forced himself to focus his attention on the diary pages of Emperor Roselle.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Soon, he discovered something worth reading:
“28th July. I attended that ancient secret organization’s gathering once again.
“From the discussions among the members, I sensed a problem:
“Is it because I advanced too quickly that I’m relatively inexperienced? There are many things that I have never heard of before?
“Just like how they mentioned about the corruption from the cosmos and underground. This is the first time I know of their existence!
“Heh heh, I wonder how many of them are ‘He’s1 or ‘She’s.’ Apart from a minority of the members, most of them don’t like others knowing their levels.
“While others are communicating with each other, I asked Old Mister Hermes with a whisper, hoping to understand more about the corruption that stems from the cosmos and underground.
Hermes told me that this isn’t something I can come into contact with at my current level. Just learning about it alone will cause me to be corrupted!
“It’s actually that scary? What could it be? I’m even more intrigued.
Composite Start
Composite End
“That old mister later told me that the corruption that originates from underground can be ignored because it will fade with time. A long time ago, in the era when the ancient gods were active, powerful creatures had attempted to resolve this problem completely. In the end, it made things worse and caused tremendous losses. Later, they gave up on the idea of directly exerting influence, and they switched focus to sealing and guarding it.
“From that day forth, although accidents happened occasionally, it was stable overall. Today, even if there are no seals or guards, as long as no one comes close and tries to go deeper, there won’t be any incidents of corruption.
“What a surprising situation. It appears it doesn’t require the protagonist of this era to resolve this problem.
“Old Mister Hermes mentioned the cosmos again and said that the situation there is more complicated, interesting, and more dangerous than I imagined. ‘He’ said that even a Sequence 2 angel doesn’t have much knowledge of the cosmos. ‘They’ only have a general understanding of it. ‘They’ aren’t aware that, apart from the dangers, there are too many other things. If it wasn’t for the fact that ‘He’ once knew an existence that was good at wandering the cosmos and learned plenty of matters from that person, he wouldn’t be able to tell me all of that.
“I was very curious, but I didn’t hold much hope when I asked about the existence who was adept at wandering the cosmos.
“Old Mister Hermes didn’t hide the truth. He said that it was Mr. Door, Bethel Abraham.
“Mr. Door… I pretended not to know anything and asked about that person’s level in a very casual tone.
“Hermes didn’t answer directly. ‘He’ only said that in the Fourth Epoch, even angels and demigods would address ‘Him’ by ‘His’ name in private. ‘Those’ who could make everyone address ‘Them’ by their titles are in a small minority—of which, Mr. Door was one of ‘Them’—aside from Evernight, Storm, Earth, and the other deities.
“Is that so… Mr. Door’s level really isn’t low.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The corruption that stems from underground will naturally fade with time? Arrodes, said that the gray fog gives it a feeling that resembles that of an object from underground… It hopes that I can explore the underground world after I return to my throne of divinity. As for Lucca Brewster, he’s certain that the higher the Sequence, the greater the danger the underground world will bring… Klein tapped the edge of the long, mottled table with his fingers. He was increasingly puzzled about what was happening underground.
Fortunately, Hermes’s description, the state of the abandoned castle, and the attitude of the Evemight Goddess seemed to indicate that the corruption that stems from underground would naturally dissipate. Leaving it alone was the best solution.
Phew, then I shall temporarily put aside my worries regarding the underground world… Hermes’s words and the bronze door deep in the City of Miracles corroborate with each other. The Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt had really tried to resolve the problem of the underground world, but ended up with fear and trauma… From the looks of it, the greatest possibility for the coming of the apocalypse is probably from the cosmos, and my current Sequence doesn’t qualify me to know of it… Amidst his thoughts, Klein sighed as he continued flipping through the diary pages in his hand.
After reading a few pages, his eyes suddenly lit up and locked onto one of the pages.
“31st December. The end of a year is the most suitable time to make a resolution and start a new story.
“I’ve already thought of where the eight secret mausoleums should be built. I’m just clueless about the last one.
“This has to be more covert than the eight previous ones, or else it will be meaningless.
“After a long thought, I thought of a place: The nameless island where Grimm was buried.
“Of course, the Abyss is also an option. However, I can’t find a living Devil in the area that I can enter, so I can’t force them to become my citizens and help me build a mausoleum. Ordinary humans can’t survive there, and even powerful Beyonders will find it difficult to resist the corrosive properties of the Abyss itself.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Regardless, the environment on that nameless island seems like a pretty good choice.
“Heh, the Princes of Abolition in the Fourth Epoch’s understanding of citizens is too limited. The rule of an Emperor is not only limited to humans and humanoid creatures; all living things should be my subjects!
“And there are many extraordinary creatures on that nameless island with no intelligence. They have long worshiped and followed me. I can totally drive them into building a secret mausoleum.
“When I wrote this, I suddenly recalled that experience. Because I dreamed of Grimm, I brought Edwards, Benjamin, and the others back to this nameless island and discovered that those extraordinary creatures lived together in harmony. They were gathered together and holding a ritual, and amongst them was the deceased Grimm.
“I was indeed shocked back then. I felt a fear that I hadn’t felt in a long time, and everything appeared extremely bizarre.
That time, William and Poli died. Only Edwards and Benjamin survived. If I hadn’t already become powerful and controlled a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, everyone would’ve perished along with them.
The power of those Beyonder creatures that affected that nameless island actually came from the cosmos, and those who were corrupted would return to the source after dying.
Thankfully, the power from the cosmos could only project a small portion of it into the real world. I finally solved the problem and made that nameless island my secret base.
“Now, it’s time to use it!”
After reading the diary, Klein didn’t feel exhilarated that he had correctly guessed where Emperor Roselle’s final mausoleum was. Instead, he frowned slightly.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was, on the one hand, because the corruption caused by the cosmos had truly appeared “in front of him.” On the other hand, the nameless island wasn’t that secretive. Other than the emperor, there were also the two survivors, Edwards and Benjamin. It didn’t meet Roselle’s requirements of complete secrecy.
Before this, did Edwards and Benjamin pass away normally, resulting in them being unable to divulge any secrets, or was it that, after Roselle successfully built the mausoleum, he made these two subordinates stay on the island forever, resolving the problem of spirit channeling? Of course, if Roselle had the corresponding Sealed Artifacts or Beyonder powers, he could also make them completely lose the corresponding memories… After a moment of silence, Klein flipped through the diary pages again in search of the coordinates to the nameless island.
However, he didn’t see the corresponding content when he reached the last page. Instead, there was a diary entry that vaguely revealed some of Roselle’s thoughts in his later years.
“27th December. I’ve been feeling uneasy recently because I have no confidence in what will happen next.
“I no longer yearn for help. I’m very satisfied if they can remain neutral.
“I have put myself in the most dangerous situation. This is an act of me taking initiative, but it is also a choice due to a lack of options.
“Sometimes, I’m very confused. How did I end up like this?
“Was I too extreme, or was this the only thing I could do?
“No, at this point in time, I can’t be confused anymore. Apart from affecting my mindset and making the already slim chances even slimmer, it’s meaningless.
“Now that I’ve reached this point, I can only continue on. If I succeed, it will naturally be sunshine and rainbows.
“Heh heh, all my hopes are placed on one sentence:
“Life is possible by being in death’s embrace!”
From the looks of it, the emperor really chose the method of making use of one’s revival after death to escape the madness and corruption… This is simply crazy. It’s like he’s playing a game of Russian roulette with all six chambers filled, hoping that one of the rounds misfire… People who don’t like going to the extremes, or those who are good at coming up with all kinds of strange ideas, wouldn’t consider the viability of this method… Perhaps it’s because the enemy can’t guess it that this might give the emperor a sliver of a chance of living… Klein leaned back into his chair as he silently sat in the ancient palace for a while.
After he slowly recovered his scattered thoughts, he considered how to find the nameless island.
I remember that the person who visited the nameless island, Benjamin, seems to be from the Abraham family. This be asked via Miss Magician… Yes, I’ll be meeting her soon. There’s no need to specially get The Fool to pass the message…
I’ll get Queen Mystic to ask the descendants of Edwards, William, and Poli. That will be more suitable…
With this in mind, he surveyed the area and sighed before disappearing above the gray fog.
Chapter 1106 Making Contac
Returning to the real world, Klein immediately took out a pen and paper and wrote a short letter:
“Investigate the nameless island which led to the deaths of Grimm, William, and Poli. This can be done through the descendants of Edwards, Benjamin Abraham, and the descendants of the three deceased.”
This was a letter to Queen Mystic Bernadette, so Klein didn’t write the reason. He believed that she would understand what this meant.
After folding the letter, Klein casually found a candle and began the summoning ritual.
After completing the setup, he placed the letter on the altar, took two steps back, and recited in ancient Hermes:
“I!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I summon in my name:
“An invisible creature that roams the upper realms, a strange spiritual body that is friendly to humans, a messenger that belongs solely to Bernadette Gustav.”
The moment he said that, Klein’s spiritual perception was triggered. He instinctively activated his Spirit Vision with a mere thought.
However, he didn’t see anything.
Then, he discovered that the letter placed on the altar had disappeared.
Queen Mystic’s messenger is very special… Next time, I’ll switch to using my Spirit Body Threads vision… Klein was stunned for a second before he sighed inwardly.
In the evening, under the illumination of the street lamps that lit up one after another, a carriage drove to the intersection of the Backlund Bridge area and East Borough and stopped by the side of the streets.
Wearing a long dress and a dark cloak, Fors paid the fare of three soli before alighting from the rental carriage. She walked slowly along the shadows of the street, preparing to make a large detour to escape from her imaginary stalker.
At the end of the previous Tarot Gathering, she had swiftly overcome her laziness, packed up, and went out to visit her former teachers, classmates, and colleagues.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for the reason, there was no need for a special reason. It was very normal to care about friends and acquaintances after an air raid.
And the reason why it wasn’t last week was because, in the eyes of the ordinary citizens, the situation in Backlund was especially tense. There could be a new round of attacks at any moment, so everyone naturally tried their best not to leave the house.
During the visit, Fors had originally planned on diverting the topic onto the strange tales at the hospital, but to her surprise, there was no need for her to do so at all. Her former teachers, classmates, and colleagues would usually chat about such matters on their own accord after some idle chatter, making one convinced that such illusions happened at every hospital.
No, Fors knew that it wasn’t an illusion, so she inexplicably felt horrified, suspecting that she would have nightmares at night.
I don’t have to make any major changes at all. As long as the patients’ miraculous recoveries are changed to them having their physical wounds healed, only to have them go bonkers, it would make for an excellent horror story. Furthermore, it happens in a city that everyone is familiar with and also in the hospital that people often come into contact with in the city but exudes a terrifying atmosphere. It will result in perfect immersion. I can almost foresee another best-selling novel about to be bom. I just don’t know if I can write this genre well…
Uh, the only problem is that this story will lack sufficient emotion… A female patient passionately kissing a face that’s covered in mushrooms and weeds? Isn’t that way too outlandish… Fors walked as she thought, entering a creative state of mind.
At this moment, her vision blurred. She saw a figure walk out from the shadows in front of her where the gas lamps couldn’t illuminate.
The figure wore a black trench coat and a half top hat. He had a deep-set face with cold facial features. Apart from his gold-rimmed glasses, he looked identical to the crazy adventurer of the Five Seas, Gehrman Sparrow.
Although Fors knew that Mr. World wouldn’t hunt her and was here to fulfill the contract, she couldn’t help but tense up. It was as though she had met her strictest teacher from back in her school days.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Uh, good evening.” Her footsteps slowed down, but she still continued moving forward and greeted him.
Klein nodded without a word. He turned around and walked into a secluded alley to the side. The gas lamps inside were already damaged so it was dark.
Despite the dark environment, Fors similarly didn’t say a word. She lowered her head slightly and followed behind Gehrman Sparrow at an adequate pace.
When they reached the depths of the alley, Klein looked around and said in a deep voice, “Help me ask your teacher if he knows of this person—Benjamin Abraham. If he knows him, I want all his information and all the text and pictures he left behind.”
“Uh… Okay, okay.” Fors was nervously waiting for Mr. World to “Teleport” her somewhere else, but she never expected him to mention something else for no reason. She nearly failed to react.
She didn’t ask why and quickly nodded in agreement, as though she couldn’t wait to do it.
Then, she took a deep breath and continued waiting for Gehrman Sparrow to approach her. He grabbed her shoulder and began “Teleporting.”
But after a few seconds, nothing happened.
Fors looked up in shock, only to see Mr. World still standing in front of her, looking at her.
Composite Start
Composite End
She then heard him say in a deep voice, “Write it now.”
Write it now… Fors didn’t ask why as she subconsciously said, “I didn’t bring any paper, a pen, envelope, or stamp with me.”
Before she could finish her sentence, the four items were thrown at her.
Fors caught the items and took a few steps out. Using the gas lamps at the end of the alley which opened up to the roads and the hard wall, she quickly wrote the letter to her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.
With both hands in his pockets, Klein waited patiently without any signs of impatience.
In fact, he had long been lurking around Miss Magician without showing himself.
According to the address Fors provided, he had been secretly monitoring her from the moment she left home in the afternoon. His monitoring was done by getting his marionettes to pray to Sea God Kalvetua from time to time while his actual body stayed above the gray fog, using the prayer light dots to observe the situation around the Magician.
With the help of his “true vision,” Klein was currently certain that Zaratul hadn’t targeted Miss Magician; thus, it was safe to make contact with her.
After knowing that Miss Magician had met Zaratul’s marionette, how could he be at ease and be daring enough to meet her and take her “Traveling”?
Now, he was certain that Zaratul had been attracted by the Abraham family’s Sealed Artifact or Saint of Secrets Botis. As for a mere Sequence 6 like The Magician, she wasn’t worthy of notice. Hence, she wasn’t exposed.
Composite Start
Composite End
A few minutes later, Fors finished writing. She used a sticky herbal powder she carried with her to seal the envelope and pasted the stamp.
“Do I throw it into the mailbox now?” Fors glanced at the cover of the letter with her teacher’s address and real name and asked hesitantly.
She felt that she had to do it herself. She couldn’t hand it over to The World, or it might bring danger to her teacher.
Of course, if Gehrman Sparrow insisted, Fors felt that there was nothing she could do. Even if she tore the letter apart, there was still a possibility of her being hypnotized or having her spirit channeled.
Klein nodded indiscernibly.
“Return after you’re finished posting it.”
Phew… Fors let out a long sigh of relief. Turning around, she ran towards the street and found the mailbox.
After finishing all of this, she returned to the dark alley. Without waiting for Gehrman Sparrow to speak, she handed over the fountain pen and the remaining two stamps. She very quickly said, “One was enough.”
Klein gave Miss Magician a look before he took the stamp and pen and calmly said, “This means that your teacher’s residence is less than 100 kilometers from Backlund.”
Fors’s expression froze.
What’s the big deal? I also know that your teacher lives in Pritz Harbor, and there’s a high chance that he hasn’t moved away yet… As for why I gave you three stamp tickets, of course it was intentional… Klein muttered to himself before taking a few steps forward to stand in front of Miss Magician.
He then reached out his left hand that was wearing a transparent glove and grabbed the lady’s shoulder.
Fors subconsciously lowered her head again.
The surrounding colors immediately became saturated and layered while countless, indescribable figures flashed. When the things and colors she saw returned to normal, Fors instinctively raised her head to thank him.
However, Gehrman Sparrow had already disappeared!
Fors sized up her surroundings in a daze and realized that she was standing in an empty corner. In front of her was a door, and a din and the smell of alcohol were emitted from beyond the door.
Fors pulled at her cloak and walked out the door with a hint of fear, only to see many men dressed as pirates.
They had scimitars and guns, either hanging or lodged by their waist. While drinking hard liquor, they discussed the strengths of the fleets of Feysac and Loen in high spirits. Quite a number of beautifully dressed women were amongst them, like dancing butterflies.
She was wearing a long, dark-colored cloak in a Backlund style. Her brown hair was long and slightly curled. She had a rather mature temperament, but her expression of fear made it seem like Fors was a lamb that had barged into a wolf pack. It was so disharmonious and eye-catching, and it quickly attracted the attention of many.
She felt a little familiar with what those people had said to her. It was as if they were part of a language branch she had learned, but she couldn’t understand them immediately.
Where am I, what am I doing, who are they… As Fors was at a loss, a plump man squeezed over and said in broken Loenese, “10 soli, one night!”
Fors had been involved in many of the Beyonder circles over the years. Although she didn’t know where she was, she knew very well what kind of situation she was in. The light in her eyes flickered strangely before they converged into one point.
An indescribable aura emanated from her body, making the people around her subconsciously avoid her gaze.
This was the authority of a Judge, a qualitative change in the ability of an Arbiter.
Berserk Sea, Theros Island.
Danitz hid in the shadows, watching the intelligence peddler, Bartz, in a serious manner.
As a Hunter who had Shadow Cloak, Danitz’s hiding and monitoring abilities were always pretty good. Back then, he had even helped Gehrman Sparrow lay an ambush for Steel Maveti. At this moment, he didn’t show any traces of himself, but he felt a little bored. He was eager for Anderson to switch with him as soon as possible.
When will such a life end? Vice Admiral Ailment, hurry up and appear. No, no, not now. It’s better to wait until Anderson arrives… Danitz did some introspection and rationally ended his “prayer.”
He was worried that a pirate admiral at Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy would discover that he was hiding in the dark, and he lacked the courage and confidence to deal with her.
Of course, if he wore the boxing glove, everything wouldn’t be a problem.
As long as he made the decision fast enough, fear and apprehension wouldn’t be able to catch up to him!
“You seem very troubled?” Suddenly, a voice rang beside Danitz’s ear.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Danitz jumped out of the shadows in shock as an orange flame quickly formed in his hand.
At the same time, he cast his gaze to the source of the voice. He saw Anderson hiding in the woods. There were green vines stuck to his head that seemed to meld him with the environment.
“…Dogsh*t!” It was unknown if Danitz was cursing Anderson or himself. After venting his anger, he asked, “When did you come?”
Two minutes ago,” Anderson replied with a smile. “You hid well. I didn’t manage to find you immediately, so I followed your hiding habits and casually asked you a question.”
Danitz was momentarily unsure if he should be proud or angry. He asked with mixed feelings, “If I had remained calm just now, would you have failed to discover me?”
“In theory,” Anderson said with a smile, completely unfazed. “But as an experienced Hunter, there can’t be only one way.”
Just as Danitz was about to ask what other solutions there were, he suddenly saw Bartz extinguish the candle and prepare to sleep.
Minutes later, the figure of intelligence peddler, Bartz, appeared by the window in the darkness. With a nimble leap, he landed into the shadows outside the house.
That was where Danitz had been hiding. Having re-entered the shadows, he was almost stepped on by his target.
Composite Start
Composite End
Bartz walked towards the sea under the cover of the shadows.
…Dogsh*t! Only then did Danitz appear, giving Bartz the middle finger.
Anderson also left the woods. As he pulled out the branches from his head, he smiled at Danitz.
“I think we’ll hit the jackpot tonight.”
Danitz glanced at the strongest hunter in the Fog Sea and nodded vigorously.
“I hope it’s Vice Admiral Ailment.”
He used the shadows that were everywhere at night and immediately took the lead in following the intelligence peddler, along with Anderson. They maintained a perfectly adequate distance.
“Not too stupid…” Anderson observed for a moment before chuckling.
Danitz scoffed inwardly but didn’t respond.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He knew very well that this wasn’t an occasion where they could afford to mock and provoke each other!
Fifteen minutes later, Bartz arrived at the beach and stood there, staring at the dark blue sea under the crimson moonlight.
He didn’t wait too long. In the darkness of the sea, a huge outline appeared, gradually forming a black ship with a white flag fluttering in the air.
On the flag, two ghostly-blue flames “burned” within a pitch-black skull.
The Black Death!
Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy’s flagship, Black Death!
Danitz instantly became excited. If not for his shadow form, his pupils definitely would’ve dilated in a bid to draw in more light to see every detail of the ship.
He subconsciously moved a distance forward, hoping to confirm if Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy was on the ship.
As the gigantic sailboat approached, the two people in the shadows could see sailors busy on the deck.
Composite Start
Composite End
Is there a dock for docking here? Or will they just give Bartz a dinghy and get him to row himself over? Just as these thoughts flashed through Danitz’s mind, he heard Anderson say with a suppressed voice, “Leave.”
Ah? Danitz’s greatest strength was that he was good at following the instructions of an authoritative figure. Be it in front of Edwina Edwards or Gehrman Sparrow, he would follow the instructions to a tee, apart from grumbling at most. At that moment, although his face was filled with puzzlement, with the intention to retort and persist in his own plans, he still used the shadows to silently leave the beach.
When they could no longer see the Black Death and could only hear the vague crashing of the waves did Danitz leave the shadows and appear in the forest. He hurriedly asked, “Aren’t we going to confirm if Vice Admiral Ailment is aboard?”
Anderson sized up Danitz and chuckled.
“Never underestimate a Beyonder who’s very famous at sea but has lived to this day. Every pirate admiral is a target you must be careful against. You must never be careless.”
Danitz subconsciously replied, “Admiral of Blood Senor, Admiral Hell Ludwell…”
They were all pirates who were easily killed by a particular crazy adventurer.
Anderson was momentarily at a loss for words to rebut Danitz with. After a few seconds, he said, “So, isn’t Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy worth paying more attention to considering how she survived Gehrman Sparrow’s attack?^^
After careful thought, Danitz inexplicably felt that Anderson’s words made sense. Just as he was about to speak, his throat suddenly felt itchy as he coughed.
After coughing a few times, his throat began to swell in pain, and he could taste metal.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Look, I told you to be careful.” Anderson clenched his fists and held them to his mouth. He coughed lightly, but it wasn’t as serious as Danitz’s. “Tracy must’ve spread all kinds of ailments around the ship. Once anyone approaches it, they’ll quickly be infected with it and be exposed. Heh, with this wide of a range, it means that she has completely digested the Sequence 5 potion and has a chance of advancing to Sequence 4.”
“Why couldn’t it be that she has already advanced to Sequence 4?” As he was far from the source of the infection, Danitz quickly recovered and instinctively retorted.
“If that were the case, you are either on the Black Death, or you have a victim of the Black Death disease and are on your deathbed.” Anderson half-turned his body and cast his gaze towards the obstructed beach. “Tracy must’ve used some sort of trick. It’s unlikely for her to only be able to maintain the target area of the ailments to be at the front and not the other three directions. Instead, she used the wind to spread the ailments to affect the people on the shore.”
With that said, Anderson clapped his hands and smiled again.
“Isn’t our encounter proof that Vice Admiral Ailment is on the ship? You can inform Gehrman Sparrow.”
Danitz didn’t hesitate any further. He immediately set up a ritual and summoned the messenger. Using the excuse of guarding the area to prevent any accidents, Anderson walked out of the forest.
It was three in the morning in Backlund’s East Borough. Apart from the moonlight and starlight, it was pitch black.
Wearing cotton pajamas and a sleeping cap with a protective hairnet, Klein sat on the bed and received the letter from Reinette Tinekerr without asking anything.
Opening the letter, he calmly got out of bed, took out a pen from his pocket, and wrote on the back of the letter: “Return to the port city and await further instructions.”
After watching Miss Messenger leave, he calmly changed into his shirt, put on his vest, tied his bow tie, and put on his black trench coat.
Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog. Using the topaz spirit pendulum to divine the danger level of this operation, he received almost no revelations.
Without any hesitation, he returned to the real world and stood in front of the mirror. He picked up his half top hat and wore it above his head.
On the bunk bed in the room outside, Qonas and Enuni opened their eyes.
In an empty room on the Black Death, a figure quickly outlined itself. He had black hair and brown eyes with cold and hard facial features. He was none other than Gehrman Sparrow.
Under the dim crimson moonlight, Klein swept his gaze and casually found a chair to sit down as he admired the sea vista outside.
In the captain’s cabin one level away, Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy, who was dressed in a white blouse and beige pants, watched Bartz leave the room in disgust. She pulled at her collar out of reflex, and her expression turned livid.
She had just learned that Blazing Danitz and the Strongest Hunter Anderson had been staying in Theros Island recently with unknown motives.
They’re all related to Gehrman Sparrow… Is that fellow looking for me? Tracy narrowed her eyes as she walked towards the window without any hesitation. She was prepared to instruct the sailors on the deck to steer the ship away from these waters.
At this moment, her thoughts suddenly turned sluggish. It was as if she had sunken into a state where she knew she was in a dream but was unable to extricate from it no matter how hard she struggled.
Not good… Black flames abruptly emerged from the surface of Tracy’s body, attempting to burn away any external influences.
However, while the flames were initially able to “flow” smoothly, they later began to turn intermittent as they kept falling to the ground like withered petals.
A strong sense of despair surged within Tracy as her thoughts turned increasingly slower.
Desperate, she quickly condensed a layer of crystalline ice around her body, retracting the invisible threads towards her and wrapped herself in layers.
At that moment, the door to the captain’s cabin creaked open. Wearing a silk top hat and black trench coat, Gehrman Sparrow walked in.
Then, he politely closed the door.
With a light cracking sound, the entire captain’s cabin instantly became extremely quiet. The sound of crashing waves was no longer present, as though they had been separated from the real world.
As for the invisible spider webs that entangled Tracy, they seemed to misunderstand the order that was given as they tightly bound Vice Admiral Ailment up, preventing her from moving or using her Beyonder powers.
Distortion!
As her thoughts returned to normal, her brain no longer felt frozen.
“W-what do you want to do?” She couldn’t hide her fear as she watched Gehrman Sparrow slowly approach.
What she couldn’t understand was why the other party would give up on the attempt to make a marionette even though she had clearly lost her ability to resist.
The reason why Klein did so was because he was worried that Vice Admiral Ailment and the Demoness of White were related by blood. This way, Tracy’s death would cause the demigod who was good at hexes to sense something and take measures ahead of time.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Klein stopped in front of the Demoness.
Chapter 1108 Messed Up Family
Gehrman Sparrow’s silence made Tracy’s heart sink, as though she had fallen into an ice cavern.
When he saw despair surface on Vice Admiral Ailment’s face, Klein took out a piece of paper from his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, he made it fly forward like a poker card.
With a whoosh, the slip of paper cut through a tiny portion of the invisible spider webs like a piece of metal. It tore open the translucent ice crystal and lacerated Tracy’s left arm, causing blood to splatter.
The surface of the paper was quickly dyed with a bright red tinge before it boomeranged back from the trapped Demoness into Klein’s palm.
Tracy originally imagined that the piece of paper would come at her throat, but she never expected it to only target her arm. She was momentarily stunned. Only when Gehrman Sparrow folded the piece of paper and placed it into an iron cigar case did she suddenly realize something. She asked, “Your true target is Katarina?”
Klein placed the iron cigar case back into his pocket without answering her. He calmly asked, “You are her descendant?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon hearing this, Tracy, who was still trapped by the ice crystal and spider silk, suddenly let out a low laugh.
“I’m not just a descendant. I’m her child.”
Child…Daughter…As Klein rejoiced over his caution in not recklessly killing her, causing Demoness of White Katarina to sense something, he subconsciously analyzed whether Katarina was the mother or father of the Ailment Maiden.
If Katarina was also formerly a male, it’s possible that she’s Tracy’s father, but the problem is that she was already a Sequence 4 demigod during the Pale Disaster that was at the end of the Fourth Epoch. And for the Assassin pathway, a man will change into a woman at Sequence 7 Witch…
In other words, if Katarina is Tracy’s father, Tracy needs to be at least l,300 years old. However, it’s impossible for a Sequence 5 Beyonder to live for so long. Even most Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 saints aren’t capable of that!
There’s only one answer, and that is that Tracy was borne by Katarina. Also, it happened in the past few decades… An advanced maternal age of more than a thousand years… Klein nodded slightly and confirmed without any change in expression.
“She’s your mom?”
Tracy’s expression suddenly turned odd.
“No, my mother.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he was about to ask what was the difference between that and mother since it was essentially a more formal and eloquent manner of speech. Tracy sneered and said, “My mom is another person. She used to be my father.”
…You Demonesses have messed up families… But that isn’t the reason why you spread catastrophes to the world… Klein used his Clown powers to control his facial muscles as he continued looking at Ailment Maiden, his face impassive.
Tracy, who was already in a dire situation, was now beginning to abandon herself to despair. Without waiting for Gehrman Sparrow’s response, she sighed and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“Maybe it was all a mistake since I was born.
“Abnormal parents, abnormal family relationship, abnormal sect members. They sculpted me and harmed me. At the age of 8,1 found out that my father, who I had always admired as a role model, had suddenly become a woman. He was becoming like a dainty flower by the day, becoming more and more adept at using his charms. Later on, he even found a male friend and gave birth to my younger brother. Can you imagine that kind of feeling?
“After I ran away from home and came to the sea, I finally found a normal sense of self-recognition and a social identity after many years of hard work. I finally understood what I really wanted. Then, a potion bottle turned me into a woman. Heh, a woman…”
After listening quietly, Klein said without changing his tone, “Your instigation skills are pretty good.”
Tracy turned agape, but in the end, she only sighed and smiled with a complicated expression. “I admit that I was trying to win your sympathy. Everyone wants to live. Isn’t that right? However, I didn’t lie. That was my life experience.”
She stopped exaggerating her pain and sadness and paused.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Before you kill me, I would like to ask you a question. It’s a question that won’t put you in a difficult spot.”
“What is it?” Klein looked at the Demoness and asked.
Tracy hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Before you came to assassinate me the previous time, did Helene know about this?”
Klein was silent for a moment before he said, “She didn’t know what would happen.”
Tracy’s face suddenly glowed.
“Really?”
Before Gehrman Sparrow could respond, she revealed an extremely complicated expression.
“Before I die, can I ask you for another favor? If you can see her again, tell her that I feel very guilty about what happened in the past, but I don’t regret it.”
At this point, Tracy tried to shake her head, but failed thanks to the restriction provided by the crystalline ice and invisible spider webs.
Composite Start
Composite End
She could only laugh at herself.
“Forget it, there’s no need to tell her. Let’s leave it at that.
“You can do what you were here for.”
With that, Tracy closed her eyes.
After a few seconds, she didn’t feel the pain she expected. Instead, she heard Gehrman Sparrow say in a deep voice, “Say this: No one is to disturb me.”
Tracy was surprised as she felt perplexed, and it showed on her face.
However, since she was already facing death, such a small matter wasn’t worth nitpicking about. She opened her mouth and said, “No one is to disturb me.”
As soon as she said the statement, the same voice echoed on the Black Death, greatly amplified.
The pirates didn’t have any doubts about this. It was as if they were following a specific pattern. They instinctively avoided the captain’s cabin and continued their work.
Since the captain said not to disturb her, they naturally wouldn’t seek her out!
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, Tracy saw Gehrman Sparrow take off his top hat and press it to his chest. He bowed slightly at her, as though he was bidding her farewell.
Then, she felt as though she was isolated from the entire world. There was silence. Even the crazy adventurer was gone.
She had obtained the environment of “not being disturbed” just as she wanted.
The “Magnify” and “Distortion” powers of the Lawyer pathway!
The layer of ice on Tracy’s body began to melt, but the invisible spider webs continued to bind her firmly, preventing her from doing anything. She couldn’t even change her center of gravity.
Hence, she could only stand there like a lifelike wax statue.
He didn’t kill me… Tracy looked ahead blankly, momentarily in disbelief.
She didn’t believe that Gehrman Sparrow hadn’t taken action because he pitied her. This crazy adventurer had killed many pirates, and there had never been a situation where he showed mercy. As for Tracy, although she believed that she wasn’t the typical Demoness and didn’t live up to her status as a Demoness, how could she not have done anything bad as a pirate? She was experienced in both the slave trade and in plundering ships.
Similarly, Tracy didn’t believe that Gehrman Sparrow was moved by her beauty and her experiences, and had ended up coveting her, because his cold gaze was like he was looking at a dead person.
There must be other factors… A thought flashed through her mind as she made connections with matters she might be involved in. She quickly came to a conclusion. It’s likely because of my blood relationship with Mother. As for Demonesses, they’re all good at hexes. Once I die, Mother will immediately notice it. When she discovers that there’s a problem here, she will make preparations ahead of time, preventing Gehrman Sparrow from finding his target during his subsequent actions. That’s why he allowed me to live but made it impossible for me to contact anyone else… From the looks of it, regardless of the outcome of his operation targeted at Mother, he will return to kill me… And if I want to continue living, I have to succeed in saving myself before that happens.
In Tracy’s heart, she didn’t have much of a relationship with her mother, Katarina. This Demoness of Unaging had lived for a long time, and most of the time, she had maintained her youthful state of mind by dating young men. She was passionate about the occasional children that she had whenever she found it novel to have one. At other times, she was mostly indifferent.
However, as she grew older, Katarina’s evaluation of Tracy was that she resembled her past self more and more.
Hence, she was doted on her and provided more help.
However, Tracy didn’t want such attention. It only served to make her lose her original gender, putting her into a painful situation that she couldn’t shake off.
Phew… Although I hate her and blame her, I still unknowingly rely on her, hoping that she can respect my opinion more… I h-hope that she can escape Gehrman Sparrow’s pursuit… Tracy once again began to struggle in an attempt to escape her bound state.
On the one hand, she was trying to save herself. On the other hand, she wanted to inform her mother to be careful of Gehrman Sparrow as soon as possible!
Of course, Tracy found it questionable that Gehrman Sparrow, who had likely advanced to Sequence 4 recently, would be able to harm her mother. She was, after all, someone who had survived since the Fourth Epoch, and was a Demoness with the title of “Unaging.” However, she didn’t only pin this belief on hope alone. This was because Gehrman Sparrow had helpers, such as the Death Consul who even her mother feared!
Plop!
Tracy finally collapsed on the ground and tried to roll towards the desk. But no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to roll her body.
The person she was fighting against was none other than herself, she who had been “Distorted” and “Magnified”!
Above the gray fog, Klein had already taken his seat in the high-back chair of The Fool. He placed the paper stained with Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy’s blood on the surface of the long, mottled table.
Following that, he conjured a pen and paper and wrote a divination statement:
“Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy’s mother, Katarina’s current location.”
Putting down the pen, he held the two pieces of paper and leaned back into his chair. He closed his eyes and repeated the words he had written.
After repeating it seven times, he entered a dream. He saw a tall and towering gothic bell tower appear in the gray world.
Around the bell tower, the white-robed Katarina stood in the shadows of a few houses. She observed the surroundings with a heavy expression, as though she was searching for something. As for the crimson moon hanging high in the sky, its position was identical to what he had seen before entering the gray fog.
This meant that Demoness of White Katarina was still in Backlund. She was in West Borough, in search of a particular target.
Chapter 1109 Patience
After ending the divination and returning to the real world, Klein walked to the room outside the rental flat. There, he pondered for nearly a minute while looking at the crimson moon in the night sky.
Perhaps, there’s still another chance for digesting the potion… he muttered silently as he ultimately rummaged for something. He took the two marionettes and disappeared into the shadows.
In Backlund, he no longer dared to use Flaming Jump, afraid that it might catch Zaratul’s notice. After all, it was impossible for him to always have an opportunity to ignite Will Auceptin’s paper crane to protect himself. This was a sign of disrespect towards the Snake of Fate, and it was easy for Dr. Aaron’s family to be targeted if he kept visiting them.
In the blink of an eye, Klein appeared at the back of the tall, gothic-styled bell tower in his dream. He hid in the shadows—one formed by the Bell of Order, a symbol of Backlund.
Immediately following that, he and his two marionettes split apart, each occupying different hidden spots.
After doing all of this, Klein quickly turned a rat into a marionette, allowing it to run to the edge of the range of his control. It opened its mouth and softly chanted an honorific name:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The great God of War, the symbol of iron and blood, the ruler of chaos and strife. Demoness of White Katarina is in this area…”
Since Klein was fulfilling his agreement with the Red Angel evil spirit, he also hoped that this high-level creature would step into a trap that might possibly be for him. At the same time, he had some doubts about Sauron Einhorn Medici’s true intentions. He had no intention of urgently getting help from the Church of Evernight or Queen Mystic. He planned on watching from the sidelines to confirm the situation, lest he implicated others into springing a trap.
Just as the prayer ended, the gray rat suddenly twitched and fell quietly beside the rubbish bin.
It had already lost its life and was no longer Klein’s marionette.
This was a way to prevent himself from being marked by the Red Angel evil spirit.
As for him, after giving up on that rat marionette, he immediately left the area where the Bell of Order was located with Qonas and Enuni. He also made “the Winner” pray to Sea God Kalvetua a few kilometers away.
After the prayer, the two of them continued to retreat, widening their distance.
Then, Klein hid in a storage room in a particular house, took four steps counterclockwise, and went above the gray fog to sit at the position of The Fool.
He then beckoned for the Sea God Scepter. With the help of the prayer light of “the Winner,” he expanded his scope and observed the target area.
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, with his other hand, he held the piece of paper that was stained with Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy’s blood.
With a medium like this, and a general scope, it didn’t take long under his “true vision” before he found the hidden Demoness of White Katarina.
The black-haired, blue-eyed woman was dressed in a pure white robe. She looked like a weightless feather, and she was gently drifting across the streets and alleys. Even if the patrolling policemen looked in the right direction, they were unable to detect her presence.
If it wasn’t for the gray fog’s help, Klein could only use Spirit Body Threads to see through the invisibility to a certain extent.
Taking a deep breath, he patiently waited for the Red Angel evil spirit to appear. He also observed Katarina, wanting to know what she was looking for.
He suspected that the Demoness of White was targeting Trissy Cheek.
Seconds changed to minutes as the crimson moon gradually tilted to the side. Having wandered around the Bell of Order for a while without finding anything, Katarina revealed a slightly frustrated and disappointed expression. She looked as though she was about to leave that area at any time.
And the Red Angel evil spirit never appeared!
This… Sauron Einhom Medici was just lying to me. He really didn’t have the Demoness of White as his goal? No, that’s not necessarily the case. If that happened, then “His” condition would be meaningless… The Red Angel evil spirit has actually arrived at the scene, but has chosen not to immediately take action like me? “He” is waiting for the battle between Katarina and me and my companions to reach its most intense state before suddenly appearing to reap the greatest benefits… Klein’s thoughts wandered as he came up with a guess:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He suspected that the Red Angel evil spirit was as cautious, careful, and staid as he was. “He” hoped to be the fisherman pulling in the net and not that net.
This is really troublesome… Next, it will depend on who’s more patient… Klein muttered silently as he continued to observe the situation around the Bell of Order through the prayer light.
Tick. Tick. Tick. The second hand was beating at the same pace in the quiet night. Demoness of White Katarina’s expression turned increasingly gloomy.
Suddenly, she cast her gaze on the glass window of a building.
The dim night was like a mirror reflecting the things in front of them.
Katarina’s beautiful blue eyes sparkled slightly as the surface of the mirror instantly turned dark, as though there were countless objects and layers of space hidden within.
The glass window seemed to have become a passageway to an alternate world!
With a thought, together with the various Beyonder powers that Demoness Trissy had showcased, he suspected that Katarina was about to use the mirror world to leave this place and end her “hunt” tonight.
How can the Red Angel evil spirit still endure this? Klein tensed up as he instinctively wanted to put down the Sea God Scepter and return to the real world. He wanted to act against the Demoness of White and prevent her from leaving.
Composite Start
Composite End
As this thought flashed through his mind, he ultimately didn’t move.
He felt that he could still wait a little longer because even if Katarina left the surrounding area of the Bell of Order, he could still locate her again as long as she didn’t discover that something had happened to her daughter. When the time came, he could first summon Arrodes to ask about the target’s actual abilities and items. Then, he could either seek the help of Queen Mystic Bernadette or the Church of Evernight to borrow a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. He could then make the scales of victory tip towards him before taking action.
I deliberately didn’t hide my operation this time. If I were to borrow a Sealed Artifact and the archbishop assents to it, that means that the Goddess’s true attitude towards George III is: “She” doesn’t like the king becoming the Black Emperor, but “She” can only accept it silently. If someone is willing to disrupt the ritual, “She” is willing to provide some help… Klein calmed his slightly anxious feelings, allowing his observation to become more relaxed.
At that moment, Demoness of White Katarina’s expression returned to normal. She floated to the glass window and entered without any corporeal form.
The layers of illusory worlds within the mirror converged as though they were constantly moving away.
At this moment, using his “true vision” to observe the area underneath, Klein seemed to hear a shrill female scream. This cry seemed to come from another world. It contained extreme fear and disbelief.
None of the residents in the surrounding area were jolted awake. No one heard anything.
That was Katarina’s scream? What exactly happened to her… Klein’s gaze froze as he thought of something:
The Red Angel evil spirit is also an evil spirit, and it’s also capable of using Mirror Blink; thus, using this medium.
In other words, “He” is no stranger to the mirror world!
Composite Start
Composite End
Could it be that Sauron Einhorn Medici had been hiding in the “mirror” all this time, waiting for the Demoness of White to throw herself into a trap? As his pupils dilated, the darkness and gloominess in the glass window disappeared.
The “mirror” had lost its unique characteristics and returned to its original state.
A few seconds later, the bottom of the glass window slowly bled, forming a liquid that slid down.
In the areas that the liquid passed, the surrounding grayish-white tint spread, covering its original pale yellow color. It was like a newly embedded stone.
Drip! Drip! Drip!
The drops of liquid landed on the ground, dyeing it bright red like blood, beautiful like flowers.
Upon seeing this scene, the muscles on Klein’s face twitched slightly before he forced himself to use his Clown powers to control his expression.
This ending was really unexpected.
A powerful and senior Sequence 3 saint, one who had lived for more than a thousand years, was unable to put up any resistance in front of the Red Angel evil spirit’s trap. There was only silence left.
As for Klein himself, even if he counted the two marionettes and the Sealed Artifacts he possessed, he was still a little weaker when compared to Katarina’s strength. He needed to make up for this gap through prior preparations.
This also meant that, if he were to face the Red Angel evil spirit, he would probably not end up any better. He would similarly be powerless and puny, slowly sinking in the torrent that followed.
Is this what a former King of Angels is? Even though “His” strength has yet to recover to its peak state, it still leaves one in such despair… Seeing the blood seeping out from the glass window gradually lessen, he took a deep breath and returned to the real world.
Following that, he and Winner Enuni exchanged positions as he “Teleported” to the glass window.
When Bizarro Sorcerers switched positions, they could only choose two swapping their bodies or bodies and external objects. However, it was impossible to be too precise at his current level, so Klein wasn’t able to leave behind whatever he wanted. He could only choose to leave everything or not leave anything behind.
Enuni, who wore Gehrman Sparrow’s appearance, said to the glass window in a deep voice the moment he materialized in front of it, “I have already fulfilled my promise.”
A figure suddenly appeared on the glass window.
He was wearing a long black robe with red stripes. He casually wore a hood, revealing a soft outline. His skin was brown, and he had a pale face. He was the Gatekeeper who had been possessed by Sauron Einhorn Medici.
“Well done,” the young man walked down from the window and said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Klein took out something from his pocket. The corners of his mouth curled up as he happily replied,
“You did well too.”
As he spoke, he blew at the monocle in his hand and wore it on his left eye. Sauron Einhorn Medici’s smile froze.
Chapter 1110 “Spirit“ Channeling
For a moment, the cold night became abnormally scorching hot, as though invisible lava was surging within it.
However, everything quickly returned to normal.
The Red Angel evil spirit sized up Klein and smiled as if nothing had happened.
“I’ll say it again. You have talent in being a Provoker.
“Back when Zaratul digested the Bizarro Sorcerer potion, even ‘He’ didn’t dare to pretend to be Amon in front of me.”
There wasn’t a hint of anger in his tone. He didn’t mention why Zaratul didn’t dare to do so, but with his gaze sweeping across Klein, it was as if he had fallen deep inside a glacier, his body freezing in the process.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was how his actual body felt. Even though he was separated by a marionette, the back of his neck and back still had goosebumps.
Without needing Sauron Einhorn Medici to say anything else, Klein understood the hidden meaning behind his words:
Anyone who dared to use such a method to scare “Him” would suffer the punishment of steel and blood on the spot!
Looking at the Red Angel evil spirit in front of him who had a converged aura but was giving off a feeling of an extremely high level of superiority, Klein couldn’t help but inwardly mutter, If it wasn’t for the fact that the Bizarro Sorcerer potion had been digested to a certain extent, I would’ve thought that your willpower was as strong as steel and that your strength has returned to the level of at least a Sequence 1. And now, I can basically confirm that, under your calm demeanor, you’re hiding a strong fear towards Amon. This also means that your current level is at most at Sequence 2…
Besides, I was already mentally prepared to lose a marionette. In order to quickly digest the potion, I had to take the risk…
If Danitz was here and he was given the opportunity to shout out “coward” twice, he could probably quickly digest the Provoker potion even if he had drunk four or five bottles…
Without further agitating the Red Angel evil spirit, Klein smiled and took off the monocle.
“Back in the Solomon Empire, Zaratul should already be an angel. How would he still need to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion?”
“I’m talking about the young Zaratul,” Sauron Einhorn Medici said casually.
Composite Start
Composite End
This is consistent with the description from the grandpa in Leonard’s body… Klein nodded indiscernibly and focused on the main topic at hand.
“You’ve already finished off the Demoness of White?”
“What do you think?” The Red Angel evil spirit laughed and said, “Also, one must be polite. Since Katarina calls herself the Saintess of White, then you shouldn’t call her a Demoness anymore.”
Polite… A Hunter emphasizing manners with me… At that instant, the corners of Klein’s mouth twitched, expressing the ludicrousness of the matter, but he ultimately held back.
From the looks of it, “provoking” isn’t limited to ridiculing and cursing others. Uh, Danitz, who only knows how to curse using one word, is a disgrace to Hunters… As he thought, Klein said, “I’ve already fulfilled my promise. I think you don’t mind giving me a small reward.”
“Reward?” the Red Angel evil spirit scoffed and asked.
Klein ignored “His” attitude and continued, “I wish to communicate with the Demoness of White. I want to ask her something.”
“Just this request?” the Red Angel evil spirit asked in amusement.
Klein nodded.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“That’s right.”
“No problem.” Sauron Einhorn Medici raised his right hand and grabbed at his glabella. From there, a blurry figure was pulled out. It was none other than Saintess of White Katarina, whose facial expression was filled with horror.
“Can we have a private conversation?” Seeing this, Klein looked around.
The Red Angel evil spirit immediately laughed and said, “Do you need a room where the two of you can be together?
Think about it with that brain of yours. Even if you want to hide the questions you would like to raise from me, I can still find out through Katarina’s spirit. That is, of course, unless you don’t plan on returning her to me? Or are you a little boy who needs things to follow a ritual?”
Klein made the marionette reply with a deadpan expression, “I have a way to make her forget my questions.”
This was both the truth and a lie. The truth was that he could use Hvin Rambis’s Manipulator’s Beyonder characteristic to complete the job. However, it was relatively difficult, and the chance of failure was very high. Furthermore, the negative effects weren’t minor. The reason why he lied was because he had no intention of doing so. This would expose many important matters. He only had one purpose in saying this: to make the Red Angel evil spirit suspect that the answers obtained weren’t the truth and that there were key hidden parts beneath the surface. From that, “He” would ignore the value of the answers obtained on the surface. This worked wonders on people who were highly suspicious.
Of course, there was no hope of success. After all, the entity opposite him was the Red Angel who was master of “conspiracies.”
“Not bad.” After Sauron Einhorn Medici heard Klein’s reply, “His” body suddenly vanished, projecting itself onto the glass window.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein glanced at the blood that had already coagulated on the gray stones, feeling somewhat wistful as he brought the somewhat muddle-headed Demoness of White Katarina far away from the glass and into a dark alley.
He then took out candles, essential oils, and herbal powders. He set up an altar and prayed to the Evernight Goddess, hoping that he could use ritualistic magic to complete the mediumship.
This was a skill he had mastered when he was still a Nighthawk.
As the ritual was completed, an immense and terrifying power descended from an indescribable height, causing the surroundings to become unusually quiet.
Klein’s eyes instantly darkened, as it was like the dark night was compressed.
He then saw more things around Katarina’s spirit—flickering light and blurry mind storms.
He easily passed through those obstacles and faced the Demoness of White’s Body of Heart and Mind.
“Has the cooperation between the Demoness Sect and George III come to an end?” Without being careless, Klein began from a less sensitive question to observe Katarina’s condition.
The dazed and confused look on Katarina’s face faded a little as she nodded with a pure smile.
“Yes.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Then why are you still in Backlund?” Klein asked further.
Katarina replied solemnly, “I’m in pursuit of Trissy. She took an important Sealed Artifact from us.”
“What’s the Sealed Artifact?” Klein suddenly recalled the sapphire ring that Demoness Trissy had once worn on her hand. It was intricately made.
Demoness of White Katarina said with a pious expression, “It has something to do with the awakening of Primordial. Apart from its high level at Grade 0, it doesn’t have any special abilities.”
Indeed, it has to do with the Primordial Demoness… You people even changed Trissy’s name to Trissy Cheek… Klein didn’t reveal that he knew the true name of the Primordial Demoness. Instead, he asked, “Do you know where the other eight mausoleums of George III are?”
Katarina frowned slightly and answered in a manner meant to garner sympathy, “They’re separately located in the southwest suburbs of Backlund, Awwa County, East Chester County…”
This Demoness of White first gave a simple account of the locations of the eight mausoleums before introducing their specific locations and situations in detail.
“The eight mausoleums have already been repaired. They temporarily deactivated the teleportation tunnel. Even if they have the corresponding charms, there’s no way to open them again. It’s almost impossible to find them directly from the outside world…
“Other than Prince Grove, Duchess Georgina, the two angels of the royal family, and George III, no one else can enter…”
Well, some of those places were places where Qonas Kilgor often went hunting, so it matches my guess. This means that the Demoness of White isn’t lying… I’ll make a confirmation above the gray fog later…
If this is really the case, it would be quite troublesome… With the current situation, be it Prince Grove or Duchess Georgina, they would definitely be in the sights of the angels…
The biggest hurdle is entering the ruins. Once entry is gained, what follows won’t be that dangerous. War has already broken out, and there’s a need to fight against the Feysacians. Demigods are a limited resource, so there’s no way George III can have every ruin be guarded by a saint, with the option of an angel to provide reinforcements… As Klein’s thoughts raced, he first posed a question:
“The royal family has two angels?”
“In fact, that’s not the case. It’s very likely that George III is also one,” Katarina replied honestly. “One of those two angels is the Founder of the Loen Kingdom, Protector William I who has survived since the Fourth Epoch. ‘He’ is a Sequence 1 Hand of Order of the Arbiter pathway, while the other is the former Duke of Southville, Dlink Augustus. ‘He’ is a Sequence 2 Balancer… As for how many Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts the royal family has, I’m not sure.”
The Founder on the ten-pound note is still alive? I have the feeling that history has seeped into reality again… After some thought, he nodded and asked, “Why are you working with George III?”
“For a Conqueror Beyonder characteristic. It’s already in our hands.” Katarina’s expression became a little excited. Conqueror was the name of the Red Priest pathway’s Sequence 1 potion!
“Then, will it belong to the Primordial Demoness, or belong to the upper echelons of your sect?” Klein asked thoughtfully. “Who are the higher-ups of your sect?”
“It will be sacrificed to Primordial. However, we have to find the Sealed Artifact that Trissy took away first. Currently, it has been kept by the Saintess of Black… All the higher-ups of our sect have colors as their code names…” Katarina answered truthfully.
After understanding more details, Klein terminated the spirit channeling, cleaned up the altar, and allowed the Demoness of White’s spirit to return to the glass window from before.
As for himself, his body suddenly turned transparent. With the help of “Teleportation,” he disappeared from this region, rendezvousing with his actual body and his other marionette.
After watching Gehrman Sparrow leave, the gloominess and confusion on Katarina’s face suddenly vanished as her expression became extremely astute.
She then entered the glass window which had turned dark again.
A few seconds later, Sauron Einhorn Medici and Demoness of White Katarina walked out of the “mirror” together. The latter’s figure was clear and filled with flesh. She showed no signs of death!
“Are you saying that he was asking about the other eight secret mausoleums of George III? The power of the spirit channeling came from Evernight?” The Red Angel evil spirit stroked “His” chin and turned to ask Katarina.
The Demoness of White nodded slightly and said, “That’s right.”
“Heh.” The Red Angel evil spirit immediately laughed. “So he doesn’t want George III to become the Black Emperor.” Katarina’s eyes darted around as she revealed a smile.
“But it’s impossible to succeed. No matter how fast he advances or how much help he receives, there’s no way he can resist the combined forces of the royal family, the military, and that organization. No, if it’s just the Augustus family, with his level and strength, he won’t be able to do anything, unless Evernight personally descends.”
Having said that, this Demoness of White asked in a seemingly casual manner, “I’m very puzzled. Why didn’t you kill me directly after grasping the absolute advantage over me?”
The Red Angel evil spirit glanced at her as the corners of “His” mouth slowly curled up.
“Do you think you have the right to be my true target?”
Chapter 1111 “Poker Expert“
Upon hearing the Red Angel evil spirit’s reply, Demoness of White Katarina’s expression instantly froze, unable to contain her anger.
Sauron Einhorn Medici laughed and continued, “You must’ve become a demigod at the end of the Fourth Epoch. It’s been more than a thousand years, but you haven’t become an angel. Don’t you feel inferior?
“As for that fellow just now, he had to rely on Azik Eggers to face you head-on in the beginning. He was as weak as a chick that had just hatched. But now, in less than a year, he has already advanced to Sequence 4 and obtained godhood. He has the ability to match your strength. Don’t you have any thoughts about this? Didn’t you think that the past thousand years were a waste? Even a dog might open the gates to angelhood after living for more than a thousand years.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re very jealous, and on the other hand, you also have a twisted desire. You want to prove yourself by sleeping with him. You Demonesses are really laughable. On the one hand, you insist that you were originally men so as to prevent yourself from losing yourself, thus, resulting in you losing control. On the other hand, you have to showcase the charm of a woman and try your hand at extreme pleasure and intense love. But we Hunters have no such problem. Regardless of what gender we were in the beginning, all we need to do in the future is war, war, war!
“Primordial really is a twisted fellow. Letting a pure woman take the path of a Demoness would be so much better; however, generation after generation, you pass the damage down. And for what? Isn’t the main goal merely to seek revenge on fate?”
Every word of the Red Angel evil spirit was like an arrow that stabbed into the heart of the Demoness of White. It made her beautiful and exquisite face twitch, and her smooth, raven-black, long hair seemed to grow thicker.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Sauron Einhorn Medici glanced at Katarina and immediately chortled.
“Don’t tell me that you’re losing control because of my provocation?
“What a nostalgic feeling.”
The Red Angel evil spirit paused for a moment before saying:
You can leave now. If there’s anything, then remember to recite my honorific name. Of course, I will come to you directly if I have to.”
Demoness of White Katarina’s expression returned to normal. She frowned slightly and asked in disbelief, “You’re letting me leave, just like that?”
The Red Angel evil spirit chuckled.
“Why? Do you want to sleep with me? It’s not impossible if the timing is right, but there’s something very important that needs to be done right now.
“Don’t worry. Since you’ve already recited my honorific name and given me a drop of your blood, you’ll be under my watch, and you can be affected by me at any moment.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Have you already forgotten the differences between an angel and a saint? Don’t you know how powerful a real high- level figure is?
“Heh heh, unless you directly pray to Primordial and receive a response; otherwise, you’ll never be able to free yourself from my gaze. Well, in normal circumstances, an angel can do such a thing, but that’s only limited to the situation of you only chanting my honorific name. If you don’t believe me, I’ll let you seek the help of an angel.”
Demoness of White Katarina listened with a gloomy expression before finally smiling.
“I’ll keep your teachings in mind, Lord Medici.”
Sauron Einhorn Medici’s eyebrows twitched.
“You don’t seem so compliant. I can even imagine how you were when you faced Gehrman Sparrow, but I don’t care.
“Ah, I forgot to tell you. It’s best if you immediately confirm the condition of your bloodline descendants. Don’t you find it suspicious that Gehrman Sparrow managed to find you so easily?”
Katarina’s face turned slightly pale, but then it grew serious. She slowly nodded and said, “I understand.”
With that said, she immediately retreated and entered the glass window again. It was unknown where she was headed for in the illusory, stacked mirror world.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With the Demoness of White disappearing, a bloody gash suddenly appeared on the left side of the Red Angel evil spirit’s left cheek and made a sound:
“What an excellent actress. She made it seem like she wasn’t good at controlling her expression, showing her restlessness and lack of intelligence as though it was easy for her ulterior motives to be discovered.”
“That’s right. That way, there’s a high chance that we would belittle her and let our guard down against her.” The Red Angel evil spirit’s right cheek also cracked open in a hideous manner.
“Tsk, Demonesses are indeed very cunning. However, I’ve never underestimated any prey.” The Red Angel evil spirit used “His” normal mouth to say, “She wants to desensitize me and make me belittle her, but it’s impossible.”
The bloody gash on “His” left cheek opened and closed and replied, “Then why were you captured by Alista Tudor?”
“That’s because of the two of you.” The personality that belonged to Medici pouted and said, “It had nothing to do with belittlement and desensitization.”
The blood-colored crack on his right snorted and said, “How does it feel like to become someone else’s prey? The mighty God of War, the Red Angel beside the Creator?”
“Not bad.” Medici’s expression darkened a little, but “His” words seemed to contain some self-complacency.
The personality that belonged to Sauron said with the left cheek, “You really like to bluff in order to achieve your goals. Back then, Alista and company managed to see through your lies, which was why they managed to seize the opportunity.
Composite Start
Composite End
“And just now, you were bluffing Katarina. You’re only capable of releasing your aura, relying on traps and surprise attacks to bring about a certain amount of damage. There was no way you could quickly finish her off, but you pretended that you had returned to your Sequence 1 state, tricking her into reciting your honorific name and handing over her blood.”
Medici pouted again and said, “A bluff is also a normal playstyle in poker. The effect is pretty good, isn’t it?”
At this point, the Red Angel chuckled and said, “Furthermore, it’s not just a bluff. What I’m most fond of is to mix in a truth or two every few bluffs, allowing me to wait for fellows who think they’ve seen through my disguise to step into a trap. It’s just like the mistakes you two idiots made back then.”
“But you were the first to die!” The two sides of the Red Angel evil spirit’s face cracked at the same time.
Without any hesitation, Medici said, “That means I’m the strongest, worthy of having the most attention!”
With that said, the three personalities of the Red Angel evil spirit fell silent at the same time. After a few seconds, the blood-colored crack that represented Einhorn opened and closed.
“Gehrman Sparrow’s connection with Evernight is tighter than I imagined. He should’ve noticed Katarina’s true state just now.”
Medici chuckled and said, “It’s alright. This is something ‘She’ has tacitly allowed in the first place.
“Back when the Great Smog of Backlund happened, the ones who participated in the operation are all gone. Only that Demoness named Trissy is still alive. Isn’t that enough to explain something?”
Sauron and Einhorn didn’t speak further as they allowed the bloody crack on the cheeks to wriggle and heal.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Red Angel evil spirit then reflected “Himself on the glass window and disappeared from the area around the Bell of Order.
Above the grayish-white fog, inside the ancient palace.
Looking at the spinning topaz pendant in his hand, Klein nodded indiscernibly.
He had already used spirit dowsing to confirm Katarina’s answers, and he came up with a concrete conclusion.
Right on the heels of that, he began his dream divination based on what he knew of the eight secret mausoleums. He saw the corresponding areas and their blurry states.
This made him understand that entry was impossible via normal methods. Even the process of prying without interference had difficulties in locating the interior of the mausoleums.
This is very troublesome… Also, when I was channeling the Demoness of White girl’s spirit, it was quite different from the time when I did it for Qonas Kilgor and Hvin Rambis. She had too many expressions, and her answer was more proactive… Is this something special about Demonesses, or is it due to other factors? With a thought, he beckoned with his hand to draw out a piece of paper that was stained with Vice Admiral Ailment’s blood. He wrote down the corresponding sentence and made a dream divination to search for his target.
In the blurry world, Klein saw Tracy, who had escaped from her spider webs, looking out the window.
There was a dark and illusory storm around there, making it impossible for him to know where it was.
Tracy has escaped… She doesn’t look sad. She only feels a certain amount of anger and confusion… Her relationship with the Demoness of White is so terrible? Or could it be… Just as he was feeling puzzled, he saw a black flame suddenly ignite and melt his dream away.
He opened his eyes and confirmed that he could no longer use the blood in his hand to divine the location of Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy. This meant that a demigod powerhouse had used a mysticism technique to sever the connection between the two.
Could it be that the Demoness of White Katarina isn’t dead yet? This… Right, when the Red Angel evil spirit answered me, “He” was using rhetorical questions. He didn’t admit it at all… I was channeling the spirit of a living person! Klein was instantly enlightened as he hurriedly made another divination. Finally, he confirmed that the Demoness of White really was still alive.
Indeed, the Red Angel evil spirit’s true target isn’t the Demoness of White… Also, combined with the feedback from the progress of my potion’s digestion, is it right for me to say that the Red Angel evil spirit is weaker than I imagined? “He” hasn’t even recovered to the level of Sequence 2, and he was unable to quickly finish off the Demoness of White. “He” could only rely on other means to subdue her? After pondering for a moment, Klein realized he couldn’t come to a conclusion.
He quickly reined in his thoughts and stopped considering the problem. This was because he had already obtained the information he needed from Demoness of White Katarina.
Klein put down the piece of paper that was stained with Vice Admiral Ailment’s blood and suddenly chuckled.
Severing the connection between the blood and the body, preventing powers of divination and prophecy from using it as a medium?
I wonder if it will work when rubbing it on the surface of Groselle’s Travels?
After looking at the piece of paper for a few seconds, Klein temporarily gave up on the idea of testing it, because there was no need for it.
His focus quickly shifted to the other eight mausoleums of George III.
Ordinary lines of thought shouldn’t work. The things that I can come up with are definitely things that the angels and saints under George III can figure out as well…
If it wasn’t for the fact that the gods have already tacitly allowed this matter, exposing this matter by printing it on flyers might’ve been effective…
Hmm, teleportation nexus… the Tudor Ruins… This…
As he thought about it, a thought suddenly came to his mind. He had an idea.
Chapter 1112 Traveling Notebook
In the magnificent palace above the gray fog, Klein stretched out his right hand and tapped the edge of the long, mottled table as he muttered silently, The five large family clans of the Tudor Dynasty are Amon, Abraham, Antigonus, Jacob, and Tamara… The one who helped Alista Tudor become Blood Emperor were the Kings of Angels, Adam, Amon, and Abraham…
Can it be inferred that, during the time of the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire, there were the consuls, Amon and Abraham standing beside Alista?
If that’s the case, Blood Emperor Alista Tudor didn’t have plans on switching paths in the beginning. When he secretly constructed the mausoleums, he likely would’ve sought the help of one or more of the following: Amon, Abraham, and Antigonus. As for Bethel Abraham, he’s Mr. Door, and he grasps the Apprentice pathway. When it comes to “Teleportation,” even a true deity might not be as good as “Him”…
So, could the teleportation nexus in the Tudor ruins be set up by Bethel Abraham?
There’s a high chance of that!
Yes, only important figures like Mr. Door can enter and exit a secret ruin at such a level. Even my divination above the gray fog is unable to pinpoint its location. Likewise, it’s difficult for an angel who wields Concealment to enter it directly…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst his thoughts, Klein was leaning more and more towards his own guess being closer to that of reality.
I wonder if Mr. Door left behind any relevant information to provide accurate coordinates or methods of entry? This would require Miss Magician to ask her teacher again…
Sigh, I really hope that Miss Magician can become a Traveler as soon as possible. That way, she wouldn’t need to rely on writing letters to contact her teacher. She could “Teleport” over directly. Yes, she can do it now, but the act of being able to “Record” so many “Traveling” spells would scare her teacher and arouse suspicion. It’s really troublesome…
If there are no records left behind by the Abraham family, do I have to attempt to converse with Mr. Door? Not only is this troublesome, but it’s also dangerous… Most importantly, Miss Magician isn’t even Sequence 5 yet. She hasn’t been able to clearly hear, much less respond to Mr. Door. It’s impossible for me to turn her into my marionette or descend onto her body… Early on, Klein had seriously considered communicating with Mr. Door through Miss Magician when he first pulled her above the gray fog. Later, after he came to learn more, he grew increasingly apprehensive about the idea, and he didn’t dare take the risk.
Furthermore, the level he was at now lacked the measures that spelled sufficiency and security.
As his thoughts churned, he suddenly sighed and said a word, “Patience…”
At sea, on an island with relatively high pirate activity.
Fors raised her glass and took a sip of the transparent and colorless liquid in anticipation.
Her face scrunched up as if she had tasted something hard to swallow.
Composite Start
Composite End
Pfft, isn’t this Lanti Proof too inferior? Why are they having so much fun drinking this? Fors put down her cup, raised her right hand, and fanned her mouth. She softly muttered, “Apart from the alcohol content, it doesn’t have any other strengths. Oh right, it’s also cheap!”
After drinking a mouthful of cold water from another cup, Fors picked up a fountain pen and wrote in a rather poor quality notebook:
“The pirates here are only in pursuit of strong liquor while keeping an eye on the price. To them, being drunk is more important than anything else.
“Three pirate friends that I know have told me that this port city was built by them. At first, they only docked their ships here to hide their loot and settle their families. Later on, the bankrupt, adventurers, and tax fugitives came to this place and settled down. They also ploughed the lands on the island and built houses. Finally, an entrepot market was formed, and the merchants at sea swarmed over like sharks smelling blood.”
At this point, Fors looked up at the three pirates curled up in a corner.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
The three burly pirates trembled at the same time and said with a mournful expression, “No, really. We have nothing.”
…I have to say that it feels pretty good to imitate Mr. World’s attitude when it comes to dealing with pirates… Fors sighed and shook her head. She retracted her gaze and continued writing:
“There’s a liberal mood here. If the women are interested in any man, they can, like the men, offer a price. Similarly, it works when a man catches the eye of another man, or when a woman catches the eye of another woman. According to my three pirate friends, due to the long periods of repression and boredom while drifting out at sea, it’s inevitable for some people to experiment with certain forbidden taboos. In this aspect, they’ve been very honest and even described their experiences…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“In addition, they informed me of things that I never dared believed: Pirates actually advocate the concept of democracy and justice.
“This has completely overturned my understanding. But on careful thought, it doesn’t seem difficult to understand. At least they didn’t say that they were pursuing justice.
“The explanation from my three pirate friends is that when a person with his weapons doesn’t have absolute, overwhelming strength, it’s always the case of there being tyranny from the majority on a pirate ship. Furthermore, a large ship requires a lot of people to run it… When these factors are combined, it makes the pirate crew very particular about democracy. There will always be a captain who will be voted by his or her crew now and then to be banished or even killed.
“I believe that if a captain possesses absolute strength, the pirate crew would definitely develop another style of governance.”
At this point, Fors looked out the window again and saw that, under the blue sky and white clouds, buildings made of wood and rocks formed a dense circle around a market. From time to time, she could see a few children in tattered clothes skipping past.
Upon hearing the extremely lively commotion, Fors wrote again:
“There’s no urban planning here at all. Everyone casually builds their houses and expands their borders. As a result, many roads only allow for one person to walk through. There’s no sunlight at all…
“My first reaction is that once a fire breaks out, the outcome will be extremely terrifying. Backlund once had a similar tragedy. However, my three pirate friends told me that this isn’t something worth worrying about, because it’s humid and often rains here. People with special powers never keep it under wraps…
“This place is still under the influence of war. Although it’s chaotic, it gives people a sense of tranquility.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, what they’re most afraid of isn’t the King of the Five Seas, Nast, or all sorts of horrifying legends, but rather of the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow. Every pirate is warned by their peers not to drink too late into the night.
They shouldn’t take a walk in the middle of the night or use small alleys. That’s because it might lead to them going missing. And the murderer is rumored to be that gentleman…
“Is this a form of ‘hunting’?”
As she wrote, Fors’s expression gradually turned solemn. She hurriedly pulled out another stack of paper and added on the content:
“… There’s a unique coldness that wafts through the hospital at night, and the darkness outside the window is much thicker than other places…
“…No one knows why that young lady who lives in a single ward gets her family members to bring her mushrooms and weeds. No one knows where these things end up. In short, there were no signs of any fires in the ward, and there’s no abandoned junk outside. This makes the nurses suspect that the patient is secretly eating mushrooms and weeds…”
Standing in front of the mountain, Afternoon Town, which was divided into three regions of the top, middle and bottom, had a camp set up by the City of Silver.
Derrick Berg clasped his hands and placed them in front of his mouth, softly chanting, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
After piously chanting, he stood up and picked up the ancient bronze cross that was covered with sharp spikes, walking towards the bonfire outside.
As the Unshadowed Crucifix couldn’t coexist with other mystical items, his giant hammer named Thunder God’s Roar could only be temporarily left to Haim and Joshua to carry with them.
Composite Start
Composite End
As the City of Silver’s expedition team gathered, Klein, who was in Backlund, had already arrived above the gray fog. He picked up the Sea God Scepter and, with the help of one of the crimson star’s burgeoning and contracting, he saw the situation in Afternoon Town, and he expanded his vision towards the Giant King’s Court.
If he didn’t use the prayer light and the Sea God Scepter, Klein was unable to expand his field of view by relying only on the crimson stars.
As his gaze moved, a beautiful but deep dusk gradually appeared in his eyes.
In the area where dusk was frozen, there were countless palaces, countless towers, and many majestic city walls. They were magnificent and opulent, resembling a miracle found in myths and legends. Furthermore, they were frozen in time.
The Giant King’s Court!
As he tried to zoom in with his vision, Klein realized that he was unable to see the exact situation beneath the dusk.
As expected of the divine kingdom of an ancient god, and it’s not the kind that has been abandoned or hidden… It’s no wonder that the Kings of Angels chose this place for a secret gathering… I hope that Little Sun’s prayer after entering the Giant King’s Court will help me see it more clearly… Klein nodded thoughtfully.
At the same time, he focused a portion of his attention on Shepherd Elder Lovia. He discovered that this lady had an illusory silver armor covering her entire body.
This should be the evil spirit she “Grazed”… I haven’t seen any effects from the True Creator yet… Klein slowly let out a breath and patiently waited for the subsequent developments.
After a while, under the lead of Chief Colin Iliad, the nine-men expedition team, including Derrick Berg, left the Afternoon Town camp. They followed the stairs paved with gray stones and walked towards the peak of the mountain.
They were at least Sequence 6 Beyonders, and most of them belonged to the Warrior pathway. They moved at relatively fast speeds, clearing a few waves of monsters that were mainly rotten giants. Finally, they arrived at the region shrouded by dusk. They were shocked by the grand and epic building, and no one spoke for a short period of time.
This was also the first time they had encountered a place where there were no flashes of lightning, a place that was illuminated by “natural” light!
Demon Hunter Colin narrowed his eyes. He took out a small metal bottle and drank the liquid inside.
After their evolution over the many generations, they were more accustomed to the dark environment with frequent lightning. They were instinctively afraid of such a situation that was in a state of frozen twilight.
It was both a point of hope and fear.
After drinking the prepared potion and mentally preparing himself, Colin Iliad and Shepherd Lovia led the members of the expedition team as they stepped into the region illuminated by the sunset.
Before Derrick could sense anything, he saw the Unshadowed Crucifix in his hand drop, revealing a corporeal form formed from pure light.
However, the light emitted by the corporeal body was no longer pure. It was tainted with an orange-red color unique to dusk.
Right on the heels of that, Derrick felt his condition plummet. It was as if he was at the weakest point of the “day,” ready to welcome the approaching “night.”
Chapter 1113 Powerful Guardian
The towering building stood quietly in the frozen dusk. There wasn’t any sound in the area, as though it was just an oil painting.
After passing through such an environment, Derrick Berg became even more high-strung than when he had explored the depths of the darkness. The hair on his back stood on end.
After entering a place shrouded in dusk, the entire exploration team, including Chief Colin Iliad and Shepherd Elder Lovia, couldn’t help but show signs of exhaustion and looking worn out. It was as if they had reached the end of their lives. And as they proceeded forward, rotting giants ran out of different buildings in increasing numbers and increasing strength.
With one side weakened and the other side strengthened, it became difficult for them to advance. After several intense battles, the City of Silver’s expedition team finally broke through the “lockdown” and “barricades” of the monsters and came to an extremely quiet area. There wasn’t any sound at all, and that only served to leave their scalps tingling.
With regards to this, Demon Hunter Colin Iliad had no choice but to break the silence and remind everyone, “This means that we have truly entered the Giant King’s Court and are about to approach the core region. The danger level will only increase and not decrease.”
Upon hearing this, a few members of the expedition team began to waver due to the influence of the “twilight.” From their point of view, although they didn’t dare to stay in one place in the earlier stages most of the time, afraid that they would be surrounded by the rotting giants, they had ultimately eliminated all the monsters in a tiny area. They felt that they could rest for a while and obtain many Beyonder characteristics, mystical ingredients, and potion formulas. This expedition could be said to have been very fruitful, leaving them no reason to continue delving deeper. What they should do was seek out a suitable building and set up an advance camp to make preparations for a second expedition.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Faced with such a suggestion, Colin Iliad didn’t say much. He only emphasized that the objective of this explora was to figure out the general situation of the Giant King’s Court as much as possible, so as to accumulate sufficient information for the subsequent operations.
Then, he let one of the members named Antiona to “Placate” those who had wavering wills.
As the Shepherd Elder Lovia also supported the Chief, a small number of the members of the expedition team quickly adjusted their mindset and quietly followed the Chief forward.
After a while, they saw a huge stone staircase. It was entirely grayish-white, but it was dyed with an orange-yellow glow. It was gorgeous and silent.
Every step of the staircase was relatively high. If it were any ordinary human, they would definitely find it very difficult to walk. Fortunately, the shortest member of the expedition team, Elder Lovia, was nearly 1.9 meters tall, and she could muster strong winds.
On the huge staircase, it was so majestic that one had to look up to see the city walls at the top. There were many signs of burn marks and damage on the walls, and some places were impaled with arrows that were as thick as ordinary trees. The several-meter-long arrows had even caused some rocks to crumble.
In the middle of the city wall was a door that was tens of meters tall. Its color was closer to grayish-blue, and there were golden nails embedded in it. There were two guards standing outside that exuded an extremely oppressive stance simply by looking at them.
They were five to six meters tall, wearing exquisite, sturdy silver full-body armor. One of them held a great sword, while the other held a greataxe towards the ground. Behind the armored visor, there was a ball of orange light that looked like a single eye.
“Silver Knight…” Demon Hunter Colin raised his right hand and swung his sword horizontally to stop the members of the expedition team behind him.
Composite Start
Composite End
He had long removed the two swords on his back and applied different concoctions on them.
Silver Knight… Derrick Berg’s eyelids twitched as he felt his heart palpitate.
He had recently come into contact with information that only the upper echelons of the City of Silver knew about. He knew that the Giant pathway’s Sequence 3 was called Silver Knight. He also knew that the City of Silver lacked the correct potion formula, but it had the corresponding Beyonder characteristic.
What horrified Derrick was that the guards of the Giant King’s Court core were actually two Sequence 3 demigods.
This was a level higher than the City of Silver’s strongest combat force!
This was only the area of the royal court’s entrance. So it was questionable what they would encounter if they ventured deeper.
After the initial shock, Derrick couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.
Perhaps, he could find the potion formulas after the Giant pathway’s Sequence 4 in the Giant King’s Court.
That way, the Chief could become a Silver Knight and greatly increase the strength of the City of Silver. When the time came, they could explore the Giant King’s Court at a deeper level, find more potion formulas, hunt more monsters, and obtain even higher level Beyonder characteristics and magical materials.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Subconsciously, Derrick looked around and discovered that the reactions of the other members of the expedition team, such as Joshua, Haim, and Antiona, were basically identical to his. They were both nervous and fearful, but also somewhat hopeful.
At this moment, Shepherd Elder Lovia took two steps forward and stood beside Colin Iliad. She looked up at the gray- blue door and the two Silver Knights who were in an unknown state and said, “If there was only one, then we would have a chance of finishing it off.”
What she really meant was that, now that there were two Silver Knights, even if they were willing to suffer heavy casualties, they were unable to clear the enemies. After all, even if the Chief could control his Mythical Creature form and normally battle a Sequence 3, the environment here didn’t permit him to make similar attempts—the decadence that the twilight had brought might make something that could previously be resisted into something impossible to withstand.
Colin Iliad nodded and glanced at both Lovia and Derrick Berg before observing the area ahead.
“From the looks of it, as long as we don’t get close to that door, the two guards won’t attack us.”
“Perhaps we can try to lure one of the Silver Knights away to finish it off?” The female warrior named Antiona suggested after some deliberation.
She had long, wine-red hair, and her facial features weren’t considered exquisite. However, when combined together, she looked extremely elegant and beautiful.
In this expedition, her main mission was to rely on a Sealed Artifact she wielded to treat her teammates’ psychological problems and fight against enemies of the psyche domain.
Her exact thoughts were to wait for the members to lure one of the Silver Knights away before using the terrain and their combined efforts. As for the Chief and Elder Lovia, they could work together to deal with the remaining one as soon as possible.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a textbook solution that the City of Silver had used in situations they had encountered.
“Even if there’s only one Silver Knight, it will be very difficult. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that the Silver Knight you lure away won’t directly reveal its Mythical Creature form.” Demon Hunter Colin firmly rejected her suggestion.
Ignoring the fact that the Silver Knight had powerful Beyonder powers, as long as it revealed its Mythical Creature form, most of the members of the City of Silver’s expedition team wouldn’t be able to look at it directly and would be affected. There was no way they could run circles with it.
Without waiting for the rest of the team members to speak, Colin Iliad looked back and said, “Let’s take another path.
“Derrick found some information in the world of reflections in Afternoon Town. It recorded a tunnel behind the Giant King’s Court.”
Shepherd Elder Lovia cast her gaze on Derrick Berg. She was indifferent, calm, and without any emotions.
Derrick subconsciously raised the “Unshadowed Crucifix” higher, restraining his indescribable shivers.
“Alright.” Lovia agreed with Colin Iliad’s suggestion.
Hence, the expedition team retreated from the huge stone staircase and headed left.
Before long, they saw a rugged trail. On the right was a towering cliff, and on the left was a bottomless chasm that was tainted with the glow of the sunset.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, it was only a trail for giants. To the members of the City of Silver’s expedition team, it was still relatively spacious.
As they proceeded forward, Derrick and company’s spiritual perception were triggered as they subconsciously looked to the side.
At the edge of the cliff, grayish-blue swollen palms stretched out from the orange clouds and grabbed onto the ground. They were densely packed and difficult to count.
If they were all giants—even if they were Sequence 7 or 6 giants—they were able to destroy the City of Silver’s expedition team here relying on sheer numbers.
Just as Colin Iliad was about to swing his sword, Derrick suddenly had a strange, subtle feeling. He quickly raised the Unshadowed Crucifix higher and pressed one of his fingers onto a particular thorn, causing bright red blood to seep out.
The pure cross emitted a bright twilight glow as though it had returned to the state of “noon.” They surged towards the edge of the cliff, enveloping the gray-blue giants that attempted to climb up.
The giants froze at the same time as their bodies began to fade, quickly melting away.
They weren’t real giants, but that of wraith and shadows left behind after the tragic deaths of those giants. Therefore, the Unshadowed Crucifix had sensed them.
It was a saint-level Sealed Artifact of the Sun domain, the nemesis of wraiths, shadows, and evil spirits.
After easily killing these monsters, the City of Silver’s expedition team warily continued proceeding forward. After a while, they finally circled around the mountain wall and cliff and saw a dark forest.
In the forest, the trees were tens of meters tall and were extremely thick. However, their barks were peeling off, and the trunks rotting. The leaves were withered, giving the feeling that they were waning.
The leaves were supposed to be entangled together, but they formed a barricade in midair, blocking the light of dusk, darkening its interior. But at that moment, due to the large number of collapsed and fallen trees, the orange-red glow had already scattered across most of the areas within the forest that were visible with the naked eye.
Derrick looked ahead and silently calculated how much longer he could use the Unshadowed Crucifix. He said to the Chief and his teammates, “This is the Waning Forest where the ancestors of the giants are buried. In other words, the Giant King’s parents.”
Colin Iliad stared at the forest and said, “It has already been destroyed. Even if there are still remnants of danger, it won’t be too powerful. We can try exploring it.”
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Derrick replied without hesitation. “My cross can deal with the environment here. I’ll walk in front.”
He remembered that Mr. World had reminded him that there might be some kind of corruption lurking in the forest, and that the Unshadowed Crucifix could provide him with an effective warning.
The grizzled Colin nodded gently and said, “Be careful of your surroundings.”
Derrick took a silent breath and took a large stride forward and walked towards the Waning Forest.
At the same time, he used the convenience of walking ahead to softly recite Mr. Fool’s honorific name.
Then, Klein, whose gaze that had been blocked by the dusk and had been disconnected for some time, could finally see the actual situation. However, he was unable to significantly expand his range of sight.
Chapter 1114 The Remnant Will
The forest that should’ve been engulfed in darkness and in decline was filled with the orange-red light of dusk. The light was intense and burned like fire, but it couldn’t help but carry a sense of brilliance with it that couldn’t be ignored.
With the Unshadowed Crucifix that seemed like pure light condensating in his hand, Derrick Berg slowly walked ahead. The grizzled Demon Hunter Colin, who was walking behind him to the left, held two straight swords in his hand. Haim, who was walking behind him to the right, held the Thunder God’s Roar hammer. This two-meter-tall half-giant was prepared to switch the hammer for the Sealed Artifact with Derrick at any time.
The radiance emitted by the Unshadowed Crucifix became increasingly dim, as though the sun had already set in the horizon, leaving only a sliver of golden light.
Of course, no one from the City of Silver had ever seen such a scene before. They could only use the descriptions from ancient literature to imagine it. Similarly, this was the first time they understood what a sunset meant.
Whoosh!
As the exploration team ventured deeper, a wind began to blow in the nearly frozen Waning Forest. It was as if countless living beings were weeping deep within the forest.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, Derrick and company didn’t feel any effects of the wind.
Whoosh!
The sound of the wind intensified, making his heart tremble. Derrick suddenly felt a chill run down his neck, causing his hair to stand on end. His body and mind turned cold.
Generally speaking, it was human instinct to shrink their necks, raise their arms, and defend their backs at such moments in time. They would then half-turn their bodies, observe the situation, and be ready to attack. However, Derrick didn’t do so, because in a dangerous environment, rashness would often result in terrible situations. Furthermore, he had the Chief and his teammate behind him. He had full faith in them that they would react in time; thus, he had handed his life to them.
With a swoosh, a silvery-white blade wrapped by a small snake-like electric bolt flew across the side of Derrick’s neck, vaporizing a blurry and twisted figure into the light of dusk.
At the same time, the Unshadowed Crucifix was triggered by something. It suddenly broke out of its gloomy and dim state, making the light it emitted to once again become bright and pure.
Dawn seemed to come to the surrounding area immediately as indescribable black shadows began to show themselves in the light of dawn before quickly melting away.
After everything calmed down, Derrick looked ahead and asked curiously, “What are these? They don’t look like wraiths, shadows, or evil spirits…”
Demon Hunter Colin surveyed the area and slowly said, “A remnant aura of some sort… They seem to have combined with the power of dusk, causing a certain anomaly.”
Composite Start
Composite End
I’ve never seen such monsters… Derrick tightened his grip on the Unshadowed Crucifix and moved his other finger, which hadn’t been stabbed, onto the thorns.
Relying on the Unshadowed Crucifix which was the nemesis of the evil around them, the expedition team proceeded rather smoothly. Before long’ they arrived deep in the Waning Forest Through the trees’ they could vaguely see a c脱 and orange-red clouds in the distance.
The damage here wasn’t too serious. The branches and leaves remained suspended in midair, blocking the frozen dusk, making the environment darken.
After carefully circling around the place, the area before Derrick’s eyes suddenly lit up. He saw two grayish-white, mottled tombstones.
Before he could carefully observe them, the rays of dusk that shone through the gaps of the leaves had produced a strange refraction effect at the same time, interweaving themselves into a gigantic figure that was nearly ten meters tall.
This figure was very blurry and contained an everlasting and imperturbable air to it. It was like a reflection from a mythical era.
Its skin was grayish-blue, and it wore silver-gray armor that seemed to be stained with blood. Its face was glowing like the setting sun, as though it was a manifestation of its eyes. Just its existence alone had caused the surrounding trees and the void to bend, making everything around it to begin waning uncontrollably.
Upon witnessing this scene, a thought surfaced in everyone’s mind without any explanation:
Giant King, Ancient God Aurmir!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Goosebumps appeared on the skins of the members of the expedition team—Joshua, Haim, and Antiona. Bit by bit, the goosebumps emitted grayish-blue colors. At the center of their eyebrows, flesh and blood were squirming, as if a monster was about to bore out.
They had collectively been put into the state of being on the verge of losing control.
They didn’t even see the Mythical Creature form. Merely approaching the figure had led to signs of losing control as the severity of it increased.
Derrick Berg was relatively alright because the pure light of the Unshadowed Cmcifix had enveloped him, giving him a warm feeling, allowing him to temporarily withstand the waning effect.
At this moment, Colin Iliad had already bent down. He held two swords that were smeared with ointment, and he ran towards that terrifying figure like a hurricane at high speeds.
However, this Demon Hunter didn’t charge in a straight line. His footwork was ingenious as he moved left and right, approaching his enemy in a zigzag-like manner.
The gigantic figure that stood in the twilight looked at everything with its sunset-like eyes. It seemed emotionless, like a statue carved out of stone.
Suddenly, the glow on its face flashed.
It then bent down and heavily pounded its fists on the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
The ground shook violently as a fissure opened up. It made Derrick and the others lose their balance as they staggered and almost fell.
As for Demon Hunter Colin, he had leaped up ahead of time to a height of more than ten meters, and he cleaved downward with his two swords in a domineering manner.
At that moment, the figure that seemed to come from a mythical legend pulled out an illusory sword from the fissure in the ground. The giant sword that seemed like a manifestation of dusk itself was suddenly swung forward.
The orange-red storm of light suddenly took form and swept towards Demon Hunter Colin, as well as Derrick and company who were right behind him.
Wherever the light passed, the trees would wither and the soil would turn to sand. Everything began waning in an irreversible manner as a path was drawn out.
Boom!
The twilight storm was blocked by invisible walls, causing the forest to shake.
At some point in time, Shepherd Elder Lovia had appeared beside Derrick. In front of him was a tall and illusory figure covered in silver armor.
The figure with a dark red glow near its eyes genuflected and stabbed an illusory greatsword into the ground, creating an unusually strong and invisible wall.
Composite Start
Composite End
Bam!
At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin’s two swords slashed at the nearly ten-meter-tall figure that possessed the aura of an ancient god, sending off countless sparks.
The silver-white figure didn’t suffer any damage. The silver-gray armor that was covered in blood spots only dimmed a little.
With the force of the rebound, Colin once again soared up. He flipped in midair and launched his attack again.
In the Waning Domain, he didn’t dare release his Mythical Creature form, because it was very likely that there was no way of reversing it.
Seeing that the phantom that stemmed from a mythical legend had been blocked, Derrick hurriedly followed the sudden tremor and heat from the Unshadowed Crucifix in his palm, and he pressed his finger against a spike.
His blood surged into the cross along with the pain. A vigorous and bright light churned out, flying into the air and turning downwards, instantly enveloping the figure in silver-gray armor. His eyes were like a miniature setting sun.
In the holy, solemn, and pure light, the gigantic and illusory figure stopped moving, as if it had encountered its natural enemy, and the silver-gray armor that was tainted with the light of dusk began to melt.
Seizing this opportunity, the evil spirit knight in front of Shepherd Elder Lovia pulled out the illusory greatsword from the ground. With several silver rifts that oscillated between disappearing and reappearing, they instantly struck the enemy.
Demon Hunter Colin’s two swords cleaved downward, as though they were emitting rays of the light of dawn that enveloped the head of the ancient figure.
Joshua, Haim, and the others didn’t hesitate to unleash their strongest attacks.
After three rounds, the illusory figure that seemed to have transmigrated from time had finally begun to crumble, being reduced to burning orange dots of light.
When Demon Hunter Colin landed on the ground, he deliberated and said, “That should’ve been the remnants of the Giant King’s will to protect this area. After many years of melding with the environment, it has a certain degree of strength and a form. It’s a type of evil spirit.
“What secrets are hidden here…”
Upon hearing the Chiefs words, everyone cast their gazes forward, towards the place where the terrifying phantom had barred their way. The atmosphere was rather heavy.
Fortunately, it was only an evil spirit that was restrained by the Unshadowed Crucifix… It was just a tiny portion of its remnant will and had almost no strength left. After thousands of years, it’s still as terrifying as ever. What would a real ancient god be like… Uh, why would “He” have such a strong will to protect this? Is it because it’s where “His” parents are buried? As Derrick heaved a sigh of relief, he followed the Chief and company towards the tomb while being plagued with puzzlement and curiosity.
Phew… There’s no need for me to do anything… I have to say, this Unshadowed Crucifix really is very useful in the Giant King’s Court. It’s so good that I’m wondering if it’s Adam’s goal… Above the gray fog, Klein heaved a sigh of relief and lowered the Sea God Scepter that had been raised higher.
He then cast his gaze at the place where the Giant King’s remnant will had continued protecting for over thousands of years.
The first thing he saw was two ancient mottled tombstones. On them were the words “Father” and “Mother” in Jotun.
They contained a mysteriousness that could stir the powers of nature. It allowed one to directly feel the mixed emotions of nostalgia, sadness, pain, and guilt without realizing that they were infected and making them feel depressed.
Behind the stone pillar was a grave, but it had already been destroyed, revealing two black coffins underneath.
It was unknown who had opened the lids of the coffins, as though a confirmation had been made. This made the two grayish-white skeletons lying inside become bathed in the light that penetrated through the leaves, dyeing them with an orange-red color that resembled blood.
These two skeletons had the shape of humans. One was less than 1.9 meters tall, while the other was less than 1.8 meters tall.
Chapter 1115 Inside the King“s Cour
One of the two humanoid skeletons wasn’t more than 1.9 meters tall, while the other was less than 1.8 meters tall. It looked ordinary, but it delivered an unimaginable blow to Klein who was above the gray fog.
At that moment, it was as though he had returned to the time when he saw the door of light and the “cocoons.” Although the emotions he felt were different, the shock was almost identical.
This… This isn’t the corpse of a giant… This definitely belongs to a human… The parents of the Giant King Aurmir were humans? Klein’s pupils dilated suddenly, as though they were thirsting to let more light in for him to see it more clearly.
However, no matter how he observed or scrutinized the skeletons, he couldn’t find any characteristics of giants from the two grayish-white skeletons.
Their limbs were perfectly proportional, and their bones had two eye sockets. They were definitely not underaged giants!
After a brief moment of silence, Klein lowered his hand with the Sea God Scepter once again as thoughts flashed through his mind:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Perhaps they’re parents that aren’t related by blood… Maybe, the ancestors of the giants are humans… In the First Epoch where chaos and madness reigned, some humans fused with the Beyonder characteristics, mutating into cruel, irrational, and bloodthirsty giants? On the one hand, their descendants inherited their physical charac^^ the other hand, they gradually recovered mentally. Hence, they stabilized themselves to become a savage and bloodthirsty race. Among them, Giant King Aurmir was the first batch of mutants, but “He” had managed to maintain a certain level of rationality; hence, becoming an ancient god? The source of all of this does resemble the origin myths, the original Creator?
After his thoughts settled into a theory, he began making connections while coming up with more questions:
Why does the Giant King want to label the Waning Forest as a forbidden area and not allow any living creatures to enter?
“He” doesn’t wish for the fact of humans being the ancestors of giants to be known?
But if that’s really the case, “He” could’ve just cremated his parents’ remains. There’s no need to go through so much trouble… Moreover, what’s with that strong sense of guilt?
Who opened the tomb? The ancient sun god who killed the Giant King? The God of Dawn, Badheil, or the other subsidiary gods of the Giant King’s Court?
Also, since the ancestor of giants was human, what about elves, Sanguine, and other supernatural beings? The ancestors of dragons are actually lizards?
In the middle of the Second Epoch, were there factors regarding their different origins, that led to the conflict between the different factions of the quasi-human and the mutants?”
As Klein didn’t have enough clues or information, it was difficult for him to make any judgment or think of any more possibilities. He could only forcefully rein in his thoughts and focus his attention on the City of Silver’s expedition team.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin led Lovia, Derrick, and company to the stone tablet and saw the remains in the tomb.
They also fell into an indescribable silence for a long time.
Finally, Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove, asked hesitantly, “These are the parents of the Giant King?”
From this City of Silver’s Dawn Paladin’s point of view, the two corpses were indeed not as tall as giants. They were even inferior to him from back when he had just become an adult.
If they were identified as young giants, then the proportions and facial features of their bodies didn’t match.
Joshua’s question reverberated in the surroundings, but no one answered.
After a few seconds, Demon Hunter Colin slowly said, “That’s why it’s a secret.”
He didn’t mention his thoughts or theories.
“…Does this mean that giants are actually a branch of humans, a result of the transformation brought about by Beyonder characteristics?” Upon hearing this, the wine-red-haired Antiona said thoughtfully.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The ancestors of the giants are humans? Derrick felt a little dizzy from the shock. He felt that there was a huge gap between the two.
With this thought in mind, he recalled his companions who had lost control, especially those from the Giant pathway. He slowly and vaguely believed that it wasn’t impossible.Read more chapter on our vipnovel.com
Those who lost control usually became abnormally large. Their skin was covered in grayish-blue color, and there was a huge crack in the middle of their brows that sucked in their pair of eyes.
“Perhaps,” Demon Hunter Colin answered briefly.
The members of the City of Silver’s expedition team fell silent once again.
In this atmosphere, Derrick glanced at Shepherd Elder Lovia and realized that this member of the six-member council had a calm expression. It was neither solemn or confused.
At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin looked around and said, “Split up into groups of two to three people and search the surrounding areas. Let’s see if there’s anything to be found.”
The members of the expedition team snapped back to their senses and began carefully exploring the area according to the Chiefs instructions.
Unfortunately, this Waning Forest didn’t have anything of value other than trees, tomb tablets, or tombs.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without further delay, Derrick exchanged Sealed Artifacts with Haim to prevent his Beyonder characteristic from being purged by the Unshadowed Crucifix.
Then, they followed Demon Hunter Colin out of the Waning Forest, circled around the protruding boulder along the mountain, and found the gigantic cave that was thirty meters tall.
Outside the cave, a stone stele had already shattered into pieces and was growing weeds.
Under the orange glow of the twilight, there was an indescribable sense of waning death.
After entering the cave, the City of Silver’s expedition team followed the weathered stone slabs and the peeling murals. They walked between the withered weeds and rough gravel, and they warily explored the area.
With every step they took, they would feel that their lifespans were weakening and were becoming dehydrated.
After an unknown period of time, the City of Silver’s expedition team finally saw a grayish-blue door which was open.
On both sides of the door were pieces of iron-black fragments that seemed to belong to some sort of armor.
“There should’ve been guards here,” Colin said simply. He took out a bottle of medicine and gulped it down.
His light blue eyes were quickly tinged with a layer of dark yellow, and two complex dark-green symbols appeared in his pupils.
Composite Start
Composite End
After carefully observing the grayish-blue door for a while, he nodded and walked into the dark hall.
All of them passed through the door and came inside. The hall seemed to be held by an invisible hand as it rose up after a loud thud.
More than ten seconds later, the hall stopped moving. Outside the door, a magnificent palace propped up by stone pillars appeared. It looked like the residence of the guards.
Derrick subconsciously looked around and swept his gaze across the various items in the hall. He saw two murals with ancient characteristics.
The main character of a mural was a giant who wore full-body silver armor and emitted an obvious glow. At the location of his eyes, there was a blob condensed from the dawn of light. In the middle of another mural stood a lady dark brown hair. She was a female giant in a long leather skirt. She held a wheat head and fruits and was surrounded by fields ready to be harvested, clear lake waters, fruit-bearing trees, and bright mushrooms.
God of Dawn Badheil… Goddess of Harvest Omebella… Derrick came to a realization as he nodded slightly.
He then retracted his gaze and saw the Chief staring at the mural that represented the Goddess of Harvest. His expression was still as heavy as before.
Is the Chief hoping that the City of Silver would also have a real “harvest”? As Derrick thought, he followed the orders of Shepherd Elder Lovia, forming a team with the others. They then searched for valuable items and checked if there were any hidden passageways.
About seven to eight minutes later, they gathered together and followed Chief Colin Iliad into the main door of the hall.
Colin Iliad stabbed the two swords into the gap between the stone slabs in front of him. He stretched out his hands and pressed them on both sides of the door. With just a bit of force, it opened its mouth with a heavy rumble.
The orange and splendid light of dusk silently shone in, allowing the City of Silver’s expedition team to see palaces and the numerous towers that delivered a strong visual impact.
The scale, magnificence, and epic feeling of a myth felt more obvious and shocking due to the close proximity between them. Everyone subconsciously held their breaths and forgot about anything else, fully immersing themselves in the scenery.
It was the same for Klein above the gray fog.
This was the King’s Court of the giants.
This was a real divine kingdom.
After about ten seconds, Demon Hunter Colin pulled out his swords and half-turned his body, saying to Shepherd Lovia, “Try checking out the situation on both sides. I can’t see what lies ahead too clearly.”
The two dark-green symbols in his eyes slowly dissipated.
Lovia acknowledged his order and took two steps forward to the door.
Outside, there was a platform with staircases on both sides. In front of them stood a railing formed from grayish-white stone pillars that faced the tallest building in the area. There was a huge blue-gray door with countless mysterious symbols carved on both sides of it. It looked extremely dignified.
The corridors, stairs, and other objects connected the multitude of palaces and towers together. They were magnificent and brilliant.
Lovia’s silver-gray hair floated up as the stone that was bathed in the light of dusk protruded out, forming a grayish- white doll.
The doll didn’t have any spirituality. It was like a strung puppet as it walked to the left.
It followed the staircase and walked down one level after another amidst the rich orange light to help the expedition team confirm the situation.
Suddenly, its body stopped as fine silver light burst out from within, turning it into countless fragments.
Shepherd Lovia wasn’t alarmed. She followed the steps from before and created another stone golem, making it head to the right.
This time, the stone golem walked to the end of the staircase and stopped at the entrance of the palace below without anything happening along the way.
Demon Hunter Colin watched intently the entire time before saying, “Let’s go to the right, but we have to be careful as well.”
Although he didn’t find any danger, the fact that he couldn’t discern the actual situation using his Beyonder powers meant that there were many problems.
With such a reminder, Derrick and company became even more and more tense. The groups of three began to slowly walk down as they watched each other’s backs.
As they walked along the high stairs, Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove, suddenly heard a series of tapping sounds coming from behind him.
It was as if there was a person following them in silence.
And at this moment, Shepherd Elder Lovia was to his side. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that the footsteps were definitely not coming from her.
A chill ran down Joshua’s spine as he hurriedly said in a deep voice, “There are footsteps behind me.”
Lovia turned her head and allowed the five-meter-tall Silver Knight to appear in front of her. It sized up Joshua’s back with its scarlet fiery eyes.
After a few seconds of silence, the Shepherd Elder shook her head.
“There’s nothing there.”
Chapter 1116 Familiar Gaze
Lovia’s response made Joshua even more wary. He looked at the other members of the expedition team and anxiously asked, “Did any of you hear any abnormal footsteps?”
With Thunder God’s Roar and a broadsword in hand, Derrick recalled for a few seconds and shook his head in denial. Haim, who held the Unshadowed Crucifix in his hand, looked at the Sealed Artifact that was still glowing and replied, “Perhaps it’s your hallucination?”
“No, I heard it very clearly.” The scarlet-gloved Joshua frowned and expressed his opinion.
Upon hearing this, Demon Hunter Colin, who was walking right in front, half-turned around and calmly instructed, “Haim, Antiona, check on Joshua’s condition.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.” Haim immediately walked to Joshua and pressed the Unshadowed Crucifix which appeared to be a manifestation of pure light against his teammates’ forehead.
However, this Sealed Artifact didn’t undergo any changes.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Immediately following that, the wine-red-haired female warrior, Antiona, came to the side of Joshua and raised her left hand.
There was a pale gold bracelet around her wrist. On it were three small bells covered in golden scales.
The tinkling sounds that sounded calmed Joshua’s heart. He was no longer as tense and impatient.
“No problem.” Antiona cast her gaze towards the Chief, Colin Iliad.
Two complex dark green symbols appeared in Colin’s eyes. He looked at Joshua for a few seconds before nodding and saying, “It might not be an illusion, but you have to be careful if any abnormalities arise within you.”
Seeing the Chief supporting him, Joshua secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
“Alright.”
After the doubts were temporarily put away, the City of Silver’s expedition team continued down the staircase that was covered in the glow of sunset one level after another.
Suddenly, everyone heard a groan.
Composite Start
Composite End
From the corner of his eye, Derrick Berg saw Joshua raise his hands and strangle his neck.
As he was a Dawn Paladin, he had immense strength. Just as he let out a grunt, his hands snapped his neck.
With a gloomy and twisted expression, Joshua collapsed, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The person who killed him was himself!
“…”Although Derrick and the others didn’t manage to react in time, their years of training and the experience they had gained from exploring the depths of the darkness made them instinctively take up battle positions, wary of any subsequent attacks.
Then, they heard a muffled grunt.
It was from Shepherd Elder Lovia.
The facial muscles of the woman with long silver-gray hair tightened as obvious twitching and squirming appeared, as though another face had grown out.
She plopped to the ground on the wide staircase as she grimaced with indescribable pain.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Her hands moved slowly but uncontrollably as she clenched her neck.
Just as Lovia was about to exert her strength, two swords that were smeared with silver-gray ointment reached out and pried her palms apart.
Demon Hunter Colin, who was already prepared, reacted in time.
Lovia’s body twitched as she lowered her head even further. Opening her mouth, she spat out pieces of torn flesh and incomplete organs.
She took a deep breath, as though she had finally recovered. Then, she propped her elbow on the ground and took a step forward, prostrating herself and swallowing the flesh and blood organs that she had just spat out in a pious and humble manner.
Demon Hunter Colin, who had several old scars on his face, quietly watched this scene without stopping her.
Finally, Lovia looked up and said with her unfocused gray eyes, “It was degeneration.
“A form of degeneration that everyone has.”
“Do you have a solution?” Colin asked without any change in his tone.
Composite Start
Composite End
Lovia nodded without hesitation.
“Yes.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she used her right hand to grab her left index finger. With a loud snap, she pulled it out and stuffed the blood and bones into her mouth. As she chewed, she muttered, “The Lord that created everything;
“The Lord who reigns behind the curtain of shadows;
The degenerate nature of all living things…”
The honorific name of the True Creator… Derrick’s eyelids twitched when he heard that. He suddenly felt that something subtle was happening around him.
The orange glow became more saturated and closer to the color of blood.
Above the gray fog, The Fool Klein’s expression instantly turned solemn.
Although he couldn’t see anything through his “true vision,” he could vaguely sense that there was a gaze cast over from afar, causing it to interfere with his observations; thus, weakening his clarity and range.
In addition, that gaze gave him a strange sense of familiarity.
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s difficult to not be familiar with it. The first half of my life after I transmigrated was to deal with “Him”—”His” son, “His” Oracle, “His” wish to descend, the items left behind by “Him”, “His” crazy ravings, and all sorts of murals related to “Him”… At that moment, Klein was completely certain that the entity who had begun to focus on the City of Silver’s expedition team was none other than the True Creator.
Frankly speaking, when Lovia began to recite the honorific name of that entity, Klein wanted to directly smite her with “Lightning Storm” and eliminate the problem before it appeared. However, he ultimately held back the urge because he wasn’t confident that he could finish off the Shepherd in one strike. The evil spirit that Lovia had “Grazed” was likely at the level of a Sequence 3. Although it had died a long time ago, its current combined strength was still at the level of Sequence 4. It likely wasn’t a problem for her to withstand “Lightning Storm,” which was close to but not at the angel level, for some time.
And once The Fool couldn’t easily kill Lovia, it would be a sign of fear in the eyes of Demon Hunter Colin.
In addition, Klein believed that Colin Iliad was happy to see Shepherd Elder Lovia chant the True Creator’s honorific name. He wanted to use this to put The Fool in check and achieve some semblance of balance.
This was actually an act of disrespect in front of deities, making it very easy to anger those great existences, but there was nothing that Colin Iliad could do. He couldn’t simply trust The Fool and the True Creator, so he could only try his best by probing them while staying on the edge of a cliff.
Only by doing so would the City of Silver not suddenly be destroyed like the cities that had been buried deep in the darkness, covered with the dust of history.
What a pity. If the Unshadowed Crucifix was in my hands now, I’d have the chance to instantly kill that Silver Knight evil spirit by using all my strength to activate the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog… It’s a fundamental restraint… Klein sighed silently and could only accept this development.
He hadn’t discovered anything unusual with Joshua until this City of Silver warrior with scarlet gloves strangled himself. Only then did he see his spirit turn dark and gloomy.
Just as the Shepherd Elder had said, this was a form of “degeneration” that he originally had. It was no different from losing himself because of money and beauty, making it very difficult for external forces to detect it.
That staircase should have remnant godhood powers that represent degeneration. They’re embedded into the environment, making it difficult to discover and resist… Previously, the stone golem had no spirituality, so it wasn’t affected… From the honorific name, the True Creator wields control over degeneration. Just “His” gaze alone is enough to disperse the corresponding powers… Klein adjusted his mental state and continued to observe the subsequent developments.
During this process, he couldn’t help but consider a question:
Was the True Creator like him now, watching the movements of the City of Silver’s expedition team in “His” divine kingdom?
…On Earth, this is called a fellow viewer watching the same livestream… If I were to send “gifts,” would the True Creator “gift” even more? By making this teasing remark, he tried to ease the nervousness and concern that he felt from having the True Creator cast “His” gaze over.
That was a true god. Be it Adam or Amon, they weren’t even qualified to be on par with “Him”!
At that moment, Shepherd Lovia had already stood up, and her left index finger had also grown back.
She looked at Chief Colin Iliad and said, “This region will no longer suffer from degeneration.”
This meant that the staircase wasn’t that dangerous anymore.
Normally, the expedition team would ignore Joshua’s corpse. Whether they advanced or retreated, they couldn’t afford to waste any time. If they stayed in an extremely dangerous area for too long, the other members would have an accident. However, since the six-member council’s Elder Lovia used a tone of certainty to indicate that there were no problems nearby, they could rest and deal with it.
Derrick put down Haim’s broadsword and walked to Joshua’s side. After staring for a few seconds, he bent down to pick up his scarlet glove and wore it on his left palm.
He still remembered that Joshua was always bragging about the mystical item he had obtained during an expedition.
He could also clearly recall that when he left the Afternoon Town camp, he had said that he would be forced into a marriage after the expedition, with no idea as to who his wife would be. Yet, an hour later, this teammate had turned into a cold corpse.
To the people of the City of Silver, this was something that happened frequently. No one cried or broke down. However, there was an emotion that had already seeped into their bones and blood. It was heavy and mixed with grief.
They watched as Derrick raised his left hand and aimed it at Joshua’s corpse.
A blazing flame flew out, enveloping the teammate who had been fighting alongside them earlier.
After the cremation, Demon Hunter Colin put away the Beyonder characteristic that had seeped out. The rest of the team members grabbed a handful of ashes and placed them into a hidden pocket in their clothes.
Amidst the silence, they continued down the stairs and arrived at the bottom of the staircase. There was a towering palace bathed in the glow of dusk. Behind it was a corridor and staircase that led to another area.
The palace door was open, and it was pitch-black inside. Not a single ray of light could shine inside.
Demon Hunter Colin carefully observed for a while before saying, “Just like in the outside world.”
What he meant was that the group should use various means to maintain a lit environment and not allow themselves to fall into a state of absolute darkness.
Hence, Haim activated the Unshadowed Crucifix, allowing it to envelop all of his teammates. At the same time, Antiona lit a lantern and held it in her hand, in case the cross suddenly lost its effectiveness.
The group entered the palace and walked through the abnormally empty hall. Their footsteps reverberated into the distance, but there weren’t any echoing sounds.
As he walked, Derrick suddenly felt his eyelids grow heavy as he felt a strong sense of sleepiness.
At this moment, he heard the Chiefs low growl:
“Don’t fall asleep!”
Derrick suddenly woke up, snapping out of his fatigued state of not being able to open his eyes.
At that moment, a female warrior’s body went limp and fell to the ground, as though she had fallen into a deep slumber.
Then, she disappeared into thin air and disappeared in front of everyone.
Demon Hunter Colin and Shepherd Lovia exchanged looks for a while before shaking their heads and leading the team forward.
During this process, they would hurt themselves from time to time, using pain to stay awake.
Finally, they passed through a bunch of arches and saw the darkness that couldn’t be dispelled up ahead.
With the help of the light from the team, they discovered that it was a hall with countless murals drawn. In the middle of the hall was a long dark red table. Situated around it were high-back chairs with intricate patterns.
This… Derrick felt a baffling sense of familiarity.
He immediately came to a realization that this was somewhat similar to the scene at the Tarot Gathering!
Suddenly, balls of light lit up and murmurs sounded around them.
Around the hall stood stone pillars that didn’t support the dome. Scarlet flames were ignited one after another, illuminating the surroundings in an abnormal manner.
The murmurs grew louder, as if they had finally passed through a long and distant space and arrived at their destination. The hall was so lively that it was as if a gathering was held.
Around the dark red table, blurry and illusory figures suddenly appeared. A total of eleven figures sat on different high- back chairs.
As the flames flickered, Derrick and company subconsciously looked at the long dark red table. The first thing they noticed was the figure closest to them.
The figure wore a simple linen robe, and had a head of long silver hair and indiscernible facial features. It made Colin, Lovia, and Derrick find the figure oddly familiar.
In an instant, they felt as though a bolt of lightning struck their minds, illuminating their blurry memories.
“Angel of Fate, Ouroboros!”
Just as the pupils of the team from the City of Silver dilated, the figure turned around and looked at them.
A pair of indifferent eyes immediately occupied their vision as extraordinary mysterious rings appeared.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In a daze, Derrick saw a figure in front of him. He was a handsome, radiant, and energetic man. He wore a pure white robe and had short golden hair.
With his appearance, the surroundings became abnormally bright. The warm feeling was like a ray of light, instantly filling every spot.
Derrick felt as though he had seen the “day,” as mentioned in legends, momentarily forgetting where he was or what he was doing.
The man took a step forward and his blurry figure overlapped with Derrick.
Then, Derrick sat beside the dark red long table, occupying one of the high-back chairs.
He had become the handsome and radiant man who was attending a secret gathering.
At the same time, the grizzled City of Silver Chief, Colin, whose face was covered in old scars, encountered the same blurry and illusory figure.
The figure was seven to eight meters tall. He was wearing silver full-body armor, and his eyes were glowing like the light of dawn.
He raised the long sword in his hand, letting it press against Colin Iliad’s forehead like a scepter.
Composite Start
Composite End
Demon Hunter Colin struggled for a moment, but he quickly calmed down when he was enveloped by the orange light.
With that, he and the giant in front of him merged into one. He strode towards the dark red table and sat on the second seat on the right.
Shepherd Lovia encountered a man in a long black robe. He had black curly hair over his shoulders and a pair of eyes that seemed to be covered in shadows. It was difficult to see his face clearly, but the silver threads, complicated patterns, and gorgeous accessories were directly reflected in her mind.
Lovia trembled and couldn’t help but lower her head, allowing the layers of black wings on the man’s back to wrap around her.
She became the man and walked to the end of the dark red table.
There were two high-back chairs with complex patterns placed there. Lovia chose the left one.
The remaining members of the City of Silver’s expedition team also encountered similar situations, but the figures they faced were different.
After “they” found their seats on both sides of the dark red table, the area around the empty high-back chair at the seat of honor became darker, outlining a female figure that seemed to be shrouded in fog.
Right on the heels of that, a voice that seemed to transmigrate from ancient times echoed in the ears of the “attendees.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“…We are trying to redeem ourselves, and also maintain the balance of this world…”
“…Dissociation and deviation are undoubtedly the most basic order…”
“…This is also in line with ‘His’ thoughts…”
“…I can’t deny that we all have our own sinister thoughts and desires, but this is very normal…”
“… Death and spilling blood are inevitable. In the name of Rose Redemption…”
Above the gray fog, Klein listened attentively. He couldn’t wait to hear more of the content said by the voice.
However, whether it was the scene or the voice, it began to loop. It was as if it had only been fixed at a section lasting less than a minute.
This is the scene of the establishment of the Rose Redemption? Previously, the Red Angel evil spirit said that this was an extremely secretive organization established by a group of corrupted angels. Now, it seems like that isn’t the case… The person who said that was probably not Medici, but either Sauron and Einhorn. “They” actually didn’t know much about Rose Redemption… Klein mumbled inwardly as he cast his gaze back at the City of Silver team that were repeating the actions like puppets—approaching the table, sitting down, listening, and leaving.
When the torches around the hall lit up one after another, Klein had already found something unusual with his “true vision.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He saw the murals on the wall come alive and rapidly expand, overlapping with the hall. It made the table, chairs, and floor tiles that had been cold for thousands of years warm up once again. It made the figures that had once been in this secret meeting cross the borders of time, “reviving” at their fixed seats, allowing the words from the past to reappear.
Many of those figures were familiar to Klein.
One of them was the Angel of Fate Ouroboros.
This King of Angels, who was still a member of the Rose Redemption, was the most lifelike among all the illusory figures.
Combined with how the scenes were looping, Klein began to suspect the person who left the murals was Tail Devourer Ouroboros.
In the previous temple ruins, there were murals left behind by “Him,” likewise for the ruins of the battle of the Gods…
In the Giant King’s Court, there are similar murals and signs of those powers. I wouldn’t believe it if anyone were to say it’s not “Him”… Just how much does this King of Angels like murals? He draws them wherever “He” goes… Klein couldn’t help but lampoon Ouroboros in his mind.
The second figure he noticed was sitting beside the Angel of Fate Ouroboros. He was dressed in black armor that seemed to be splashed with blood. He had red hair that resembled fire, looking young and handsome.
The reason why he paid attention to this figure was because he had seen it in his dreams.
In addition, “it” was also the most arrogant person among all the figures. Not only did it sit back in its chair, but it also placed its feet on the dark red long table. It didn’t mind that the surrounding people were high-level figures of the same status.
Composite Start
Composite End
Red Angel, Medici!
These are the Kings of Angels who participated in the secret gathering? Who else is involved… As Klein’s thoughts raced, he decided to first rescue the people from the City of Silver who couldn’t exit the looping cycles of fate.
He had a lot of experience in this aspect.
Yes, the medium to the loop is the hall itself. However, there’s no need to attempt to destroy it. As long as it can temporarily break the cycle of fate, the dusk outside will seep in and dispel any abnormalities… They belong to the divine kingdom itself. In terms of status, they can only be stronger or on par with the power left behind by Ouroboros… After observing for a few seconds, Klein quickly came to a conclusion.
After flipping a gold coin for a divination, he immediately spread his spirituality towards the crimson star representing The Sun.
Derrick Berg’s Spirit Body immediately tore through the cycle of fate, creating an invisible crack.
The orange glow from the light of dusk outside the palace immediately surged into the hall from the window up high.
Without waiting for Little Sun to figure out his situation, for fear that the True Creator would lock onto him, Klein didn’t hesitate to let him return to the real world.
Derrick snapped out of his daze and realized that he had unknowingly sat down at the side of the dark red table.
He looked up blankly and saw the Chief, Elder Lovia, Haim, Antiona, and the others. He realized that there were still certain traces of confusion on their faces.
Thinking back to his experience just now, Derrick was alert as he deliberated and said, “The cycle of fate…”
“Indeed.” Colin Iliad, who had experienced this before, nodded slightly and stood up.
He looked around, and his gaze landed on the largest mural that he had seen lately.
The mural depicted the same exact hall. There were similar columns, torches, the dark red table, complicated high- back chairs, and object layout.
As for those high-back chairs, there were eleven figures sitting in them. At the very end were two seats, and along the table, five on the left and four on the right.
The City of Silver team’s eyes also followed the Chiefs and took in the corresponding scene.
The five figures on the left were the beautiful silver-haired man; the red-haired and arrogantly-seated man; an elder wearing a hood that exposed only his mouth, winkles, and beard; a dignified middle-aged man dressed in black armor; and a handsome man dressed in white robes.
The four on the right were a black-robed mummy wrapped in bandages; a middle-aged man with facial features resembling the natives of the Southern Continent; a giant covered in silver armor; and a supple, beautiful, and dignified lady.
The two high-back chairs at the very end were a man with dark black curly hair and a woman shrouded in fog.
At that moment, a Guardian raised his right hand and pointed at the handsome white-robed man.
“His figure is made up of mysterious symbols. These symbols represent:
“White Angel, Aucuses…
Before the Guardian could finish his sentence, he suddenly let out a tragic cry as golden flames spewed out from his body.
He instantly became a charred corpse, as if it would be reduced to ashes the moment it was touched. It made Demon Hunter Colin and Shepherd Lovia incapable of saving him in time.
“Don’t try to distinguish those symbols. They contain immense power,” Colin hurriedly warned the others.
And above the gray fog, Klein was thinking of another matter:
White Angel Aucuses. That’s the Eternal Blazing Sun’s true name?
If not for the fact that the Giant King’s Court itself isolates itself from projected powers, just using Jotun to read this name will attract “His” attention and incur divine punishment…
Amidst his thoughts, Demon Hunter Colin stabbed his swords in front of him, creating an invisible barrier.
Then, this City of Silver Chief identified the symbols and labels that formed those figures.
He began reading it slowly and firmly from the left.
“Angel of Fate, Ouroboros…
“War Angel, Medici…
“Wisdom Angel, Herabergen…”
At this point, the invisible barrier that was constantly shaking suddenly stopped. This was because this name was no stranger to the people of the City of Silver.
This was the true name of the Dragon of Wisdom!
Could it be that the Dragon of Wisdom later became the Wisdom Angel next to the Lord? Similar questions arose in everyone’s hearts, but Klein discovered something strange.
The history of the City of Silver had records of the name Herabergen. The language they used on a daily basis was Jotun, a language that could mobilize the surrounding forces of nature.
This also meant that, in the past two to three thousand years, someone in the City of Silver had definitely read or written the name “Herabergen” before, but there was no response from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. The Church of Knowledge and Wisdom still wasn’t able to find the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
At this moment, Colin Iliad controlled his emotions and continued reading, “Wind Angel, Leodero…
“White Angel, Aucuses…
“Dark Angel, Sasrir…
“Evernight Goddess, Amanises…
“God of Combat, Badheil…
“Earth Mother, Omebella_
“God of the Dead, Salinger…
“God of Spiritual Creatures, Tolzna”,
Although Klein had expected this, he was still somewhat stunned.
The former Rose Redemption was frighteningly powerful!
Amongst the seven deities today, six of them were members. There was also Death, the God of Spiritual Creatures, and three Kings of Angels.
This made him recall what the Red Angel evil spirit had once said:
“Rose Redemption has a close relationship with the birth of the True Creator. It’s impossible for you to imagine that certain people were once members of Rose Redemption, but they’ve since left it…”
Chapter 1118 Klein“s Fear
In the past, Rose Redemption could be called the Deity Alliance… But such an organization could only develop itself quietly under the might of the ancient sun god. It had to hide, hide, hide, and secretly scheme in the palace of dusk… How powerful was the ancient sun god in the past… Klein couldn’t help but let out a breath as he felt deeply poignant.
He examined his own Tarot Club and realized that, compared to the Rose Redemption, it was like child’s play. Even if he counted the auxiliary members, Will Auceptin, Pallez Zoroast, Azik Eggers, and Reinette Tinekerr, there was no way to compare with the Rose Redemption at its peak.
No, even if I compare it with the current watered-down version of Rose Redemption, there’s still a huge gap between it and the Tarot Club. After all, its leader and convener is only a Sequence 4 saint… Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he turned his attention to the eleven figures.
Based on their images, titles, and true names, I can confirm that the Wind Angel, Wisdom Angel, and White Angel are the current Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and the Eternal Blazing Sun. “They” really betrayed the ancient sun god, the City of Silver’s Creator, and “They” even feasted on the deity “They” served… The God of Combat and Earth Mother are indeed survivors of the Giant King’s Court. One of them is the eldest son of the Giant King, and the other is “His” queen. They’re mother and son, so that way, the fact that Feynapotter didn’t directly declare war on the Lord of Storms to help Feysac makes things a little odd. It requires some thought…
Also, the Goddess was indeed a former subsidiary god of the Annihilation Demonic Wolf, the Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises. After that ancient god perished, not only did “She” grasp the authority of the Evernight and successfully ascend to the throne of Sequence 0, she also single-handedly destroyed all the descendants of Flegrea, sealed the Antigonus family’s angel within the Nation of the Evernight, and used the Mother of the Sky’s body as “Her” vessel for a descent… That’s ruthless…
As a Blessed of Evernight, Klein subconsciously raised his head to look around when he thought of this, afraid that his inner thoughts would leak out to the outside world.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After entering the foggy town and learning that Antigonus and the Mother of the Sky were the descendants of the ancient god, Flegrea, Klein had a certain idea as to the true identity of the Evernight Goddess. After all, in the history of the City of Silver, it clearly stated that the Annihilation Demonic Wolf controlled the authority of the Evernight and had many strange powers.
Combined with the Antigonus family’s possession of the Seer pathway, and the Mother of the Sky of the Nation of the Night clearly belonging to Evernight, Klein suspected that the Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea was an ancient god that had mixed two non-neighboring pathways’ Beyonder characteristics. Therefore, “He” was extremely crazy and almost irrational. “His” goal was to destroy and corrupt everything.
Hence, he guessed that the Evernight Goddess might have something to do with the ancient god, Flegrea. From Groselle’s Travels, he learned that one of the two subsidiary gods of the Demonic Wolf King had gone missing after “He” perished, while the other had submitted to the Phoenix Ancestor. Furthermore, that true name corresponded to Death of the Fourth Epoch, Mr. Azik’s father. With that, he could vaguely connect the Goddess of Misfortune Amanises to the Evernight Goddess.
However, due to his temporary status as a Blessed of Evernight, he didn’t dare think too much about it. Instead, he focused his attention elsewhere.
At this moment, when he saw “Her” real name, he wasn’t too shocked. Instead, he felt relieved and felt as though he were on firm ground. In addition, he was even more fearful of the Evernight Goddess.
Because “She” didn’t want the ancient god, Flegrea, to be revived, the Goddess controlled the various matters of the Seer pathway, preventing Beyonders who aren’t cleared by “Her” to advance further?
That’s right, that ecclesiastic in Afternoon Town mentioned who tempted Dark Angel Sasrir, the left hand of God, and the deputy of the divine kingdom, but he couldn’t say the name, as if it had been “erased.” Isn’t this a demonstration of “Concealment” powers?
Other than a place like the Giant King’s Court, there’s no way to say the names “Evernight Goddess” and “Amanises” together. Even if one did, no one would be able to hear it…
There are two people who convened Rose Redemption, one is Dark Angel Sasrir, and the other is the Goddess…
Composite Start
Composite End
Apart from the venue where the ploy was conceived, it’s filled with the forces of Concealment…
In other words, the Goddess had single-handedly directed the fall of the ancient sun god, started the Cataclysm, and ended the Third Epoch…
Compared to “Her,” be it Adam or Amon, they are still far from “Her”…
How could such a true deity be so easily trapped by Adam’s arrangements and be unable to interfere with matters of the real world?
Although it’s not a conspiracy where something the Goddess yearns for the most is used, making “Her” willingly walk into a trap, how can the Goddess, who wields the powers of Concealment and plotted the death of the City of Silver Creator, be unprepared?
Also, what does “This is also in line with ‘His’ thoughts” mean? Who does “He” refer to?
Uh, after understanding so much hidden history, will I digest the Scholar of Yore potion on the spot once I drink it… With this in mind, Klein raised his right hand and rubbed his temples, forcing himself to focus his thoughts elsewhere. When that ecclesiastic phantom mentioned the fourth King of Angels, it self-destructed. Was it because the remaining three became true gods?
However, the residents of the City of Silver would occasionally use the names Badheil and Herabergen, so why wasn’t there an anomaly?
What is the difference?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The strongest among the Kings of Angels, the left hand of God, Sasrir—why did “He” disappear into the rivers of history? Uh, perhaps “He” is one of the present-day evil gods, the True Creator, the Dark Side of the Universe, or the Mother Tree of Desire?
There are remnants of the godhood of degeneracy outside the hall. Was this left behind by “Him”?
Yes, the birth of the True Creator is related to the Rose Redemption. How will “He” react when “He” sees the murals in this hall?
With a thought, Klein cast his gaze at Shepherd Elder Lovia.
The lady looked a little lost. She didn’t seem to understand the titles and names, but she recognized a portion of them. For example, Angel of Fate Ouroboros.
She had become a believer of the True Creator in the temple ruins left behind by Ouroboros.
Derrick also stole a glance at Elder Lovia, but he didn’t notice any obvious changes in her emotions.
As The Sun of the Tarot Club, Derrick was one of the people present who knew the situation of the outside world the most. Furthermore, he had long known who the Kings of Angels were. He suspected that three of them had later become deities. At this moment, he was the least confused and perplexed. He was only slightly shocked at Rose Redemption’s level.
This was more exaggerated than he had imagined!
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s no wonder the Lord perished… Derrick was first enlightened before he felt his heart turn heavy.
At this moment, he swept his gaze and saw the Chiefs face turn pale and ugly. He even muttered a few words softly, “This is impossible, impossible…”
…As far as I can remember, the Chief has never lost his composure like this… Did he think of the Lord perishing due to Rose Redemption? He can’t accept that “He” will never return? However, he had long learned of this from me… Just as Derrick was feeling puzzled, he discovered that, aside from his tightly pursed lips, the Chiefs expression had returned to normal.
In the minds of the other members of the exploration team, the prophecy they had previously learned in Afternoon Town appeared:
“Omnipotent Lord, I repent…. tempted Sasrir. The Kings often came to the palace belonging to the dusk to conspire.
“It was already too late by the time I discovered all of this. Degeneration, bloodshed, darkness, rot, murders, corruption, and shadows had already drowned this piece of land.
“A huge calamity will begin here!”
Haim, who was holding the Unshadowed Crucifix, took a long while to calm his emotions. He said in a slightly hoarse voice, “This is the place belonging to the dusk. These are the subsidiary gods and Kings of Angels during the Second Epoch?
“They plotted everything, causing a huge calamity to happen. They made the Lord forsake this land?”
Colin Iliad pulled out the two swords in front of him and half-turned around, calmly replying, “Most likely.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“If we can figure out what exactly happened back then, do we have a chance to please the Lord and let ‘Him’ look at this land again?” Upon hearing the Chiefs answer, Antiona asked anxiously.
At that moment, Derrick seemed to see a trace of pity and sadness in the Chiefs eyes. He heard him acknowledge and say, “Perhaps.”
“Then let’s continue exploring!” The other team members pleaded with burning eyes.
This was the closest the City of Silver had gotten to having a glimmer of hope over the past two to three thousand years. None of them wished to let it go, even if they had to sacrifice their lives for it.
Colin Iliad slowly surveyed the area and said, “Don’t forget the principles to uphold during explorations. Don’t act rashly at any time.
“Having confirmed that this place is related to redemption, we can always come a second time, a third time, or even more. There’s no need to be so impatient.”
Upon hearing his words, the other members of the exploration team calmed down. They replied one after another,
Yes, Your Excellency.”
Under the arrangements of Demon Hunter Colin, the remaining members split up into small groups and carefully searched the hall. They didn’t discover anything else that was valuable beyond the murals.
Of course, it wasn’t that there was no such thing. This was, after all, a divine kingdom of an ancient god. What seemed like an ordinary long table, chairs, stone pillars, and torches might have special effects when taken outside. Furthermore, those effects could last for a very long period of time. Alas, it wasn’t convenient for the City of Silver’s expedition team to bring them around, as they lacked practical value.
As for the other murals, they were profiled from different angles of the main murals. When combined, they formed a three-dimensional scene.
After completing the search, Derrick and company gathered again and followed the Chief to the exit at the back of the hall.
There was a gray-blue door with a single pane.
With a ten-meter-tall door between the two of them, Colin Iliad carefully observed for a while before finally saying, “There’s a powerful guard outside.”
Chapter 1119 Tacit Cooperation
Upon hearing the Chiefs words, Shepherd Lovia immediately raised her question:
“Just like the two Silver Knights at the front gate of the King’s Court. It won’t take the initiative to attack targets outside a certain range?”
Colin Iliad nodded slightly and said, “At least that’s how it seems to be at the moment.”
They were already near the exit, but the guard outside had no reaction.
This meant that the other party didn’t possess real intelligence or spirituality. It was very likely that they were objects that came to life.
Without waiting for the other members to speak, Demon Hunter Colin continued, “Huge, heavy…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After obtaining the corresponding information, the City of Silver’s group formed a tacit understanding. A team opened up a distance from the exit, but they faced towards the door. It was protected by Shepherd Elder Lovia. As the bait to attract the guards, a team took the corresponding holy oil from the Chief and smeared it across the ground at the exit. Haim, who held the Unshadowed Crucifix, and Demon Hunter Colin stood by the side of the door and used the stone columns to hide.
Then, Colin Iliad sheathed one of his swords onto his back and took out a small metal bottle, gulping down the liquid inside.
His aura rapidly faded away and wasn’t obvious anymore. If one didn’t look closely, they wouldn’t be able to discover his existence.
This was another set up. Haim was in the open, while the Demon Hunter was hidden.
After another ten seconds, Shepherd Lovia stretched out her right hand and grabbed at thin air.
Her silver-gray hair was dyed a deep blue color.
The wind howled as the grayish-blue door opened.
Right on the heels of that, heavy footsteps could be heard, causing the entire hall to shake.
A “giant” covered in iron-colored armor rushed into the hall with a halberd in hand.
Composite Start
Composite End
Its exposed parts didn’t show any flesh or blood, as though they were made of metal. Behind the black mask was a dark red glow.
If it didn’t move and stood there, it wouldn’t be any different from a statue.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The shaking in the hall became more and more obvious. The giant statue suddenly threw out the halberd in its hand, stirring up a hurricane that tore towards Derrick and company at the door.
Boom!
The halberd struck an invisible barrier as the illusory ripples rapidly spread out.
In front of Shepherd Lovia, an illusory figure that wore silver armor had appeared at some point in time. It stabbed its greatsword into the crack on the floor.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The giant statue didn’t stop as it ran into the hall.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, a whistling sound was heard under its feet as its massive body jerked backward.
It had stepped on the spot that was smeared with holy oil.
As the giant statue fell, the crimson light in its eye suddenly bloomed as an invisible force appeared and held it up. Suddenly, a blinding white light shot out from the Unshadowed Crucifix, accurately hitting the giant statue’s only eye. The dark red color dimmed.
Demon Hunter Colin leaped up and held the same sword with both hands, plunging it down like an eagle swooping down at its prey.
Dawn appeared as they converged on the straight sword, making it exceptionally huge. It even exceeded Colin Iliad’s height.
With a poof, the bright sword pierced through the gap in the giant statue’s armor, stabbing into its eye.
A flood of light from the dawn rushed in.
With his hands still gripping the hilt of his sword, Colin Iliad exerted more force. As the giant statue fell to the ground, he pulled out his sword and leaped to the side.
The giant statue lay at the door as its body emitted cracking sounds until it finally all movement.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without looking at it again, Colin turned to look outside the door. After a few seconds, he said, “There are no other guards for now. We can handle this statue.”
Derrick and company quickly surrounded the giant statue and skillfully searched for materials.
Above the gray fog, Klein watched the entire battle from the sidelines and was deeply impressed by the City of Silver’s teamwork.
According to his observation, it was unknown what metal the giant statue was made of. Its surface was covered with armor that had shocking defensive strength. It could completely ignore most attacks in battle, and it was very difficult to deal with.
Furthermore, this giant statue didn’t have any “spirit.” In other words, it was immune to the Beyonder powers of the corresponding domain, such as Spirit Body Threads control, Hypnotism, Frenzy, and Nightmare. It was like a walking fortress that made one suspect that it was the work of the Goddess of Harvest.
Klein believed that, if he were in their shoes, with the core powers of a Bizarro Sorcerer being useless, he could only rely on his two marionettes’ powers to deal with the giant statue. He had no idea how the battle would develop.
The “Distortion” and “Disorder” powers of an Earl of The Fallen might be effective, but I might not be able to finish it as fast as the City of Silver’s expedition team… A team of Beyonders with a tacit understanding would be able to produce the effect of “1 +1 > 2.” Yes, that Chiefs confidence in timing, as well as his decisiveness in his attack, was also key… Klein nodded slightly, feeling a sense of admiration.
If this were really a livestream, then he might not be able to help but send a gift as a tip.
Of course, there was a high chance that it was just a thought.
After taking away the most valuable item on the giant statue, the City of Silver’s expedition team proceeded forward. They followed the corridor outside and entered another hall.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just like that, they weaved through the layers of palaces, towers, and different corridors, in an attempt to find more clues, as well as the entrance to the sea as described by the outsider, Jack.
Regardless of whether they believed the boy’s words, they couldn’t help but look forward to the dark blue sea behind the Giant King’s Court. On the other side of the sea, there were kingdoms where humans flourished. There, there were no monsters hidden in the darkness. The sun rose and set, and lightning only appeared when it rained. People had all sorts of food there.
During this process, the City of Silver’s expedition team didn’t encounter many enemies. Most of them were statues that had come to life. A small number of them were evil spirits formed by the combination of remnant emotions and the power of dusk. The latter was unable to put up any resistance against the Unshadowed Crucifix.
That’s normal… The Fool Klein above the gray fog nodded slightly, expressing his acceptance of the current situation. After the Giant King perished, this place already belonged to the ancient sun god. It’s unlikely that there will be a large number of giant powerhouses and mystical items left behind… When the Kings of Angels were conspiring, they definitely eliminated any unnecessary troubles ahead of time… Once the ancient sun god was eaten up, the ownership of this place was a mystery. Perhaps, it was abandoned…
In short, there aren’t many foreseeable demigods or items. Well, without the Unshadowed Crucifix, those evil spirits will be very troublesome. The City of Silver’s expedition team might not be able to advance so smoothly, making it impossible for them to advance so far unless an angel leads a team or activates a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact…
When the Unshadowed Crucifix returned to Derrick, the City of Silver’s expedition team was already very close to the tallest building in the Giant King’s Court.
The dusk here was extremely dense, as though it came from that palace.
“Once we leave this hall, we should come to the wing of the Giant King’s residence.” Demon Hunter Colin got his bearings and direction before pointing ahead.
Shepherd Elder Lovia nodded. Finally, there was some irresistible hope in her expression.
Derrick’s heart beat faster, and he could no longer control his excitement. Then, he was “Placated” by Antiona.
After composing themselves, the people from the City of Silver entered the hall in front of them and saw that there were oil paintings hanging on both sides.
These oil paintings depicted different giants. Some held bone flutes, some carried wind chimes, while others carried a seven-stringed guitar that matched their height.
As the City of Silver’s expedition team arrived, the giants in the oil painting suddenly came to life. They began playing their instruments, producing a beautiful tune.
The light of dusk in the hall lit up a little. More and more food appeared on the long tables around them as they glowed with a tempting glisten, effusing a very tempting fragrance.
Roasted chicken… Roasted goose… Fish with honey baste… Is this a dinner banquet for the Giant King’s Court? But aren’t the sizes of those chickens, geese, goats, and fish too large… The work of the Goddess of Harvest? With a glance, Klein confirmed that the food that appeared was an illusion. After all, the Giant King’s Court no longer had any ingredients, nor did it possess anyone who could “envision” or create them.
“This… this is normal food?” Haim, who was holding Thunder God’s Roar, stared straight at one of the long tables. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Maybe.” Derrick sniffed and couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Apart from the black-faced grass, they had never seen normal food. The meat that the monsters roasted was of different colors, but they also tasted equally as bad. It could even poison them.
Demon Hunter Colin stared for a few seconds before sighing.
“They’re all fake. Don’t come into contact with them, or there might be unnecessary accidents.”
Other than Lovia, the team from the City of Silver retracted their gaze with great difficulty. They followed the Chief all the way to the exit of the hall.
After a series of inspections, Colin Iliad inserted his swords into the ground and pushed open the heavy door.
A crack appeared as rich orange light shone inside.
As the gap grew bigger, the towering palace gradually became clear.
Then, the people from the City of Silver heard a crashing sound.
At this moment, Colin drew out a sword and suppressed the restlessness in his team members’ hearts.
He then drew out his other sword and slowly walked out of the hall. Derrick and the others followed cautiously.
After completely bathing in the light of dusk, they looked to the left at the same time. There were railings formed from stone pillars.
Beyond the railings, there was an orange-red cloud that was gently ebbing at the distance. On the endless swath of dark blue, they emitted crashing sounds.
There was no need for anyone to explain. At the same time, the members of the City of Silver’s exploration team recalled the records in the book and Jack’s description. A term flashed in their minds:
“The sea.”
Chapter 1120 Court Chaser
The dark blue, boundless sea that ebbed gently and seemed to contain infinite life was presented to members of the City of Silver’s expedition team. It was no longer a record written down in ancient books, nor was it a combination of words spoken by outsiders.
Although it was still very far away, it seemed like contact was possible.
The wine-red-haired Antiona watched in a daze. She opened her mouth, as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, all she said was the words:
“The sea…”
Just as she finished speaking, a silver crack suddenly appeared on her forehead.
The crack shot up rapidly, instantly splitting Antiona into two halves. Warm and bright red blood gushed out, splashing across Derrick’s face.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Without a sound, more silvery-white light shot out from her body, splitting her body into countless small pieces of flesh.
The reveling face full of hope was like a puzzle that had fallen to the ground, splattering everywhere.
It was only at this moment that Demon Hunter Colin reacted. He brandished his two swords and slashed them diagonally outwards, as though he was dealing with invisible enemies.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Silver light flashed, and the sound of metal reverberating echoed. The morning sun around Colin Iliad shattered and scattered in chaos.
At this moment, the silver phantom behind Shepherd Lovia had already taken a step forward and stabbed the blurry giant sword into the ground.
Clang! Clang! Clang! As they surrounded the people of the City of Silver, the streaks of silver light appeared in different spots, trying their best to cut through the invisible barrier around them like insects struggling in amber.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The dense, sometimes thick silver light constantly appeared, causing the defensive powers of the expedition team to tremble, as though it would shatter at any moment. However, be it Demon Hunter Colin, Shepherd Lovia, or Derrick, they couldn’t find any traces of the enemy.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Fool above the gray fog was just about to give a certain reminder when the Chief of the six-member council seemed to realize something and crossed his two swords in front of him.
Clang!
The gigantic silver beam struck the two swords, causing Demon Hunter Colin’s feet to sink into a solid stone slab.
He took this opportunity and roared, “Unshadowed domain!”
Upon hearing the Chiefs reminder, Derrick didn’t hesitate and stabbed his finger on the thorns of the Unshadowed Crucifix, doing so without any regard for the pain.
As his blood oozed out, clear, bright, pure, and blazing light suddenly exploded, enveloping the entire area between the two buildings.
There wasn’t a single shadow in this area that could hide. Nothing else could be hidden. Light had become the ruler of this region.
A huge figure quickly outlined itself on the side of the Giant King’s palace. “It” was wearing silver full-body armor and was nearly five meters tall. The flickering light behind the mask was either deep red or orange. And unmistakably, there was a single vertical eye there.
This was a giant, a giant who was still alive.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t wait for the enemy to enter a certain range before attempting to attack, implying that he had sufficient intelligence.
Unlike the other silver-armored knights, the giant’s bracer had bright patterns on it. On the right was a blood-red color that circled around his arm, and at the same spot on the left, it was adorned with black spots.
The giant knight raised his broadsword and pointed at everyone in the City of Silver. He said in a thunderous voice, “How dare you barge into the king’s court and disturb Lord Sasrir’s slumber!”
Sasrir? Dark Angel Sasrir? The Fool Klein above the gray fog was alarmed when he heard that. He subconsciously sat up straight.
The former left hand of God, the deputy of the divine kingdom, the leader of the Kings of Angels, one of the two leaders of Rose Redemption, hadn’t disappeared into the river of history. “He” was sleeping deep in the Giant King’s Court, sleeping in the residence of the Giant King? Why did “He” choose to enter a state of slumber? Many thoughts flashed through Klein’s mind as he subconsciously cast his gaze towards the palace that the giant knight was guarding.
It was the tallest and most magnificent building in the Giant King’s Court. The dusk’s light seemed to transform into something corporeal that covered its surface, dyeing it with a clear sense of decline. It gave off the feeling that the sun had set and an eternal eventide was coming.
On both sides were steeples, while on the other side were spires. The front door was a double door that opened outwards, with gray and blue as the main colors. Its height exceeded ten meters, and it was covered with symbols, labels, and patterns. It looked stately and mysterious.
There was a pitch-black socket on the left side of the door at a height of three-to four-meters tall. It was equivalent to an adult’s fist.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly thought of the dream divination he had done in the past. Back then, he had seen the same scene, and the medium he had used for the divination was the giants’ key he had obtained from Vice Admiral Iceberg.
Composite Start
Composite End
Is that the key to opening the Giant King’s residence? As he extended his hand, he tried to use his “true vision” to pass through the obstruction of the building to see the situation inside the palace.
Unfortunately, he failed. The iron-black key which was the size of a seven-string guitar landed in front of him.
At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin suddenly said before the giant knight attacked, “You’re a Court Chaser?”
The giant knight’s broadsword didn’t cleave down; instead, he paused for a second and said in a low voice, “After all this time, to think that there’s someone who can still remember Court Chasers.
“I’m the leader of all the chasers, the Light Culler Murskogan, and I later followed Lord Sasrir.
“I once hunted powerful dragons, elves, devils, demonic wolves, phoenixes. Today, you are honored to die under my blade.”
This Light Culler didn’t soften his attitude. He hunched his body slightly and held his sword with both hands. Like a flying meteor, he rushed towards the people from the City of Silver with heavy footsteps at high speeds.Read more chapter on our vipnovel.com
Due to the existence of the Unshadowed domain, he could no longer hide his body like before.
Just as Colin Iliad, Lovia and company determined that Murskogan’s attack would arrive in a second, this giant knight suddenly stopped his silver broadsword’s slash midway.
Demon Hunter Colin, who wasn’t in Lovia’s evil spirit’s defensive circle, suddenly had a premonition of danger. Without any hesitation, he lunged to the side.
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
A silver ray of light suddenly emerged from the spot where he had been standing, destroying everything from within. This attack was so strange, like it was generated by the void itself.
At the same time, there was also a change in Colin Iliad who had ducked to the ground. His clothes were torn into pieces and cloth by his rapidly expanding muscles.
In just a blink of an eye, this Demon Hunter had turned into a grayish-blue giant with bluish-black lines warped around him. At his forehead was a deep black crack. Every inch of him contained immense power, infinite mystery, and a strange psyche influence.
If a Beyonder under Sequence 4 saw this scene, they would definitely suffer from a strong backlash. Their brains might suffer an excruciating pain that would cause them to lose their minds. Even their spirituality would be corrupted. And if they couldn’t withstand such an influence, going crazy, losing control, or even sudden death were certain outcomes.
This was the incomplete Mythical Creature form of a demigod.
Originally, Colin Iliad didn’t dare to release this form due to the influence of the “twilight” in the Giant King’s Court. But now, he realized that in the Unshadowed domain, the feeling of decline had weakened significantly.
He then raised the two swords that had enlarged in size as well. With them covered in the light of dawn, he fought fiercely with the Light Culler Murskogan in the domain that was enveloped in light and shadows.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The three swords of the “giants” clashed and separated from time to time. Although Colin Iliad was at a disadvantage, he still managed to withstand the barrage of attacks from the King’s Court Chaser’s leader.
From time to time, he would feel a strong sense of danger. Then, without any warning, he would either duck or roll in another direction.
And at this moment, silver beams of light would always appear from the inside and outside.
Derrick had already closed his eyes. Ignoring the loss of blood, he tried his best to maintain the Unshadowed domain. Haim and another Dawn Paladin similarly didn’t dare open their eyes. They helped Shepherd Elder Lovia and slowly moved the group towards the palace without exiting the protective domain.
If not for the help of the silver-armored knight evil spirit, they would’ve long been diced into small pieces of flesh and blood by the Storm of Light that swept the area.
That Light Culler Murskogan alone had placed the City of Silver’s expedition team into a precarious position, with no chance of counterattacking.
As expected of the leader of the King’s Court Chasers, this should be the strongest force beneath subsidiary gods, or in other words, angels… Compared to the Demon Hunter, the Silver Knight has several more terrifying Beyonder powers… Above the gray fog, The Fool Klein held the Sea God Scepter and carefully observed the battle.
He quickly figured out the aspect in which Light Culler Murskogan was powerful in.
Firstly, his defensive power can be transformed into a full-body silver armor set. Secondly, it can be used to hide and conceal himself with the light, hiding any malicious intent. Thirdly, the condensed Sword of Dawn isn’t something that can be maintained for a short period of time. It can be used as a normal weapon, sufficiently sharp, and good at cleansing. Fourth, it can create some sort of thin silver-white sword. It has the ability to teleport, and it can bypass most barriers to attack the target directly, and even cause it to erupt from within the target’s body. Furthermore, this thin silver-white sword condensed without any warning, making it difficult to predict…
This is a saint who’s extremely good at fighting head-on. If it wasn’t for the rich experience and strong intuition of the City of Silver’s Chief, he would’ve been in danger due to the suppression effect from being of the same pathway when fighting in his Mythical Creature form… If it were me, I might’ve already been killed. Of course, I wouldn’t fight head- on with the leader of the King’s Court Chasers…
From the current situation, because the evil spirit needs to protect its Shepherd, there’s no way for it to directly participate in the battle. The City of Silver’s expedition team has almost no chance of winning. Yes, they’re already slowly retreating. Very rational…If it really doesn’t work, perhaps Mr. Fool will have to deliver lightning punishment” However, the True Creator should still be watching… My Lightning Storm might not be able to quickly resolve Murskogan… Klein’s thoughts raced when he suddenly thought of a problem:
How did Light Culler Murskogan, who wasn’t an angel, survive since the end of the Second Epoch. He’s neither a demoness, vampire, nor Undying!
And from him possessing reason, as well as the ability he displays in battle, he doesn’t have Beyonder characteristics of other pathways mixed in him.
Chapter 1121 Weakness
Since Light Culler Murskogan didn’t gain his long lifespan from his Beyonder characteristic, Klein could only begin considering external factors.
The effects of a mystical item? No, he doesn’t have any mystical items on him. Aside from the Giant King’s residence, there’s nothing in the vicinity either. However, that’s the sleeping ground of Dark Angel Sasrir. Furthermore, the key is with me. I don’t think Murskogan would dare or have the means to enter…
Who took the key to the Giant King’s residence after Sasrir fell into a slumber? Isn’t that a bit too wicked? Of course, the palace without the powers of a deity augmenting it wouldn’t be able to trap a King of Angels… Or perhaps, this key had long been transported to the Northern Continent during the migration of the giants. Sasrir chose to sleep in the palace because, other than a small number of existences, no one can open the door and affect “His” sleep?
Was Vice Admiral Iceberg’s key given to me through a roundabout manner by the God of Knowledge and Wisdom? “He” wants to learn of Sasrir’s present state?
If it’s not the effects of a mystical item, what could it be? Time given by an angel from the Marauder pathway? Ignoring the possibility of giving stolen illusory items to someone else, there needs to be an angel or a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact from the Marauder pathway. And there aren’t any similar existences nearby… Back then, Murskogan was given a lifespan of thousands of years at once? This… Perhaps only Amon is capable of doing that. Clearly, “He” wouldn’t help Dark Angel Sasrir…
In addition, this Blasphemer’s true body seems to be wandering around the Forsaken Land of the Gods. If there were angels or Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts of the Marauder pathway here, they might’ve become his food long ago…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The cycle of fate? After Light Culler Murskogan’s natural death, everything begins with him guarding Sasrir again? Yes, that’s possible. If the current Murskogan is in an aged state, then it’s completely understandable how so much time has passed… Furthermore, because the time in this loop seals centuries, it hasn’t reached a node yet. It’s only normal that I didn’t manage to discover any signs above the gray fog in my haste…
With this in mind, he quickly observed his surroundings to find traces of the Angel of Fate, Ouroboros.
However, there was no remnant power like that.
Klein quickly retracted his gaze and continued to observe Light Culler Murskogan’s intense battle with Colin Iliad and the silver-armored knight evil spirit.
His Spirit Body Threads are normal, eliminating the possibility of him already becoming a marionette… Under “true vision,” his condition isn’t abnormal. This means that he isn’t a figure summoned from history…
The divine kingdom of the Giant King’s Court is slowing down the passing of time or aging? The former can be eliminated because my spirituality is almost unable to support my level of observation. This matches the amount of time the City of Silver’s exploration team has spent in this area… There is a certain chance of the latter, with life progressing in the “sunset” state but being solidified during “dusk”?
But the problem is that the ancient god, the Giant King, has already perished. Badheil, who wields the power of dawn and the power of dusk, has brought the divine kingdom to the astral world. It’s impossible for this King’s Court to still have such a powerful influence remaining within it… Klein went through all the possibilities of extending one’s life that he could think of, but none of them matched the situation of the leader of the Court Chasers.
He had no choice but to consider another possibility:
A secret art with a huge defect?
Composite Start
Composite End
This should be dependent on some kind of power in the Giant King’s Court. Otherwise, the range of Murskogan’s activities wouldn’t be so tiny. It wouldn’t take until the City of Silver’s expedition team arrived at ^ residence before he took action…
The entity related to life inside the Giant King’s Court clearly exists, the former Goddess of Harvest, the present Earth Mother, Giant Queen Omebella.
As this thought flashed through his mind, he cast his gaze at the giant statues outside the palace.
They were no different from the ones the City of Silver expedition team had encountered along the way. They were only slightly larger.
However, after careful inspection, he noticed a small number of abnormalities. These giant statues had the aura of life, and they possessed a certain amount of spirituality. However, behind the mask, it was pitch black without any dark red glow.
This… Light Culler Murskogan had used some sort of secret technique in the life domain to bind his spirit with the living statues. Using them, he obtained a long life, but this results in him being limited to such a tiny region and being unable to leave… This is very similar to the way evil spirits exist… This way, Murskogan might not be able to show his normal Mythical Creature form… Klein conjured a gold coin and flipped it up to make confirmation.
When he received an affirmation, he raised the Sea God Scepter high and prepared to remind Little Sun through the prayer light.
At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin, who had avoided Murskogan’s first attack, suddenly ducked and circled around him, running straight for the Giant King’s residence from the side.
His gaze was locked onto those gigantic statues!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In the intense battle just now, although this City of Silver Chief had always been at a disadvantage, he didn’t give up on observing his surroundings, nor did he stop thinking.
He was similarly puzzled as to why the leader of the Court Chasers could live for thousands of years. When he discovered that the living giant statues were only standing outside the palace without participating in the battle, he had arrived at a certain conclusion.
He didn’t know what exactly was going on, what principles underlay it, or what domain it belonged to, but his rich experience in exploration, and the intuition as a Demon Hunter, made him believe that the statues were the crux of the problem!
Tap! Tap! Tap!
With two swords in his hands, Colin Iliad dashed forward, taking large strides. However, he didn’t run in a straight line as he zigzagged his way forward.
Upon seeing this scene, Light Culler Murskogan let out an angry roar as he held the broadsword in his hands and rapidly slashed forward.
His reaction proved that Colin Iliad’s judgment was correct.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Demon Hunter Colin suddenly leaped away and did a roll. And above his original trajectory, silver light appeared out of thin air and exploded, forming a “long snake.” It completely lifted the solid ground of the King’s Court, tearing open a deep chasm.
Composite Start
Composite End
With a loud thud, Light Culler Murskogan took a step forward. His nearly five-meter-tall body bent and smashed the silver broadsword in his hand onto the ground.
Clang!
The area shook violently as the pillars snapped and fell into the orange cloud beneath. The ground between the two buildings exploded layer by layer, sending countless gravel flying.
As for Demon Hunter Colin, he had already leaped up ahead of time and was in midair. He crossed his swords, creating an invisible barrier that blocked the rubble that resembled an arrow.
At this moment, Murskogan, who had his back bent, bent his knee and exerted strength into it. His massive body shot out like a meteor, instantly closing the distance between him and Demon Hunter Colin.
During this process, the silver broadsword in his hands moved upwards.
Seeing that Demon Hunter Colin was no longer able to dodge, a bright light suddenly shot over, accurately hitting Murskogan’s broadsword.
With a loud clang, Colin Iliad tumbled to the ground and finally approached the giant statues in one swift move.
At the same time, he saw from the corner of his eye that the silver-armored knight phantom in front of Elder Lovia had long drawn out its giant sword. It had condensed the light of dawn into a huge bow as it shot out arrows consecutively.
Light Culler Murskogan’s single eye had already been dyed with a layer of red. He didn’t care about the arrows of light, and he allowed them to hit his body as they produced clanking sounds.
Composite Start
Composite End
He kept charging forward and brandished his broadsword, causing silver light to appear from different parts of the void. He chased after the giant-like Demon Hunter Colin, preventing him from attacking those giant statues.
Suddenly, an arrow that was gathered from the lustrous brilliances tore past Murskogan and silently hit the gap in his visor.
This was from the evil spirit that Shepherd Lovia “Grazed.”
Demon Hunter Colin was merely bait. It was the real attacker.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! One arrow after another flew past, but this time, they were all blocked by Murskogan.
But at that moment, the Demon Hunter had already positioned himself well. He aimed at the remaining giant statues and swung his two straight swords that were enveloped by the light of dawn.
Light bloomed as a “Hurricane of Light” blanketed the area.
With continuous cracking sounds, the statues collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, the aura of the Light Culler Murskogan rapidly declined.
This King’s Court Chaser leader immediately roared, “Let’s die together!”
The silver broadsword in his hand exploded, splintering into countless fragments of light. They formed a terrifying storm that swept everything around them.
The silver-armored knight evil spirit and Demon Hunter Colin simultaneously stabbed their swords into the ground, creating an invisible barrier.
The dazzling white light swept between the two buildings, destroying the grayish-blue door and stone pillars behind Derrick and company. However, when they “swept” into the Giant King’s residence, they failed to affect it completely.
After an unknown period of time, just as Derrick thought that the invisible barrier was about to be torn apart by the Hurricane of Light, the rays of light finally dimmed.
In the ruins, the silver armor on the body of Light Culler Murskogan slowly faded away, revealing his grayish-blue body that was wearing linen clothes.
Not far away from him, Demon Hunter Colin’s body was covered in blood. He was transforming from a giant back to his normal state, but his aura was relatively stable. It was just that he had weakened greatly.
With a clang, Murskogan genuflected as his flesh rapidly aged, decomposed, and evaporated.
Under the orange light, he seemed to see the lively King’s Court once again. In the frozen dusk, giants came and went, playing the seven-stringed guitar or bone flute, wrestling, or enjoying the delicacies that they could eat at any time. The passing of their lives moved extremely slowly, and their king sat on a high throne, watching everything from above with a stately demeanor.
After that incident, none of that existed, so he chose to follow Dark Angel Sasrir.
A smile appeared on Murskogan’s face as he opened his mouth and softly shouted, “King…”
This Court Chaser bowed his head, his flesh and blood completely evaporated, leaving behind a huge white skeleton and silvery-white light that had condensed together.
Chapter 1122 The Instructions of The Fool
Above the gray fog, when Klein saw Light Culler Murskogan rapidly age and decompose into bones, he suddenly recalled Mobet, Siatas, Frunziar, and Snowman when they left Groselle’s Travels.
He didn’t have the time to stop it back then, and it was no different this time. This was because the leader of the King’s Court Chasers had never chanted the honorific name of The Fool, so he was unable to pull him above the gray fog.
However, compared to before, with the Sea God Scepter in hand, he could now do more things by using the prayer light.
He immediately accommodated the Black Emperor card and activated the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. He made the Paper Angel carry his own words and use the crimson star to enter the real world and land on the remnant spirit of Light Culler Murskogan.
This was one of the methods that wouldn’t lower his loftiness as The Fool. After all, the True Creator was still watching the area.
As Murskogan’s consciousness was rapidly wiped out of existence, an angel with black wings suddenly appeared in front of him.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The speed at which his Spirit Body collapsed slowed down as he heard a loud and majestic voice:
“What is the advancement ritual and supplementary ingredients of the Silver Knight potion?
“Is Sasrir really sleeping in the palace of the Giant King?”
Murskogan replied blankly, “The advancement ritual of the Silver Knight comes from the Blasphemy Slate. It needs a complicated altar to be set up, placing the remains of the six powerful creatures one had hunted in the correct positions, and receive the blessings of a deity…
“The supplementary ingredients are…
“I can’t be certain. In short, that door didn’t open after Lord Sasrir entered…”
Amidst the response, the spirit of Murskogan’s spirit slowly but firmly dissipated. Finally, he could no longer hold on as he was reduced to points of light that merged into the still dusk of the Giant King’s Court.
And this conversation happened within the soul domain, so no one else could hear it.
Thankfully, I’m careful enough to not let Murskogan say the main ingredient of the Silver Knight potion. Anyway, the Beyonder characteristic can be used to replace whatever it is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to hear the answer to the second question… The Fool heaved a sigh of relief and praised himself inwardly.
Composite Start
Composite End
He then focused and seriously thought about what Murskogan had just said.
A deity’s blessing? Isn’t this advancement ritual a little too difficult? It’s only Sequence 3… Uh, I have to consider the circumstances of his timeline. Murskogan is a powerhouse who survived from the Second Epoch. It was a habit to call an angel a subsidiary god, and include “Them” in the ranks of a god. That also means that the blessings of an angel should be sufficient. Yes, I’ll use divination to confirm this later… Of course, even if an angel’s blessings are sufficient, I’m unable to do anything for the time being. It will depend if the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in the City of Silver have any living characteristics that can also be communicated with…
The act of setting up that altar is actually a little complicated… Must the remains of the six powerful creatures that one has personally killed have to be at the demigod level? It’s very difficult for Demon Hunters outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods. How can there be so many demigod-level creatures to be killed? Most of them are protected by their corresponding organizations. From the looks of it, the Church of the God of Combat should have a new substitute method while maintaining the essence of the ritual. Is this the difference between the first and second Blasphemy Slate?
However, for a young Chief like the City of Silver, he must’ve killed more than six powerful monsters… That’s easy.
As he was currently certain that the second Blasphemy Slate had appeared after the ancient sun god’s death, he was able to determine that Light Culler Murskogan was referring to the first Blasphemy slate.
He quickly conjured a piece of parchment from his interpretation of the advancement ritual and supplementary ingredients. Then, a divination with a topaz spirit pendulum was performed, to which he received a revelation that there were no mistakes.
Then, he threw this message to the crimson star representing The Sun.
This is a gift from Mr. Fool. After doing all of this, Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh. He increasingly felt that the answer to the second question was worth ruminating.
He didn’t say if Sasrir was truly asleep. He only said that the door hadn’t opened after the Dark Angel entered.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And the only thing that didn’t open was the door.
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom gave me the key, and Adam gave me the Unshadowed Crucifix. Was it done to open the door to confirm the Dark Angel’s condition? As his thoughts raced, he suddenly felt lucky. Fortunately, the True Creator wasn’t too interested in this. If this entity had sent down “His” will just now and tried to influence Murskogan’s dissipating spirit, “He” would’ve clashed with The Fool’s Paper Angel on the spot.
That would be rather awkward.
Only at that moment did Derrick dare to open his eyes. His face was pale from having lost too much blood. In order to maintain the Unshadowed domain, he had allowed the cross to absorb quite a bit of his blood.
He looked around and placed the Unshadowed Crucifix in front of him as he sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
At that moment, Haim put away Thunder God’s Roar and his weapon. He removed the leather bag on his back and found a set of clothes to throw to the Chief.
To the City of Silver’s exploration team, as long as they weren’t wearing clothes and armor that were mystical items, it was inevitable that their clothes would suffer damage during battle. Therefore, they definitely prepared a few additional sets ahead of time.
To them, the purpose of clothing covering their bodies was secondary. The most important thing was to leave space to store materials, ointments, and charms.
Colin Iliad looked around vigilantly, but he didn’t find anything unusual. He quickly put on his clothes and found one of the small metal bottles that had fallen all over the ground during the battle. He removed the lid and gulped it down.
Composite Start
Composite End
His face turned a little green as if he had been poisoned. However, his wounds and the signs of decline were improving.
As for Lovia, she was no longer able to maintain the “Grazing” of the silver-armored knight, and she placed it back inside her body.
By the time Murskogan’s Beyonder characteristic condensed into a silvery-white luster that resembled a miniature sun or heart, it was put away by Demon Hunter Colin. This Shepherd Elder looked at the nearby palace with his gray eyes and said, “Chief, the path to the sea might very well be hidden there.”
Lovia paused for a moment before adding, “Perhaps there’s another way to get to the other side of the sea.”
As Colin Iliad watched Derrick, Haim, and the others clean up the battlefield, pick up items, and deal with the mutilated corpse of Antiona, he shook his head and said, “The Dark Angel is sleeping inside, and ‘He* is definitely a King of Angels, one we are currently unable to resist. Even facing ‘Him* will be very difficult.
“Let’s head back first and inform everyone that we have seen the sea before making preparations for entry into the Giant King’s palace.”
Lovia’s silver-gray hair fluttered slightly as she wore a solemn expression.
“But we don’t know anything. We can’t make any targeted preparations.
After saying that, she fell silent for two seconds before saying, “I have a suggestion. You, Derrick, Haim, and the others can head back first. I’ll stay behind and attempt to enter the palace to gather useful information. I can fuse into the shadows and perhaps not disturb that Dark Angel.
“If I don’t return, it means that the danger inside has exceeded the limits we can handle.”
Composite Start
Composite End
When Lovia mentioned that she might die, her expression didn’t change at all, as if she had long been prepared.
Colin listened quietly and stared at her for a few seconds.
“No.
“We can’t bear such risks.
“If you awaken the Dark Angel, ‘He’ might leave the Giant King’s Court and attack the City of Silver, but we definitely won’t be able to resist against ‘Him.'”
Without waiting for Lovia’s reply, Colin Iliad turned his head and looked at the other three members.
“Derrick, what’s your opinion?”
My opinion? Derrick was somewhat at a loss. He nearly blurted the question back out.
Haim and the other Dawn Paladin were equally shocked. This was because this was an internal conflict among the six- member council. Colin Iliad had actually asked for Derrick Berg’s opinion!
Could it be that the Chief has been nurturing Derrick as the next Elder of the six-member council? The two members of the expedition team looked thoughtfully at their teammates.
…This is him asking for my opinion? The Fool Klein above the gray fog frowned slightly.
His brain immediately began to churn rapidly.
What views can I have?
If they were to open the door and awaken Sasrir, I wouldn’t be able to save any of them. All I can do is get them to ask for the help of the True Creator!
Let’s wait until I figure out the situation regarding the Dark Angel from the Red Angel evil spirit and other related existences before beginning the exploration… I don’t have to worry about the Dragon of Wisdom and Adam’s thoughts for now…
No matter what, there’s nothing wrong with choosing to be calm and cautious at such times.
As his thoughts raced, Klein sternly said, “Return.”
He then projected this image into the crimson star representing The Sun.
Derrick was stunned for two seconds before calmly answering the Chiefs question.
“I think we should give up for now and wait until we’re ready.”
Colin Iliad nodded and said to Shepherd Lovia, “This is my decision.”
Lovia fell silent for a moment before saying, “I will defer to your decision.”
She didn’t say anything else as she helped Derrick and company mark the area.
As Antiona wasn’t killed by a blood relative, there was a high possibility that an anomaly would happen. Therefore, the expedition team would mark the area, making the ones who arrived later to be more vigilant. However, they didn’t need to worry about such effects since they were very far away from the City of Silver.
While they busied themselves, Lovia suddenly looked up and said to Derrick and Haim, “This is the Giant King’s Court. There might not be any anomalies.”
She didn’t explain as she looked at Antiona’s pile of flesh that had been burned into ashes by the flames. She grabbed a handful of them and placed them inside her leather bag.
After completing these matters, the City of Silver’s expedition team found another passageway, but they obtained a disappointing outcome.
Following that, under the lead of Chief Colin Iliad, they retraced their path back.
After entering the palace that had already lost its main door while having the oil painting band playing their tunes, Derrick couldn’t help but turn his head to look outside at the broken railings again. He looked at the orange-red cloud in the distance, towards the deep blue sea.
After staring at it for a few seconds, he retracted his gaze and realized that the Chiefs light-blue eyes were also silently looking in that direction.
Colin immediately turned his head and said calmly, “Let’s go.”
Then, without turning back, he proceeded steadily.
Chapter 1123 After the Expedition
Above the gray fog, when he saw that the City of Silver’s exploration team had begun embarking on their way back as the Giant King’s palace remained unchanged, Klein heaved a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair, exhausted.
After two hours of observation, his spirituality was nearing its limits. At most, he could hold out for another fifteen minutes.
Regardless, the things obtained from this expedition completely exceeded my imagination. It’s only right to give the Silver Knight potion formula to the City of Silver. As he rubbed his forehead, his thoughts began to wander. Being aware of these ancient secrets is very helpful to my digestion after my advancement. The problem now is that my Bizarro Sorcerer potion hasn’t been fully digested…
From the feedback I’ve been getting over this period of time, it can be seen that all sorts of strange tales are indeed useful. When Miss Magician completes the script and publishes it, it just needs some time to build up some momentum before it’s done.
However, she started writing a few days ago. I don’t know when she will finish her manuscript…
Why can’t she just write a few more hours every day?
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When I went to pick her up this time, I should urge her…
With this in mind, Klein suddenly recalled something. He hadn’t given Anderson a reward for finding Vice Admiral Ailment.
I’ll wait until he helps Danitz become a Conspirer. Anyway, this was also part of the agreement… The advancement ritual of an Iron-blooded Knight isn’t difficult, but it’s not simple either. Especially for a Hunter, it’s even more troublesome… It requires a Hunter who is adept at provocation and enjoys coming up with ploys to build a team of at least thirty people, and also nurture a deep sense of friendship amongst them while making them strong. When they act almost as one, they’ll set up the ritual… The greater the strength and camaraderie amongst the team, the better the effects of the ritual…
Seeing that the City of Silver’s expedition team was returning in an orderly manner without encountering any accidents, he finally felt at ease. He left the world above the gray fog and threw himself into bed, falling into a dream.
After some rest at the Afternoon Town camp, Derrick Berg finally recovered and his face was no longer as pale.
He had just eaten bread made from Black-Faced Grass powder when a figure grew out from the shadows outside and said in a low voice, “Derrick, the Chief is looking for you.”
“Yes.” Derrick subconsciously stood up. “Thank you.”
He was originally prepared to find the Chief and hand over the Silver Knight potion formula.
After watching the messenger retreat into the shadows, he walked out of the room and arrived at the clearing where the bonfire was illuminated.
Composite Start
Composite End
At a glance, Derrick saw many members who hadn’t participated in the expedition gathered in groups of two or three. They were excitedly discussing something.
They already knew that one could see the sea from the Giant King’s Court. They knew that it wasn’t too far from the coast, and as long as they found the correct path, they would arrive there in no time.
This was an important step for the City of Silver to save themselves after discovering the outsider, Jack.
The residents of the City of Silver, who mainly had the power of Dawn, finally saw the light of dawn.
Their long wait and persistence seemed to have paid off.
Derrick could understand the feelings of his team members because he was the same. However, from The World Gehrman Sparrow, he knew very well that the waters in the ruins of the battle of gods weren’t that simple. To head to the other side of the sea would probably be extremely difficult.
Ignoring everything else, just Dark Angel Sasrir, who was sleeping in the Giant King’s palace and blocking the vital path outside, was a problem that he couldn’t overcome at the moment.
I can only hope that Mr. Fool will bless me. Yes, for that boy to appear in the temple ruins, it means that there are other paths that can bypass the Giant King’s palace and reach the sea… Derrick thought optimistically as he circled around the quietly burning bonfire and walked towards the Chiefs room on the other side.
Suddenly, he saw a person sitting silently in the shadow of a boulder.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was a man in his twenties, and he was much taller than Derrick. He held a pale gold bracelet with three small bells hanging on it as he looked at it with his pupils unfocused.
Derrick was no stranger to this man. He knew that he was the husband of Antiona, Dolores, a Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin.
In the City of Silver, before the age of eighteen, one could date freely until they were married. And if one didn’t have a partner at the age of eighteen, they would be arranged to have one. It was the same for widows and widowers after three years.
This was a necessary measure to ensure the necessary population level for the City of Silver’s continuation. It seemed like it was against human rights, but for the continuation of the entire city in the dark lands, it could only be done this way. Furthermore, this could ensure that everyone had a certain number of close relatives, preventing the possibility of mutating into a terrifying evil spirit after their death.
As for Dolores and Antiona, they were neighbors who lived on the same street. They had known each other since they were young and had a good impression of each other. In the end, they started dating when they were teammates of a patrol team. Over time, they became husband and wife and had a deep, loving relationship.
In light of how they had a young child, Colin Iliad had deliberately left one of them behind during the expedition to the Giant King’s Court.
On the one hand, Derrick felt that there was nothing wrong with the Chiefs arrangement, and on the other hand, he felt a strong sense of sorrow because of the way Dolores acted. It was as if he had returned to the state when he had to personally stab his parents to death.
From the beginning to the end of the expedition, it only took half a day’s time. However, to Dolores, it meant everything had changed.
After a moment of silence, Derrick retracted his gaze and continued forward, subconsciously taking a few heavy steps. At the same time, he thought of a rumor:
Composite Start
Composite End
Shepherd Elder Lovia once had a husband, but he died in an expedition. This was very common to begin with and wasn’t worth discussing. However, other than Lovia, the team that explored the ruins of the temple had all gone “mad.” After they were eradicated, there were rumors that gradually spread among the residents of the City of Silver:
During that expedition, Elder Lovia had eaten her husband!
In the “night” with low lightning frequency, the winds were rather cold. Derrick shivered and turned his attention back to the scene before him.
He took a few steps and arrived at his destination. He raised his hand and knocked on the Chiefs door.
“Come in,” Colin Iliad said calmly.
Derrick pushed open the door and entered. He saw the chief wearing a linen shirt and dark-colored coat wiping his two swords with oil.
Colin Iliad didn’t stop. He raised his head and looked at Derrick.
“What are your thoughts on this expedition?”
What’s the Chiefs motive for asking this? Having been influenced by Alger, Derrick subconsciously had this thought.
Unable to grasp the true intentions of the Chief, he had no choice but to close the door and answer frankly, “There might be other paths to the seaside. The palace of the Giant King should be very important, but that’s too dangerous. We need more information.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad nodded and asked, “The Kings of Angels and other existences who call themselves deities secretly plotted together because… because they wanted to resist the Lord?
“And ‘Their’ success caused this land to be forsaken?”
Although Derrick had never directly heard of such an inference, it wasn’t difficult to come up with a similar conclusion based on the various secrets he had learned from the Tarot Club.
“Yes, that should be the case.”
Colin fell silent. Even his act of wiping his sword slowed down.
After a few seconds, he put down the items in his hand and took two steps forward.
“Those who participated in the conspiracy are still active on the other side of the sea?”
After a moment of silence, Derrick replied in deliberation, “Mostly.
“But not too much.”
Colin Iliad nodded, indicating that he had nothing else to ask.
Derrick hurriedly said, “Chief, I obtained the incomplete formula of the Silver Knight potion, including the supplementary ingredients and the advancement ritual during Light Culler Murskogan’s death.”
When he said this, Derrick knew that his lie sounded overly fake. It could be seen through right away because he didn’t even dare to open his eyes back then.
However, he just couldn’t think of a better excuse.
If Mr. Hanged Man were here, he would definitely have a better solution… Just as this thought came to his mind, he heard the Chief speak slowly:
“Very good. What is it?”
Derrick was stunned for a second before he hurriedly recounted the corresponding ritual and supplementary ingredients.
Colin listened quietly and let out a long sigh.
“You have contributed greatly this time. This is extremely important to the City of Silver. In the future, our limit will be Sequence 3 and not Sequence 4. Up to a certain range, the risk of the expedition teams will be greatly reduced.”
Why will the risk encountered by the expedition teams be reduced when the upper limit is Sequence 3 within a certain range… As Derrick was happy that he had made such a contribution, he couldn’t understand the Chiefs words.
However, he knew that this was something he didn’t have the right to understand. He planned on asking around at the Tarot Gathering later.
He then bade farewell and opened the door.
“Derrick…” Colin Iliad suddenly called out to him.
Derrick turned his head in puzzlement and found that the Chiefs expression was rather solemn.
Colin fell silent for a while before shaking his head.
“Be careful of Lovia.”
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Derrick replied from the bottom of his heart.
Backlund, North Borough.
Hazel took a carriage back to the city from Moose Manor, and she was preparing to meet Miss Audrey at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation to discuss matters regarding donations and help.
After many interactions, she had a very good impression of this noble lady. She didn’t feel pressured when beside her, and the strange emotions accumulated in her heart had mostly dissipated. She gradually recovered more of her forgotten memories.
I should have a teacher… What exactly happened that day? Every time I think about it, I tremble all over… Hazel cast her gaze out the window, feeling a little depressed.
Her carriage was driving past the vicinity of Boklund Street.
At this moment, a person dressed in the clothes of a mailman rode his bicycle horizontally across the carriage, looking rather relaxed.
Hazel casually sized him up and saw a monocle on his right eye.
Chapter 1124 Enhanced Teammates
Hazel’s gaze instantly froze as she felt something rapidly expanding in her mind. It was about to tear apart an invisible barrier and spew out.
She instinctively looked away and curled up slightly.
Then, she felt a ray of light shoot out from the depths of her heart, exploding into countless memory fragments in her mind as it howled, raging back and forth.
She suddenly remembered what had happened at home that day. She recalled her father, mother, maid, and servants wearing monocles or pinching their eye sockets. The indescribable horror was so vivid, as though it had been carved into her bones.
The expression on Hazel’s face crumbled as she curled into a ball as she trembled. The maidservant in the carriage was stunned as she hurriedly stood up and reached out her hands in an attempt to help her up.
“No!” Hazel trembled as she shouted with a nearly sharp voice.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The maidservant was shocked and frightened. She stood rooted to the ground, not knowing how to react.
After shouting, Hazel calmed down. She sat up and looked ahead in extreme fear. She saw the monocled postman enter another street, leaving only his back visible.
“I-I wasn’t feeling well just now. I’m feeling much better now,” Hazel turned her head and barely said to the maidservant.
She realized that she wasn’t as afraid as she remembered. It was as if she had already gotten used to the situation after some time.
If not, I might have lost control just now… Why would I use the word “lose control”… Thankfully, I forgot those memories and didn’t do anything eye-catching when I saw the postman. It took me ten seconds to break down. If not, I might’ve been detected, and something terrifying might’ve happened… Her thoughts flashed uncontrollably as her body trembled slightly.
“Miss, do you need to go to the clinic?” the maidservant asked hurriedly.
Hazel instinctively shook her head as her mind turned chaotic as she casually said, “Let’s go to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation first. I remember there’s a private clinic nearby.”
“Alright.” The maidservant turned around and instructed the coachman to speed up.
Hazel kept taking deep breaths in an attempt to regulate her tense emotions, panic, and fear.
Composite Start
Composite End
It had to be said that it was somewhat effective. She seemed to have calmed down a little instead of breaking down immediately.
At that moment, a sparrow had appeared above the carriage at some point in time. It squeezed its right eye and spat out a human language with almost no sound.
“She seems to have some unnecessary misunderstanding about me.
“It looks like T had some interactions with her before. Ah, she’s a resident of Boklund Street. Interesting…”
Before long, the carriage arrived at Phelps Street. Seeing that the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation wasn’t far away, Hazel suddenly said, “To the cathedral.
“Turn towards Saint Samuel Cathedral first.”
“I want to pray.”
She wanted to tell the bishops what had happened that day and what she saw today!
In the gap of the carriage, a black ant moved its feeler on its right and whispered in a human voice, “Humans nowadays are really lacking in creativity. They go to cathedrals at the first sight of problems. I thought I would discover something if I followed her. Next time, I’ll steal the cathedral in front of them.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he spoke, the other feeler of the ant moved as well.
Hazel immediately forgot what she had just said and what she had just recalled. She had forgotten that she had met a postman wearing a monocle. She got off the carriage at the entrance of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation and headed in with her maidservant in tow.
Clearly, her maidservant and her driver didn’t remember the previous order.
In the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, Audrey welcomed Hazel and brought her new friend into the activities needed to help the injured soldiers at the front lines.
As The World Gehrman Sparrow had mentioned that the leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul, and other angels were hidden in Backlund, Audrey carefully gave up on the third stage of treatment for Hazel. She hoped that Hazel wouldn’t recall what she had experienced for the time being to prevent any accidents from happening.
Her current plan was to busy herself with charity work, helping others to make Hazel gradually brighten up and strengthen her ability to withstand the psychological trauma.
In the pirate’s free city, Fors was drinking a high concentration of fruit wine that was locally produced, recording what she had heard and encountered today.
Suddenly, her spiritual perception was triggered as she instinctively looked to the side.
She immediately saw a figure appear in the void, quickly reforming. It was Gehrman Sparrow in a half top hat, black trench coat, and a cold expression.
Composite Start
Composite End
With a swoosh, Fors stood up with her wine glass and fountain pen. She subconsciously said, “Good afternoon, uh, Mr. Sparrow.”
As she spoke, she hurriedly placed the items on the table.
Klein pressed his top hat and looked around.
“Do you want to leave?”
Fors eyes darted to her sides before she said, “Alright.”
Over the past few days, she had already made preliminary records of the traits of the city that were different from other places.
Without saying a word, Klein gestured at the items on the desk with his chin, indicating for Miss Magician to quickly pack up.
Fors didn’t hesitate at all as she hurriedly organized her drafts, as though she had heard an instruction.
As he stood there and watched the other party busy, he suddenly said, “How’s the progress with the horror story?” Fors trembled indiscernibly before replying, “Soon, soon.”
Klein gently nodded his head.
Composite Start
Composite End
“How much longer?”
“A week—no, five days. Five days, tops,” Fors quickly replied.
Klein didn’t say anything else. After Fors packed up her drafts, fountain pen, half a bottle of wine, and other memorabilia, he took two steps forward and grabbed her shoulder.
Countless indescribable figures flashed past, and Fors felt a little more relaxed than before. She even attempted to “Record” this “Travel.”
Before long, she returned to Backlund and returned to the alley where she had disappeared from before. She heard The World Gehrman Sparrow say, “Rest for a few days before setting off.
Take note of any replies. Also, ask your teacher again if there’s any information related to the Blood Emperor Tudor, mainly about the various ruins.”
“Alright.” Fors quickly agreed and thanked him.
AJFter separating from Gehrman Sparrow, she returned to a street in East Borough and entered an apartment that she shared with Xio.
Xio put down the newspaper and looked at her friend.
“Was it effective?”
“Pretty good. I went to a free city belonging to the pirates this time…” Before Fors could finish speaking, her expression changed slightly. “Give me my coffee beans and cigarettes.”
“Why? Was it lacking there?” Xio asked in puzzlement.
Fors ran straight for the room inside and sat in front of the desk. She opened her drafts and picked up a pen. Without looking back, she said, “For the sake of the new book!
“Remember to make me coffee!”
Xio followed her to the bedroom door. When she heard that, she opened her mouth but didn’t say anything.
In another spot in East Borough, in a rented apartment with a similar layout.
As Zaratul had already arrived in Backlund, it was unknown when Amon would be “baited” over. The Red Angel evil spirit’s true motives were unknown, and he was planning on preventing George III from becoming a Black Emperor. On the one hand, Klein was trying his best to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion, and on the other hand, he was making various preparations.
At this moment, after handling The Magician, he opened up a piece of paper and wrote:
“Dear Mr. Azik,
“I’ve recently learned quite a bit of ancient history. I believe you will be very interested in it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have chosen to be a history teacher after losing your memories.
This history involves some concealed secrets, so it’s not convenient to describe them in a letter. When you wake up, I will share it with you in person…
“Also, I can create a charm called ‘Yesterday Once More.’ Once used, you can find your past self through the Historical Void and borrow power from ‘Him.’
“This is actually not something worth paying attention to. What’s most important is that you can retrieve your memories from your past self. There’s no need to use decades to slowly awaken them. I believe you will like it…
“I attached two with this letter. If you wake up, you can try their effects…
“I’m currently in an environment filled with undercurrents. If you come over, please be careful. Please observe the situation in advance…
“…On the matter of George III advancing to a Black Emperor, I will try to do something, but the chances of success are very slim…
“Finally, I wish you well. I also wish that you wake up soon. Your eternal student, Klein Moretti.”
After folding the letter, Klein stuffed two Yesterday Once More charms into the envelope.
Following that, he took out Azik’s copper whistle and blew it.
The huge skeleton messenger immediately emerged from the floor and received the letter with his head at a height lower than Klein.
Klein nodded slightly and watched as the messenger disintegrated into bones before disappearing.
After doing all of this, he used two fingers to pull out Will Auceptin’s paper crane from his wallet. He wrote on it with a pencil:
“I have something to ask you.”
He placed the paper crane under his pillow and lay down on it. With the help of “Cogitation,” he entered a deep sleep.
In the depths of the pitch-black sharp tower, Klein once again met Will Auceptin, who was sitting in a black baby pram.
Without waiting for the other party to speak, he directly asked, “Do you know who can provide the method needed to accommodate the Uniqueness? What kind of price would it take?”
If the price is too high, then forget it… Klein added inwardly.
Will Auceptin, who was sucking on his thumb, was taken aback.
“You want to help me accommodate the Die of Probability?”
Klein nodded seriously and said, “Regardless of whether it’s a success or not, we should try our best.”
Just as he finished speaking, Will Auceptin’s tears rolled down his cheeks.
The chubby baby pounded his hands to the side and cried sadly. He whimpered and said, “It’s useless… It’s too late… I’ve already rebooted, and I still have to spend at least twenty-two years growing before I can accommodate the Uniqueness… Why didn’t you say that earlier…
“I’m really unlucky… It must’ve been that silly snake, Ouroboros, who took too much of my luck…”
Chapter 1125 Opportunity
As he listened to Will Auceptin’s “tearful complaints,” Klein was at a loss as to how to react. He could only remain expressionless.
After the baby wrapped in silver silk calmed down, he asked in puzzlement, “Even if I said it earlier, it’s useless. When I met you, you were already ‘rebooted.'”
“No, I was still Will Auceptin at that time. I didn’t have Ceres as my last name, I’d “rebooted” for a long time back then.” The chubby baby wiped his tears and said, “Although I’m still quite some time away from becoming an adult, as long as I’m willing to take a certain risk, it’s not impossible to accommodate it. With the luck I’ve accumulated, that risk can be resolved. But, the difference now is just too great. There’s no way to make up for it.”
With a thought, Klein said after some deliberation, “Perhaps you can find an angel from the Marauder pathway to steal time from you, allowing you to grow up faster.”
Will Auceptin was still choking as he shook his head and said, “It’s useless… It’s impossible for ‘Them’ to accurately steal my ‘childhood’ and ‘teenage’ years. If it’s only a matter of time, it won’t allow me to grow. It will only reduce the age I can originally live to… When the time comes, Will Auceptin Ceres will die prematurely, having been born June 1350 and dying October 1350, for a ripe old age of four months…”
“But I’ve seen cases of aging rapidly due to the theft of time,” Klein recalled what he had seen in Amon’s mausoleum.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The chubby baby still shook his head.
“No, that’s just a manifestation of it being symbolized. If it’s used on me, it will just be a baby that starts to grow wrinkles while his hair turns white…
“To truly accurately steal the ‘childhood’ and ‘teenage’ years, it has to be Amon, and it has to be ‘His’ true body in person…”
At this point, the baby wrapped in silver silk and Klein fell silent at the same time. No one spoke for a long time.
If he were to get Amon, the years that were possibly robbed wouldn’t be limited to just the “childhood” and “teenage” years.
After a while, Klein took a deep breath without hiding anything.
Then there’s no need to consider this for now. However, I still want to know where I can find a way to accommodate the Uniqueness. If I have a chance to get it, I definitely can’t miss it. Who knows when it might come in handy in the future.”
Will Auceptin put down his tear-stained palm and sniffed.
“There’s no need to ask others. I’ve already gotten it long ago, but I can’t do it. Otherwise, do you think that me being president of the Life School of Thought was for nothing?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein was surprised and curious. “Why can’t you do it?”
Will Auceptin pulled the blanket in the baby’s pram and said, “There are three ways to accommodate the Uniqueness. One is to be born naturally with it, which is equivalent to being a Uniqueness coming to life and imbuing human nature into it. The other is to make the Uniqueness come to life to a certain extent before forcefully putting it into one’s body. By relying on the power of the Creator to suppress it, it will slowly take quite some time to slowly wear it down before one gets used to it and achieve a balance. The third is to concoct the Uniqueness into an incomplete potion and drink it with a simplified apotheosis ritual.
“There’s no need to mention the first method. This is why those brothers are enviable. The second is impossible after the ancient sun god’s death. The third is the only viable option at the moment, but for the Sequence 1 of the Fate pathway, it depends on the machinations of fate.”
The first point was mentioned in Emperor Roselle’s diary. It was said by Mr. Door… Does the second point mean that, after the ancient sun god wielded so many authorities, he was at least half a level higher than the present true deities, or even one full level? The Creator’s level? As if in thought, Klein asked, “What do you mean by only depending on the machinations of fate? What has this got to do with me saying earlier that I can help you accommodate the Uniqueness?”
Will Auceptin’s chubby baby face revealed a look of poignancy.
“The apotheosis ritual for the Fate pathway might be the simplest, or perhaps it’s the most difficult.
“As long as we find the correct opportunity in the torrent of fate, we can directly consume the potion and attempt to advance.
“But the problem lies in the fact that the exact opportunity cannot be divined or predicted. There’s no way to lock onto it. I can only eliminate certain interferences and patiently search as I experience life. I’ve already ‘rebooted’ countless times and I’ve spent ages, but I still haven’t encountered it…”
At this point, the baby’s tears flowed down again.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It sounds simple, but in fact, one can only rely on fate. It really depends on how “well” you look… With a sigh, Klein asked in enlightenment, “When I said that I would help you accommodate the Uniqueness, did you vaguely grasp that opportunity?”
The chubby baby cried even harder.
“Although I didn’t really find it… I did sense it to a certain extent…”
…Is that so… Back then, when Will Auceptin came into contact with me, other than hoping to receive the help of Yesterday Once More, was it also pushed by luck? What a charlatan… Klein tersely acknowledged.
“Then there’s no other way…”
“You can only give me a few more of those charms!” Will Auceptin nodded heavily.
“Alright,” replied Klein generously. He then added, “You have to give me a few paper cranes.”
With that said, the baby wrapped in silver silk and Klein fell silent.
In the rental apartment, after waking up from his dream, Klein got out of bed and walked to the room outside. He took out pen and paper and began to write to Leonard:
Composite Start
Composite End
“…I obtained charms that originate from High-Sequence Beyonders of the Seer pathway. It allows someone to borrow power from their former selves…”
Klein didn’t mention that it might be something his dear poet needed, as if he was simply describing it.
After folding the letter, he took out a gold coin and a rectangular diamond-like charm and blew into the adventurer’s harmonica.
Reinette Tinekerr, who was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, walked out of the void with four blonde, redeyed heads in hand. All eyes were cast towards the Yesterday Once More charm.
The four heads spoke one after another:
“Who…” “To deal…” “With…” “This time…”
So direct… Klein sighed and smiled.
“It’s unconfirmed yet.
“I’m going to attempt at foiling George Ill’s plans. I might need your help at critical moments.”
The four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand spoke one after another:
Composite Start
Composite End
“This…” “Sounds…” “Extremely…” “Dangerous…”
“Requires…” “Higher…” “Payment…”
“More of these charms?” The comer of Klein’s forehead twitched as though he had experienced the pain of tearing his soul apart.
“Three…” Reinette Tinekerr’s head who had failed to join in the final sentence shook.
Klein smiled and answered, “No problem, but it will take one to two weeks.”
Firstly, he had recently separated many Worms of Spirit and made quite a number of Yesterday Once More charms. It made him feel like he was nearing his limit and needed some rest. Secondly, he felt that it would be another one to two weeks before he could digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion and attempt to advance to Scholar of Yore once Miss Magician’s new book was published. When the time came, he might have a simpler method.
Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads began to bob with the help of their hair, indicating that that wasn’t a problem.
Klein then pointed at the letter and gold coin.
“Send it to the mailbox at 7 Pinster Street.”
He had previously divined that Leonard wasn’t at home. Apparently, he had gone south of the bridge.
One of the heads of Reinette Tinekerr tilted up as she sucked the letter, gold coin, and Yesterday Once More charms into her mouth.
As he watched Miss Messenger enter the void and vanish from his room, Klein pondered for nearly a minute before beginning to set up a sacrificial and bestowment ritual.
Since the Bizarro Sorcerer potion was about to be completely digested, there was no doubt that he had to prepare the various ingredients for Scholar of Yore in advance.
Among them, the Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart and White Frost Crystal could be obtained from the Evernight Goddess.
And with the Demonic Wolfs transformed heart, he could go to the spirit world to “bait” a Hound of Fulgrim.
After a series of tasks, he finished setting up the altar and took two steps back to inspect the surroundings.
It’s still considered clean… In addition to the wall of spirituality’s seal, it satisfies the requirements of a ritual… I haven’t made any contribution recently, so how should I ask for a bestowment? Could it be that I’m telling the Goddess that I plan to take a credit loan and pay it in installments… Will this be a little sacrilegious… Hmm, I’ll try to sacrifice something of value. If the Goddess is willing to accept it, “She” will do the corresponding bestowment…
Something of value… As he thought, his thoughts moved to the junk pile above the gray fog.
He really wanted to pack up the items he couldn’t sell for the time being, such as the Biological Poison Bottle, the Interrogator Beyonder characteristic, Lunatic Beyonder characteristic, Blatherer’s Aura, Thousand-faced Hunter’s blood, six-winged gargoyle’s eyeball, Spirit World Plunderer powder, and other items to sacrifice to the Goddess to exchange for the materials needed for Scholar of Yore. However, he felt that this would make the Goddess seem like a rag-and-bone man; hence, he could only give up the idea.
It has to be of roughly the same value… I can’t use Groselle’s Travels; it hides quite a bit of secrets. Perhaps it will be of great use. Yes, the next time Little Sun and the others explore the Giant King’s Court, I can give them Groselle’s ashes. This time, I wasn’t sure how far they could go in the expedition, and was worried that they were unable to return after entering the Groselle’s Travels…
Sea God Scepter? That’s even more important. Not only is it my most powerful Sealed Artifact, but it also involves the believers of the Sea God. It will be my anchor for some time. When I have other things, more anchors, it can be given to Mr. Hanged Man…
Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic… This has already been promised to Miss Justice… After some thought, he realized that he didn’t have many choices left. One was Life’s Cane, and the other was the Flaring Sun Charm, the Fate Siphon charm, Yesterday Once More charms and Control Spirit Bullets.
The latter are all disposable items. Even if they’re combined, their actual value wouldn’t be comparable to the main ingredient of a Sequence 3 potion… Besides, once my ability to “transfer wounds” improves, it can take over a portion of the Life’s Cane’s effects… After hesitating for a while, he finally made a decision.
Chapter 1126 “Unexpected1
After bringing the wood-colored cane back to the real world, Klein immediately began the ritual.
He lit the candles and burned the corresponding essential oils and herbal powder, took two steps back, and skillfully recited the honorific name of the Goddess. Finally, he said, “I sacrifice this cane filled with life to you. I’m willing to receive your blessings.”
He didn’t directly mention the Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart and White Frost Crystal. This was equivalent to making an equivalent exchange, not offering sacrificial items and praying for a bestowment.
There was no need to be too meticulous in other aspects of the ritual, but this was a case of showing his attitude at a fundamental level. He felt that he needed to be careful.
When Klein finished his sentence, two out of the three candle flames swelled and intertwined, forming an illusory and dark mysterious door.
The door slowly opened, creating strong invisible winds.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They swept up the Life’s Cane, allowing it to disappear into the seemingly endless cosmos through the gap of the illusory door.
Immediately following that, there was a flash as two items tore through the barrier and landed on the altar without making a single sound.
One of them was a strange heart formed by wisps of white mist, and the other was crystalline frost that emitted cold air.
Klein was delighted as he hurriedly lowered his head to thank the Goddess for her bestowment.
When he raised his head again, the dark and mysterious door had closed. It rapidly faded away, and the altar was completely restored to normal.
Phew, it really succeeded… Klein heaved a sigh of relief and took two steps forward, putting away the Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart and White Frost Crystal.
At this moment, the relaxed him couldn’t help but have a thought that he absolutely couldn’t say out loud.
If I had known that it would go so smoothly, I wouldn’t have had to use my Life’s Cane…
That huge junk pile might’ve been enough…
Composite Start
Composite End
Perhaps I didn’t need to sacrifice anything, and the Goddess would’ve bestowed them to me. The present situation indicates that “She” is personally supporting me becoming a Scholar of Yore…
Of course, this way, if I receive too many bestowments, who knows what price I’ll pay in the future. Using Life’s Cane to trade for it makes me feel more at ease…
Well, from the looks of it, before advancing to Sequence 2 and becoming an angel, the Goddess will still shower “Her” blessings on me. In the future, it will be hard to tell what kind of developments and changes will happen…
With this in mind, he reined in his thoughts, ended the ritual, and tidied up the altar.
Then, he began to plan on how to deal with the Hounds of Fulgrim, the so-called “Sefirah Castle Keepers.”
A Magician never performs unprepared!
South of the Bridge, Rose Street.
Leonard changed into a black-and-white police uniform and wore a “red glove.” He led his team members and the real policemen to the only cathedral of the Church of Earth Mother in Backlund.
The epaulets he was wearing corresponded to a high-ranking inspector. But in fact, with his status as a captain of a Red Gloves team, he should be equivalent to a superintendent or even a chief superintendent. However, officers at that rank wouldn’t involve themselves in such missions. Wearing those epaulets to the Harvest Church would easily arouse the suspicion of the public.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After passing through the door, Leonard scanned the area and realized that it was empty. There were only two figures. One was sitting in the front pew, focused on praying. The second was the handsome man dressed in a priest’s robes.
He had black hair and red eyes.
Emlyn White… Leonard nodded secretly as he walked down the aisle to Bishop Utravsky.
He then coughed twice, making the half-giant bishop open his eyes and look over.
“I’m an inspector from the Backlund Police Department.” Leonard showed his identification and said, “We would like to invite you back to assist in our investigations.”
Father Utravsky stood up slowly and asked in a calm tone despite looking down at him, “What’s the matter?”
The nearby residents reported your abnormal behavior, saying that it’s possible that you’re a spy for Feysac or Feynapotter.” Leonard explained the reason he had long come up with.
At the same time, he was prepared to pull Bishop Utravsky into a dream at any moment. Once he resisted, he would try to control this Blessed in the shortest time possible.
With the Red Gloves team’s distribution, as long as they didn’t directly encounter a true demigod, even if they were to face a Blessed who was in charge of a Holy Artifact, they would have a good chance of taking down their opponent.
Composite Start
Composite End
Furthermore, before Leonard set off, he had applied for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. This was also the reason why he had delayed taking action until today.
Father Utravsky fell silent for two seconds before turning to look at Emlyn White, who was standing by the candle stand.
Emlyn’s slightly complicated expression froze. He opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
Father Utravsky retracted his gaze and nodded slightly.
“Okay.”
…So cooperative? I thought we would experience an intense battle and that we had to be very careful not to cause any casualties… Leonard was taken aback before he smiled.
Thank you for your cooperation.”
If there really was a battle that ended up harming a Blessed of Earth Mother, Leonard suspected that the tense situation would rapidly be aggravated.
Through the ancient history in Groselle’s Travels and the various secrets he learned from the Tarot Club, and the corresponding explanations of Old Man Pallez, Leonard knew that the relationship between the Church of Earth Mother and the Church of Evernight was like dried timber. It could be ignited with a tiny spark. When the time came, the history books would record today’s events.
The war would go from a localized problem to a fuse that ignited the globe!
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard Mitchell had lit a religious gunpowder keg!
Phew… Seeing that Father Utravsky didn’t resist and accepted the “protective custody,” Emlyn White secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He was very satisfied with his performance at the Tarot Club.Read more chapter on our vipnovel.com
At this moment, the Red Gloves team member, Cindy, looked at Emlyn, who lacked a level of masculinity due to the gentleness of the soft moonlight. She lowered her voice and said, “Cap, uh, Sir, there’s still a priest. Should we take him with us? Yes, we can temporarily shut down the Harvest Church for some time to prevent any accidents from happening.”
Emlyn:
Leonard:
After a few seconds and repeated deliberation, Leonard finally said, “If the spy case involves Feynapotter, he would also be considered a suspect. Let’s invite him back to assist in our investigations.”
Emlyn was stunned, unsure of what expression to show in response.
East Borough, in a two-bedroom rental apartment.
Fors rubbed her dark eye circles and drank the last mouthful of bitter coffee. She stood up abruptly and began changing her clothes.
“Done writing?” Xio, who was enjoying her breakfast, was taken aback.
It had only been a day and a half!
Fors shook her head and took a deep breath.
“No.
“But I’ve already written the first volume. I can hand it over to the editor of the publisher. If it’s serialized, there’s no need to finish it all now.”
Xio thought and said, “This is indeed a good idea. It can effectively reduce your stress.”
Fors’s expression twisted as she closed her eyes.
“I hope so…”
In another rental apartment a few streets away, after a series of tasks, Klein, who had come up with a plan and made his preparations, put on Creeping Hunger and quickly turned transparent as he entered the spirit world.
Looking up, he saw the seven pure lights that comprised of seven different colors. He released the arms of his two marionettes and took out a box. He removed the wall of spirituality around it, allowing the aura of the Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart to emanate from it.
Then, he pulled Enuni while Enuni pulled Qonas. Together, the three of them rapidly teleported deep into the spirit world.
Along the way, all kinds of strange spirit world creatures passed by them like oil paintings that depicted hell.
After an unknown period of time, Klein’s premonition for danger suddenly stirred as a scene quickly appeared in his mind:
Red, black, white, blue, and other colors saturated and overlapped as a slender figure suddenly appeared.
It looked like a hound. Its entire body was covered in black short fur, and its eye sockets were two balls of dark-red burning flames. The ends of its mouth extended to the back of its head. It clearly existed there in its corporal form, but it gave off an illusory feeling that felt surreal.
Hound of Fulgrim!
Klein immediately turned around and faced it.
He released his two marionettes at the same time, allowing them to wander in different directions.
In the blink of an eye, the Hound of Fulgrim appeared.
The two dark red flames, which weren’t too deformed but were absolutely terrifying, turned and looked at Klein.
Right on the heels of that, its figure became more and more illusory. It instantly disappeared, as though it was a projection from history.
…It ran away just like that? As Klein muttered to himself in shock, he became even more wary of the possibility of a surprise attack.
More than ten seconds later, two figures phased into existence. They were covered in black fur, their eyes burning, and the corners of their lips extended to the back of their heads.
However, there was only one dark red flame left in the eye sockets of each of the two monsters. The remaining fireballs were in their paws.
Without waiting for Klein to react, the two Hounds of Fulgrim lay down in the void of the spirit world and wagged their tails.
They wagged their tails.
Klein’s mouth was agape, wondering if he was dreaming.
Chapter 1127 Sefirah Castle
Only after the two burning dark-red fireballs floated over from the Hounds of Fulgrim and landed in front of him did Klein snap back to his senses. He felt puzzled and relieved.
Why did they harm themselves to come up with a pair of eyes for me? There seems to be thick and sticky blood surrounding them…
If this is their trap, I would’ve already stepped into it. To think that I fell into a daze for a few seconds. This is a fatal mistake for a Bizarro Sorcerer in battle…
However, no matter who it is, it’s inevitable that they will have similar reactions when encountering something like this the first time—the terrifying enemy who they had meticulously planned to deal with had ended up kneeling down and wagging their tails the moment they see them; this is like a dream…
This performance is very similar to Arrodes’s. Could the great existence above the spirit world be able to showcase special traits in the spirit world?
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As this thought flashed through his mind, he looked at the two dogs that were prostrating themselves in the void and wagging their tails. He stretched out his left hand and grabbed the two dark red flames and large amounts of thick, dark red blood.
The moment he came into contact with these things, he suddenly heard familiar ravings and roars. They were sometimes shrill, sometimes dull, sometimes maniacal, sometimes seductive, sometimes crazy, and sometimes ethereal.
Immediately following that, an illusory, grayish-white fog appeared in front of him.
The fog spread out in all directions. Above them, there was a towering and majestic palace that looked like a god’s residence.
This was a very familiar scene, because every time he entered the mysterious space above the gray fog, he would pass through it.
In the beginning, it was difficult for him to notice his surroundings after he took four steps counterclockwise.
However, as he got used to it, and with the advancements of his Sequence, he was able to easily take the opportunity to observe the phenomenon.
And at that moment, Klein hadn’t chanted the honorific name of “Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings” or taken four steps counterclockwise.
This made him extremely wary. Then, he saw a few figures appear in the endless gray fog. They overlapped with the gray fog at times while separating at other times. They were none other than Hounds of Fulgrim with their eyes burning with dark red flames, and their bodies covered in short black fur.
Composite Start
Composite End
The two Hounds of Fulgrim that had lost one eye each returned to their companions’ side and blended into the dark spots in the gray fog.
The entire phenomenon vanished as well. In the depths of the spirit world, Klein realized that there were no longer any Hounds of Fulgrim around him. Only his two marionettes and strange spirit world creatures remained.
Klein lowered his head and looked at the “eyeballs” and blood in his hand. With their presence, he confirmed that what he had just experienced was not an illusion.
The Hounds of Fulgrim are also known as Sefirah Castle Keepers… They live in the Historical Void… I saw them active within the gray fog before fusing with the dark spots… Combining what he had seen and heard, Klein gradually came to a bold conclusion:
Perhaps Sefirah Castle is referring to the mysterious space above the gray fog. It’s referring to that strange door of light”
As for the gray fog, it’s a symbolic object formed from all the history in the spirit world. There are void gaps present in it…
Every time I enter the mysterious space through the gray fog, I leave certain traces there, making the Hounds of Fulgrim no longer feel unfamiliar with me. They see me as the owner of Sefirah Castle, so when they saw me, they immediately offered me what I needed and shook their tails to gain my favor?
After a day of planning, asking about the situation, and inviting helpers, I ended up targeting my own guards?
As he thought of this, he inexplicably felt a sense of absurdity at the situation. It felt like The Fool above the gray fog was reaching out “His” hands to fleece someone, only to end up fleecing “Himself.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Phew… Sefirah Castle… Although this development makes me even more afraid, in any case, I still have some understanding of the owner of the gray fog and that mysterious space. The unknown is the most terrifying thing…
After standing silently in the depths of the spirit world for a moment, Klein slowly exhaled and summoned his two marionettes back.
He planned on waiting for the Bizarro Sorcerer potion to be completely digested before attempting to seek out relevant knowledge about Sefirah Castle from Arrodes and other places. When the time came, if anything were to happen, he could use his advancement to fight it.
East Borough, in a two-bedroom rental apartment.
With her dark eye circles, Fors returned and retrieved the day’s newspaper and letters in passing.
“How was it?” Xio, who had just returned home for lunch, asked.
Fors covered her mouth and yawned.
“Not bad. The editor I know is very satisfied with my new book’s topic and writing style. He decided to arrange for its serialization as soon as possible.
“You might not be aware, but the horror stories of Backlund’s hospitals have been very popular recently. A best-selling author had gained inspiration from it and is beginning to serialize similar stories. I’m actually not the first to do so!”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…This is a good thing.” Xio thought about it and nodded seriously.
This meant that Fors, who had also written the horror stories of Backlund’s hospitals, wouldn’t attract too much attention. Her new pen name wouldn’t be tested either.
“I know.” Fors threw the newspaper aside and took out a few letters that were stuffed in it before quickly flipping through them.
Soon, she found the reply letter from her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.
Fors’s expression immediately turned solemn as she quickly tore open the envelope. She spread open the letter and began reading.
“…Benjamin Abraham is from Intis. He lived in Roselle’s era… Apart from mysticism knowledge and a small amount of inheritance, he didn’t leave anything of value behind… Later on, everything was destroyed by the Aurora Order. I’m unable to provide the corresponding information…”
Mr. Gehrman Sparrow is about to be disappointed… Fors pursed her lips and pulled off a magic trick, burning the letter in her hand to ashes.
Then, she began writing a reply, asking her teacher if she knew of the secret ruins of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor.
Klein went above the gray fog and listened to Miss Magician’s prayers. The trail of clues for Benjamin Abraham have come to an end… It’s all the fault of those lunatics from the Aurora Order…
At the same time, he learned of the serialization of the horror stories of Backlund’s hospitals.
Composite Start
Composite End
After returning to the real world, and just as he was about to head out for a meal, he suddenly saw Miss Messenger walk out of the void with four heads in her hand. One of them had a letter in its mouth.
“Who sent it?” asked Klein in puzzlement.
Reinette Tinekerr’s remaining three heads replied, “A…” “Seduced…” “Idiot…“
Who is that… Klein grew confused as he took the letter and opened it.
“The mastermind behind those matters is George III. His goal is to become the Black Emperor. Are you interested in stopping this matter?
“Trissy.”
Trissy? This Demoness actually dares to write me a letter. Isn’t she afraid of being caught by Miss Messenger on the spot? Oh right, Miss Messenger just said that the sender was a “seduced idiot”… Trissy seduced a man and got him to help her summon the messenger while she hid far away and waited for the other party to contact her through a mirror? She’s pretty smart… Hmm, she really is very persistent in investigating this matter. Isn’t she afraid that she’ll be killed by either me or George III? That man should be a Beyonder. It would be quite difficult for an ordinary person to hold a summoning ritual. After all, it relies on one’s spirit and spirituality… Klein was first puzzled before he came to a realization.
Immediately following that, he began to wonder why Trissy managed to guess that George III wanted to become the Black Emperor.
Without sufficient mysticism knowledge, and without knowing the Black Emperor’s apotheosis ritual or the corresponding history, even a demigod would find it difficult to guess. It definitely wasn’t as easy as the Red Angel evil spirit had said!
Could it be that Trissy has other helpers? Or could it be that she has obtained more power from the Primordial Demoness, including all sorts of knowledge and secrets? Klein frowned slightly as he felt that there was something amiss.
If there was a chance, he would definitely get rid of Demoness Trissy.
After thinking for more than ten seconds, he took out a piece of paper and pen from his pocket and scribbled a reply: “I’m interested, but I don’t know what you want to do.”
In the Backlund Bridge area, a man in his thirties looked in horror as the headless woman—no, the four-headed demoness reappeared before him and dropped a letter.
Are all the messengers in the mysterious world so terrifying? Only about five minutes after Reinette Tinekerr left did the man catch his breath. He picked up the letter and opened it to take a look.
During this process, his gaze gradually burned because it meant that he could meet that beautiful woman again.
According to her instructions, he waited until the evening before he took out the black sticky lump. He separated them and applied them evenly onto a mirror.
A few seconds later, the mirror turned dark, as if it was connected to another world.
In the blink of an eye, the mirror presented a room that was completely different from the present environment. There was a young girl dressed in a dark black dress. She was none other than Demoness Trissy.
The man who finished the ritual immediately revealed an infatuated expression as he subconsciously whispered, “The reply said that he_s interested.”
The light dimples on the sides of Trissy’s cheeks slowly bloomed, making the mirror appear brighter.
Her eyebrows relaxed as she said, “I’ll send you a letter. Forward it to Gehrman Sparrow. You absolutely cannot read its contents.”
After obtaining the man’s unhesitant promise, Trissy stretched out her right hand and swiped it across the mirror, causing the dark aqueous light to disappear.
She immediately found pen and paper and deliberated for a few seconds before quickly writing:
“The secret mausoleums needed for the George Ill’s ritual should be from Blood Emperor Alista Tudor, and there is an existence who understands it very well. It might be able to help us successfully infiltrate and cause damage during the ritual.
“I have a way to contact that existence, but we have to wait until the next full moon. What you need to do is provide me with some blood, hair, flesh, or bones from a descendant of the Abraham family.
“Trissy.”
Chapter 1128 Finally An Outcome
East Borough, in a two-bedroom rental apartment.
After receiving the reply from Demoness Trissy from Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr, he pulled a chair to sit down and began reading.
This means she knows of Mr. Door’s existence, and she has a way to use the bloodline of the Abraham family to communicate with that entity… Trissy can already withstand Mr. Door’s cry for help. Isn’t she afraid of losing control because of this? Besides, she seems to be very sure of Mr. Door’s identity… She really has obtained more knowledge and secrets from the Primordial Demoness… But in such a situation, why would the Demoness of White Katarina be pursuing her? Questions arose in Katarina’s mind as he read the short letter.
As Trissy’s vague mention of the matter was within his understanding, he believed that she wasn’t lying in this aspect. Furthermore, she had provided a very feasible solution.
Of course, the prerequisite for this method to succeed was to obtain the correct ritual and have a descendant of the Abraham family be willing to take a huge risk, as they used something related to their bloodline as a medium.
Of these three points, he was missing the first point. He still had some doubts about the third point. He attempted to find a safer and more concealed method, but Demoness Trissy seemed to only lack the second point.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To me, it’s easy to find the descendants of the Abraham family. I can directly contact them through Miss Magician. However, once I hand over their hair, blood, flesh, and bones to Demoness Trissy, this will put them at risk of being hexed… Klein understood the Demoness pathway rather well and knew that they were very good at hexes.
As his thoughts raced, he gradually came up with a countermeasure. It was to use the hair, flesh, or bones of the deceased.
He remembered that Miss Magician had mentioned to The Fool that she had once buried an old man named Lawrence. He was undoubtedly a descendant of the Abraham family.
I hope it wasn’t a cremation… Although this is somewhat sacrilegious to a corpse, speaking to Mr. Door is a necessary procedure to dispel the Abraham family’s ancient curse. It’s better to use the dead rather than implicate the living… When the time comes, I’ll add this in Trissy’s reply. I’ll claim that this is a requirement stipulated by the descendant of the Abraham family for the ritual’s medium…
Also, I have to first confirm that Trissy is going to speak to Mr. Door, and not attempt to pull “Him” back to the real world… They are either of a high-level or are involved in high-level situations. It will be difficult to obtain any effective revelations using divination, but Emperor Roselle said that the ritual required to facilitate Mr. Door’s return is very complicated. It definitely can’t be set up by a small number of descendants. I can get Queen Mystic and Miss Sharron to monitor Backlund’s underground market and see if there are any abnormal trades of materials and personnel… Klein nodded slightly and decided to find Miss Magician in a while. He could also rush her writing.
North Borough, Phelps Street.
On a bench, a young man in a black trench coat and silk top hat was sitting there with a thin face and a broad forehead. He looked at the withered and yellow Intis parasol trees in a daze.
He wore a crystal-carved monocle on his right eye, looking rather refined.
At that moment, an elder who was heading to Saint Samuel Cathedral stopped in his tracks when he saw that something was amiss. He asked gently, “Young man, what are you worried about? You lost something in this war?”
Composite Start
Composite End
He suspected that the young man’s relatives, lover, or friends had died in the air raid or during intense battles at the front lines. That was why he was sitting alone by the side of the street, looking lost.
The young man raised his hand and pinched his monocle. He sighed and shook his head.
“I’m just thinking about some rather complicated questions.”
“Are you a philosopher?” The old man was taken aback as he blurted out.
“No, but I often bring up philosophical problems for others, just like who I am, where I am, and what’s my future.” The young man smiled calmly as he continued to ponder. From time to time, he would purse his lips and whisper silently.
The elder couldn’t understand him and could only shake his head. Under the gaze of the stray dogs, sparrows, ants, and microbes in the air, he slowly left.
The young man didn’t turn his head. His monocle reflected yellow leaves that were floating down as he muttered to himself, “To Parasite …”To not Parasite …”To Parasite …”To not Parasite …
“See the bait…” “Devour the bait…” “See the bait…” “Devour the bait…”
After getting the hair from Lawrence’s remains from Fors, and seeing the horror stories of Backlund hospitals being serialized in the Tussock Times, Klein entered a patient state. He also promised to send Miss Magician to a new place next week to record new sights and customs.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Soon, a new week had arrived. After having his lunch, he planned to take a short nap to prepare for the three o’clock Tarot Gathering.
At this moment, Reinette Tinekerr, who was holding four blonde, red-eyed heads, walked out from the depths of the void. One of them had a linen bag in its mouth.
“Who sent it?” Klein suddenly had an inexplicable feeling. He had a complicated premonition as he didn’t immediately reach out to receive the bag Miss Messenger was holding.
Reinette Tinekerr’s three free heads spoke one after another:
“The…” “Real…” “Mutated…”
“King…” “Of…” “Mushrooms…”
This string of words… I roughly understand what’s going on… Klein controlled his expression of not baring his teeth as he slowly took the bag.
When he opened the bag, he wasn’t surprised to see copious amounts of demons—no, mushrooms.
Some of them were white and full, as though they would spurt out milk with a single poke. Some of them were black at the bottom and were embedded with thin blood-colored lines and markings. Some of them were covered in golden stars, and the mushroom cap was as large as a palm…
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, the mushrooms were still squirming slightly, as though they wanted to spread their hyphae and spores.
After swallowing his saliva, he picked up a letter that was surrounded by mushrooms, and he started reading:
“My dear friend, Gehrman,
“I’ve finally completed your request. I’ve invented mushrooms that can be planted in dark and harsh environments. They can grow by devouring the flesh and blood of monsters, without any other conditions…
“Their descendants will be divided into two categories. The first type will accumulate various kinds of poisons that cannot be eaten. However, they can be used as a source of poison. The other type can be used for food after being cooked at high temperatures through boiling, stewing, and frying. You must remember not to eat it raw or before it’s cooked. Otherwise, they will proliferate in your body, using your flesh and blood as a hotbed…
“In consideration of having a variety of flavors, I’ve invented eleven kinds of mushrooms—some are rich in milk. This can be directly drunk. Some are like beef. Heh heh, when frying them, there’s no need to provide any extra oil. Some are as delicate as fish meat but without the bones. My suggestion is to roast or boil it…
“All of these wouldn’t have been possible without your help. If I hadn’t already advanced and become a Druid, I might’ve taken a few years, or even more than a decade to resolve all the problems I encountered during the experimentation process…
“If you have any other ideas that are suitable for me, please share them with me.
Your friend forever,
Frank Lee.”
Composite Start
Composite End
With the letter in hand, Klein fell silent for a long time. He looked up and realized that Miss Messenger was still waiting.
He sighed silently and walked to the desk. He took out a piece of paper and a pen and slowly wrote:
“…I’m very happy that you’ve succeeded. These mushrooms will help me greatly. They will effectively reduce famine in certain areas…
“…I’m currently busy with some matters, so I don’t have any new ideas for now…
“…Your friend,
Gehrman Sparrow…”
After folding the letter, he looked at Miss Messenger and hesitantly asked, “How’s Frank Lee’s condition like now?”
The head that Reinette Tinekerr had previously failed to say anything spoke first:
“Excited…”
The other three added, “Animated…” “Happy…”” Satisfied…”
Following that, the four heads said, “No longer…” “Afraid…” “Of being buried…” “In soil…”
“Why?” Klein subconsciously asked.
The four blonde, red-eyed heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand spat out word by word:
“He…” “Can…” “Extract…” “The…”
“Soil’s…” “Nutrients…” “And…” “Oxygen…”
Frank has really evolved quite a bit after becoming a Druid… For a moment, Klein wasn’t sure if he should be happy for his friend, or if he should grieve for the crew of the Future.
As he watched Miss Messenger leave, Klein forced himself to sleep through Cogitation. Then, he woke up at 2:30 p.m. to prepare for this week’s Tarot Gathering.
At three o’clock, dark red beams of light rose up from the ancient palace above the gray fog and solidified into their corresponding figures.
Audrey immediately stood up, curtsied, and bowed towards the end of the long bronze table.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fool-”
As a senior Psychiatrist, she had great control over her emotions. Furthermore, she hadn’t encountered any problems this week. She was mainly seeking out donations, contacting pharmaceutical factories, and organizing medical volunteers.
However, compared to the past, the cheerfulness and happiness she had when making her greeting had decreased significantly.
The Fool Klein nodded slightly in response to the greetings from the members of the Tarot Club. Following that, he cast his gaze at The Hermit.
He still owed this lady eight questions.
Cattleya bowed her head and said with an unfaultable attitude, “Honorable Mr. Fool, there are still two questions this time.”
After obtaining approval, she continued, “The first question is, what is the state of the devils in the Abyss?’
Queen Mystic’s first suspicion is that the emperor’s mausoleum is hidden in the Abyss… This is identical to the emperor’s train of thought. She is indeed his biological daughter… Unfortunately, there are no “citizens” that can be controlled there… The Fool Klein muttered to himself inwardly as he answered with an unchanging expression, “The current Abyss is a place most Devils are unable to live in.”
Chapter 1129 Pressure
The current Abyss is a place most Devils are unable to live in? Upon hearing Mr. Fool’s reply, Cattleya and company inevitably felt a deep sense of shock.
In mysticism, the Abyss was considered by all to be the most corrupted and most disorderly place. It was where the Devils lived. But now, most of the “natives” were unable to survive in there!
Is the environment in the Abyss worsening, causing the Devils to be unable to adapt to it, or is it because the situation regarding the corruption, chaos, and degeneration has improved, making the Abyss no longer suitable for the Devils to live in? Alger quickly had two theories, but he didn’t know which one it was.
The Hermit Cattleya shared the same thoughts as him, but she was even more puzzled as to why the Queen would ask such a question. Regarding Mr. Fool’s answer, it seemed to have a deeper meaning to it, one that could help the Queen’s in understanding whatever agenda she had, and it’s secrets.
As for Justice, she suddenly thought of the Church of Knowledge’s Prophet demigod. He had once said that the end of the world would arrive in 1368 of the Fifth Epoch. This was publicly acknowledged by all Beyonders who were good at making prophecies. Even the deities had agreed with it.
It’s 1350 this year; we’re only 18 years from the apocalypse… Hence, there are signs of the Abyss appearing. The chaotic and degenerate environment that is originally filled with abstract meanings has broken past its limits, becoming even worse? Audrey had a rough idea of the situation, and this added to her slight anxiety and unease.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As there weren’t any signs of the apocalypse in the beginning, she didn’t put much weight on the matter. She usually paid more attention to the current wars, casualties, and the victims of suffering. But now, the anomaly within the Abyss had left her inexplicably horrified. She desperately wanted to improve herself. She wanted to finish digesting the potion and obtain the Beyonder characteristic left behind by Hvin Rambis to advance to become a demigod.
Only then could she have the ability to interfere and resist certain things that she didn’t want to see happen.
Mr. World, entrust me with more tasks… Audrey silently prayed in her heart and secretly placated her restless emotions.
The members such as Leonard, Fors, and Xio actually had some doubts about whether the Abyss really existed. This was because, after the Second Epoch, the Abyss had never revealed itself to the world again. The most active Devils in the real world had come from the Blood Sanctify Sect. Even the high-level Devils and evil existences that the rituals pointed to were highly likely to be the highest echelons of the Blood Sanctify Sect.
Of course, the evil god, the Dark Side of the Universe, was widely regarded as the embodiment of the Abyss, but “His” presence was extremely low. If “He” hadn’t occasionally responded to the ritual and showed the characteristics of the Devil, “He” would probably be considered a pure legend, just like Giant King Aurmir.
But even so, the secrets of the Church of Evernight that Leonard could come into contact with had also shown that it was possible that the Dark Side of the Universe was a disguise used by other evil gods and hidden existences.
This wasn’t surprising to Derrick. In certain places some distance away from the City of Silver, deep in the endless darkness, there were many Devils that were unable to maintain their calm states. There was no lack of demigods like the demons that weren’t too different from the Abyss.
If not for the fact that the Giant King’s Court and other iconic items existed, the City of Silver citizens would definitely have suspected that the truth behind them being abandoned was that they had been thrown into the Abyss.
As the thoughts flashed through the members’ minds, Cattleya restrained her doubts and continued asking, “Honorable Mr. Fool, the second question is: Did the things that Emperor Roselle do in his later years have any external, unnecessary influence?”
Composite Start
Composite End
This question reminded Klein of the shocking details in Roselle’s later diary entries. Immediately, he sighed.
With the posture of The Fool, he slowly shook his head.
No… Those things were what the emperor wanted to do… Just as Cattleya felt an uncontrollable sense of disappointment and sadness when she heard Mr. Fool smile with a sigh.
“It wasn’t due to an external influence or influencer, but due to corruption. It’s very difficult to detect, even for him.”
Corruption… Emperor Roselle was corrupted in his later years? At that time, he was already “He,” a Grounded Angel. How could he be corrupted? Is this from a particular true god or the underground corruption that even the ancient gods feared? Amidst the shock, Audrey came up with a guess based on the secrets she knew.
Alger and the other members of the Tarot Club also didn’t expect such a thing to happen to Emperor Roselle in his later years. They began to suspect his purpose behind him creating the Cards of Blasphemy.
At the same time, they believed that Mr. Fool’s search of the Cards of Blasphemy might contain deeper motives, much more than what they had originally deduced.
In this game that involves the entire world, only important figures like Mr. Fool have the right to become a “player.”
And we are only a card or some chips… The Kings of Angels and Sequence 1 angels might be qualified to participate… Alger sighed as he had the desire to become a “player.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The story of the emperor’s later years went from being a tyrant to an evil god? A book that starts off with romance, motivation, passion, love, adventure, and even the decadent lifestyle of Intis high society later turns into a horror story? I wouldn’t even dare write something like that! If it were me writing it, I would make the emperor’s final tragic end stem from a betrayal in one’s love, a marriage betrayal, or betraying an oath… Fors couldn’t help but let her thoughts go wild. She even had the urge to start writing a set of chronicles for Emperor Roselle.
Of course, there were quite a number of Roselle’s chronicles on the market. Some of them were even prohibited items. Corrupted… So it’s because of corruption… Cattleya sighed and felt sorrowful.
She sighed with emotion. In the end, the emperor didn’t end up like the story of the dragon-slaying warrior he had spoken of. From being a hero, he turned into an evil dragon. He was still a legend worthy of worship, but the sad thing was that, up to today, this misunderstanding was finally beginning to be resolved.
After her emotions settled down, Cattleya recalled the matter of being corrupted. The more she thought about it, the more horrified she became.
She believed that she was one of the members of the Tarot Club who knew Roselle the best. She knew very well what height this emperor had reached in his later years. Of course, Mr. Fool was the convener, a witness, and not a member.
However, a Sequence 1 angel such as “Him,” someone who made the throne of divinity a target, had been silently corrupted. “He” and the people around “Him” didn’t notice it at all!
This is much more terrifying than it is horrific… Cattleya secretly took a deep breath before slowly exhaling to regulate her emotions.
Then, she bowed towards the end of the long, mottled table.
“Thank you for your answer, honorable Mr. Fool.”
Composite Start
Composite End
…I’m also thankful that you didn’t ask anything beyond my means… The Fool Klein, gave a self-deprecating laugh as he leaned back into his chair and nodded slightly.
“You may begin.”
Just like the previous gathering, the members of the Tarot Club had either just advanced or were still digesting. They didn’t have any trades to do, and they didn’t need anything for the time being. After exchanging a few looks, they decided to directly enter the free exchange segment.
Of course, Emlyn was a special exception. He really wanted to make a request to get someone to start a jailbreak to free him from the basement of Saint Samuel Cathedral. Yes, to this day, he was still under “protective custody” behind Chanis Gate at the Backlund headquarters of the Church of Evernight. In his neighboring cell was Bishop Utravsky, and during this period of time, no Nighthawk had come to interrogate him.
If not for the people in charge of guarding the sealed area bringing them water and food every day, Emlyn definitely would’ve believed that he and Father Utravsky had already been forgotten.
The dark, silent environment is still alright, but it’s just a little cold… But without dolls, newspapers, books, and historical documents, this life is meaningless… Besides, the Nighthawks provide me with cow blood, and it tastes nasty. The effects aren’t too good either. I’m already becoming weak… Emlyn opened his mouth, but he didn’t say a word because he felt that this was a very embarrassing matter. After all, he was the one who asked The Star and had pushed for “protective custody.” Yet, he ended up also being brought into “protective custody.”
I hope that fellow hasn’t forgotten me and is thinking of a way to get me out… Emlyn glanced at The Star Leonard and maintained his silence.
Leonard maintained his posture and didn’t respond to The Moon’s gaze.
There was nothing he could do for the time being. This was because he was the one who had raised the term “protective custody” in front of the archbishop. As for Emlyn White, he was a vampire viscount, equivalent to a Sequence 5 Beyonder. He was a mobile humanoid bomb that also believed in the Earth Mother. There was no reason for him to be released immediately.
I can only wait for the Sanguine to protest through other channels before I have the authority to handle this matter… The Star Leonard decided to apply for a private exchange later and get Emlyn to think of a way to get the upper echelons of the Sanguine to contact the Church of Evemight.
Composite Start
Composite End
Their interaction had been noticed by Justice. She immediately thought of the question Mr. Moon had asked her last time. She suspected that something had gone wrong during the “protective custody” operation, but it didn’t seem too serious.
I heard that the priest of the Harvest Church saved quite a number of people during the Great Smog of Backlund. I hope nothing bad happens… Audrey nodded slightly and cast her gaze at Little Sun.
The other members of the Tarot Club also cast their gaze towards The Sun Derrick.
They knew that the City of Silver had planned on exploring the Giant King’s Court last week, so it was likely that the results were out.
The Sun Derrick sat up straight and glanced at Mr. Hanged Man before saying in a very natural manner, “We’ve completed our first exploration of the Giant King’s Court. Three dead, one missing, five survivors… We first arrived at the front door of the King’s Court and saw two Silver Knights in an unknown state standing guard there. This is the name of the Giant pathway’s Sequence 3…”
Chapter 1130 News Storm
Two Sequence 3 demigods were guarding the main door… As expected of the Giant King’s Court. The divine kingdom of an ancient god… The members of the Tarot Club suddenly felt a similar feeling. As for The Sun Derrick, he didn’t pause as he continued his recount.
To him, he was shocked when he first discovered the two Silver Knights guarding the main door of the Giant King’s Court. However, the series of events that followed made it seem extremely ordinary, making it difficult to stir up his emotions.
“…According to what Mr. World shared, we followed a rather hidden path to the back of the Giant King’s Court… The monsters we encountered were mainly wraiths. They were restrained by the Unshadowed Crucifix…
“After we arrived at the Waning Forest, we tried to explore it, and we discovered that the remnants of the Giant King’s will and the divine kingdom’s powers had formed an evil spirit. It was protecting its parents’ mausoleum…” Derrick skillfully recalled his experiences during the expedition, and the members of the Tarot Club—Audrey, Alger, and the others—quickly reined in their thoughts of the Silver Knight guards and listened attentively.
They were all very interested in the secret hidden in the Waning Forest. They wanted to know what the ancient god, the Giant King, had tried to keep from “His” queen and child.
Thinking back to the scene he had seen, Derrick paused for a moment before saying, “After purging that evil spirit, we came to the mausoleum of the Giant King’s parents. There was a stone stele erected there, indicating the identity of the tomb’s owner. As for the tomb and coffin, it had long been opened by someone, revealing the corpses inside. They were the corpses of two humans…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Corpses of humans? The tomb of the Giant King’s parents had corpses of humans buried in it? Godfather and godmother? No, there wasn’t any religion back then… As a demigod who knew plenty of mysteries, The Hermit Cattleya’s first reaction was that the two corpses had another identity.
Immediately following that, she recalled what the Queen had mentioned. It was a question that Emperor Roselle had asked as though he had been talking to himself when he was alive:
Why did the ancient documents and historical records refer to giants, elves, vampires as humanoid creatures or anthropoid creatures?
Why didn’t they refer humans as giant-like, elf-like, or vampire-like creatures?
Could it be that all humanoid creatures had descended from humans? The giants, elves, and vampires were the mutations brought by the Beyonder characteristics that could eventually become inherited? Cattleya instantly calmed her emotions as she seriously considered the possible reasons.
At this moment, she felt that her potion would be digested to a certain degree once she returned to the real world.
This was because the Sequence 4 of the Mystery Pryer pathway was called “Mysticologist,” and the origins of the giants and humanoid creatures were without a doubt of extremely great value. They were mysticism knowledge that most ordinary demigods had no way of knowing!
The Giant King’s parents were humans? That must be fake… Alger immediately suspected that someone had fabricated the scene.
However, on second thought, this act not only required the real remains to be taken away and replaced with human remains, but one had to prepare a suitable coffin to make the tomb look like it didn’t belong to a giant. Furthermore, fabricating it was pointless and wouldn’t affect reality too much. Alger felt that no one would be so bored as to do something like that.
Composite Start
Composite End
To be able to enter the Giant King’s Court and suppress a powerful evil spirit, the “person” that approached the two graves was at least a saint, meaning that they had long passed the age of pulling pranks!
Could it be that… the ancestors of all creatures were humans? This includes the elves? As he had seen too many shocking things at the Tarot Club, as well as suffer a religious breakdown from the mural on that primitive island, Alger didn’t have overly intense emotions run through him. He just couldn’t help but raise his hand and touch his dark blue hair.
Mr. Hanged Man connected himself to this matter? The Giant King’s parents are actually humans… From the looks of it, most of the creation myths are fake. They were all fabricated by future generations. However, there are also hidden meanings in them… Mr. Moon seems to find it unacceptable… Mr. World seems to have known about it long ago… With the help of Placate and other psychological techniques, Audrey was able to compose herself the fastest, and she instinctively observed the reactions of the other members.
At that moment, Emlyn was the most restless. His mind was filled with thoughts of “impossible” and “it’s impossible.”
If the original ancestor of giants were human, then what about the Sanguine? Could it be that we were just monsters that had mutated because of Beyonder characteristics? Impossible. We were clearly created by the Ancestor. “She” has the authority of “life” and “creation.” It’s completely different from the barbaric deities like the Giant King and Elf King who only knew how to fight! As Emlyn’s thoughts churned, he felt a baffling feeling that his pride was cracking apart.
His intuition, his rationality, and brain told him that The Sun Derrick didn’t have any reason to lie about this matter.
The possibility of other existences fabricating the scene was also very low. Hence, he subconsciously expelled the giant and elves from the ranks of humanoid creatures, and he viewed them as a branch of humanity.
Leonard, Fors, and Xio quickly accepted the possibility that The Sun revealed. To them, regardless of whether the giant ancestor was giant or human, or even a curly-haired baboon, it was no big deal. At most, it just meant that many supernatural creatures were a result of Beyonder characteristics in the bodies of ordinary creatures, but this didn’t cause any meaningful changes to their concept of reality.
The Sun Derrick calmed himself down and continued in the strange silence, “After leaving the Waning Forest, we entered the Giant King’s Court through the Barren Tunnel…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“…On the way, there were remnant powers of corruption and concealment. We had to make the correct response in order to pass…
“…That palace contains a mural that possesses powers related to the cycle of fate. As such, we were affected and transformed into the people who participated in a gathering. We repeated a very short process, and this process was the establishment of Rose Redemption…”
At this point, Derrick looked around and saw that all the members had temporarily jolted out of their previous states. They were extremely interested in the organization called Rose Redemption.
They all knew that this was an extremely secretive and ancient organization that followed and believed in the True Creator. It was the origins of the Aurora Order, and its members were Kings of Angels like Ouroboros, Medici, and Sasrir.
Derrick retracted his gaze and exhaled silently.
“The two people who convened the Rose Redemption are Dark Angel Sasrir and Evernight Goddess Amanises…”
Ah? Audrey, Leonard, and Xio began to doubt their ears.
They were all believers of Evernight. They never expected that the Goddess would be a member of Rose Redemption, and even be one of its conveners.
This was akin to saying that the Evernight Goddess was a member of the Tarot Club!
Composite Start
Composite End
If not for the fact that they knew what kind of person Little Sun was—knowing that he wouldn’t lie—they definitely would’ve suspected the truth of this matter. But now, they were left temporarily speechless. They didn’t even dare to think too deeply about it.
Alger subconsciously turned his body to look at The Sun, listening to his slow and heavy tone.
“The participants included: White Angel Aucuses, Wind Angel Leodero…”
Alger’s eyelids twitched. He didn’t even dare think.
“…God of Combat Badheil, Earth Mother Omebella…”
Emlyn, who was leaning against the back of the chair, unknowingly sat up straight. There was only one message echoing in his mind: the Goddess of Harvest, Giant Queen Omebella…
“God of the Dead Salinger, God of Spiritual Creatures Tolzna…”
The Sun Derrick’s voice echoed in the ancient and magnificent palace. It made Cattleya, Fors, and the other members exchange looks. No one dared to say a word. It was as though they would suffer from divine punishment if they learned any deeper.
After Derrick finished speaking, they remained silent. The scene was strangely quiet.
Finally, Cattleya sighed and said, “Rose Redemption truly is powerful and terrifying. Before this, I couldn’t even imagine that those existences were members…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as she said that, The World Gehrman Sparrow said with a deep, hoarse voice, “That was an organization formed to resist the ancient sun god. Later on, only a few Kings of Angels remained.”
Upon hearing their conversation, it was as if Audrey and the other members had just snapped out of their dreams. All of them subconsciously cast their gaze to the end of the long, mottled table, at the figure shrouded in gray fog. It was as though they were waiting for the ruling of the entity of authority there.
The Fool Klein, who had long expected such a scene, didn’t respond directly. He nodded slightly and sighed.
“The Fallen Creator was born because of this.”
It’s real… It’s real… The Rose Redemption which Mr. Fool hinted back then actually has such a deeper meaning… What is “His” identity in ancient times, and what position does “He” take in this matter… All these thoughts instantly formed a storm that swept through the minds of the Tarot Club members.
Derrick looked at everyone, and seeing that no one was speaking, he could only talk about the subsequent exploration:
“…We met the leader of the King’s Court’s Chasers outside the palace, Light Culler Murskogan. He said that Dark Angel Sasrir was in a state of slumber in that palace…”
Compared to the matter regarding Rose Redemption, news of the mysterious Dark Angel currently in slumber inside the Giant King’s palace didn’t stir up the emotions of Leonard, Emlyn, and the other members of the Tarot Club much. Only some of their curiosities had been satisfied.
Of course, as a Mysticologist, Cattleya only hoped that The Sun could speak a little more.
“After that, we returned. Mr. Fool has bestowed us with the formula for the Silver Knight potion.” Towards the end of his explanation, Derrick concluded honestly.
Audrey and the others were still deep in thought over what had just happened. There was still a fear of being blasphemous, and no one responded. Only Alger thought for a moment and said, “Since the birth of the True Creator originated from Rose Redemption, then ‘He’ isn’t unfamiliar with what happened to the Giant King’s Court. Why is it that Shepherd Elder Lovia was completely unprepared for this?”
Chapter 1131 An Indescribable Transaction
This is also a question I wanted to ask… The Fool Klein, who was seated at the end of the long, mottled table, echoed Mr. Hanged Man in his heart.
Leonard thought for a moment and tried to find a possible reason:
“Although the birth of the True Creator originates from Rose Redemption, it doesn’t mean that ‘He’ knows everything about Rose Redemption. Perhaps figuring out the truth back then is one of ‘His’ motives…”
Just as he said that, Justice Audrey objected:
“The Angel of Fate, Ouroboros, who was drawing that mural, is still in Rose Redemption and follows the True Creator. If ‘He1 had any questions, ‘He* could’ve just asked ‘Him’ directly.”
“Perhaps the True Creator’s goal is to confirm Dark Angel Sasrir’s condition. From Shepherd Lovia’s strong desire to enter the palace of the Giant King, we can preliminary determine that.” Cattleya gave her own opinion.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I share similar thoughts.” Alger glanced at The Sun and said, “Of course, we can’t eliminate the possibility that The Star suggested. Perhaps the Angel of Fate Ouroboros’s condition isn’t right, and ‘He’ has lost most of ‘His1 memories. ‘He1 can only rely on the murals ‘He’ left behind in the past to find ‘His’ lost past. The odds are very low, but it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. We aren’t aware of what’s special or problematic with the Kings of Angels.”
As he spoke, Alger glanced at Mr. Fool, as if hoping to get some hints from this existence. Unfortunately, he failed to get any feedback.
It wasn’t that The Fool Klein didn’t have any ideas, but that he had too many ideas and was unable to list them out.
Tail Devourer Ouroboros grows up by the True Creator’s side every time he “reboots.” No one knows what “His” current state is… After muttering in his heart and seeing that no one had any more ideas, Klein controlled The World to look at The Sun.
“I recently obtained a batch of mushrooms that can be grown in the darkness when feeding them the flesh of monsters. I wonder if your City of Silver is interested?”
Mushrooms that can devour the flesh and blood of monsters? Xio and company were surprised and curious. They didn’t know how such a creature could exist.
Indeed, there are many things in the world that we have yet to understand… This is what a Scribe should record down… Fors sighed and came to a realization.
Cattleya’s eyes suddenly darkened. She sat there without saying a word or moving, like a statue.
Upon hearing this, Derrick was delighted. His thoughts raced as he blurted out, “Can those mushrooms automatically attack monsters?”
Composite Start
Composite End
If that was possible, then they could be used as food and also be used as the perimeter defense system for the City of Silver.
I thought Little Sun would be afraid of those mushrooms… In the end, his “request” is even more excessive… The World’s mouth twitched slightly.
“No, if the mushrooms can automatically attack monsters, it will be no exception for any of you.”
Derrick immediately felt a little ashamed as he hurriedly nodded.
“I understand, Mr. World.”
Following that, he let the fake World make a further description:
“Some of those mushrooms can be ground into flour, others can produce milk or are rich in oil. They’re equivalent to beef. Some have a flavor that’s close to fish, but there are no bones… Other than milk which can be drunk directly, the rest must be cooked through steaming, boiling, frying, and roasting. Otherwise, the mushrooms will absorb your flesh and blood while inside your body, regaining their vitality, turning a person into countless mushrooms…”
Audrey, Alger, and the other members of the Tarot Club originally listened on with interest as though it was an exciting story, but as they listened in, they subconsciously shrank back, becoming unusually silent.
Only The Hermit Cattleya’s eyelids twitched. She decided to have a good “talk” with Frank when she returned to the real world.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
She was very worried that, one day, when the Star Pirates were to hold a vote, a large number of mushrooms would be amongst those casting that sacred vote.
At this moment, after listening attentively, Derrick couldn’t hide his anticipation and curiosity.
“Mr. World, what is flour? Is it like black-faced grass powder?
“Also, what is milk, what is beef, what is fish?”
In fact, he had seen fish before, but he didn’t think that they were fish. In a swamp in the southwest region of the City of Silver, there were quite a number of strange fish-shaped monsters that contained venom. They had boils all over their bodies, while others had teeth growing out of spots where their eyes were. Some of their heads had split open, revealing a white membrane layer that could be used to hunt other creatures.
…No matter how strange those mushrooms are, to the City of Silver, they’re all good things that are worth looking forward to… The first thing they need to solve is to be in possession of something, rather than whether it’s good or not… When The Fool Klein heard that, he cast The World’s gaze toward Justice Audrey.
Giving detailed descriptions of flour, milk, beef, and fish didn’t match The World Gehrman Sparrow’s persona.
As a senior Spectator and Gehrman Sparrow’s psychiatrist, Justice instantly understood what he meant. She deliberated for a moment before saying, “The milk is the liquid that cows use to rear its young…”
She believed that Little Sun could understand this easily. After all, the City of Silver had pregnant women and babies.
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing The Sun nod in acknowledgment, she continued’ “Milk can provide you with a lot of nutrition and help you grow taller and stronger…”
Audrey didn’t finish her sentence because Little Sun, who was sitting in his seat, was very muscular.
After Miss Justice finished explaining the concepts, The Sun Derrick looked eagerly at The World Gehrman Sparrow.
“Thank you, Mr. World. This is exactly what our City of Silver needs. When I return, I’ll immediately inform the Chief. He’ll definitely be very happy.
“What would you like in exchange?”
The Fool Klein hesitated for a moment before controlling The World Gehrman Sparrow.
“The formula for Classical Metallurgist.”
No! Cattleya subconsciously tried to stop him, but she ultimately held back her urge.
She secretly looked at Mr. Fool, and seeing that the great existence was silent, she immediately felt a lot more at ease. “Alright.” Derrick happily agreed.
After the exchange, Leonard applied to have a private conversation with Emlyn.
Composite Start
Composite End
The moment the other members of the Tarot Club were screened from them, Emlyn asked, “When are you letting me out?”
Leonard maintained his posture and said, “This isn’t something I can decide on. My suggestion is to get someone to contact the upper echelons of the Sanguine as soon as possible and get them to think of a way to get you out.”
These two fellows created such an accident with the simple term “protective custody”? The Fool Klein, who was listening by the side, felt the urge to laugh, but he held back.
Emlyn’s expression darkened. After a few seconds, he said, “Will it be useful finding the upper echelons of the Sanguine?”
“The Goddess is the Lady of Crimson. She still cares a lot about you guys from the Moon domain. Although you do not believe in ‘Her,'” Leonard said perfunctorily.
The real explanation in his heart was that an ancient race like the Sanguine, who had lived for several years, definitely had some connections with the various Churches, especially when the Sanguine Queen was still the Night Emperor’s queen. At that time, the Church of Evemight had supported the Night Emperor.
Emlyn also thought of this and nodded slightly.
“I’ll try to entrust this to Mr. World.”
This was the most reliable person he could think of.
Just as he said that, Emlyn and Leonard suddenly spoke at the same time:
“That won’t work.”
You also realized it?” The Moon Emlyn immediately glanced at The Star beside him.
Leonard scoffed.
“It’s such a simple problem.”
Emlyn returned with a scoff.
“But you just suggested that I contact the upper echelons of the Sanguine.
“I’ve been locked up in the Church of Evernight for days. They must’ve known about it long ago. They probably didn’t attempt to rescue me because they’re observing, wanting to know who would rescue me; thus, finding my partners,
Leonard looked elsewhere.
“That’s probably the case. So, you can only continue staying behind Chanis Gate. Perhaps in a few more days, they’ll lose their patience and get you out.”
Emlyn didn’t know what expression to show.
After a private exchange between the human and Sanguine, The World Gehrman Sparrow looked at Fors and said, “Give me the venue and time for the meeting. After the gathering, I’ll look for you and bring you to a new place.”
“Alright.” Fors hurriedly applied to Mr. Fool and conjured a parchment.
While handing it over, she hesitated for a moment before asking, “Mr. World, what needs to be taken note of this time?”
“Keep warm,” The World Gehrman Sparrow simply replied.
Keep warm… Fors was momentarily stunned, unsure of what he was trying to get at.
After looking at the parchment, The World Gehrman Sparrow surveyed the area and said, “Everyone in Backlund, please pay close attention to your surroundings for anything abnormal.”
Firstly, it was very likely that Zaratul would “fish” out Amon. Secondly, Demoness Trissy might be able to help Mr. Door prepare a ritual. Thirdly, George III might take the final step to becoming the Black Emperor at some point in time.
“Alright.” Audrey and the other members of the Tarot Club who were in Backlund nodded one after another. They recalled the recent situation and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
After another exchange, the other members requested Miss Justice to use hypnosis to help them forget a portion of their memories. After this gathering ended, one figure after another vanished above the gray fog, leaving only The Fool Klein.
After sitting in silence for more than ten minutes, he thought of other questions before returning to the real world. He “Teleported” to the agreed-upon location and waited for Miss Magician to meet him.
It was almost winter, and the sky had turned dark at four in the afternoon. Under the heavy black clouds, the street lamps hadn’t been lit, as coal and gas resources were controlled due to the war.
Chapter 1132 Interlude
In the alley where few people visited, the environment grew darker as a cold wind wafted through it. Although it wasn’t like a blade that could slice a person’s face with its coldness, it seemed to possess magic as it slowly but firmly seeped into the clothes of people.
As Gehrman Sparrow, Klein raised his hand and pressed down on his top hat. He saw Miss Magician wearing a dark- colored scarf and a thick coat. She carried a rather heavy suitcase and walked into the alley, looking extremely wary.
In the Loen Kingdom, due to the Church of Evernight’s influence, many of the clothes that were deemed only male also had lady versions of them. Just like in Intis, the ladies of high society often sat sideways while on horseback, thanks to a special saddle. However, Loen didn’t do the same. The ladies had their own horseback attire.
Klein pulled out his left hand that was wearing Creeping Hunger from his pocket and spread open his fingers.
“Do you have a stockpile prepared?”
Fors suddenly felt a cold wind blow down her neck as she subconsciously shrank back.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Enough for at least two weeks of being serialized.
“I’ve already handed it over to the editor of the newspaper.”
Without waiting for Gehrman Sparrow to ask further, she hurriedly added, “I brought a fountain pen, ink, and paper.”
Klein nodded slightly, took two steps forward, and reached out to grab Miss Magician’s shoulder.
Fors immediately focused as an illusory book appeared in her eyes as it slowly flipped through.
Her surroundings immediately became dark and colorful—the reds were redder, the blacks were blacker, and the browns were browner—as they overlapped each other, making her feel like she was in a trance.
Fors was already used to this state and had successfully “Recorded” during this “Traveling” process. She also carefully observed the scenery of her “trip,” as well as the strange and indescribable spirit world creatures that branded themselves in her mind.
After a few breaths, her vision went black, and she felt a cold she had never experienced before. Her body couldn’t help but tremble.
Fors instinctively used a magic trick to illuminate her surroundings. Looking around, she realized that she was in a wooden hut. The World Gehrman Sparrow had already vanished.
Composite Start
Composite End
Where ami… Fors looked at the window and saw that there was a thick layer covering it, preventing any light from shining inside.
This made her even more puzzled. She came to the door, stretched out her right hand, and pulled the door behind her. With a creaking sound, she saw the snow blocking the exit.
Fors was stunned as Gehrman Sparrow’s warning echoed in her mind:
“Keep warm…”
In just one or two minutes, Klein had already circled the sea once. He used his prey that he had long selected to placate Creeping Hunger, and he returned to his rental apartment in Backlund, awaiting Queen Mystic and Miss Sharron to gather information about any anomalies.
In fact, with Klein’s style, he would’ve personally taken action in this area and conducted an additional investigation at the same time. He wanted to ensure that Demoness Trissy had no plans to help Mr. Door escape, but considering that Zaratul was already in Backlund, he decided to be cautious and give up the idea of loitering around.
Under the influence of the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics, he felt that if he were to wander around Backlund, it was only a matter of time before he ran into Zaratul or even Amon.
Sigh, I’d already thought of how to disguise myself. Buying a bicycle, getting a uniform, and riding it across different streets as a postman… This is the easiest way to avoid suspicion… After taking a sip of Gurney Sap he brought back from the sea, he leaned back into his chair and allowed his marionette, Enuni and Qonas, to individually massage his shoulders and legs.
The Forsaken Land of the Gods, in the Afternoon Town camp.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After Derrick Berg opened his eyes, he immediately stood up, opened the door, and walked around the bonfire to the Chiefs room.
Suppressing his excitement, he took a deep breath and raised his hand to lightly knock on the thick wooden door. “Please come in.” Amidst the sounds of knocking, Colin Iliad’s deep voice sounded.
Derrick turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. As he looked at Demon Hunter Colin, whose hair was white and had old scars on his face, he blurted out, “Your Excellency, I found some strange mushrooms. They can be eaten!’
Colin Iliad fell silent for a moment before slowly asking, “Mushrooms?”
Hearing the puzzlement in the Chiefs words, Derrick instantly recalled a mushroom he had seen before.
It came from the abandoned temple of the Fallen Creator. It looked especially bright and appetizing, but it was essentially extremely dangerous.
His mood instantly calmed down. He nodded and said, “Yes, mushrooms, different breeds of mushrooms. They can devour the flesh and blood of monsters to grow…”
Derrick described the unique traits of the mushrooms in detail, and he explained what milk, beef, fish, and flour were.
In the end, he emphasized that the mushrooms had to be fully cooked before they could be eaten. He also had to take note of the species which were rich in poison.
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad listened quietly without showing any change in emotions. After some thought, he said, “What other dangers do they have? Or should I say, points that require taking note of?”
“Uh…” Derrick’s face suddenly flushed red. “I’ll study it again.”
Without waiting for the Chief to speak, he turned around, opened the door, and ran out.
Returning to his room, he took a deep breath and sat down. He began to pray to Mr. Fool, asking him to forward the questions to Mr. World.
Above the gray fog, Klein sat on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool. He tapped the armrest with his index finger and silently muttered, What other dangers are there?
Although Frank’s imagination, actions, and creativity make me a little fearful, he’s still a Sequence 5 Druid after all. No matter how dangerous the mushrooms are, how dangerous can they be? With the years of experience the City of Silver has experienced in the dark environment, it’s easy to deal with those mushrooms.
In the ruins of the battle of gods, the Future’s producing of milk, the pirate’s head growing a watermelon, and other shocking phenomena were due to the remnant aura and divine power of Earth Mother in that area. The real “murderer” was a deity rather than Frank…
Man, if the formation of the Forsaken Land of the Gods happened due to the betrayal of the ancient sun god, the things left behind in that intense battle are definitely not limited to the powers of Evernight, Concealment, Degeneration, and Storm. Perhaps there are some areas that have the influence of the Sun and the Earth…
This…
After some thought, he conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made him tell the truth:
Composite Start
Composite End
“…If they encounter divine powers of the Earth domain, those mushrooms might experience an unknown mutation…” After receiving a response, Derrick rushed out of his room and ran to the Chiefs door.
This time, the door opened without him knocking.
Derrick turned back to look at his teammates by the bonfire. He entered the room and casually closed the heavy wooden door.
The divine power of the Earth domain might cause the mushrooms to undergo an unknown mutation,” he said frankly without explaining how he had figured that out.
Demon Hunter Colin’s expression remained unchanged as he repeated the key phrase softly, “The divine power of the Earth domain…”
He lowered his voice and finally fell silent. Ten seconds later, he said, “After we return, we can set up a region to plant them to see the effects.
Then, what’s the price?”
Derrick immediately replied, “The formula for Classical Metallurgist.”
Colin Iliad nodded slowly.
This has to be decided by the six-member council. When we return to the city, I will push for this matter as soon as possible.”
Their expedition team would be returning to the City of Silver in the next two days. Firstly, after the exploration, the few who survived, as well as those who had lost their loved ones, needed time to adjust their mental states. Secondly, there was a limited amount of food left in the camp, and there was no way to plant any Black-Faced Grass around Afternoon Town. They could only rely on hunting monsters to replenish themselves. Therefore, one of the responsibilities of the expedition team was to deliver safe food. Switching out teams would happen at fixed intervals.
Yes, Your Excellency.” Derrick didn’t rush him.
He had long gotten used to this process.
After he left the room, Colin Iliad came to the window and looked at the bonfire in the middle of the camp.
That flame burned quietly. In the deep darkness, the faint yellow light scattered across the entire camp. Roasting over the fire was a disgusting vampire covered in puss.
A few days later, Klein separately received the corresponding feedback from Queen Mystic Bernadette, the Numinous Sect’s Patrick Bryan, and Miss Sharron. He confirmed that there were no anomalies regarding material or personnel flow in Backlund recently.
From the looks of it, Demoness Trissy only wishes to speak to Mr. Door for the time being… Furthermore, this seems to be the first time they will establish a connection… Regardless, I still need to give a warning beforehand. This requires finesse. The more I say, the more likely a mistake will be made. Furthermore, I cannot reveal my trump card… After some thought, he found the hair of the deceased that Miss Magician had provided. He unfolded the piece of paper and wrote:
“…This is what you need. It’s a lock of hair from a descendant of the Abraham family… The person who provided it has a request; that is to help ask the existence one question: The problem regarding how they get rid of the curse… “…Finally, let me remind you to be careful of Mr. Door.”
Klein folded the letter and tucked the lock of hair into it. He took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew on it. After a brief silence, Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with four beautiful heads in hand.
“Give this letter to the seduced idiot,” he instructed as he handed over the letter.
Just as he said that, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly added another question:
“Can you locate him?”
“Yes…” One of the heads of Reinette Tinekerr answered the question before biting the letter.
Klein narrowed his eyes.
Chapter 1133 Chan
In the Backlund Bridge area, according to the information provided by Miss Messenger, he found the man who had been seduced by Trissy and ended up helping her “send” the letter.
However, Klein didn’t enter the apartment, nor did he disturb his target. He stuck both hands into his black trench coat pocket and continued walking forward.
Under the illumination of the street lamps, he walked all the way to the crossroads and turned into another street.
During this process, a rat that was stealing food in a particular building suddenly shivered.
It then gave up on the piece of cheese and followed the usual “tunnel” that it used to pass through, and it moved towards the target area.
Then, the rat opened its mouth and let out a human’s voice:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Blessed of the sea and spirit world, guardian of the Rorsted Archipelago, ruler of the undersea creatures, master of tsunamis and storms, the great Kalvetua…”
The moment the rat finished its sentence, Klein, who had already turned into another street, vanished. There was only a spark left on the spot that quickly dissipated.
He had used Flaming Jump, but he wasn’t using it to travel. Instead, he had entered a hotel room that he had booked to rendezvous with one of his marionettes, so he didn’t need to worry too much about being sensed by Zaratul and meet with an accident. After all, the destination was clear, the journey was short, and there was protection.
In the room, with Enuni watching, he took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog.
As he sat at the end of the long bronze table, he held the Sea God Scepter. With the help of the prayer light, he observed the target through his “true vision”—the man who helped Demoness Trissy relay the news.
A few minutes later, Reinette Tinekerr appeared in the apartment as promised. She took the gold coin and left the envelope on the table.
The man trembled in fear again, but in the end, he overcame his own fear. He picked up the letter and weighed it.
Fifteen minutes later, he carefully took out the black sticky paste, separated a small blob, and applied it on the surface of a mirror.
Soon, he saw the young girl who had occupied all of his dreams in the dark mirror and hurriedly said, “That crazy adventurer just sent a letter. It seems to contain something else. I didn’t open it as per your instructions.”
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, above the gray fog, the scene Klein saw began to show a strange phenomenon.
In his vision, the mirror’s condition had already turned blurry. It was closer to being a dark and illusory passageway that didn’t look realistic enough. It was connected to something similar in the surrounding area, forming a complicated and abstract “spider web” that was interwoven into a profound and strange “world.”
Through the gray fog’s “true vision,” he could barely make out the general situation, but he was unable to make out the details. He didn’t know what strange and terrifying creatures hid within that world.
In mysticism, mirrors are often given the symbolic meaning of leading to another “kingdom,” and are mostly related to terrifying horrors… Is this the mirror world? My Beyonder powers are completely unrelated to this domain… That’s not true. If someone prays to me and attempts magic mirror divination, then there will naturally be an illusory passageway that points towards me, towards the gray fog…
Strictly speaking, the mirror world isn’t a real world. It’s closer to the collective manifestation of doors. By connecting to different mirrors and different mysterious kingdoms, if one becomes lost in there, they might directly appear in the Abyss, or even the cosmos… Of course, demigods with this ability should be able to create a “reflection world” and hide inside …
The collective manifestation of doors… High-Sequence Beyonders of the Demoness, Wraith, and Apprentice pathways also have similar powers? Does the “secret” in Secrets Sorcerer represent the mirror world to some extent? This is sufficiently mysterious and secretive… Under normal circumstances, even through “true vision,” there’s no way to directly see the mirror world unless someone triggers it… Klein nodded in thought as he heard Demoness Trissy’s melodic voice reply:
“Throw the letter into the mirror.”
“Can it be thrown in?” As a Low-Sequence Beyonder, the man had never seen such a miraculous thing before. After some hesitation, he held the letter and pressed it against the mirror.
On the surface of the mirror, the darkness suddenly spread out like ripples of aqueous light.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The man felt his firm touch lighten, and he saw the letter magically pass through the glass surface and enter the illusionary, swirling interior.
Right on the heels of that, the letter seemed to be attracted by a huge whirlpool as it continued to sink deeper into the room where Trissy was.
Above the gray fog, Klein raised the Sea God Scepter high and focused on tracking the letter, attempting to lock onto the location of the Demoness.
At this moment, in his “true vision,” the dark and deep mirror world began to quake violently, turning everything into a blur.
By the time the quaking calmed down, Klein had already lost traces of the letter and Demoness Trissy.
The aura of the Primordial Demon Girl can even interfere with observations like this… After a moment of silence, Klein let out a sigh.
It was precisely because of the various peculiarities related to Trissy that he didn’t take the risk to mix his hair into the materials to locate her. It was easy for him to suffer from a terrible hex. He might even die on the spot.
To Klein, death didn’t really matter. After all, as long as his corpse wasn’t pulverized, it was likely the case that he could be revived. But that would mean that he couldn’t seize the opportunity to lock onto Trissy. She would definitely change locations quickly. Wouldn’t that be equivalent to wasting a precious chance to revive?
After suffering the setback, Klein quickly returned to the real world and left the Backlund Bridge area.
Composite Start
Composite End
The next morning, with an ordinary face, Klein rode a carriage to Saint Samuel Cathedral.
He planned on chanting the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess to inform “Her” of Demoness Trissy. When the time came, if an accident were to happen on the night of the full moon, there would at least be a deity watching over Backlund, and would also be prepared ahead of time.
Back then, the Evernight Goddess was one of the ones who had exiled and sealed Mr. Door. “She” definitely knew the other party’s tricks very well.
In such aspects, Klein had never put on a strong front. He had a very clear understanding of himself.
Since he couldn’t solve the problem himself, he would find someone who could solve the problem to help out!
As for why he wasn’t doing this at home and had to go to Saint Samuel Cathedral, it was because he wanted to observe the situation in the areas around Boklund Street and search for any tiny traces that spelled Amon’s arrival.
Hazel and her family had once been involved with Amon, and she herself belonged to the Marauder pathway. Be it her fate or the convergence of characteristics, she was among the high-risk group of people who could meet Amon by chance. With regards to this, Klein didn’t dare to be too careless or negligent. He reminded himself, and he made arrangements to do a self-examination every once in a while.
Similarly, due to Miss Justice’s follow-up treatment of Hazel’s psychological trauma, anything that happened to Hazel could easily lead to her. Therefore, Klein was also very worried about the safety of this noble lady. He believed that it was necessary to check her condition through the crimson star from time to time. Of course, he would avoid relatively awkward periods of time.
As his thoughts raced, Klein, who was already close to Phelps Street, got off the carriage in advance. He allowed his marionette, Enuni, to secretly recite the honorific name of Sea God.
He and his marionette, Qonas, switched positions. In a sealed space that he had “Distorted,” he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, with the help of the Sea God Scepter to widen his “true vision”, he carefully observed the situation in Boklund Street and the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
Hazel isn’t Parasitized… Neither is Miss Justice… Same for their maidservants, pets, and bodyguards… The residents and staff of the Charity Bursary Foundation don’t show signs either… There are no traces of any Amon-related activity in the various streets in the area… Klein heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the real world.
Following that, he approached Saint Samuel Cathedral and passed through the door, finding a seat in the dark and quiet prayer hall.
After chanting the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess in a low voice, Klein described simply, “…Demoness Trissy has obtained the hair of an Abraham family descendant. She plans to contact a hidden existence on the night of the full moon. I cannot be sure of her exact purpose…”
After sitting quietly for a while and seeing that the Goddess didn’t respond, nor did the archbishop appear, Klein wore his silk top hat and slowly walked out of the cathedral.
At night, he switched positions and controlled a rat as a marionette as recited another honorific name:
“The great God of War, the symbol of iron and blood, the ruler of chaos and strife, I wish to meet you…”
Just like before, the rat lost its life the moment it finished praying. Following that, Klein pulled away from the area.
He wanted to meet the Red Angel and talk about Mr. Door and Dark Angel Sasrir.
After waiting for a few minutes, with the help of another rat marionette, he saw that the other rat burst into flames, emitting a burning white flame.
The flame quickly formed a short line on the ground:
“I don’t want to see you.”
The muscles on Klein’s face twitched indiscernibly.
After some thought, he gave up and left the area.
After a few seconds, the remaining burning-white flames formed a new sentence:
“Come on, beg me.”
By then, Klein had already left.
In a house somewhere in Backlund, a pale-faced Sauron Einhorn Medici stood up from the sofa in a black, red-lined robe.
He frowned and muttered to himself, “Who’s disturbing me…’
In the blink of an eye, a full moon had dawned its light on Backlund.
In a room illuminated by the crimson light, Demoness Trissy stood at an altar. Around her were ritual materials— rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, pearls, and lazurite.
After some complicated preparations, she lit the hair in her hand and placed it into a cauldron.
When the fire was tainted with a layer of darkness, Trissy took two steps back and solemnly chanted in Jotun, “Great Door of All Doors;
“Guide of the endless cosmos;
“Key to all mysterious worlds…”
Chapter 1134 Mr. Door
As Trissy recited the words, the gems around her emitted cracking sounds as they shattered into powder and floated up.
They shimmered with red, blue, green, or resplendent light before rapidly gathering into a torrent that surged towards the candlelight on the altar.
At the same time, strands of hair that had been burnt inside the cauldron joined the process.
The fire began to expand and interweave with each other, turning increasingly dark, as if it was an illusory door that led to other worlds.
Trissy immediately felt the surrounding temperature drop rapidly, as though countless dangers were seeping out of the fire.
A sentence flashed across her mind. It was a reminder from Gehrman Sparrow:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Be careful of Mr. Door.”
As expected of someone with a messenger of that level… His understanding of Mr. Door, and his confidence in knowing about my plans, might be deeper and more precise than I imagined… Trissy slowly took a deep breath and patiently waited for the subsequent changes.
In just a blink of an eye, she felt that the void in the room thinned significantly. Many of the places were covered with shadows, as though there were large amounts of indescribable creatures hiding behind them.
The dim, expanding flame slowly turned into a gigantic, deep crimson vortex.
As the vortex spun, an ethereal voice that could pierce through one’s Spirit Body finally sounded from the bottom: “…Cheek?”
Upon hearing this voice, the blood vessels in Trissy’s forehead throbbed. It was as if her head had been pierced by countless steel needles as they crazily stabbed and twisted.
Her black hair flared up despite the lack of wind. Every strand grew slightly thicker, and the skin on her face became transparent. Her blood vessels protruded out one after another, densely packed like a spider’s web.
After spending a great deal of effort, Trissy finally managed to control herself. She then heard the voice that could make most Beyonders lose control, chuckling and saying, “It looks like it’s Cheek’s Blessed…
“Back then, we had seen the second Blasphemy Slate together… and we were able to surpass Sequence 1… and live to this day… Now, the only ones left are likely the Artisan, Cheek, and me…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Trissy ignored Mr. Door’s poignant sigh and said with a twisted expression:
“Honorable Mr. Door, I have something to ask you.”
“Speak… The time spent being lost and trapped in the darkness and the storm is just too boring… It’s rare for someone to have a chat with me…” The terrifying voice replied without much change from the slowly rotating dark vortex.
Trissy’s facial muscles twitched involuntarily, still unable to get used to the ravings of this evil god’s equal.
She paused for a few seconds before saying, “…I want to know if there are any unorthodox ways to enter the nine secret mausoleums built by Blood Emperor Tudor for becoming the Black Emperor,
It was unknown where he was, but Mr. Door’s ethereal laughter sounded through the endless void:
“So it’s because of this…
“This isn’t difficult… I’ll give you a symbol… You can gather the blood of Beyonders from different pathways and mix them together… Mixing it with your spirituality, draw the symbol in front of the mausoleum. Then, you can open the secret passage that leads into it…”
As the existence spoke, sparks separated from the dark vortex, forming a rather complicated symbol in midair.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was like doors that were stacked in decreasing sizes as they randomly extended without end.
Trissy held back the excruciating pain of her Spirit Body tearing apart. She memorized the symbol and sought confirmation:
“There must be blood from all twenty-two Beyonder pathways?
“Each pathway only requires the blood of a Beyonder, regardless of his Sequence?
“How much blood of each pathway is required?”
Mr. Door replied in the same way that he had been raving in earlier, “Right… there’s no need for too much… Just a small tube will do… Just guarantee that the symbol drawing can be finished…”
Although Trissy wore a painful grimace, she couldn’t help but smile when she received the critical information.
This, combined with her overall expression, made her appear odd, as though she was a lunatic.
After completing her main goal, Trissy asked again to ensure smooth cooperation with Gehrman Sparrow in the future, “The Abraham family wants to know how to get rid of the ancient curse.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The dark vortex was silent for a few seconds before sighing.
“Set up such a ritual… Sacrifice one of the demigods of the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway… Once I leave the storm and penetrate the darkness… the curse will no longer exist…”
Trissy wasn’t interested in how the Abraham family could escape the ancient curse. After receiving the answer, she couldn’t take it any longer. As she thanked Mr. Door, she began to stop the ritual.
As for Mr. Door, he didn’t attempt to bewitch, threaten, or corrupt her.
After the dark fire vortex disintegrated and the ritual ended, Trissy began to Cogitate, spending nearly an hour to calm the effects of Mr. Door’s ravings.
After doing all of this, Trissy took out a pen and paper and copied the symbol provided by Mr. Door. She described the two answers in detail.
She knew that she was being pursued by Saintess of White Katarina, and there seemed to be even more terrifying hunters that would follow her wake. It was very difficult for her to find the blood of Beyonders of different pathways that quickly, so she planned on leaving this matter to Gehrman Sparrow.
In addition, she believed that even if George III and the others believed that there was no problem with the secret mausoleum and that it was safe enough; thus, not leaving too many guards, there were still precautions inside. It wasn’t something that a Sequence 4 could quickly force their way through and cause damage. That way, they would be stopped by the reinforcements and lose their best chance.
As for Gehrman Sparrow, even his messenger was at the level of an angel. The strength of the organization behind him was obvious, so they had the ability to destroy the mausoleum at the critical moment, causing the Black Emperor ritual to fail.
She couldn’t complete it herself, so of course she had to find assistance from someone with the ability to accomplish it!
Composite Start
Composite End
After throwing the letter into a mailbox on a nearby street, the black-haired, black-coated Trissy slowly walked down in the cold and lonely road. On the dim road, she looked at the light from the gas lamps and laughed self-deprecatingly.
“For the sake of a little indignation, I’ve actually gone this far…
“You’re lucky. At least I’ll avenge you…
“And if I die, apart from those who hate me, no one will remember me…”
After receiving the letter from Miss Messenger, Klein sat on the chair and read it several times.
Before he went above the gray fog to divine the authenticity of Mr. Door’s method, he subconsciously thought about how quickly he could gather the blood from the twenty-two Beyonder pathways.
This symbol is very similar to the symbol behind Miss Magician’s chair… I can use my own for Seer… For Apprentice, I can find Miss Magician, and also give her some pressure to write… There are three choices for the Marauder pathway:
Transform a marionette into a mosquito and send a mosquito to bite Hazel; obtain it from Vice Admiral Iceberg’s third mate named Flowery Bow Tie, and lastly, get it from Leonard’s grandpa…
The Spectator pathway, Miss Justice… The Bard pathway, Little Sun… The Storm pathway, Mr. Hanged Man… the Reader pathway, Vice Admiral Iceberg, or that demigod named Lucca… Secrets Suppliant, get the second mate of Ma’am Hermit, Bloodless Heath Doyle…
The Corpse Collector pathway, Numinous Episcopate’s Patrick Bryan… The Sleepless pathway, my dear poet… the Warrior pathway, most of the citizens of the City of Silver or Father Utravsky…
Planter, Frank… Apothecary, Emlyn…
Arbiter, Miss Xio… Lawyer, Marionette Qonas…
Hunter, Danitz or Anderson… Demoness, get Trissy to provide it herself…
Prisoner, Miss Sharron or Marie… Criminal, I temporarily have no targets…
Mystery Pryer, Ma’am Hermit… Savant, Frank’s experiment assistant…
Monster, Marionette EnunL”
From the looks of it, most of them can be obtained in a very short period of time. The corresponding channels have sufficient trust in me and believe that I wouldn’t curse them with their blood… This Demoness Trissy definitely has a way to eliminate the connection between the blood and the actual body. She won’t object… Only Devil. Although I’ve encountered a few, they have either died or fled. Currently, I have no target in mind…
Yes, I can ask Little Sun if the City of Silver has any Devil flesh and blood left in its inventory. They will encounter some from time to time…
If he hadn’t thought about it, Klein wouldn’t have realized that, in less than two years of his transmigration, he had actually established a deeper connection with most of the Beyonder pathways.
He immediately retracted his thoughts and seriously considered Mr. Door’s escape ritual.
Sacrifice one of each: Marauder, Apprentice, and Seer demigods… These are the three pathways that can be interchanged… Mr. Door wants to temporarily reconcile the three pathways, and use an ingenious method to open the passage to return?
…The demigods of these three pathways aren’t that easy to capture. It’s possible for the Abraham family to do so at its peak. After the death of the High-Sequence Beyonders in the War of the Four Emperors and the corresponding setbacks, it’s pretty much hopeless…
If Mr. Door could be more patient and give the descendants more time to grow, it wouldn’t be impossible. However, “He” still constantly cries for help, causing the deaths of promising descendants…
Is “He” crazy? A lunatic who looks like a normal person?
After some thought, he burned the letter and went above the gray fog to do two divinations.
The revelations he received was that the method to enter the secret mausoleum was real. Mr. Door’s return ritual was also true.
Looking at the spirit pendulum in his hand, he sat silently in the high-back chair for a long time.
After a few minutes, he clenched his left hand and gripped the topaz pendant tightly. He muttered to himself, All there is left is to wait for the Bizarro Sorcerer potion to be completely digested, and for George III to hold the ritual.
Chapter 1135 Fragran
On the Sonia Sea, Pasu Island.
The Blue Avenger, which had been summoned, finally arrived at the headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms. It was docked at a port.
Alger removed the cloth wrapped around his head and jumped off the shipboard, landing firmly on the dock thanks to the wind.
The Wind-blessed potion he had consumed had long been digested. The reason why he had done so was to make himself appear more like the other members of the Church, making them feel a sense of kinship.
Years of experience told Alger that it was best to maintain uniformity with the people around him most of the time. He didn’t want to appear out of the ordinary. Under the circumstances where he had plenty of secrets, it was even more imperative to do so!
“Haha, Alger, control your impatience.” A man who had been waiting at the dock came forward with a smile.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He had a head of soft yellow hair and a long robe embroidered with lightning patterns. He was Alger’s former partner, but later on, one chose to be the captain of a ghost ship and continue floating out at sea, while the other returned to be a clergyman.
Alger smiled as he raised his right hand and struck his left breast.
“May the Storm be with you.”
“May the Storm be with you.” The yellow-haired man, who was in his prime, replied with a smile.
He immediately lowered his voice and said, “I heard that you’ve already adapted to the Wind-blessed potion?”
Yes, it’s very simple. I fly every day and maintain the state of floating. I often use the wind to travel back and forth in different places to quickly adapt. I’ve already sent a telegram to report this matter.” Alger arched his brows to look proud.
The yellow-haired man looked around and maintained his volume from before.
“It’s no wonder you were summoned back.
“I heard that, because of the ongoing war, there’s a lack of manpower on all sides. The Council of Cardinals has decided to organize a group of Wind-blesseds to advance to Sequence 5 as soon as possible. You should be within those ranks. How enviable. I just became a Wind-blessed, so I don’t have the chance.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Organize a group of Wind-blesseds to advance as soon as possible… After knowing that there might be a world war ahead of time, Alger Wilson wasn’t surprised. A word suddenly appeared in his mind: cannon fodder!
In fact, just from his contributions for the Bansy Harbor incident, Alger, who was only a Seafarer back then, could’ve advanced to Ocean Songster without any obstacles. Furthermore, he was usually hard at work, having completed countless missions. In the end, he had only become a Wind-blessed. He had to join the queue for an opportunity to advance to Sequence 5.
And now, there was no need for him to do anything. He was suddenly placed on the list of candidates, and he would soon enter the ranks of the quasi-upper echelons of the Church. He couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
Indeed, once a full-scale war begins, the order that prevents people like us from rising will split apart… However, the most important thing is to survive the war. Only by surviving will everything be meaningful… As Alger’s thoughts raced, he asked in surprise, “Sainz, is that true?”
“I can’t be sure. In short, that’s what I heard. Let’s go and catch up. If you have the chance to become a high-ranking deacon or a cardinal, don’t you forget us!” The yellow-haired man named Sainz reached out his hand and patted Alger on the shoulder.
Alger dodged without a trace and replied with a smile, “Definitely.1
In the City of Silver, the expedition team brought back news that there was a sea on the other side of the Giant King’s Court. All the citizens temporarily entered a state of excitement.
After two days of waiting, Derrick Berg finally received a notice from the six-member council, permitting him to receive the Classical Metallurgist’s potion formula.
This meant that the upper echelons of the City of Silver had agreed to exchange for the special mushrooms.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The advancement ritual is to personally refine a Stone of Life… What’s a Stone of Life? There’s no explanation here… Derrick glanced at the parchment in his hand and began preparing a ritual without much thought.
In his opinion, Mr. Fool definitely knew what the Stone of Life was. He didn’t need to worry about Mr. World.
After setting up the altar, he took out two metal tubes, each containing the blood of him and a Dawn Paladin from the City of Silver.
The Dawn Paladin had reached a certain age, and his body could no longer withstand the corrosive effects of the poison in most foods. In the foreseeable future, he would gradually reach the end of his life. Two days ago, his granddaughter had personally delivered the final stab with a sword.
As for Derrick, he had previously obtained the Chiefs approval and found an opportunity to extract some of the deceased’s blood.
As for the Devil’s blood that Mr. World needed, the City of Silver’s inventory temporarily didn’t have one. However, Chief Colin Iliad said that, as long as the mushrooms could satisfy the needs of the City of Silver’s food requirements, he would organize a small hunting team and go to a region where Devils appeared.
After placing the two metal tubes and goatskin parchment onto the altar, Derrick took two steps back and faced the lit candles as he began the sacrificial ritual.
After a series of tasks, the illusory door that was formed from flames and spiritual materials opened heavily. After the sacrificial items were taken away, a dark glow was left behind.
The brilliance slowly faded as large numbers of mushrooms of different shapes appeared before Derrick’s eyes.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for whether they “looked” strange, Derrick didn’t even think about it. This was because he had seen mushrooms once—abnormal ones. Therefore, he lacked a point of reference for comparison.
After recalling Mr. World’s description of different breeds of mushrooms and effects, Derrick quickly categorized them and placed them into different leather handbags.
Immediately after, he picked up the Unshadowed Crucifix excitedly and prepared to head for the spire.
However, just as his hand touched the bronze cross, he felt it burn and feel prickly. It was as if a light was seeping out of the rust and shining at the mushrooms.
“They’re evil and need to be purified…” Derrick was confused, but he eventually decided to believe in Mr. World.
He hid the Unshadowed Crucifix and carried Thunder God’s Roar. He walked all the way to the spire and met Chief Colin Iliad.
“Are these the mushrooms?” As he spoke, Demon Hunter Colin’s eyes reflected two complex dark green symbols. His gaze swept across the different mushrooms that were either pure white and full, or filled with flesh.
Yes…” Derrick began introducing them, one by one.
Colin returned to normal and remained silent for a few seconds.
“There’s an evil and tainted aura emitted from them, but they’re in minute amounts and can be tolerated.
Composite Start
Composite End
“This must’ve settled down after they devoured the flesh and blood of monsters.”
He paused for a moment before saying, “Let’s first test their proliferation ability.”
Following this sentence, a number of City of Silver personnel, who were prepared to “usher in” the mushrooms, carried a few monster corpses into the Chiefs room and scattered them over the different kinds of mushrooms.
The moment those mushrooms came into contact with the flesh, they immediately grew hyphae and burrowed into them.
About twenty to thirty seconds later, they began to rapidly expand and spit out spores.
After a while, the corpses of those monsters were densely covered with mushrooms.
However, the mushrooms didn’t stop growing. They kept growing upwards, and in the end, some of them were even taller than Derrick Berg, facing him as if they were “looking down” at him.
…Mr. World didn’t say that they would grow this large… Besides, the speed at which it grows is way too fast… Derrick looked at it in a daze, but he didn’t think it was a problem.
There wasn’t much of a change in Colin Iliad’s expression. Only after the monsters were left with skeleton and dregs did he look around.
“It’s better than I expected. Next, who wants to try the effects of eating it?”
Without hesitation, Derrick took a step forward and said, “Your Excellency, I’ll do it.”Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
He was in charge of “importing” the mushrooms, so he definitely had to personally confirm its safety.
Colin Iliad nodded slightly and said, “Okay.”
He then turned his head and said to another City of Silver resident, “Invite Elder Lovia over to prevent any accidents.” As a Beyonder who controlled flesh and blood, Lovia could resolve most of the changes in the human body.
Of course, whether the mutated individual could survive was another matter.
Everyone waited for a few minutes before Shepherd Lovia, who was wearing a deep purple robe, arrived in the Chiefs room.
She had just passed through the door when her light gray eyes suddenly narrowed. She instinctively looked at the mushrooms that occupied most of the space.
After staring at it for a while, Lovia looked at Colin Iliad and nodded slightly, indicating that she was ready to provide any help.
Without any hesitation, Derrick Berg chose a black mushroom that was embedded with blood-red threads and marbling, standing at half his height. He tore off the mushroom that had wrapped around the skeleton, and he produced a bonfire and began roasting it.
Gradually, a fragrance that seemed to be able to drill into one’s stomach emanated out. This was a smell that the residents of the City of Silver had never smelled before.
Their throats bobbed as they instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
The bonfire emitted a sizzling sound before the fragrance grew stronger.
This wasn’t the usual sound. It was as if it could make one’s soul yearn for this strange smell. It was the type that everyone was rather familiar with. It was the natural desire for Black-Faced Grass food after returning to the City of Silver, having not eaten them for a long time.
As the sizzling sounds grew louder and frequent, they felt as though a hand had reached out from their stomachs, eager to grab the food back.
Unknowingly, the other City of Silver residents who had been doing something else in the spire had followed the fragrance and gathered at the door.
It took Derrick a great deal of effort to control himself from tasting the mushroom midway. He waited until it was completely charred yellow on the outside before he took it back and blew at it.
At that moment, everyone’s eyes were on him, including Colin Iliad and Shepherd Lovia.
With his faith in Mr. World and Mr. Fool, Derrick didn’t speak. He lowered his head and bit the mushroom.
“Ssss…” He let out a sound of being scalded before chewing and gulping it down.
After nearly half of the mushrooms were gone, Derrick raised his head, his face slightly red. His mouth was glistening with oil as he mumbled, “It’s such a weird… taste… I can’t help it… I can’t stop…”
Colin Iliad sized up Derrick for a few seconds before turning his head to look at Shepherd Lovia.
Lovia slowly shook her head and said, “No problem.”
The surrounding people of the City of Silver immediately let out cheers as they rushed forward and surrounded Derrick. They either wanted to share a piece or ask him what to do with the other mushrooms.
When Colin saw this, his expression gradually relaxed. He slowly closed his eyes and lifted his chin.
He took a deep breath of the fragrance that had filled the room.
The City of Silver held a mushroom ritual? Isn’t this a little strange… Also, what’s a Stone of Life? Yes, the people from the Church of Earth Mother definitely know, and Frank is no exception… Above the gray fog, as Klein listened to Little Sun’s latest report, he opened the parchment that he had received but hadn’t had the chance to read in detail.
The reason why he had rushed back to the real world after the sacrificial and bestowment ceremony was because the serialized horror stories of Backlund’s hospitals in several newspapers had reached its climax. Hence, he received a lot of feedback over the past few days. He was at the critical moment of having his Bizarro Sorcerer potion digested.
And now, he had already completed this step.
He was already prepared to advance to Scholar of Yore.
Chapter 1136 Rumors from Ancient
Putting down the Classical Metallurgist potion formula, Klein cast his gaze towards the two tubes of blood Little Sun had sacrificed.
Then, he beckoned for a ceramic jar wrapped in layers of paper figurines.
This was the Beyonder blood from different pathways that he had previously gathered. It had been placed above the gray fog and sealed with the Paper Angel in order to slowly integrate it into this mysterious space’s aura, removing the connection between the blood and the individual. This was to prevent any accidents from happening to the provider when the door of the symbols was opened.
To him, it was fine if he suffered backlash. After all, there was at least one more chance of him reviving. If it would affect those who trusted him and gave their blood, he would rather not do it.
After peeling off the paper figurines at the mouth of the jar and pouring the two tubes of blood into it, he conjured a glass stick and reached in to stir it.
Right on the heels of that, he used Paper Angel and sealed it again.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
I’m just short of Prisoner, Devil, and Demoness… After I complete the ritual, I’ll personally pay Miss Sharron a visit. It’s better to make a request in person regarding such matters. It’s too rude to do it by writing letters… Only Miss Magician is a little special. Clearly, she would prefer it if I wrote a letter rather than meet Gehrman Sparrow in person. Heh, she actually used the excuse that the ink had frozen due to the low temperatures to delay her writing. Heh, are her magic tricks just for show? Thankfully, my potion has already digested, so there’s no need for me to push her anymore… Klein mumbled inwardly as he threw the ceramic jar covered in paper figurine back into the junk pile.
After leaving the world above the gray fog, he didn’t immediately prepare to advance to Scholar of Yore. Instead, he took out a pen and paper and drew the symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying.
This was something he had planned to do before he consumed the potion—to ask Arrodes about Sefirah Castle.
As the symbol took form, the light in the originally badly-lit room became darker, as if clouds were drifting past, blocking out the sun.
After more than ten seconds, the full-body mirror with cracks suddenly rippled with aqueous light and silver words quickly appeared:
“Exalted Great Master, your devoted, loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning.
“I-I am still the servant that you trust the most, the closest and most favorite, right?”
This question… I seem to be able to read the panic and anxiety of this magic mirror… Does it feel a sense of danger? After some thought, he nodded in amusement.
“Yes.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Actually, that has never been the case… I’m just comforting you… After answering, he silently added in his heart.
The surface of the mirror lit up and the silver words were dyed golden.
They squirmed and formed a new sentence:
“Great Master, do you have any questions for me?”
“Yes.” Klein secretly tensed up. “What do you know about Sefirah Castle?”
Arrodes fell silent for a few seconds before the pale golden words changed:
“I don’t know much about this. I’ve only heard some rumors. In the early days of the Second Epoch, the ancient gods believed that the original Creator left some things behind. That might be a ‘kingdom’ formed from a certain part of ‘His’ body or something created by ‘Him.’ And Sefirah Castle is one of them.
“This was the name that the King of Demonic Wolves, Flegrea, gave. ‘He’ calls the Hounds of Fulgrim as Sefirah Castle Keepers. However, ‘He’ failed to enter Sefirah Castle even to ‘His’ death. Therefore, many powerful creatures suspect that Sefirah Castle doesn’t actually exist, but is just an abstract concept.”
It had something to do with the original Creator? After pondering for a while, he said, “One of them… How many other entities like Sefirah Castle are there?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Eight. There are detailed records on the second Blasphemy Slate. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it.” On the surface of the mirror, lines of words appeared one after another. However, the pale gold color faded away, becoming silver once again. “The ancient gods suspect that the source of the underground corruption comes from a place similar to Sefirah Castle. They call it the Chaos Sea. Also, there are rumors that deep in the spirit world city, Calderón City, there are clues to the River of Eternal Darkness. This comes from the ancient god, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace. As for the others, I’ve heard of some names, but it’s not a complete list. There’s Tenebrous World, Knowledge Moor, as well as the Brood Hive that’s related to the moon.”
There are a total of eight. Chaos Sea, River of Eternal Darkness, Knowledge Moor, Tenebrous World, and Brood Hive… Brood Hive is related to the moon; it sounds very dangerous… I wonder if it has anything to do with the Mother Tree of Desire… Klein silently repeated the key information in Arrodes’s response. He had a nagging feeling that he should be able to grasp something, but he didn’t gain much from it. He even lacked the ability to piece together the clues.
When he saw that Arrodes had only heard rumors and didn’t have any actual understanding of them, he organized his thoughts and said with a smile, “From the looks of it, you might come from the Chaos Sea.”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that I’m your loyal, lowly, and obedient servant.” Arrodes said the entire sentence at once.
Obedient, this use of words… Klein silently lampooned before asking, “What are the origins of Dark Angel Sasrir?”
On the surface of the mirror, silver words formed one after another:
“I similarly can’t see it, but at that time, there was a myth that said that, when the ancient sun god was born, ‘He’ was light and darkness combined. After all, ‘He’ calls himself the Creator, so ‘He’ must be well-rounded and not lacking anything.
“Later, ‘He’ separated the darkness in his body and used it to create the first angel with one of his ribs, Dark Angel Sasrir.”
This… rib… I can totally imagine it. Back then, it was the ancient sun god who personally fabricated and spread this myth… Amon’s brother, your wife has become the Dark Angel! Klein was first alarmed before many strange ideas arose in his mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
As his thoughts settled, he began to analyze the truth behind this myth.
With such a myth spreading, it will cause the believers to believe that Dark Angel Sasrir is the dark side of the ancient sun god. They would worship “Him” in the same way as the Lord. No one objected or forbade this myth. As for Dark Angel, “He” was ultimately the deputy of the divine kingdom, god’s left hand. So this implies that this was very likely true…
What happened afterward can be summarized as the dark side of the ancient sun god colluding with foreign enemies, bewitching the Kings of Angels and assassinating the main body?
This can explain why Ouroboros and Medici joined Rose Redemption. “They” were only following the orders of the “Lord”…
From this angle, isn’t the position of Dark Angel Sasrir, in the ancient sun god’s divine kingdom, equivalent to The World of the Tarot Club? Hmm…
Thankfully, The World is a fake person. He doesn’t have his own spirituality and thoughts…
As he thought about it, he suddenly felt drenched with sweat. He was glad that he was a Seer and not some other pathway.
Based on his previous reasoning, he quickly guessed the reason why Dark Angel was sleeping in the Giant King’s Court.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fall of the ancient sun god…
Therefore, the brother of Amon, the Dragon of Wisdom, and the True Creator wish to confirm the state of Dark Angel Sasrir…
Composite Start
Composite End
However, there are many other problems… In the twenty-two Beyonder pathways, which pathway is this King of Angels, the left hand of God?
The Marauder has Amon, Apprentice has Mr. Door, Spectator, Reader, Bard, Sailor, Secrets Suppliant, Warrior, Sleepless, Planter, Savant, Monster, Hunter, and Arbiter are obviously impossible… Corpse Collector is also impossible due to the existence of Death in the Fourth Epoch. It’s impossible for there to be a King of Angels to exist at the same time—unless the Dark Angel had already fallen to Sequence 2… By the same logic, the Seer and Lawyer pathways can be eliminated for now. It can then be confirmed that the Dark Angel is no longer a King of Angels…
Mystery Pryer, Moon, and Devil are all certain possibilities. I cannot eliminate the possibility that the Hidden Sage, Primordial Moon, and the Dark Side of the Universe are the Dark Angel’s “alt”… Yes, there might still be the Mother Tree of Desire hidden within…
It’s also possible with Prisoner. There’s no clear evidence that this pathway has produced a true deity. Back then, the Chained God might not even be a King of Angels.
After some thought, he said to Arrodes, “It’s your turn to ask.”
On the cracked full-body mirror’s surface, silver words twisted together and formed a new sentence:
“Great Master, may I guess what you want to ask next?”
“…” Klein nodded slightly and answered, “Sure.”
“You wish to ask about Sasrir’s current state. My answer is, I don’t know, as I can’t see.” Behind the silver words was a smiley face with a simple drawing.
“Not bad,” Klein praised. “That’s all for today. I will summon you again in the near future at any time.”
“Yes, Great Master. Your loyal servant, Arrodes, is constantly preparing to serve you!” On the surface of the mirror, the simple smile on his face turned into a waving cat’s paw.
When the mirror returned to normal, Klein took out a pen and paper and wrote down what he had just learned.
This was one of the documents he had prepared for the Scholar of Yore ritual.
In the past few days, he had written a lot of documents on ancient history.
Following that, with the information and two marionettes, he “Teleported” to the Southern Continent.
He didn’t dare to advance in Backlund. If anything were to happen to him, Amon and Zaratul would definitely be able to detect it and come straight for him!
Chapter 1137 Amidst History
On a barren island in the Berserk Sea.
This place wasn’t far from the Southern Continent, but it didn’t belong there geographically. The reason why Klein had chosen this island as a place for himself to advance to Scholar of Yore was, firstly, because he wanted to avoid Amon and Zaratul to the best of his ability. He also didn’t want to enter the region where the Mother Tree of Desire had a wide range of influence. Secondly, because the Berserk Sea was enveloped by the power left behind by Death, this was, in a way, a part of the Evernight Goddess’s kingdom. If the ritual were to create a huge commotion, it was possible for some effective screening.
Furthermore, this place is very desolate. There aren’t many creatures here, so there’s no need to worry about any accidents affecting the innocent… Klein surveyed the area and began to set up a ritual. He brought the corresponding materials back from above the gray fog to the real world.
Following that, he flipped through the thick ancient history documents and pulled out some records that he couldn’t be certain of. Those that couldn’t be confirmed with divination were also removed.
Pa!
With a shake of his hand, the scarlet flames rose and devoured the stack of paper.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The supplementary ingredients needed for the Scholar of Yore potion were a large amount of real ancient historical records. Therefore, he didn’t want to take the risk of using things he couldn’t be sure of. He would rather have fewer of them.
After making his selection, he poured the Hound of Fulgrim’s blood into a huge cauldron and placed the few White Frost Crystals that he had weighed beforehand into it.
The moment the two supplementary ingredients came into contact with each other, a thin mist immediately rose up. It enveloped the container and was about half the height of a person and an arm wide.
With a glance, Klein followed his spiritual intuition and temporarily gave up on adding the last supplementary material. He first got his marionette, Enuni, to grab the Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart and threw the item that seemed condensed from white mist into the cauldron.
As white frost condensed across Enuni’s arm, the mist that emanated from the vessel became extremely dense. It began to contract and expand, as though it was alive, like a slowly-beating heart.
Without any hesitation, Klein controlled his marionette, Enuni, to pick up the pair of eyes from the Hounds of Fulgrim. He stuffed the two dark red flame-like objects into the seemingly corporeal mist.
The mist’s color quickly darkened, making it impossible for him to see the huge cauldron at its core.
He didn’t panic. Instead, he calmly got his other marionette to throw page after page of the ancient historical records into the blob of thick, dark mist.
The thick mist slowly collapsed. After “digesting” the historical records, it finally fell back into the cauldron, like water vapor, turning into something that coexisted as both a liquid and a gas. Its color was dark red, almost the size of a baby’s head.
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon seeing this scene, Klein removed the spirit pendulum from his left wrist and used divination to determine if the potion was successfully concocted.
He received a revelation that it was rather dangerous, but one that he could barely withstand.
And this meant that the potion was successfully concocted.
Even if it were strictly concocted according to the formula, a Sequence 3 potion is equivalent to poison. If I can withstand it, I’ll advance. Otherwise, I’ll go crazy, lose control, or even die… After staring at the topaz pendant spinning rapidly in a counterclockwise direction for a few seconds, he pulled up the silver chain and wrapped it around his left wrist.
He cast his gaze at the potion floating in the cauldron as thoughts flashed across his mind:
A Bizarro Sorcerer’s acting not only has the key terms of “fear,” “horror,” “directing,” and “inexplicable,” there’s also some level of mystery, unknown, complicated, and unpredictable aspects of fate. The two aspects combine to form a complete Bizarro Sorcerer… This is a behavioral style, while the other is the attributes…
And to me, my origins are such a mystery that I haven’t even figured out the truth. I’ve experienced so many complicated matters that I’ve already stopped a true god from descending, scared a King of Angels. Even my fate is so unpredictable that a Snake of Mercury is unable to discern. Therefore, I’ve already acted in advance and naturally digested that portion of the potion. There’s no need to summarize the principles…
This truly reflects the single word “bizarro”…
Yes, the ritual requirements for Scholar of Yore requires me to be completely separated from reality for at least 300 years. Only after I become history and no longer belong to the present era do I consume the potion. My life while I was sealed within a cocoon and hung above the gray fog is more than enough. But after becoming Klein, I’ve experienced too many things in the past year. I’ve already left a mark in the present era. Would it affect the effects of the ritual?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It should be… Fortunately, it hasn’t even been two years. The mark won’t be too deep and can barely be accepted. After all, it’s impossible for me to hang myself up for 300 years again before I consume the potion… There’s another decade or so until the apocalypse!
Furthermore, the ancient history I grasp is definitely far superior to any Bizarro Sorcerer. It can be considered as me effectively acting ahead of time. I can definitely avoid many dangers…
As his thoughts raced, Klein took a deep breath and stopped thinking about it.
Wearing a silk top hat and a double-breasted coat, his skin suddenly turned transparent as maggots that contained three-dimensional symbols crawled out.
The transparent maggots were itching to move, as if they were going to crawl into the dense mist in the cauldron, leaving behind only empty clothes and hats.
Klein managed to barely control his state as he calmly extended his right hand and picked up the potion that was wrapped in mist.
The potion didn’t seem to have any weight as it floated in front of his face.
Klein opened his mouth and took a deep breath.
The potion instantly transformed and extended into Klein’s mouth, making him feel like he was devouring a dark red glow.
Composite Start
Composite End
The transparent maggots swarmed back into his body, tearing down the parts of the potion and swallowing them.
As his Mythical Creature form was special—both a full body and also separated into many small parts—Klein could only consume the potion in such a manner.
Of course, if he could control his incomplete Mythical Creature form, it would be much simpler.
Without a sound, he felt a cold feeling spread through every Worm of Spirit, with a searing pain.
A familiar, boundless grayish-white fog appeared in front of him. It enveloped the entire world, revealing some of his past experiences.
This included the terrifying legends he created, his conversation with the Red Angel evil spirit; the treatment of the demigod, Lucca, with the help of Miss Justice; hunting Hvin Rambis; dealing with Amon’s avatars; revenge on Ince Zangwill; exploring Calderón City; infiltrating Saint Samuel Cathedral; dominating the seas; stopping the True Creator’s descent; saving Tingen; and various other details of his daily life.
They made conflicts with different people and things, becoming extremely complicated as they merged into a sea. As he “flew” through it, he was unable to find a clear and accurate sense of self. He felt like he was about to be lost in this area. The cold, burning pain constantly drove him forward, so as to expel the influence on him. This made it difficult to return to the real world.
With great difficulty, Klein managed to control this feeling. As he gradually lost consciousness and his body slowly descended, he tried his best to find something that could confirm his identity.
Finally, he saw the deep depths of the gray fog. At the end of the sea was a shattered spot of light. With a thought, he followed his intuition and flew over in a manner that seemed to travel the cosmos.
There was a figure hanging from the blurry door of light in the spot of light. He was stored in a transparent cocoon as he swayed gently. He looked like the original Zhou Mingrui. This had nothing to do with his surroundings. He was alone and easily grasped.
Composite Start
Composite End
I couldn’t see this before when I used the Yesterday Once More charm, but I can actually do so now… In other words, during the advancement process, I can indirectly influence the Sefirah Castle above the gray fog? Wait, my ability to think has been restored… Klein’s consciousness instantly cleared up as he finally understood the essence of the ritual.
By eliminating the interference, he could provide a clear definition of himself to become a Scholar of Yore. This prevented him from getting lost!
Following a similar spot of light, Klein began to fly deeper into the grayish-white fog. Along the way, he discovered that the surrounding fog was scattered with fragments of light. They had colonial phases, times when Roselle ruled, the Battle of the Violated Oath, the White Rose War, the Twenty Year War… These were all bits of history that Klein knew of the Fifth Epoch.
As he passed through them, he naturally split his consciousness and completed an invisible connection, making his definition of his own identity even clearer.
In the Pale Era, during the War of the Four Emperors, the Trunsoest Empire, the Tudor Dynasty, the United Empire, Solomon’s first and second Empire, the fall of Red Angel, the Blood Emperor’s apotheosis, the Black Emperor’s return, and other historical fragments continued to surface as Klein kept rushing forward. They appeared in different spots in the endless gray fog, like the stars in the night sky, they illuminated the path to return.
In such a manner, Klein felt that he was becoming more and more lucid. Every Worm of Spirit’s coldness and burning sensation became milder.
He could’ve turned around a long time ago and returned to the real world. However, he didn’t stop and continued flying forward.
Scenes of the fatal attack of the Rose Redemption; the three great angels, White, Storm, Wisdom sharing in the body of the ancient sun god; and the plotting in the Giant King’s Court with the Church of Evernight, Earth, and Combat hiding as secret organizations flashed across the grayish-white fog. The more he proceeded forward, the more relaxed he felt. He felt like he was about to fly up from running down a runway.
At some point in time, a group of terrifying canine-like creatures with dark red eye sockets appeared beside him. They ran around the indiscernible bottom of the gray fog as they followed him by his side as if they were accompanying and guarding him.
Among them, two of them only had one eye.
Klein looked around and smiled. He didn’t stop and continued proceeding deeper into the gray fog.
The history of the Dual Era and the Early Era of Fire swept past him from behind, pointing out the path that led forward. Finally, Klein stopped in front of a lonely fragment of light. Inside was a withered forest and a normal-sized tomb.
He went forward and saw that the grayish-white fog was silently enveloping everything. It was unknown where the other fragments of light were floating.
Feeling his spirituality depleting, Klein didn’t continue the search. He connected his consciousness to his origin, and he suddenly plummeted.
As the gray fog rapidly faded away, Klein felt his body and saw the cauldron in front of him.
He didn’t care about his current state, and he subconsciously looked up into the sky.
He directly saw the gray fog and the ancient majestic palace above the gray fog.
The mysterious space was trembling slightly.
…
In Backlund, a postman who was riding a bicycle stopped. He turned his head slightly and adjusted the monocle on his right eye.
He then muttered to himself, “Sefirah Castle…”
After a few seconds of hesitation, the thin-faced young man curled his lips and laughed. His expression was filled with anticipation.
In a rental apartment at East Borough of the same city, figures hanging in the air swayed gently. At the same time, they simultaneously made a sound:
“Sefirah Castle…”
In the basement of Saint Samuel Cathedral, Leonard Mitchell, who was assigning missions to his team, suddenly heard an elderly voice in his mind:
“Sefirah Castle…”
Chapter 1138 “Scholar of Yore“
In the highlands, on an altar with eyes, arms, heads, and organs embedded in it.
Dark red blood-red light surged out like a tidal wave, distorting into the shape of a deformed tree.
Amidst a buzzing sound, the human bones, candles, silver plates, and gold boxes trembled, as though they could slice through one’s Spirit Body.
The surrounding supplicants instinctively bowed their heads and prostrated.
Then, they simultaneously came to a realization:
“The Berserk Sea, reef island…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When he saw the ancient palace above the gray fog and sensed the slight tremble of the mysterious space, Klein felt that he had a deeper connection with the so-called “Sefirah Castle,” one that was hard to accurately grasp.
At this moment, he truly felt that place would gradually belong to him.
In just a few seconds, all the abnormalities disappeared. Without any delay, Klein got the two marionettes to put away the items that were still of value, and destroy the rest. He took out a paper figurine and shook it.
With a smacking sound, the paper figurine ignited with a scarlet flame as dense illusory wings appeared behind his back.
When he saw this, Klein was stunned. He never expected that the simple Paper Figurine Substitutes would have hints of Angel’s Embrace.
He then grabbed Qonas and Enuni, using “Teleport” to vanish from the island formed by reefs.
After using several islands in the Sonia Sea as waypoints, he took a huge detour before finally returning to his residence in Backlund’s East Borough.
During this process, he repeatedly used Paper Figurine Substitutes, which had undergone several qualitative changes, to disrupt divination, prophecy powers, tracking, and observation.
Phew, I didn’t expect it to really trigger the changes in Sefirah Castle, resulting in an unconcealable phenomenon… Fortunately, I was sufficiently careful and cautious. I wasn’t careless. If I had advanced in Backlund or the surrounding areas, I’m certain that Amon and Zaratul would’ve already “seen” me… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he hurriedly took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog to do a divination.
Composite Start
Composite End
After confirming that he was in a safe situation, he didn’t stay for long. He immediately returned to the real world, and with the help of Cogitation, he began to restrain his diverging spirituality.
After doing this, he took off his clothes, threw himself into bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
Normally, a Bizarro Sorcerer wouldn’t be as exhausted as he was after successfully advancing to Scholar of Yore. He would definitely have energy left to check his physical condition. However, while traveling through history, he relied on his mark to travel a very far distance. He relied on his own mastery of ancient secrets, that far exceeded his current level, to reach the establishment of the Giant King’s CourUn the early of the Second Epoch or the end of the Epoch.
This was equivalent to digesting the potion.
After a few hours of deep sleep, Klein woke up as he slowly opened his eyes.
He sat up, pulled a pillow to prop him up from behind, and rubbed his temples.
After ten minutes of regulating himself, he was completely awake and began to inspect himself.
Indeed, I’ve digested most of the potion right after I consumed it. At least eighty percent… This is roughly what I expected… but I wonder how much more ancient history I’ll have to obtain before I can digest it completely…
From the looks of it, the acting of a Scholar of Yore has two main directions: One is a scholar from ancient times, and the other is a scholar who studies ancient history. Both of them are required. The first is relatively easy because the ritual itself contains the key point of making one a person from ancient times. Once the advancement is successful, one can naturally act as a scholar from ancient times.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The second point is extremely difficult. It would be alright in normal society, but in this world with true gods, devils, and evil existences, just gathering ancient information is a very risky matter. If I endeavor to gather the truth of history, I might die a horrible death at any moment without any reason. The more I understand, the greater the danger…
The reason why I know so much is mostly thanks to the arrangements of a few existences, as well as the complicated fate that Sefirah Castle brings me. This makes me encounter all sorts of things. Of course, even so, I’ve already died once despite being a true deity’s Blessed; what’s more, other Scholars of Yore?
Changing the spot of Miracle Invoker and Scholar of Yore will make acting relatively simple. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing…
In addition, the previous two meanings have an inclination towards ancient times. I have to pay attention to the word “scholar.” What must I figure out from history before I can be considered a “scholar”?
Next, there are a few directions towards my digestion. First, I need to figure out Dark Angel Sasrir’s current state and truly replicate the actual process of the Cataclysm. Second, I need to spend some effort to connect the history of the Fourth Epoch together, and not just be fine with having them in disconnected segments. Third, I need to go deep into the details from a macroscopic view. For example, the rise and fall of the Antigonus family…
After confirming that prior acting was effective, and considering his future path ahead of time, Klein combined the mysticism knowledge he had gained from his advancement and his observation of his godhood’s divinity, and he had a trial run of his powers to slowly figure out the powers of a Scholar of Yore.
Worms of Spirit can be split into six hundred pieces. The godhood patterns have also changed to a certain degree; it’s even more complicated, and it can showcase concepts of strength, strangeness, and supematuralness…
The changes in my godhood patterns firstly originate from the newly obtained characteristic, and secondly, it comes from the mysticism knowledge contained within the potion. This is both a result of the Beyonder characteristic and also something obtained from a higher level… After becoming a true High-Sequence Beyonder, is it possible to directly change the knowledge at a higher dimension to affect Beyonders at other Sequences?
Deciphering a potion formula from the godhood patterns seems like an actual example…
Composite Start
Composite End
Also, at the level of Sequence 3, the changes in godhood patterns have a personal effect. This is closely related to prayer and responses. As a Scholar of Yore, the corresponding honorific names will be different in nature. This is because of different personalities, experiences, and traits.
Yes, I can allow different Worms of Spirit to instinctively listen to prayers and respond to them when it’s a relatively uncomplicated matter. It doesn’t affect my other actions… The specially marked ones and more complicated matters will be handed over to my actual body…
A Scholar of Yore can use a Worm of Spirit to act as a god, but what about other Sequence 3 Beyonders from other pathways? It’s impossible for them to respond while sleeping, right…
Heh heh, I’ll think of my honorific name as a Scholar of Yore later. I’ll first study the specific abilities.
Uh… A Scholar of Yore’s main ability is to obtain help from history. This is split into two parts. One is to borrow strength from my past self.
This is rather embarrassing for me. It’s currently useless because the past me is definitely weaker than the present me. Yes, when I was hanging above the door of light above the gray fog, I was just an ordinary person… Compared to those who were important figures in the past but are now weak due to all kinds of reasons, this is a godly skill. One can be a baby crying for ice cream while engaging in a Sequence 1 battle. It would be impossible to find any weaknesses… The only problem is that it’s not long-lasting…
Of course, as more time passes after I become a Scholar of Yore, this will begin to show its effects. I can often borrow strength from my past Scholar of Yore self so that I wouldn’t have any moment of weakness. Even if I were to suffer serious injuries… To a certain extent, this is something that’s self-perpetuating, preventing myself from ever being in a nadir until my spirituality is completely drained.
Yes, before my spirituality is drained, I can always borrow energy from my past self. There’s no limit to the number of times. As for my current spirituality, even without the process of recovering, I can borrow power nearly ten times a day, maintaining it for five minutes each time.
The second part is to summon images from the Historical Void. It can be humans or objects. The more detailed and the better the understanding I have of the corresponding piece of history and matters, the higher the chance of success is and the longer it will last.
Similarly, the lower the target’s level is, relative to me, the higher the chance of success and the longer it can be maintained.
Composite Start
Composite End
In addition, increasing my affinity with the target will increase the chances of success and the time it can be maintained.
These are the three conditions to succeed. Furthermore, when summoning someone of a higher level than myself, or an item, even if I barely succeed, the final projection will only have a portion of the strength and quality of the original. It can’t be one who’s at full strength. Also, I can only maintain three images summoned from the Historical Void at any point in time, including those summoned by my marionettes…
Currently, even if it’s the most ordinary item or something that was once mine, I can maintain its availability for a maximum of fifteen minutes.
The fact that the target has a close relationship with me is worth rumination. In essence, borrowing power from one’s own body is also a form of summoning. It’s just that one’s relationship with oneself is extremely close, so there’s no possibility of failure. It’s an extreme example.
In other words, if I were to summon the important figures from the Historical Void, it would be best to establish a friendly relationship with “Them” and maintain it for a long time. Yes, if I were to summon Mr. Azik’s projection, the chances of success will definitely be higher than projecting other angels…
How is this a Beyonder power? This is obviously studies related to EQ, Relationships, and Interpersonal Communication!
As he sighed with emotion, Klein sincerely felt that the core powers of a Scholar of Yore were godly. After all, those that involved history and time were most likely extremely magical.
However, in order to put it to use to its fullest potential, one had to have sufficient intelligence, and also make the necessary preparations.
This was an unchanging requirement of the Seer pathway.
Yes, when summoning images from the Historical Void, there’s no way to communicate with them. That is to say that a Scholar of Yore can’t interfere with history and change the past. From the angle of acting, this can be summarized as “witnessing fate, affecting the present, and the inability to reverse the past…”
Apart from the ability to transfer a certain part of ailments, wounds, curses, attacks, prophecies, and observations to Paper Figurine Substitutes, there’s another power. It can transfer a certain part to the target. Before one discovers that it’s fake, things can continue proceeding as per normal. Heh heh, if anyone loses their heart while their brain remains active, I can give them a paper heart for a short period of time. He will be able to obtain strength from history to beat and circulate blood…
The time it takes to attain initial control of Spirit Body Threads has shortened to two seconds, and completely transforming into a marionette takes ten seconds. The maximum range for the two is 500 meters… By controlling a marionette, the limit to swapping positions is five kilometers…
Flame Jump is also five kilometers… I can freely control the might of Air Cannon, and at its maximum might, it’s equivalent to a coastal defensive cannon…
A creature that can transform into a physical form whose characteristics have a difference that does not exceed a certain level. Some of the organs created can be used, while others are only decorations…
Phew, this is a Scholar of Yore who has digested most of the potion… After examining himself, Klein slowly stood up.
He planned on entering the world above the gray fog to check on the changes in Sefirah Castle.
Chapter 1139 A Different Form of Companionship
Above the endless grayish-white fog, Klein’s figure appeared in the ancient palace.
He only looked around briefly, and he realized that there were a few changes.
The most obvious point was that the state of the mysterious space and its layout had been fully projected into his Spirit Body. Even at a great distance, he could still see the grayish-white clouds and that strange door of light.
Apart from the palace that I conjured and the door of light that originally existed, there’s nothing here. It’s empty, boundless, and full of power of a high level… As he murmured, he sat down, raised his right hand, and gently lifted it up.
In the blink of an eye, the entire gray fog boiled. The mysterious space it carried quaked as beams of slightly dark light emitted.
When the light gathered together, it condensed into a translucent angel with illusory wings on its back, as per Klein’s will. It had the same level and power as an angel. It was majestic and sacred, with an oppressive aura.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
There’s no need to add the Black Emperor card, the Tyrant card, or the Red Priest card. There’s no need to use the Sea God Scepter either. With my power alone, I can stir most of the powers of this mysterious space to its fullest potential, allowing The Fool’s angel to become a true Sequence 2 angel. Of course, this angel is unable to respond to prayers or be maintained for too long. It only exists in the “embrace” form and within a few attacks, having some powers in the domain of miracles…
Indeed, being able to revive is a gift from Sefirah Castle. As for how many more times I can be resurrected, I can’t come to a conclusion now. If I can obtain a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact and use its level to observe it, I should be able to see it more clearly… I’ll just treat it as one more time. It’s not a bad thing to err while being cautious. This reminds me to be careful and cautious… This is the way for Beyonders of the Seer pathway to survive…
Unfortunately, this “miracle” can only be used for myself for now…
Yes, at most, in order to truly possess and control this mysterious space, I have to become an angel or even a Sequence 1 angel at least. It lives up to its name as Sefirah Castle. As for that strange door of light, its requirements are even higher. It’s impossible to tell if there are any hidden dangers at the moment…
What’s the meaning of the existence of Sefirah Castle? “Baiting” transmigrators to revive the original Creator? With a flick of his right hand, the holy and powerful angel dissipated in midair.
The entire Sefirah Castle calmed down.
Following that, Klein stood up and took a step towards the grayish-white cloud in midair. He stood in front of the strange door of light formed from countless spherical lights.
The door of light was tainted with some bluish-black color. Each spherical light’s essence was a transparent and translucent worm that formed into a ball.
As he stared at the transparent “cocoons” hanging by the black threads, Klein extended his right hand and slowly reached out to the door of light in an attempt to touch it.
Composite Start
Composite End
One inch, two inches, three inches. His hand finally touched the edge of the door of light, but it passed right through as if it was just an illusion.
However, compared to his previous attempt, the illusory door of light was clearly a little stickier, as though it was about to turn corporeal.
This is an item that represents the essence of Sefirah Castle? After pondering for a few seconds, he turned and returned to the ancient palace.
Without any delay, he left the world above the gray fog and began experimenting with the various powers he had just acquired.
I have to first get an honorific name… The prayer response range for a Sequence 3 Beyonder is a region. This range is different depending on the authority that one wields. Clearly, a Sea King’s range is a relatively far-reaching type… Therefore, this honorific name of mine also has its limits. The protector of all the poor children in Backlund? It feels odd…
Yes, other people might have a limitation, but it’s not necessarily the case for me. I can use the spirit world and the Blessed of Sefirah Castle as a replacement. I should be the only one who is Blessed in both regions. It’s unique enough. This way, as long as someone is in the same city or district as me, they can use this honorific name to pray to me.
There’s nothing I can do if we’re not in the same area. I can’t possibly do the same as throwing the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog, splitting a few Worms of Spirit to the world above the gray fog, and using Sefirah Castle’s level to respond throughout the entire world… Although I can’t confirm the relationship between the Dark Angel and the ancient sun god, this is enough to remind me to be careful with my avatars and marionettes. Also, it’s not as simple as splitting a few worms. A large number of Worms of Spirit have to be left in Sefirah Castle to achieve the desired effect. I’m currently unable to do that…
Right, my mental state isn’t too bad. I don’t have a dissociative disorder, nor do I have the irresistible urge to become cold and terrifying. This means that the mark of a Scholar of Yore in history is his anchor… Also, the emperor’s situation worsened only after he became an angel, causing him to have no choice but to rely on his believers as anchors to “anchor” him in place. I’m still one huge level away… I need to find out what else can be used as anchors, apart from believers, to ensure that nothing goes wrong… Amidst his thoughts, Klein picked up pen and paper.
He wrote the first line of his honorific name:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle.”
After some thought, he began writing the second and third lines based on his rich experience and knowledge he got from his godhood patterns:
The Mystery stemming from ancient times;
The witness of an extended history.”
Since a Sequence 3 Beyonder wasn’t a true deity, he couldn’t use a three-line description. After some thought, he added two more lines:
“Protector of magic and drama performers;
“The great Gehrman Sparrow.”
In fact, non-true deities could also use three-line descriptions, but one of them had to rely on the level of a true god. For example, Klein could use “Blessed of the Evernight Goddess.” Under such circumstances, it was essentially similar to a type of summoning incantation, not an honorific name for prayers, similar to that of messengers. And if the messenger was a spirit world creature, the restriction of being the Blessed of a particular true deity was unnecessary. Therefore, it was often unknown what would be summoned, making it rather dangerous.
After repeatedly deliberating for a while, Klein controlled his marionette, Enuni, and recited the honorific name in ancient Hermes.
Composite Start
Composite End
A few seconds later, Klein raised his right hand and rubbed his temples with an odd expression.
He didn’t “hear” the prayer.
What’s wrong with this honorific name? Klein carefully deliberated over it a few times and gradually came up with an idea. I might not be the only Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle. The Hounds of Fulgrim also count… I have to add a limitation…
After some modifications, Enuni once again recited in ancient Hermes, “The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle;
The Mystery stemming from ancient times;
“The witness of an extended history;
“Protector of Backlund magic and drama performers;
“The great Gehrman Sparrow.”
“I pray for your blessings. I hope you can light up the darkness in front of me.”
Just as Enuni’s voice faded, Klein heard his prayer. Furthermore, it was only heard by a few Worms of Spirit. It didn’t affect his actual body at all.
Composite Start
Composite End
This is very different from the prayer coming from Sefirah Castle. It’s very clear… With a thought, his Worm of Spirit gave a response based on the rules he had made ahead of time.
With a whoosh, a ball of fire appeared in front of Enuni. It floated in midair, illuminating the entire room.
Not bad… If I use Hermes to pray, I have to set up a ritual and draw symbols… As for essential oils and herbs, it doesn’t matter if they’re provided or not. Am I someone who will be pleased by these things? The symbols are formed from the scrolls representing history, the complete eye that represents witness, and the lines symbolizing change… For the time being, Klein had no intention of spreading his honorific name. After all, letting others know that Gehrman Sparrow had reached Sequence 3 would be a case of him losing a trump card. Furthermore, he had the alternate identity as Sea God and The Fool. There was no need for a new honorific name.
Pa!
With a snap of his fingers, he lit the paper with the honorific name of Gehrman Sparrow on the table.
A Scholar of Yore also has the means to create a fog to lower the temperature, but it’s not a core power… Next, I have to try to summon a projection from the Historical Void. Who shall be my first volunteer? As he muttered silently to himself, Klein suddenly sighed.
He then half-closed his eyes and used his godhood to allow a portion of his spirit to enter the gray fog and roam amidst history.
Following the various locations that he had previously established, he instantly arrived in front of a spot made of light.
There was a spacious and bright room with two rows of floor-to-ceiling windows in the spot of light. In the room, a man wearing a dark red coat embroidered with golden lines was standing by the window, looking at the place where the sun had set.
He looked to be in his thirties, with long chestnut curly hair, blue eyes, high nose bridge, and thin lips. He had a neat mustache and looked rather good.
Roselle Gustav.
In a street in North Borough, a thin-faced young man with a wide forehead and a monocle was sitting in a coffee shop by the side of the road. He held a fountain pen and thought seriously.
He raised his other hand and pinched his monocle. Finally, he wrote down a sentence:
“The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle…”
Then, the fountain pen stopped moving, as if he had not thought of what to write next.
In a rented two-bedroom apartment at East Borough, Klein took out his golden pocket watch and opened it.
He had already made an appointment with Miss Sharron and Marie to meet in an uninhabited house tonight.
After some thought, he raised his right hand and grabbed at the space in front of him.
A simple, ancient brass key appeared in his palm.
This was the Master Key that had once helped him defeat Wraith Steve and prevent the True Creator from descending. It allowed one to hear Mr. Door’s ravings on the night of the full moon.
Now, by summoning it back from the Historical Void, it could be used for ten minutes.
Heh heh, to a Scholar of Yore, anything that they once possessed, regardless if they were eventually sold, returned, destroyed, or lost for all sorts of reasons, can never really be considered lost. They just exist alongside the Scholar of Yore in a different form of companionship… Looking at the Master Key in his hand, Klein sighed in satisfaction.
With this item, if he could grasp the corresponding ritual, he could directly speak to Mr. Door as well.
After putting away the Master Key, he put on his double-breasted frock coat and silk top hat, picked up his golden cane, and walked out of the room.
Chapter 1140 Plans
Backlund, East Borough, 7 Pinster Street-
After a busy day, Leonard finally had the chance to ask his questions:
“Old man, what is Sefirah Castle?”
The slightly-aged voice in his mind fell silent for a few seconds. He chuckled and said, “The place where you meet every Monday is most likely Sefirah Castle.”
Leonard never expected to hear such an answer. His mind went blank for a moment. He was surprised, shocked, and confused, mixed together with the thoughts of it being impossible for to pop out of nowhere and the poignant feelings of how complicated things were.
After a while, he pressed in a low voice, “What kind of place is Sefirah Castle?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As though sighing and laughing self-deprecatingly, Pallez Zoroast said, “Actually, I’m not too sure. I’ve only heard some rumors.
“It’s different from the creation myth you know. Rumor has it that the original Creator left behind nine different entities. They were kingdoms, cities, rivers, oceans, and keys. Sefirah Castle was one of them.
“It might not actually be a castle, but something else. As for what its exact form is, you might know it better than me.
“The reason why I’m certain of its existence is because I sensed it when I became an angel, but I was unable to see it and establish a connection with it.
“My great-grandfather mentioned a theory that the nine entities might have something to do with the sefirot of the second Blasphemy slate. Unfortunately, because of various reasons, ‘He’ was unable to decipher the details related to the sefirot.”
Leonard calmed down. Leaning back against the sofa, he asked thoughtfully, “Old Man, do you suspect that Mr. Fool is the embodiment of sefirot?”
Based on what he had seen and heard from the Tarot Club and Old Man’s occasional lecture, he had a certain understanding of matters regarding the deities.
After a long silence, Pallez Zoroast replied, “Perhaps…”
Under the strict curfew at night, there were almost no pedestrians on the streets of Backlund. Occasionally, there would be carriages passing by, carrying people of status.
Composite Start
Composite End
After arriving at the agreed-upon house, Klein wasn’t in a hurry to enter. He half-closed his eyes, raised his right hand, and grabbed at something in front of him. He pulled out another Sherlock Moriarty wearing a black double-breasted frock coat and a silk half top hat while holding a gold-inlaid cane.
This was the image of him from the Historical Void when he left his residence earlier.
As Klein was right in front of him, this image appeared stiff, like a prop on-stage.
According to his previous experiments, Klein knew that this was the mysticism principle of “a unique shared consciousness in time.” To put it simply, everyone was essentially unique. If one’s true body remained sentient, the projection wouldn’t remain sentient.
It was the same when summoning projections of the deceased from the Historical Void, a result Klein suspected to be attributed to his insufficient level. In short, his projections could only engage in more mechanical and instinctive battles. Something that was unknown to the Scholars of Yore had prevented them from giving a corresponding answer even if they experienced it for themselves.
This confirmed one of Klein’s guesses. Those fragments a Scholar of Yore could see in the historical fog was something he had learned in real life and had studied. Simply put, the fog needed a Scholar of Yore to light it up, bit by bit.
Of course, Klein also suspected that if the historical fragments of the same matter had been mostly lit up, the rest would very likely be presented naturally.
At least the corresponding ability won’t be lost just because I don’t understand it well enough. As long as there’s a projection in the Historical Void, that state will be a complete snapshot… That’s enough… Klein looked at the projection that could only act on instinct. His body suddenly vanished and entered the grayish-white fog.
Since Hounds of Fulgrim, who weren’t full Scholars of Yore, could live in the Historical Void, there was no reason that a true Scholar of Yore couldn’t. The only problem was that there was a time limit. In addition, if time dragged on, the marionettes in the real world would definitely die. However, this was only changing the form of companionship it had with a Scholar of Yore.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As Klein’s body entered the grayish-white fog, his consciousness suddenly came alive in the projection.
He raised his hand and pressed down on his top hat. Wearing the face of Sherlock Moretti, he came outside of the house. Following their agreement, he took out the Master Key and placed it against the door, turning it gently.
His figure appeared in the room, and under the crimson moonlight, he quickly surveyed his surroundings.
The sofas, cupboards, high-back chairs, coffee tables, and other furniture were evidently old. They seemed to come from the previous century.
In the dark environment, in a gothic regal dress and a matching bonnet, Sharron suddenly appeared on a high-back chair.
“Good evening,” this Puppet lady nodded slightly and greeted him.
If she hadn’t spoken, she would be a classic and most exquisite doll.
At the same time, Marie, who was wearing a white shirt and black vest, also phased into existence on the sofa.
…Sir, it’s already winter. Aren’t you cold wearing just this? Ah right, you’re “dead,” one who isn’t afraid of the cold… After lampooning inwardly, Klein took off his hat and bowed at the blonde, blue-eyed, pale-faced Sharron.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Good evening, Miss Sharron.”
He then turned around and said to Marie, “Good evening.”
To this Wraith who was formerly a Zombie, the deepest impression Klein had of him was his card game with the zombies he controlled.
We should play cards when we have the time… He sighed silently.
The reason why he suddenly thought of playing cards was because he had previously analyzed the combat styles of Scholar of Yore, and he realized that if he were to encounter Zaratul, both sides would very likely end up playing a card game.
You throw a Consul Roselle card, I’ll throw an Emperor Roselle card. You throw a Bernadette card, I’ll throw a Benoit. If you throw The Half-Fool card, I’ll match it with Amon…
I didn’t expect that the battle between a Seer would one day become “playing cards.” It’s a realistic, abnormally harrowing “game of cards”… Sigh, but Zaratul is a Sequence 1 angel, and he wouldn’t give me a chance to play cards. Besides, my success rate at summoning the important figures in the Historical Void is rather low… Klein retracted his gaze and took the initiative to say to Sharron, “I’ve recently needed to do something. It’s rather difficult and dangerous. One of the steps is to collect Beyonder blood from the twenty-two different pathways. As for the Wraith pathway, the only person I can ask for help is you and Marie. You should be skilled at hexes, and you should have a way to remove the connection between your blood and yourself.”
In fact, he could’ve attempted to summon Admiral of Blood Senor on the spot and mix his blood into the porcelain jar. However, he didn’t know if it would be effective, nor could he divine it. After all, this involved a level that exceeded Sequence 1, and he lacked information. The only thing he could confirm was that drawing that symbol didn’t bring him and the suppliers any danger.
Due to the fact that a Scholar of Yore had many means at their disposal, he had even tried to summon the former Witch Trissy. He easily subdued her and smeared her blood onto Groselle’s Travels.
However, it was useless.
Composite Start
Composite End
After some thought, Klein believed that a logical contradiction on the timeline had happened, preventing him from success. That blood was formerly provided by Trissy of the past. The person Groselle’s Travels pulled in would undoubtedly be the former Trissy, so it was equivalent to changing history.
Since history couldn’t be changed, the experiment failed.
After listening to Sherlock Moriarty’s request quietly, Sharron said without any change in expression, “Okay.
“How much do you want?”
Miss Sharron’s reaction is exactly as I imagined… Klein took out a glass tube.
“One tube would suffice.”Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
Dressed in a gothic regal dress, Sharron raised her right hand slightly. The glass tube seemed to possess a life of its own as it left Klein’s palm and flew over.
Right on the heels of that, the doll-like lady’s right hand landed on her left wrist. Her nails suddenly grew long and became unusually sharp.
With just a light stroke, a wound opened up at her wrist. Blood seeped out, but it didn’t drip down. Instead, it floated up and entered the glass tube.
By the time the tube was filled, Sharron’s wound had healed instantly, leaving no scar behind. The stopper jumped into the tube and spun a few times to automatically seal the tube.
During this process, the pale-faced Sharron wore an impassive expression, as if she had suppressed all the feelings in her heart.
Looking at the tube of blood in her hand, Sharron reached out with her left hand and touched it, slowly sliding from top to bottom.
This was done to remove her connection to the blood.
After doing all of this, the blood tube leaped up and flew back into Klein’s hands.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Sharron sat on a high-back chair and said calmly.
“Not for now. Thank you.” Klein shook his head and snapped his fingers, igniting a scarlet flame in his palm.
The flame quickly rose and enveloped the glass tube.
By the time the redness dissipated, the blood was gone.
This was a new change in “Flaming Jump.” It could transfer the items on him to his marionette or body.
Apart from this, all sorts of Beyonder powers from before had been enhanced and modified.
Having used his new powers skillfully, he looked at Sharron and asked casually, “How’s the digestion of your Puppet potion?”
When he first met Miss Sharron, he felt that she was like a doll. He believed that, regardless of her nature, or it being a result of the temperance principle, it would’ve been a form of “prior acting.” It would be of great help to the digestion of the Puppet potion.
“Not bad,” Sharron replied calmly. “I should be able to digest everything in another one to two years.”
One to two years… Indeed, no matter how fast it is, it’s counted in years. But for me, it’s been less than half a year…
This isn’t something to be proud of. It was all arranged… Of course, if you count the time I was hung above the door of light, it’s counted in millennia… Miracle Invoker… If I can escape this fate, I might be able to create a miracle… Klein sighed inwardly and gently nodded.
“What are your plans for the time being?”
Sharron said, “I hope to restore Teacher’s body.”
Marie, who was sitting on the sofa, added, “But didn’t you say that the leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul, is in Backlund and is closely related to the Rose School of Thought?”
“Yes,” Klein said with a smile. “Wait patiently. There will be a chance.”
This was actually a form of consolation. Even though he had become a Scholar of Yore and had found many helpers, he had no intention of dealing with Zaratul at the moment. A Sequence 1 in full would definitely be unimaginably terrifying!
Furthermore, the more he exposed himself to the path of Seer, the more Klein could understand how terrifying and difficult it was to kill Zaratul.
After stopping George Ill’s apotheosis, Klein planned on leaving Backlund and giving himself more time to grow.
Chapter 1141 Deep Winter
Sonia Sea, Pasu Island, Chasm of Storm Cathedral.
This was the headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms, the holiest of holy temples, a place blessed by a god.
The murals that were painted in blue, silver, green, and golden colors seemed rough, but they had a sacred and majestic vibe to them. Coupled with the dome that stood at a height with an excess of a hundred meters, it made all who stood there feel how puny they were. It made one unable to resist bowing their head.
Alger Wilson had already undergone the ritual and had “truly” become a Sequence 5 Ocean Songster. At this moment, he had come here with the same batch of recently advanced Beyonders, awaiting the preaching of Pontiff Gaard II.
Indeed, it’s really easy to lose control when consuming excess potions. I’ve already digested all the past potions, but I nearly succumbed this time… After I leave Pasu Island, I’ll borrow the Unshadowed Crucifix from The Sun and purge the excess characteristic. This can both be exchanged for money, and it can also be used to secretly nurture some Beyonders who are loyal to me… Alger used the reflection of the blue stone tiles on the ground to see that his hair had darkened and thickened.
At this moment, the sound of a booming musical instrument exploded in the hearts of every Beyonder, spreading extreme fear.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Pontiff Gaard II walked out with a scepter in hand, went up a dais, and faced the crowd. He said in a deep, rumbling voice, “Congratulations, everyone. You are one step closer to the Lord.”
He was wearing a papal tiara with sapphires, emeralds, and other gems. He wore a dark blue robe that was nearly black. On top of it was silver and gold silk embroidered with symbols of lightning, storms, and oceans. His aura was deep and majestic, as though a tempest was about to strike.
This Grounded Angel, the spokesperson of the Lord of Storms, was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. However, everyone knew that Gaard II had been helming the Council of Cardinals for nearly a century.
As a Blessed of the Gods, this level of longevity wasn’t strange in the eyes of the believers. It was normal to not have anything to fear.
Upon hearing the pontiffs praise, Alger didn’t have any thoughts. He clenched his right fist and struck his left breast, shouting, “Holy Lord of Storms!”
In the next fifteen minutes, they quietly listened to Gaard II’s preachings.
After completing this process, Alger received his mission from a high-ranking deacon. He was to head to Sonia Island and lay an ambush in the surrounding waters, in search for opportunities to attack the port, or supply ships and Feysac merchant ships.
Backlund, Empress Borough, Inside the Hall family’s luxurious mansion.
Just as Audrey put on her blue cloak in preparation to bring her golden retriever, Susie; her maidservant, Annie; and the others to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation at Phelps Street, she saw her father, Earl Hall, enter through the main door.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Father, good morning. Did you… not come home last night?” Audrey looked him up and down in puzzlement.
You could tell?” Earl Hall stroked his lovely mustache and asked with a smile.
Realizing that her father was in a good mood, Audrey turned her green eyes and said with a faint smile, “Your coat reeks of cigarettes. It implies that you haven’t taken it off for some time. Not to mention that’s an outdoor set of clothing.”
Apart from this, there were many other details that could lead to the same conclusion, but Audrey deliberately didn’t mention it.
As Earl Hall took off his coat and handed it to his valet, he chuckled and said, “Not bad at all. You’re very observant. It looks like your work at the bursary foundation has greatly benefited you.
“I was at the Prime Minister’s the entire night, waiting for news.”
Having said that, Earl Hall sighed and said, “Winter County and Midseashire’s front line has once again repelled the Feysacian attack. With the onset of the harsh winter, we can finally catch our breaths.”
Audrey blinked, perfectly expressing her surprise.
Earl Hall immediately smiled.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I understand your puzzlement. The newspaper only mentions what we want the people to know.
“The defense lines at the Amantha mountain range and the various cities along Midseashire’s coast aren’t as robust as you think. In the first round of the attacks, our fleet and soldiers suffered a tremendous loss. In order to not cause any panic, we announced that there were wins on both sides. We also made all the large shipyards and factories work like mad to contribute to the war machine.
“In this period of time, the two lines were almost breached several times. Many critical areas were lost and recovered. These repeated “see-saws” was apparently a human meat grinder.
“Luckily, we’ve finally lasted to this point. This winter will be the turning point of the war.”
Actually, I know… The number of people who died, went missing, and the casualty numbers might be concealed, but it still presents quite a few problems… Besides, winter might not necessarily be a good thing. Feysac’s Weather Warlocks are very good at using such situations… Audrey’s heart sank as she hurriedly controlled her emotions and smiled.
“That’s great. I hope we can quickly have peace restored.”
Earl Hall was taken aback as he said, “His Majesty plans to give a speech to everyone in the kingdom on Saturday and tell them that we will prevail.
“When the time comes, the cities and villages will be gathered at their respective squares. The latest technology will be used to allow everyone to hear his speech.”
The latest technology… Gather the entire kingdom in various squares to listen to the king’s speech… Audrey suddenly thought of Mr. World’s reminder and decided to inform him of this matter.
Composite Start
Composite End
Organize a large number of people to listen to a speech… This must be the corresponding ritual, right? George III is about to hold the Black Emperor ritual? After receiving the latest news from Miss Justice, Klein returned to the real world with a solemn expression.
He paced back and forth in the rental apartment and didn’t delay any further. He took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote:Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
“I’ve already gathered the Beyonder blood of twenty pathways. I’m just short of Assassin and Criminal.
“George III will be holding a speech for most of the kingdom’s citizens this Saturday. You should know what this might mean.
“In addition, I need the ritual to communicate with Mr. Door.”
After folding the letter and getting Reinette Tinekerr to send it out, Klein slowly exhaled as he couldn’t help but think of all sorts of thoughts.
The Demoness’s blood shouldn’t be a problem. Trissy seems very determined to foil George Ill’s scheme…
I can reveal something to Queen Mystic, that I’m able to enter the secret mausoleum… Although her main goal is to revive the emperor and she is unwilling to make an enemy out of George III, the emperor might not be able to return if George III succeeds…
I’m waiting for the Chief of the City of Silver to return to provide the Devil’s blood… The hunting team that he led has set off for more than ten days. They should be returning soon… In theory, there’s still time. There’s no problem… If not, I’ll use the two contingencies. First, I’ll use the Blatherer’s aura to replace the blood. Second, I’ll summon the Devils that I’ve encountered in the past from the Historical Void and extract their blood…
In a room in the Backlund Bridge area that didn’t look anything special.
Composite Start
Composite End
The lustrous black-haired Trissy reached out and retrieved a letter from the mirror.
She opened it and her brows gradually frowned. It was especially endearing.
Is it finally happening…? Trissy’s expression changed a few times. She seemed hesitant, resistant, afraid, and confused.
Finally, she smiled and muttered in a twisted voice, “I’ve killed so many people and caused so many tragedies. Even if I were to die this time, it wouldn’t be a total loss…”
After a few seconds of silence, Trissy took out a glass test tube from her black dress’s pocket.
It wasn’t her blood, but another Demoness’s. Her original name was Sherman, who had later called herself Shermane.
As a qualified, senior Demoness, Trissy had found an opportunity to take some of Shermane’s blood while nurturing her. A necessary component for curses; it might not have been of use most of the time, but it could effectively prevent any accidents.
After Shermane’s death, Trissy didn’t abandon the tube of blood. This was because there were many occasions when Demonesses needed such materials, just like now.
City of Silver, in a particular residence.
As soon as the lightning frequency increased, Derrick got out of bed, lit the stove, and quickly grilled some mushroom bread.
This bread was even more exquisite and delicious than the original Black-Faced Grass. He loved it very much, and he looked forward to his three daily meals.
The only problem was that the yield of mushrooms that could make bread wasn’t too high.
Due to the limited number of monster corpses, every resident was only limited to one claim a week, enough for four to five meals.
After thousands of years of hard work, the area around the City of Silver was relatively safe, with relatively few monsters.
Derrick heard that someone had deliberately placed himself in the darkness to hunt monsters for the nurturing of mushrooms, hoping to be bait.
Then, he was eaten.
Those mushrooms have made everyone feel optimistic.” That_s not good.” Derrick thought of the wistfulness before the Chief left and shook his head. He picked up a jar he obtained from another city ruin and poured out some white milk.
Frankly speaking, he didn’t like milk, but it was described by Miss Justice as something that could help humans grow taller and stronger. This was enough to move him.
As a resident of the City of Silver, Derrick knew that, as he hadn’t chosen the Giant pathway, the chances of him growing taller and bulkier in the future were low. However, he secretly hoped to reduce the gap between him and his friends. Milk gave him that opportunity.
Gulp. Gulp. With a serious expression, Derrick drank today’s milk rations.
Just as he was about to get some mushroom bread, he suddenly sensed something and looked out the window.
A person grew out of the shadows outside the door and said from afar, “Derrick, the Chief wants me to give you this bottle of blood.”
The Chief is back? Derrick suddenly stood up and said, “Alright, thank you.”
The moment he finished speaking, he saw the shadow in the gap come alive, pushing out a small metal bottle.
Derrick knew very well that it contained the Devil blood that Mr. World wanted.
Chapter 1142 Warning
After removing the Paper Angel wrapping the ceramic jar, Klein poured the bottle of Devil’s blood into it, and he stirred it with a glass stick he conjured for some time.
Phew, I’ve finally gathered everything. He looked for a few seconds and sighed.
This way, he still had enough time to prepare before George III’s ceremony.
As for whether the Assassin and Devil blood had enough time to be rid of the connection with its original host, he wasn’t concerned, as he had confirmed that the original owners of the two sets of blood were dead.
He divined the origins of the Assassin blood to figure out if it belonged to Demoness Trissy. If it did, he considered leaving some and smearing it on the surface of Groselle’s Travels after everything was over.
He was left in disappointment, but he wasn’t surprised. He had long realized that Trissy was as cautious as he was.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Demoness pathway also has the Instigator Sequence. It requires a high level of intelligence… Yes, the Instigator and Conspirer potions should have the effect of increasing one’s intelligence. Otherwise, Danitz’s future would be bleak… As he thought, he threw the ceramic jar into the junk pile.
He then returned to the real world and began to browse through the detailed ritual Trissy had provided.
This was a ritual that could help him speak to Mr. Door during the full moon.
“A total of nine gems… Isn’t this too extravagant?” he casually muttered as he read it.
As a tycoon who had donated quite a bit of money, he still had nearly 30,000 pounds in liquid assets (14,000 pounds in cash, 15,000 pounds worth of gold bars, 35 pounds of gold coins, and some change). It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford gems, but it was too wasteful.
After thinking for more than ten seconds, he decided to try using the images in the Historical Void as stand-ins. After all, he had no intention of pleasing Mr. Door. Once the ritual ended and the gems disappeared, Mr. Door wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll consider purchasing it at the jewelry store… Klein stood up and set up a ritual in the room outside the rental flat.
After finishing his other preparations, he stretched out his right hand and slowly and heavily grabbed at the thin air in front of him.
He pulled out an ancient brass key from the air.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the key tool to summon Mr. Door, the Master Key.
Right after that, Klein grabbed at the air in front of him solemnly again and pulled out an object from thin air.
The item emitted a tranquil glow that was in the shape of the full moon. Embedded around it were a row of scarlet gems. In the middle was a symbol representing the moon and many mysterious patterns.
Scarlet Lunar Corona!
It was the Scarlet Lunar Corona that currently belonged to Sharron!
It could create the effects of a full moon, allowing the person holding the Master Key to hear Mr. Door’s ravings.
If he only wanted to hear what Mr. Door was shouting, this would’ve been sufficient. There was no need to hold any more rituals, but his goal was to speak to the King of Angels. Therefore, he had to follow the procedure.
After placing the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona on the altar, he recalled for a moment and reached out his right hand again, pulling out a handful from thin air.
This time, he took out a gorgeous necklace made studded with diamonds and jadeite.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hmm… My experiences as Dwayne Dantès are rather useful after all. Otherwise, how could I have come into contact with so many female members of high society and dance with them, allowing me to see accessories of different styles and materials? And without such close proximity for observation, how could I easily summon the corresponding Historical Void images? This can last fifteen minutes. That’s enough… Having met his simple goal, Klein sighed in satisfaction.
Then, he continued to extend his right hand, preparing to gather the nine gems he needed from the ladies and madams he knew in the past.
In a second, his hand stopped in mid-air and his expression turned odd.
I forgot that I can only maintain three Historical Void images… What should I do? Swap this necklace and find an accessory that has at least nine gems? Hmm, let me think about whether I’ve seen anything like that before. Yes, I can use dream divination to recall… This… Is dream divination meant for times like this? Seer and Scholar of Yore are quite compatible after all. Well, this is also an extreme form of magic… Amidst his thoughts, Klein was just about to find a chair and do the divination when he suddenly frowned.
He realized that something was amiss.
Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for him to forget that he could only summon three Historical Void images at the same time.
This is a subtle warning from my spirituality? Looking at the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona on the altar, he waved his right hand gently, causing them to vanish.
Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and recited the honorific name. He went above the gray fog and sat at the seat belonging to The Fool.
He conjured a pen and paper and carefully wrote:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Speaking to Mr. Door now is dangerous.”
This divination was clearly directed at Mr. Door, so Klein was bound to suffer a certain backlash effect. However, he had already obtained basic ownership over Sefirah Castle, allowing him to use the power of an angel, so he believed that he could withstand Mr. Door. After all, “He” was exiled and sealed.
He removed the spirit pendulum on his left wrist and held it with his left hand, allowing it to hang over the surface of the paper.
He closed his eyes and recited the divination statement seven times in a high-strung manner.
Without a sound, a shadow suddenly flashed across his mind. It seemed to completely screen his spiritual perception.
He hurriedly opened his eyes and saw that the topaz pendant had shattered into powder.
After my initial grasp of Sefirah Castle, some divinations are more concealed. It won’t cause any accidents?
Yes, is it because my safety is involved in the matter that this has happened, or is it because the gap between me and Mr. Door has been narrowed to a certain extent? Of course, this is referring to the Mr. Door who is in a sealed state… Or perhaps, the effects of the two combined?
The present result shows that speaking to Mr. Door holds untenable danger… Why though? Klein frowned, unable to come up with any effective speculations or reasonable explanations.
After a while, he leaned back against the high-back chair and shook his head with a sigh. He gave up on his original plan.
Composite Start
Composite End
I can only make more preparations in other areas… With his left hand pressed down, the topaz pendant instantly recovered. After all, it was only a projection above the gray fog.
Because of the changes in the divination earlier, Klein made some connections. Perhaps prying into the secrets of the twisted and translucent maggots on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range might not be as dangerous as before.
That’s highly likely to be a Sequence 1 angel of the Antigonus family. It might even be The Half Fool that Leonard mentioned to me… If my prying can hold on for a while longer, I can directly discern the formulas of the Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker or Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries. Hmm, there’s only one chance. I don’t know what sort of developments would happen when dealing with a crazy monster… I’ll wait till I’m completely accustomed to the Scholar of Yore potion before making the attempt… Klein rubbed his temples before disappearing from above the gray fog.
After returning to the real world, he wasn’t in a hurry to clean up the altar. Instead, he sat down and seriously considered what other abnormal preparations he could make.
The so-called normal ones were: meeting Queen Mystic once to discuss the details of the cooperation; give Will Auceptin, Reinette Tinekerr, Pallez Zoroast more gifts; pray to the Evernight Goddess and increase the chances of summoning the ascetic, Arianna’s Historical Void image; familiarizing himself with the core powers of Scholar of Yore…
As for the abnormal ones, it was purely based on Klein’s own imagination.
After some thought, Klein’s expression turned solemn. He frowned slightly and reached out his right hand to grab the air.
This time, he didn’t drag anything out.
Klein did it another ten times, but all of them met with failure. He had no choice but to accept a fact:
It was impossible to succeed purely by relying on himself!
He then took out his wallet and took out a paper crane. On the surface, he wrote with a pencil:
“Give me some luck. I’ll bring you some ice-cream from the Srenzo Restaurant.”
After folding the paper crane, he entered the room and lay down on the bed. He restored his spirituality by sleeping.
In his hazy dream, he saw thin, silver snakes forming a response:
“Five!”
“No problem.” Klein smiled and made a promise.
At the next moment, he woke up.
He sat up and reached out his right hand again, grabbing a total of ten times.
He still met with complete failure!
I can’t do it even if I’m lucky enough… It’s too difficult… Klein subconsciously wanted to use his finger to rap the edge of the bed, but he instantly restrained himself. It was a habit of his above the gray fog, so it wasn’t suitable for him to bring it to the real world.
After pacing back and forth for a long time, he seriously considered all kinds of connections. Finally, he left the bedroom and went to the altar outside which had yet been tidied up. He brought an item back to the real world.
It was an ancient book made of goatskin with a dark brown cover.
Groselle’s Travels.
Picking up the book, he took a deep breath, half-closed his eyes as if sensing something.
Slowly, he reached out his right hand and grabbed very lightly.
Failure.
Another grab.
It was still a failure.
After five consecutive failures, Klein’s actions became even slower, as though he was taking out a piece of charcoal from a glowing-red stove.
Suddenly, the muscles on his arm tightened and he carefully pulled back.
His right hand slowly retracted, slowly dragging out a rather dull, ancient-looking quill.
This came from Revival Square of the Southern Continent’s West Balam’s Northern State, right beside Ince Zangwill’s corpse.
This was 0-08 before Amon’s brother picked it up.
Chapter 1143 Reasonable Developmen
I can only maintain it for about a minute or so… That’s way too short, isn’t it? A thought flashed through Klein’s mind. Without thinking about anything else, he took two steps to the desk.
He put down Groselle’s Travels and quickly wrote on a piece of paper with 0-08:
“George III plans to use this speech to bait out all his enemies who want to sabotage his ritual. However, if everything goes smoothly and nothing happens, he’ll take the opportunity to consume the potion and reveal his trump card to aim for divinity. After all, there are too many unknowns in the future, making it unsafe. Furthermore, he has made appropriate preparations for the ritual, they’re already prepared to an adequate level.
“This is a very reasonable development.”
After Klein wrote the last sentence, and before he could check if there was anything wrong with the written content, the dim quill in his hand disappeared without a trace, as though it had never existed.
And those few words seemed to drain all of his energy, making him feel dizzy. He took a few steps back and collapsed into his chair.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It doesn’t make sense… It wasn’t exhausting for Ince Zangwill back then… Uh, it should be because I forcefully summoned it, and I didn’t dare let 0-08 weave a story on its own. When I wrote on the piece of paper, I had to rely on my own spirituality to support it. As for Ince Zangwill, he could get 0-08’s cooperation, so it wasn’t that draining… Klein closed his eyes and used Cogitation for a while before feeling better.
Under normal circumstances, having had no physical contact with 0-08 and merely meeting it once had made it impossible for him to summon this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. However, on the one hand, he had the Snake of Fate to personally augment his luck, and on the other hand, he had Groselle’s Travels. This was the item left behind by the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt. Inside it was the City of Miracles, Liveseyd. It had a connection to a certain degree to an existence like 0-08. If it wasn’t for some high-level existence’s disruption, these two items would’ve long been reunited.
Klein didn’t know if this fate and particular connection could increase the chances of a successful summoning. He only wanted to give it a try since he didn’t stand to lose anything. To his surprise, he really succeeded.
And it was precisely because of this that he didn’t dare to use Groselle’s Travels to bear the contents of 0-08’s projection. He didn’t even dare to let them come close, afraid that something irreversible would happen.
This was Backlund, which had an extremely dense population!
Yes, logically speaking, there shouldn’t be any accidents. After all, 0-08 is a Historical Void projection. It’s fake. Groselle’s Travels was conjured by the Dragon of Imagination, and it’s also fake. A fake combination can’t be real in any way. They lack the foundation of a Beyonder characteristic… I can go back to the uninhabited reef island to test it… Klein rubbed his temples and returned to the desk. There, he began reading what he had just written.
He didn’t directly write that George III would be unsuccessful in his advancement and die on the spot. He believed that if he interfered with a Sequence 1 angel, the projection of 0-08 wouldn’t be able to be so direct. He had to be more tactful.
Furthermore, there was also the Psychology Alchemists and Amon’s brother. Overly obvious effects would definitely be detected and easily made use of. All he could do was beat about the bush to mitigate the unknown.
I hope it works… After staring at it for a while, he folded the piece of paper and stuffed it into his pocket.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, he sacrificed Groselle’s Travels back above the gray fog.
After doing all of this, Klein began to consider another problem. It was when he would head out to buy some ice-cream for Will Auceptin.
Backlund has Zaratul, and it’s very possible that Amon is there. If I head out too frequently, we might run into each other. It’s a little dangerous… Why don’t I summon some ice-cream for Will from the Historical Void? It’s very real when eating it, and it’ll disappear in fifteen minutes. There’s no need to worry about gaining weight at all. It’s just splendid… Klein couldn’t help but mumble inwardly.
In the end, he decided to change his clothes and leave the house because he had to keep his promise!
…
Saturday morning, the sky was gray and misty. It made one feel inexplicably stifled.
This was a common scene in Backlund’s deep winter. Although the smog wasn’t as thick and pungent like last year, the geographical environment and climate characteristics had determined that such situations would definitely exist for a long period of time. Furthermore, victory over environmental pollution was never something that could be declared in a year or two.
After putting on a black coat that covered her knees, and a black veil hat, Melissa quickly walked to the door.
Benson held his hat and shook his head.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“A young girl who isn’t even twenty years old should be dressed like a teenager. You look overly mature and old-fashioned in that, understand? Old-fashioned.”
Melissa glanced at her brother and simply replied, “The price of a pound of bread has risen by a quarter-pence.”
“This price…” Benson tsked.
He then took out a silver pocket watch covered in vine-leaf patterns and snapped it open.
“Let’s go. There’s still a long way to go to the municipal square.”
Melissa tersely responded and went out into the streets with her brother.
“Good morning, Mrs. Daniel.” After taking a few steps forward, Benson saw a neighbor leaving. He greeted her with a smile.
He was good at chatting and had long established a good relationship with his neighbors.
The lady named Mrs. Daniel wore a pure black dress. She was in her forties and had a thin face. Her face was covered in a thin black veil that hung down from her hat. When she heard the greeting, she nodded and replied simply, “Good morning, the two of you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
She didn’t make any small talk, and she coldly walked away.
As he watched her back, Benson deliberately slowed down his pace. When they finally opened up a distance, he turned to ask his sister, “What happened to Mrs. Daniel?
“I’ve been too busy recently, so I haven’t visited the neighbors in a long time.”
Melissa pursed her lips and said, “Mrs. Daniel’s eldest son was confirmed to have died on the front line at the Amantha mountain range. News from yesterday.”
“That tall, bashful, but thoughtful, kind, and sincere young lad? When he came back the last time, he said that he was promoted in the army and became an officer…” Benson asked in surprise.
Melissa nodded.
“I couldn’t imagine that Larry would die just like that…”
Just like how she couldn’t imagine the tragic deaths of her classmates at school.
In just a few seconds, some people could no longer speak, communicate, or study.
Benson was silent for a moment before sighing.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ve been busy lately. Actually, I’ve been dealing with bereavement payments, but perhaps the list I received didn’t include Larry, so I’m not sure.
“There’s a lot of information on that list. Some are cheerful, others are humorous, others are the only child within a family. Some are determined, while others are the leaders of the soldiers around them. Some just got married and don’t have children. Some are preparing presents for their youngest daughter, while others had love letters with them. They planned on sending it at the post office after the battle… But, they’re all dead.”
Melissa and Benson fell silent at the same time, and neither of them spoke for a long time.
When they were almost at the intersection, Melissa looked at the road ahead and said in a low voice, “What do you think His Majesty will be talking about in his speech today?”
“Perhaps it’s a form of musters, or perhaps it’s to convey the faith that we will prevail,” Benson said in passing.
Melissa turned to look at her brother.
“This isn’t like you, Benson. Shouldn’t you be making some snarky remarks?”
“It should wait till the speech is heard and the specific content is understood. The most basic principle of being a person is to not make comment on things that one doesn’t know enough of. Otherwise, they would be worse than a curly-haired baboon,” Benson said with a smile.
At this moment, he saw another neighbor.
The other party’s hair was white, and his face was half-covered with a scarf. He was wearing a thick jacket and was holding a cloth bag in his hand as he hurried past the siblings.
“Mr. Thomas’s dressing is so strange… Does he still need to do something else?” Benson looked at the back of the man and asked in puzzlement.
Melissa replied in a low voice, “Mrs. Thomas is sick, and that spent quite a bit of their family’s savings. Recently, with food prices sharply increasing while Mr. Thomas’s income remains the same, he has to queue up at the soup kitchen every few days to get some bread. He’s a decent gentleman, so he probably doesn’t want others to recognize him.
“Also, the food at the soup kitchen is always limited. If one’s late, there might not be any left. They’ll have to go to the cathedral, the workhouse, and other places. The handouts just happen to start after His Majesty’s speech, so Mr. Thomas probably wants to go there directly.”
Benson nodded slowly and asked in concern, “What’s wrong with Mrs. Thomas? I know a few good doctors.”
“A disease caused by anxiety,” Melissa explained what she had heard. “Mrs. Thomas is very worried about her youngest child who’s serving in the army.”
“You mean Thomas Jr.?” Benson frowned slightly.
After receiving his sister’s confirmation, he fell silent, as if recalling something.
After a while, when they approached the nearest municipal square, Benson looked ahead and whispered, “Thomas Jr. is already dead…”
“…” Melissa didn’t respond, but her expression was a little dazed.
They walked forward silently, as if they were relying on inertia.
More and more people appeared in front of them. These people were either dressed in formal attire or holding canes, dressed up as gentlemen. Otherwise, they were dressed in blue, green, yellow, and red-colored skirts; sweaters and leather jackets matched with pants; or dark-colored petticoats. Their colors were dull.
They came out of their houses and from the streets they were on, like water droplets splashing upward. They merged together at the intersection, forming a tiny stream.
The stream surged ahead, combining with other tributaries, and flowed into the square’s entrance, interweaving into a majestic torrent.
The torrents slowly surged forward, flooding the square.
Amidst this torrent of humans, Melissa felt like she was as puny as a water droplet.
Chapter 1144 Narrowly
Due to the fact that they had arrived early, the seats that Melissa and Benson could choose from weren’t too bad. They could directly see something strange on the grayish-white stone pillars in the middle of the square. Its two heads dramatically differed in size and were painted with dark blue paint. It was connected to some cables.
At the foot of the object was a troop of soldiers in red shirts and white pants. They were carrying grayish-white metal backpacks, as well as complicated structures and small-caliber rifles. They were watching their surroundings in high alert.
As more and more citizens gathered, the square began bustling with activity.
At nine o’clock sharp, the strange object on the stone pillar suddenly produced sizzling sounds. Finally, it changed into a deep and thick voice:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m your emperor, ruler of Loen, East Balam, and Rorsted Archipelago, George Augustus III.”
…That thing can talk? It’s using the principles behind the telegram? Melissa’s eyes widened as her attention shifted from the speech to the strange thing.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m your emperor, ruler of Loen, East Balam, and Rorsted Archipelago, George Augustus III.”
At Memorial Square in West Borough, Audrey accompanied her father, mother, and elder brother near the platform. She looked at the king in his formal attire as she attentively listened to his speech.
As she knew in advance what George III would be focusing on today, and the mood that would be created, Audrey didn’t wear anything that she was fond of. Be it the colors or style, they were nothing a girl would wear. It was the same as the Earl’s wife, Caitlyn. The dress was simple and conservative. It was black in color without any traces of accessories.
“…I’m very happy but also feel heavy-hearted to tell everyone that we’ve finally stopped the first stage of the Feysacian attacks. We’ve foiled their plans of annihilating Loen within three months…
“…But many outstanding young people have already died at the front lines and died in this war. They had a better future ahead of them. They should’ve accompanied their parents in growing up, aging together with their spouses, and allowing their children to grow up in a loving environment and have a good childhood…
“…The Feysacians have destroyed everything…”
Knowing why this war had started, Audrey wasn’t incited by the King’s speech. She only felt that he definitely had talent in inciting drama.
She heard slight sobbing sounds coming from the crowd around her. She could feel the sadness rising bit by bit as they intertwined and brewed.
Composite Start
Composite End
Her eyes reddened uncontrollably.
The king’s speech was very fake, but the sorrow of the people was real. In particular, Audrey had seen many family members who had been killed, having helped those who had lost their children, husbands, and father overnight.
This is a great resonance of emotions, the best place to consume the Manipulator potion… Audrey suddenly came to a realization, but she was unable to make use of it because, not only had she not digested the Dreamwalker potion, but she had yet to provide enough contributions to Mr. World.
She slowly took a deep breath and controlled her emotions. She shifted her gaze away from King George III and let her thoughts wander.
Mr. World is very concerned about today’s speech. I wonder how he’s going to exploit this…
I hope it won’t lead to a serious accident…
That thing called a “radio broadcast” is based on the principles of wireless radio transmission? Mr. World mentioned that certain factions at sea have already put such technology to use… Compared to the sea which is constantly affected by storms, something like this is clearly more suitable for use on land…
As the thoughts flashed through her mind, the stern and old-fashioned George III finished the first part of his speech and solemnly said, “Let us mourn for our heroes here. Ladies and gentlemen, recite this together with me in your hearts:
“In the name of Emperor George III, I wish for the dead heroes to be at peace. I hope they will become eternal in the kingdom of the deity they believe in.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This sentence carried an indescribable sense of dignity, making everyone, including Audrey, involuntarily lower their heads, clasp their hands, and silently recite, In the name of Emperor George III…
…
In the name of Emperor George III… On the other side of Memorial Square, Klein, who was wearing a black coat and an ordinary face, stood and prayed with the crowd around him at the same time. He appeared completely normal.
After three minutes of silence, he used an avian marionette standing on the roof of a nearby building to carefully observe George III’s every move in an attempt to find a sign that the king was about to quietly leave and enter the mausoleum to consume the potion.
According to Klein’s understanding, the “in the name of Emperor George III” segment was core to the entire Black Emperor ritual. If one were to consume the potion, it would definitely happen at this moment, or within two to three minutes after the collective mourning. The effects would likely be lacking if there was any delay.
Eh, George III is also silently mourning. He isn’t doing anything else… Klein held back his impatience and puzzlement as he patiently waited.
Tears streamed down many people’s faces as the mourning gradually came to an end. Everyone opened their eyes one after another. At this moment, George III didn’t do anything. He spoke again and continued his speech.
“We’ve already endured through the most difficult part. We’ll definitely defeat this evil and brutality. This is the power of justice. This is the power of every soldier at the front lines. This is the power of every factory worker…”
This… The arrangement by 0-08 wasn’t successful. George III has no intention of becoming a god today. He’s just trying to “bait” any enemies who want to destroy his ritual. In any case, he can still give many more speeches like this in the future? Klein frowned slightly as thoughts flashed through his mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, his expression turned solemn as he thought of a possibility.
In the blink of an eye, Klein switched places with Enuni, who was hiding in the sewers. The latter was dressed the same as him, and his external appearance looked identical to him.
Following that, Klein took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog. With the help of the crimson star representing Miss Justice, he used his “true vision” to observe the situation in the square.
He was already a Sequence 3 Beyonder, so there was no need for him to use the Sea God Scepter to widen his field of view. Of course, compared to a Scholar of Yore, a Sea King’s “true vision” was obviously much larger. However, there was no need for that.
The moment his gaze landed on the stage where King George III was giving his speech, his gaze froze. There was no one there, or rather, there was only a fake “phantom”!
It was an “imagined” George III giving the speech!
Before the speech, Klein had been wary of this problem. He had specially observed and confirmed that it was the real George III. Who knew that, within a few minutes, the real George III would become an imaginary George III.
In the midst of his silence, he had used the Black Emperor pathway’s powers to distort and silently swap himself with a substitute? George III should’ve already entered a secret mausoleum and is consuming a potion in an attempt to advance! With a thought, he quickly checked the surrounding area and discovered that there was something abnormal beneath the platform. Boundless black energy was secretly emanating from there.
He then picked up the Black Emperor card on the surface of the long bronze table and tried sensing it. Using the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics, he confirmed that the power belonged to the Black Emperor pathway and came from “Distortion” powers.
Impressive. While using a speech to “bait” the enemy, he disguised himself as a fake person and secretly left to consume the potion… There’s not much time left… Klein’s heart tightened as he immediately returned to the real world. In the sewers, he recited in Jotun, “The sacred spirit that pursues knowledge;
Composite Start
Composite End
“The mysterious world’s lighthouse;
“Eyes that pry into fate;
“The royalty above the sea;
“The pure and holy Bernadette Gustav…”
This was the honorific name of Queen Mystic, but it was somewhat different from a normal Sequence 3’s. Its range was very large and was effective all across Backlund. With regards to this, Klein suspected that the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle had used a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact to achieve this effect.
Bernadette rarely told her honorific name to anyone, afraid that some enemies would use the prayer and automatic response property to lock onto her position before she reached Sequence 2. This was very similar to what Klein had thought of.
Klein had come to an agreement with her that, as long as he recited her honorific name, she would choose any secret mausoleum and open the door with the symbol drawn by the blood in an attempt to destroy it.
Both of them didn’t have any hopes of success, because the guards in the mausoleum would definitely chant the honorific names of the angels every once in a while, causing a situation that allows “Them” to see the corresponding areas through the prayer point of light. Once “They” discovered something amiss, “They” would immediately rush over to help.
Bernadette’s main purpose was to attract attention!
Of course, if those angels were to arrive at a slower pace, Queen Mystic could also go from providing support to being the main offensive force.
After doing this, Klein immediately stretched out his right hand to grab the air.
As his arm pulled back, a figure appeared in front of him.
It was a woman with average facial features and dark eyes. She wore a simple robe and a tree bark belt. Her raven-black hair hung down as she stood bare feet without any shoes or socks.
The Evernight cloister’s matron, the ascetic leader, the Servant of Concealment, the Grounded Angel, Arianna.
I succeeded in one try… Klein was shocked, but he didn’t think too much about it. He quickly said, “Keep my existence concealed and protect the people of Backlund.”
He was worried that after George III lost control due to the destruction of his ritual, he would rush out of the mausoleum and harm the people of this city.
“Alright,” Arianna replied with a calm expression. She wasn’t rigid or stiff at all.
…It can’t be “Her” in person, right… Actually, my summoning wasn’t successful, but the Goddess had already gotten Ma’am Arianna to secretly return to Backlund. The moment “She” sensed that “She” had been summoned, “She” came over… An angel of the concealment domain also has a certain degree of control over “Their” Historical Void image? As a thought flashed through his mind, he realized that he had entered a special state, no longer being sensed by the outside world.
Chapter 1145 Three Arrows At The Same Time
Klein didn’t have the time to think about such trivial matters. After having his existence “concealed,” he immediately got Enuni to switch places with a new marionette who was formerly a pirate.
Immediately following that, he activated Creeping Hunger and brought Enuni and Qonas to the secret mausoleum in Awwa County.
As he could only maintain three images from the Historical Void at the same time, it was impossible for him to abandon his marionette and directly come over by using a summoned projection. It would occupy a crucial spot. As for the remaining marionettes in Memorial Square, they wouldn’t die on the spot in half an hour. They would only appear to be in a daze. However, this wasn’t something that would attract too much attention while listening to a speech. Finally, if he didn’t return, the Red Gloves team from the Church of Evernight would clean up his tracks.
At the same time, outside the secret mausoleum in East Chester County, there was a young lady in a yellow layered dress and a black, old-fashioned bonnet. Pea vines grew out of nowhere as they appeared.
Her chestnut hair cascaded down naturally. Her eyebrows were long and straight, and her eyes appeared as though they were filled with a blue sea.
Looking at the mountain wall in front of her, Queen Mystic extended her right hand and quickly formed a symbol in the void.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Following the movement of her fingertips, drops of bright red blood that resembled shattered gems seeped out and froze in midair.
Soon, a complicated symbol formed from layers of “doors” appeared. They trembled slightly and seemed to resonate with something somewhere else.
In the blink of an eye, the blood-colored symbol extended into an illusory translucent door. Through it, one could vaguely see a gigantic mausoleum formed from black rocks.
Bernadette immediately walked through the illusory door and arrived inside a dim and dark area.
The light here came from the lights of stone pillars and strange underground moss growing on the cliff walls. Together, they illuminated the secret mausoleum in the light fog at the bottom.
The symbol provided by Mr. Door was really useful!
At this moment, as a ritual was being held deep underground, faint lights gathered, forming a figure midair in the darkness.
The figure had a square face, black hair and blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and a thick beard. He looked rather solemn.
His appearance and image wasn’t unfamiliar to many citizens of the Loen Kingdom. This was because he had been printed on the front side of ten-pound notes. Of course, people who had never touched ten-pound notes in their entire lives could also see his statue or portraits at Memorial Square.
Composite Start
Composite End
He was the Loen Kingdom’s Founder and Protector, the first king, William Augustus I.
This was an entity referred to as “He”!
With the help of the ritual, “He” had come here directly from Backlund!
Bernadette remained impassive. With a flip of her hand, a new item appeared.
The item was golden in color, like a miniaturized water flask. However, a candlewick extended out from the mouth of the flask.
As Bernadette caressed the surface of the item with her right hand—one that was covered in mysterious and complicated symbols—the candlewick silently ignited.
The light it emitted was like a sticky water stream that sprayed upwards, forming a blurry and twisted golden figure.
“Eternal Genie of the Lamp, my second wish is to obtain the strength of a Knowledge Emperor for one day.” Seizing the opportunity when William Augustus I had yet to fully descend, Bernadette spoke in a solemn voice.
The item in her hand was called “Magic Wishing Lamp.” It might’ve come as early as the First Epoch. Although it had never been obtained by the seven Churches, it had the corresponding Grade 0 Sealed Artifact number.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“0-05”!
This item could grant its owner any ten wishes, but this was either done in a distorted form, or it came with unpredictable and terrifying outcomes.
None of its previous owners had a good ending, including Roselle Gustav.
This emperor had warned his daughter that she could use the proper choice of words and make preparations to avoid the harm brought about by the first two wishes, but she absolutely couldn’t make the third wish. Absolutely not!
…
Meanwhile, the concealed Klein arrived near the secret mausoleum in Awwa County without alerting anyone.
Although time was tight, he didn’t rashly approach the mausoleum by drawing the symbol and opening the door. Instead, he reached out his right hand and grabbed at the air in front of him.
After five consecutive attempts, the muscles on his arm suddenly tightened, as if he was pulling something extremely heavy.
As he retracted his right hand, a figure quickly appeared.
Composite Start
Composite End
The figure’s skin was bronze in color. He had a medium build, black hair, brown eyes, and soft facial features. Beneath his right ear was a very thin mole. It was none other than Azik Eggers.
However, unlike the Mr. Azik that he knew, the figure’s gaze was cold. He wore a deep black robe embroidered with golden threads. He wore a golden bird-shaped crown, as though he was looking down on all living creatures.
This was the former Death Consul, a former Sequence 2 angel!
Without sizing him up further, Klein reached out again and “grabbed” into the void.
This time, he didn’t seem to have pulled anything out, but in fact, he had summoned the former him from ten seconds ago, the him who was in a concealed state!
Then, Klein threw a small metal bottle at his projection and made himself enter the gray fog’s Historical Void.
In his past self, his consciousness suddenly came alive and became extremely agile.
This concealed Klein brought the projection of Death Consul Azik and came to the secret mausoleum where the entrance couldn’t be seen. He took out a small metal bottle and used his spirituality to draw with the blood that shimmered like gems. In midair, he quickly outlined the symbol that Mr. Door had given.
The symbol rapidly formed and resonated with a particular point in the mausoleum, expanding into an illusory door.
In a concealed state, Klein and Death Consul Azik passed through the door and entered the corresponding secret mausoleum.
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, the guards inside had already discovered that there was an intruder and had activated the ritual they had prepared in advance. However, all they could see was the lofty Death Consul.
Somewhere in Backlund, the former, former Duke of Southville, Dlink Augustus, was just about to use a ritual to open a passageway and descend into that secret mausoleum when a man beside him suddenly frowned and said, “That’s Azik Eggers. No, ‘He’ is very rigid. It’s like a historical projection summoned by the Secret Order’s Scholar of Yore.
“Your Highness, let me go over. Stay here and be wary of the Scholar of Yore who’s lurking in the dark. Although they aren’t angels, they’re quite troublesome.”
Dlink Augustus was a slightly arrogant elder. His black hair was mixed with silver threads, and he was clean-shaved. Upon hearing that, “He” laughed and said, “Isn’t the Scholar of Yore just beside ‘Him’? Although he’s in a concealed state, I’ve already discovered him through the disorder of the surrounding area.
“He’s misleading us, making us think that he’s deliberately attacking with a historical projection while his true body has gone elsewhere. In fact, he’s hidden beside Azik’s projection. Once this Death Consul attracts the attention he wants, and when we place our main forces elsewhere, he’ll use the concealed state to approach the mausoleum to cause destruction.
“Besides, regardless of the reason, since he’s summoned an angel’s projection, you won’t be able to kill the target in a short period of time even if you carry a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. If this implicates the mausoleum, our efforts and persistence would’ve been in vain.
“If that Scholar of Yore has done three levels of misdirection and really went to another mausoleum, he won’t be able to summon an angel from the Historical Void. You can easily eliminate him.”
While he said his first sentence, Dlink Augustus had already entered the passage through the ritual’s activation. The rest of “His” words were spoken by the phantoms that “He” had left behind.
Inside the secret mausoleum in Awwa County, Azik Eggers scanned the area with an indifferent expression. “His” body suddenly swelled and transformed into a giant serpent that covered the area above the mausoleum.
This giant serpent was both illusory and real, as though it was formed by something incomprehensible to humans. Its entire body was covered with huge dark-green scales. White feathers grew out from the gaps, and each scale and feather had strange symbols of different shapes. Just the mere sight of them made one’s flesh decompose, turning them into zombies.
This was “Quetzalcoatl,” the serpent spoken of in Southern Continent myth. “His” eye sockets were burning with pale-white flames as an exaggerated, thick pair of wings spread from “His” back.
Amidst the howling wind, the feathered serpent in midair lunged forward with its upper body and spat out a pale-white flame that covered the entire mausoleum.
…Mr. Azik’s Historical Void projection is definitely much weaker than before, but it’s still very powerful… As expected of the biological son of Death, the consul of the Balam Empire… Although the concealed Klein had done a summoning experiment previously at sea, he never expected that Azik’s projection would be so powerful.
At that moment, points of faint, gloomy glows flew out of the mausoleum, putting an end to the tidal-like pale-white flames’ advancement.
Following that, they formed a figure. It was none other than the Sequence 2 Balancer, Dlink Augustus.
The moment the concealed Klein saw “Him,” he suddenly turned rigid and stiff. He began acting based on instinct—a result of him returning to the Historical Void and being outside the secret mausoleum.
Then, he teleported to a secret mausoleum under the Tussock River and took out another small metal bottle. In a concealed state, he used his spirituality to draw the blood out to outline the symbol.
A few seconds later, the symbol resonated and turned into a door. With his marionettes, Qonas and Enuni, he walked in.
Of course, in the river and forest outside, he still had marionettes he just converted.
…
A figure appeared near the Ruins No. 1 in the outskirts of Backlund.
Her raven hair was radiant, and her face was slightly round. She looked beautiful, with a hint of sweetness and an outstanding bearing. She was none other than Demoness Trissy.
After Trissy approached Ruins No. 1, she also took out a small metal bottle and drew the symbol provided by Mr. Door with the blood.
An illusory door rapidly took shape.
Chapter 1146 A Real Charlatan
As she passed through the illusory door, Trissy hid herself and jumped down from the cliff at the entrance, towards the dark valley below.
The secret mausoleum that originated from Blood Emperor Tudor was hidden here.
During the descent, Trissy’s body was as light as a feather. She lost most of her weight, but her speed was in no way slow.
None of the remaining guards noticed that she had sneaked in.
Just as Trissy was approaching her target, she heard a voice say, “Concealment is prohibited here.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Trissy’s figure instantly appeared out of nowhere. And in the area above the towering mausoleum in the dark valley, there was a man who had appeared at some point in time.
This man had a long, rectangular face with a white hairband on his head. He had a mustache that curled up around his mouth, and his brows were extremely thick, setting off his relatively large eyes.
He was dressed in formal attire and wore a cloak. The tips of his shoes were extremely long, and his attire didn’t seem to match the times. He was the demigod who supported George III, Prince Grove.
On the head of this Sequence 3 Chaos Hunter, there was a crown made of thorns. Pure light constantly gathered into the crown, interweaving into a “sea.”
Sealed Artifact 0-36.
…
Klein swam beneath the Tussock River when an image suddenly appeared in his mind just as he led his marionette, Qonas and Enuni, through the illusory door.
A black cathedral stood in front of them with its spacious door opened, revealing a man in a pair of dungarees, a gentleman in a formal suit and top hat, a lady with frilly designs along her sleeves, and a lady whose dress formed flowers with laces…
They were suspended in midair, motionless.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Caw!” “Caw!” “Caw!”
Black ravens circled the top of the cathedral, letting out heart-stopping cries.
Without making any guesses, Klein felt like he had fallen into a crack on a frozen lake. His body turned cold as his hair stood on end.
Countless thoughts surged in his mind as they collectively shouted out a name:
Zaratul!
In the blink of an eye, Klein instinctively made a decision. He planned to switch locations with his marionettes from the outside world, and directly leave the “cathedral” in front of him.
Clearly, he had encountered a “miracle.” He didn’t enter George III’s secret mausoleum after passing through the illusory door; instead, he had come to a baffling place.
In the next second, he discovered that the Spirit Body Threads that were connected to his marionettes had been severed. They were rapidly floating upwards towards the interior of the pitch-black cathedral.
If it wasn’t for his intuition that exceeded his own level, allowing him to detect danger ahead of time, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to react in time. He definitely would’ve been hung up and become a member of the marionettes.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t have time to think too much about it. He quickly controlled his Spirit Body Threads and collected them all, connecting them to himself, forming one “circle” after another.
This allowed him to temporarily extricate himself from the danger, but it also made him lose his marionettes, Qonas, and Enuni, in just a second.
The two marionettes’ necks suddenly tightened as they were lifted up by an invisible hand before being hung up in the cathedral’s interior.
Together with the original corpses, they swayed in the wind and produced voices that were different but said the exact same thing:
“Welcome back…”
…
In Memorial Square, the “imagined” King George III was still giving a speech.
“…I will further lower the wealth requirements needed for election eligibility. I will hand over even more rights to the House of Commons…”
Although the people didn’t understand why there was such a development in the speech, it sounded good to them.
Composite Start
Composite End
These are all bills that have been approved by the House of Lords, but there’s no need to tell the public during this speech… It’s like the King is emphasizing that he will definitely follow these bills in the future… Audrey was puzzled, but she couldn’t come up with a convincing explanation.
In the dark and majestic secret Ruins No. 1 in the outskirts of Backlund.
The real George III had already worn a black crown and consumed the potion.
“His” body was transforming towards the shadow of order, extending in a magical state. As for the nine mausoleums, they were the islands in the sea of nothingness. They were the components of his entire rule. As for the people who were chanting “Emperor George III” at the same time during the ritual, there were like countless numbers of lighthouses. Together, they “anchored” this ruler of Loen, East Balam, and the Rorsted Archipelago, making “Him” completely transcend reality and become a part of the shadow of order.
During this process, George III’s thoughts wandered uncontrollably as though they were being torn apart:
The Secret Order’s Zaratul actually contacted me directly, hoping to provide me with help…
“He” said that “He” saw some of Gehrman Sparrow’s thoughts from the Capim case, the attack on Ailment Maiden, the silencing of Crazy Captain, and Qonas Kilgor’s disappearance. And “His” divination results made “Him” cooperate with me, offering to help me guard a mausoleum. There, “He” waited for Gehrman Sparrow to take the initiative to walk to “Him,” because of his own goals and the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics…
“He” also said that the most important thing to do when dealing with a qualified demigod of the Seer pathway is to be patient and determined…
What a charlatan…
“He” even brought Abomination Suah…
Composite Start
Composite End
I used my powers to sign a contract with “Them”…
Together with the helpers I invited from the Twilight Hermit Order, as well as Grove, who wields a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, even if most of the demigods of the military and royal family are fighting at the front lines or protecting Backlund, I don’t have to worry about the ritual being destroyed. Unless a true deity descends into the real world…
And that’s impossible… So, I originally wanted to use this opportunity to lure out any resistance, but in the end, I decided to use this opportunity to directly advance…
Heh heh, since Grove still doesn’t know about these hidden cards. Well, he has no right to know…
In less than two minutes, I’ll become an eternal god, the Black Emperor who rules over reality…
…
“Caw!” “Caw!” “Caw!”
In the dark world with the ravens’ cawing, the corpses hanging from the black top of the church descended and passed through the main door.
Their eyes were locked onto Klein, who was outside.
Almost at the same time, a figure slowly but firmly outlined itself in midair.
Without caring about what it was, Klein quickly snapped his fingers while maintaining the special state of his Spirit Body Threads.
Pa!
A red flame surged out from his wallet and instantly enveloped him.
The flame was quickly extinguished, and Klein remained where he was, unable to leap out.
He didn’t show any signs of being depressed as he immediately activated Creeping Hunger to attempt to teleport.
Klein instantly turned transparent as he appeared again, unable to take a single step.
His origin and destination had strangely been connected.
At that moment, the figure in midair had already taken form. He was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with long chestnut-colored curly hair, blue eyes, high nose bridge, and thin lips. He was none other than the Roselle Gustav from when he was an emperor.
“He” looked down at Klein as countless illusory symbols appeared in his eyes.
Klein’s mind instantly swelled as he was injected with a large amount of unknown knowledge.
His head felt like it was exploding in an instant while his other thoughts were completely occupied, so much so that he couldn’t even lift a finger.
Instinctively, he allowed that knowledge to split up and become injected into hundreds of Worms of Spirit.
This allowed him to regain his ability to control his body as he quickly grabbed the space ahead of him with his right hand.
His arm suddenly sank, and then he suddenly pulled back. When the marionettes passed through the cathedral’s door and began their attacks, another two figures appeared in midair, dragging out a scaleless, silvery-white tail.
As he released his right hand, a giant serpent appeared in this dark kingdom.
“His” eyes were bright red and cold, and his body was covered in patterns and symbols. There were countless wheels in the details.
Snake of Fate!
Actually, this wasn’t something that Klein could summon out from the Historical Void. Instead, it was Will Auceptin descending with the burning of the paper crane after using the Yesterday Once More charm.
Klein had just used Flaming Jump moments ago to seek help from the Snake of Fate.
And the reason why he wanted to “grab” at something was to conceal his true intentions. It was to prevent the opposing angel from discovering the location of the Snake of Fate, putting Dr. Aaron’s family in danger.
This wasn’t like how he had previously dealt with Amon’s avatar back then, as he had no confidence in eliminating all the clues. Therefore, he had discussed with Will in advance on how to deal with such situations.
Fortunately, the intent Will Auceptin expressed indicated that the truth of the “summoning” from before hadn’t been exposed.
At that moment, the gigantic Snake of Mercury rose up and bit its tail, turning into a mysterious and exaggerated wheel.
In midair, two figures appeared on both sides of Roselle’s projection. One of them was Queen Mystic Bernadette, whose real body was in an intense battle with Sequence 1 Hand of Order William Augustus I. The other was formed from pure light, and a pair of shining wings grew on his back. It was obviously at the level of an angel!
Suddenly, the two angel projections that appeared quickly vanished. The attacks they directed at Klein, and the controlled marionettes, retreated back into the cathedral and were hung up again.
Qonas and Enuni walked out one after another. With him, they passed backward through the illusory door and left the world with resonating cawing, appearing beneath the Tussock River.
Snake of Fate. Reboot!
The giant serpent’s figure vanished as well. Without any hesitation, Klein activated “Teleportation” and passed through countless spirit world creatures to another secret mausoleum. He used the remaining blood to outline the symbol and opened the illusory door.
This time, he entered the interior and saw a solemn and dark mausoleum. He summoned the Sea God Scepter and released a terrifying “Lightning Storm,” again and again, destroying the target.
Then, he turned around and left the scene.
Everything went so smoothly, just like a dream.
Yes, a beautiful dream.
Klein, who could always maintain his lucidity in dreams, had realized that he was in a real dream created by someone else the moment he entered the ruins where the secret mausoleum was!
Chapter 1147 Chaos
Klein pretended not to notice the real dream. As he tried to stop his projection of the Death Consul, he tried to summon another version of “himself” from the Historical Void to fool the guards of the Tudor ruins, allowing his body to escape the dream and sneak into the secret mausoleum to achieve his goal of destroying it.
At the moment, he could only maintain three Historical Void projections. Death Consul Azik Eggers was one, his self-projection in a concealed state was another. He couldn’t be certain if the leader of the ascetics, Arianna, was considered one. However, to be safe, he had to disperse one of them before he made another summoning attempt.
Regarding Arianna’s state, apart from suspecting that “She” had descended in person due to “Her” state, Klein had other theories. Perhaps the leader of the Evernight cloister had deliberately entered a concealed state after sensing that “Her” projection from the past had been summoned while being located in the Amantha mountain range. “She” had vanished from the real world, allowing the projection to gain sentience. This was completely feasible, especially since the authority of “concealment” likely gave “Her” a certain degree of control over “Her” historical projections.
When it came to a concealment angel like this, Klein was unable to use the feedback from Scholar of Yore’s maintenance of the historical projection to confirm “Her” true situation. Therefore, he didn’t make any changes, so as to prevent any accidents from happening.
Just as he was about to summon his past self, the real dream silently disappeared. Everything around him returned to normal.
He was standing on a cliff at the entrance. Below him was a dark and majestic mausoleum.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
An old man with an ordinary appearance was levitating in midair. Under the glow from the moss and the light from the stone pillars inside the cliff, he calmly looked at Klein and sighed in ancient Feysac.
“You weren’t actually fooled by the dream I crafted.”
This old man’s hair was completely white, but it was thick enough. There weren’t many wrinkles on his face, and his appearance wasn’t anything special.
The Spectator pathway’s Sequence 3 Dreamweaver? No, at least, he’s not an angel… Klein tensed up and didn’t respond. He immediately took out his silver adventurer’s harmonica and blew into it.
No sound was produced, but Reinette Tinekerr, who was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, walked out.
One of the blonde, red-eyed heads in “Her” hands immediately spat out a rectangular diamond-like charm. Another head chanted in ancient Hermes, “Yesterday!”
Yesterday Once More!
Miss Messenger was borrowing strength from “Her” past self!
Compared to a Sequence 1 Snake of Fate, the power “She” borrowed could last longer.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, the charm didn’t change at all.
In midair, the elder in the gray robe gently chuckled and kindly reminded them, “Don’t use ancient Hermes in front of me.”
…Hermes… This is Hermes, the one who lived since the Second Epoch and created ancient Hermes? An angel of the Spectator pathway… The origin of the Psychology Alchemists… Klein was first shocked before he realized something.
Hermes was participating in the battle, so it was unlikely “He” had a strong desire to stop him!
No, perhaps “He” is deliberately acting to lower our guard… Beyonders of the Spectator pathway are the best at manipulating the hearts of others… Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Reinette Tinekerr’s other two heads began chanting in Jotun and Elvish:
“Yesterday!”
The rectangular diamond-like charm was instantly ignited by a transparent flame before fusing with the void.
Reinette Tinekerr’s body began to rapidly expand as the four heads in her hands flew up and landed on “Her” neck.
The four heads became illusory one after another.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In an instant, Reinette Tinekerr transformed into a huge cloth doll that resembled a castle. “She” was dressed in a black gothic dress with countless mysterious symbols and sinister vines. “Her” eyes were blood-red.
“She” swept his gaze across ancient Hermes. “She” opened “Her” tightly shut mouth but didn’t make a single sound.
The “Spectator” pathway’s angel flashed with a faint light, turning into a plump, white rabbit.
Ancient Bane, Transformation Curse!
The rabbit didn’t panic at all. Its body began to swell, becoming half the size of a mountain. One stomp was sufficient to trample him to death.
To an angel of the Spectator pathway, merely believing in “Their” strength allowed “Them” to be powerful enough without being at a disadvantage due to “Their” appearance!
As the rabbit turned into a monster, a subtle change happened in the ruins. Reality and illusion intertwined, making Reinette Tinekerr a little confused as to whether “She” was in a dream or in the real world.
Klein could differentiate between the two. While he had noticed that, not only was Miss Messenger in a Mythical Creature form, but the surface of the rabbit’s body was covered in grayish-white scales. All sorts of patterns intertwined together, forming three-dimensional symbols that seemed to connect to the mind.
Angels are truly terrifying. They use their complete Mythical Creature form right at the start… As Klein sighed, he didn’t even dare take a second look to gain more knowledge. Firstly, he didn’t have the time to do so, and secondly, his level wasn’t high enough. Seeing a complete Mythical Creature form would definitely lead to being affected and receiving some negative effects. This was something he had to avoid in a dangerous battlefield.
Composite Start
Composite End
Taking advantage of the battle between Miss Messenger and the gigantic rabbit that had transformed into a dragon, Klein used the strong winds to head for the secret mausoleum. As he recited a particular honorific name in Jotun, he reached out to grab at the air.
First time, failure; second time, failure; third time, still a failure!
Just as one fat, white rabbit after another appeared in Klein’s island of consciousness, causing him to elevate his consciousness to fight back and be unable to take multiple things into consideration, he instinctively reached out his right hand and finally touched a particular image in the Historical Void.
As he pulled back his arm, the image quickly outlined itself. She was a woman wearing a dark-colored robe and a wide hood. She had a beautiful face and slightly dull black eyes.
This was the concealment angel of the Church of Evernight that he had met before.
Later, he found out in the foggy town that this was Mother of the Sky, the daughter of the ancient god, Flegrea, and suspected to be the vessel for the Goddess’s descent.
Since he was able to successfully summon the ascetic leader, Arianna, from the Historical Void in one try, Klein definitely thought of trying to see if he could summon “Her.”
He had been chanting the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess!
The employing of Historical Void projections by Scholars of Yore had a difficult-to-overcome restriction. It was that he was unable to summon something that involved the Uniqueness. However, objects that were merely a vessel of a deity’s descent depended on how much of the deity’s power was carried by the corresponding Historical Void projection or if it involved the Uniqueness. Similarly, if he wanted to summon Amon, it was impossible to summon the actual body, but an avatar would work.
To be safe, the person who he summoned was the one who had smiled at him during the Great Smog of Backlund, and he succeeded after three attempts!
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, if it wasn’t for the Goddess’s tacit approval, or perhaps providing some level of help, he might not have succeeded given a hundred attempts, a thousand attempts, or even ten thousand attempts.
The beautiful lady didn’t look at him, the summoner. Instead “She” turned “Her” head and looked down at the secret mausoleum.
The entire underground ruin quaked as the dark and majestic mausoleum began to shake. Ripples appeared as though it was about to be moved into a concealed world.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
At this moment, two arms extended out from the outside world. One was pressed towards the gigantic doll, Reinette Tinekerr, while the other spread out its fingers to grab at Klein.
These two arms were more than ten meters long. They were pitch-black on the surface, flowing with sticky liquids. Some of them were strangely protruding, some had skulls as heads, three-dimensional eyes, or barbed tongues.
Abomination Suah!
The remaining guards in the underground ruins went crazy. Some raised their swords to kill their companions; or they raised their guns, aimed at themselves, and pulled the trigger.
Klein’s skin began to crack, and his consciousness was disturbed by a sensation of madness. He was unable to respond effectively.
The concealment angel he summoned retracted “Her” gaze through pure instinct, and “She” looked up at the two arms that seemed to come from the depths of a nightmare.
Tremendous fear caused Suah’s arm to tremble slightly. Not only did “He” fail to grab hold of Klein, “He” was even cursed by Reinette Tinekerr, causing “Him” to be covered in green fur.
Immediately following that, they began to fade as they struggled with all their might, trying to escape their concealed states.
And at this moment, three figures appeared in midair in the underground ruins. They were Emperor Roselle; the first Loen king, William Augustus; and the abstract angel formed from pure light.
The Historical Void projections summoned by Zaratul followed closely behind!
With so many angels descending at the same time, just the effects from “Their” auras alone caused the entire space to quake, not to mention the intense battle “They” were engaged in.
In an instant, the pitch-black mausoleum shook even more vigorously. There was even an obvious crack on its surface.
Klein wasn’t surprised at all, because this was his last contingency plan.
When the enemy was too powerful and prepared, preventing him from creating an opportunity, then it was best to draw everyone together while destroying the mausoleum; thus, creating chaos!
This was the inspiration he got from the encounter outside Bayam City.
Back then, Abomination Suah and the byproduct of the Artificial Death project attacked remotely while Sea King Kottman, Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr, and a demigod from the Rose School of Thought had participated in it, resulting in the collapse of an innocent mountain.
At that moment, Klein wanted the secret mausoleum in this ruin to be like that mountain.
He didn’t believe that angels could control the damage to “Their” surroundings when in an intense battle!
And the lineup this time far exceeded the previous one!
It’s still not enough… Then let’s make it a little more chaotic… As he controlled his Spirit Body Threads to prevent them from floating upwards, he dodged and sensed the mysterious space above the gray fog. Using his basic control over it, he made it tremble slightly.
In midair, a grayish-white fog appeared as the majestic palace appeared faintly.
Sefirah Castle!
In an instant, the sky above the Holy Wind Cathedral in Backlund turned dark, as if a storm was brewing.
A bird with dark eye circles watching over the Tussock River downstream moved its gaze.
…
In the outskirts of Backlund where Ruins No. 1 was, Demoness Trissy had been robbed of several powers and suffered serious injuries. She was on the brink of death.
Bang!
She slammed against the cliff, almost embedding herself into it. Blood was everywhere.
At this moment, she took out an item. It was a rectangular diamond-shaped charm.
Yesterday Once More!
Chapter 1148 Not Late
There were very few chances to use charms in high-level battles. No one would take the initiative to leave an opening for their opponent while they chanted the incantation. The reason Trissy was able to complete the corresponding action was because she had ignited wicked black flames from the inside out. As for the black flames, they seemed to absorb all the heat in the surrounding areas, causing thick ice crystals to form. Beyond the ice crystals, there were almost invisible spider webs that wrapped around them, forming huge cocoons.
Relying on the three layers of defense, Trissy managed to buy almost two seconds, so she took out the rectangular diamond-shaped charm and chanted, “Yesterday!”
The transparent flame ignited amidst the wicked black flames. The diamond-like charm silently disintegrated before merging with the void.
This was something Klein had specially provided to the Demoness, so as to allow the damage from the three prongs to become the main assault point at any time.
Trissy immediately saw the grayish-white fog and realized that the scenes in the past were like stars, densely packed together.
There were scenes of the young him wandering the streets, coming under the control of the mafia, swindling, cheating, and stealing from others. He later joined the Theosophy Order and became an Assassin. There, he enjoyed ending lives and the bloodshed, instigating others to tear off their masks and reveal their true bestial nature. Due to various reasons, he had no choice but to become a Witch. She began creating catastrophes and it was arranged by the Demoness of Pleasure that she would become Prince Edessak’s mistress. Realizing that she was becoming less and less like herself and that she was slowly losing herself to the pleasure, she felt extreme fear and yearned to escape. However, having fallen deeper into hell, she experienced immense pain and chose to be extreme.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With a thought, the scenes magnified and occupied her entire vision.
Under the light, the lawn outside the window was bright, and the horses were walking slowly. The holes of the golf course could still be vaguely seen, and inside the house, there was an antique cabinet blocking the view from the door.
The past Trissy stood at the edge and looked out, wearing a sapphire ring on her left hand.
At that time, she wasn’t even a Sequence 5, and she didn’t have the strength the current her needed to borrow. However, she had a ring from the Demoness Sect that was closely related to the Primordial Demoness.
This ring was the thing that Trissy wanted to borrow!
All of a sudden, the intricate ring that was inlaid with a sapphire gem appeared on Trissy’s pinky. And unlike in the past, the present Trissy had fused with the mark and submitted to the Primordial Demoness. She had been greatly enhanced as a Sequence 4 demigod.
In other words, even though she wasn’t a robust deity’s descent “vessel,” she already had the qualifications to be one.
And that sapphire ring allowed her to temporarily grasp a certain amount of initiative.
Looking at the scenes in the past, the cocoon formed by Trissy’s spider silk cracked inch by inch. The thick ice crystals silently melted as the wicked black flames corroded. She raised her left hand, closed her eyes, and smiled as she placed the sapphire ring between her eyebrows.
Composite Start
Composite End
The ring melted like metal as it flowed into Trissy’s head in a surreal manner.
At that moment, the wicked black flames were completely deprived by Prince Grove as a burning white spear of light shot out.
At the front of the spear, two pure white wings spread out as they embraced the tip of the spear, like an angel, sealing off the surrounding space, and preventing the target from escaping.
At that moment, Trissy opened her eyes. They were a deep black color.
Her hair flared up one by one, each becoming as thick as a snake. The outer layer was slippery and diabolical, with clear black and white eyes embedded at the ends, or heads that looked like venomous snakes. Their mouths were slightly open as they flicked their tongues.
The spear that was condensed from pure light stopped in front of Trissy, as though it was being pressed down by an invisible hand, making it difficult for it to advance even an inch further.
It quickly turned grayish-white in color, turning from incorporeal to corporeal, as if it was carved out of stone.
With a whoosh, the spear rapidly plummeted to the edge of the cliff, shattering into countless tiny pieces.
The grayish-white color around Trissy rapidly spread out in every direction as if it had a life of its own. Wherever it passed, the stones became hard while everything else turned to stone.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The various rituals that had been set up in Ruins No. 1 were now tainted with grayish-white colors, preventing the angels guarding the other secret mausoleums from discovering the changes and coming over immediately.
Prince Grove was instantly surrounded by a grayish-white aura that emanated out of the void. With him only being capable of using the crown of thorns to maintain a small safe zone, there was no way for him to use any “Prohibition” powers.
Trissy, whose eyes had no borders marking her whites from blacks, didn’t even look at her opponent. With her snake-like hair blotting out the sky, she took a step towards the secret mausoleum at the bottom of the dark valley.
Boom!
The ground began to shake violently as a dull thud sounded from deep within. Red asteroids with fiery tails appeared out of nowhere as they flew past Demoness Trissy and smashed at the mausoleum.
In an instant, this ruin was inundated with catastrophes.
George III, who was at the critical moment of “His” advancement, sensed this and immediately felt a strong sense of confusion and anger.
With great difficulty, “He” split off some of “His” strength, and with the help of the preparations he had put in place, he forcefully distorted the surrounding area and isolated the dark and solemn secret mausoleum from the real world, preventing earthquakes and meteors from approaching the target.
Boom! Boom!
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst all kinds of catastrophes, the cliffs crumbled one by one as the ruins began to collapse. George III’s angry voice sounded from the secret mausoleum that formed a world of its own:
“Are you mad?”
For a Sequence 4 to forcefully accept the power of a true deity, the only outcome was death!
Trissy laughed. The skin on her face had been pushed to its limits. Inch by inch, they crumbled, revealing the blood and flesh that was squirming wildly underneath.
This extremely terrifying Demoness scoffed and said, “Isn’t the ending of a lovely story supposed to have all the bad guys die?
“For example, you, or me…”
Before Trissy could finish her sentence, she wore that tragic smile on her face as the asteroid plummeted into the twisted secret mausoleum in a bid to destroy it.
…
In another mausoleum, Klein didn’t put on a strong front. He quickly ended the connection with Sefirah Castle as though he was praying to The Fool for help.
The commotion from before had nearly caused all the angels present to stop. Unfortunately, the concealment angel Klein had summoned was a Historical Void projection. It only continued fighting based on instinct, turning the situation even more chaotic.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, William Augustus I’s projection pulled out a silver sword and pointed ahead before slicing downward.
There was no need for “Him” to say anything else. The chaos in the ruins came to a stop as the battlefield was divided into different sections.
Hermes faced the beautiful and impassive lady. Abomination Suah suppressed Reinette Tinekerr; the Historical Void projections of Emperor Roselle and the Angel of Light surrounded Klein; William I stood at an isolated spot, ensuring that none of the aftershocks attacked the mausoleum below.
As expected of the Hand of Order… Klein’s pupils dilated. Without thinking, he reached his right hand into the inner pocket of his clothes, and he stretched out his left hand to borrow strength from his past self.
The Death Consul, the Evernight cloister’s matron, and the concealment angel were figures that exceeded Klein’s own level. Be it summoning or maintaining “Them,” it was a terrible burden on his spirituality. He had no choice but to borrow some power from his past self before his spirituality completely dried up.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
This way, he was filled with fake spirituality once more. For the next five minutes, it was no different from real spirituality.
Then, Klein saw light.
The angel formed from pure light, which also had illusory wings on “His” back, made the layers of light surge towards him like a tidal wave, drowning him.
In the bright white sea of light, something suddenly appeared. It rapidly plummeted and approached the secret mausoleum.
It was a dark-colored book that consisted of goatskin.
Groselle’s Travels!
Using his ability to split into Worms of Spirit, and his enhanced ability to shapeshift, he shrank into bookmarks made of flesh, embedding themselves into the book, using it to block the endless light’s purification and melting effect.
But even so, he was still severely injured because the light still could illuminate part of his body.
This wasn’t the end. Standing right beneath Groselle’s Travels was Emperor Roselle, dressed in gorgeous clothes, waiting there with his hands raised.
“…” Without second thoughts, Klein could only activate the first method he knew of to protect himself:
Hiding in the Historical Void!
Boom!
A loud thunderclap boomed outside the ruin.
It rumbled in the distance in the beginning, but by the end of it, it was ringing in one’s ears.
Klein, together with the projections in the Historical Void, and all the living beings in the ruins were awed and turned stiff. Instantly, the “sea of light” dimmed.
But no, there was a figure that wasn’t affected—the concealment angel of the Church of Evernight. The beautiful but dull-looking lady took the opportunity to phase her body, transforming into many symbols that symbolized concealment and terror. She extended the strange world, enveloping Hermes, Reinette Tinekerr, Suah’s arm, the Angel of Light, and William Augustus I within.
Although Klein had summoned a Historical Void projection—a watered-down version—some essential parts remained!
The chaos that Klein was anticipating was finally here!
As for George III’s other helpers, such as that King of Angels, they were still in other mausoleums.
The moment the nearly transparent world took form, the angels inside began to resist.
Amidst the chaos, the strange world easily tore apart.
However, with the remnants of the angel’s power being directed, the lady rushed out and headed for the secret mausoleum at the bottom.
Boom!
An even louder clap of thunder rang out. Emperor Roselle, who had attempted to stop them, was once again awed, unable to make any further attempts.
In an instant, the dark and majestic secret mausoleum was hit. The cracks on its surface sank deep, causing its dark interior to present itself.
In these rifts, blood appeared out of nowhere. Some were bright red, and some were dark.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Having restored his human form, Klein held Groselle’s Travels while collectively launching Air Cannon with his scattered Worms of Spirit.
The mausoleum which was already on the verge of collapse had finally collapsed, and even more blood gushed out.
…
With the destruction of a mausoleum, George III’s advancement ritual was no longer stable. “He” lacked the key pillar of support.
If only one mausoleum was under attack, “He” might’ve been able to rely on his tenuous connection with them to put up a resistance to a certain degree. But now, “He” had suffered too intense of an attack.
“His” already incorporeal body suddenly boiled, unable to maintain the “Distortion” outside. The mausoleum that was isolated from reality finally appeared in front of Trissy.
On Trissy’s tendril-squirming face, the corners of her mouth curled up.
…
Backlund City, Memorial Square.
“My subjects…” The stern and old-fashioned George III with his mustache was finishing his speech when there was a loud explosion.
His flesh and blood transformed into a flurry of fireworks that sprayed into the air.
Chapter 1149 Escape
When Audrey and company below the platform saw this scene, it was as if they were admiring a large magic show. For a moment, no one realized what had happened.
A few seconds later, the scene started to turn disorderly. Amidst screams, the king’s guards all rushed up the platform.
The Cabinet ministers and the House of Lords nobles subconsciously sought a place to hide, or they mustered their courage to follow the guards to check the scene.
Audrey looked on in a daze. She wasn’t too surprised, but she felt that it was surreal.
If Mr. World paid strong attention to someone, it meant that they were being watched by Mr. Fool. And to date, none of Mr. Fool’s goals had failed.
This was the will of a deity.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In the other municipal square in Backlund, Melissa, Benson, and company also heard the explosion before realizing that the king’s speech had come to an abrupt stop.
After a moment of silence, people began to turn rowdy as they began breaking out into a discussion amidst hushed whispers.
Fear of the unknown and fear of the future slowly occupied their hearts.
…
In the outskirts of Backlund, inside Ruins No. 1.
George III’s mind was a blur. “He” felt something that couldn’t be resisted inside “His” body as a volcano of extreme madness erupted in his mind. It was changing “His” body while distorting everything around “Him.”
Indistinctly, “He” saw a huge black throne, one which “He” was sitting on. “He” wore an emperor’s crown, looking down upon the real world with great pride. “He” had rein over his subjects, and “He” was equal to the deities.
“He” reached out “His” hand in an attempt to grab this future, but countless curses and attacks of unknown origins kept striking “Him.” It prevented “Him” from touching that future.
“No…”
Composite Start
Composite End
George III’s hand, which had faded, hung in midair as “His” consciousness tore apart as “His” body mutated completely.
Trissy, who had been reduced to a blob of flesh and blood, enveloped that shadow of order using her countless thick snake hair.
Boom!
In the outside world, in the area corresponding to Ruins No. 1, large amounts of dust were stirred up into the sky like the thickest of smog.
Boom!
The area became a humongous crater that was connected to the Tussock River, opening up an inlet for the river water to rush in.
Rumble!
High up in the sky, lights dimmed as a storm containing immense horror enveloped the area.
Further away on a mountain peak, two figures watched this scene without anyone speaking a word.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They were the Demoness of Unaging Katarina, who was wearing a pure white robe, and the pale, hooded Red Angel evil spirit.
After two seconds, Saintess of White Katarina sighed softly and said, “The reason we wanted to find her was because Primordial told us that she has strong inclinations towards self-destructing.”
The Red Angel evil spirit listened silently as “His” expression twisted slightly.
“I know who interfered with my response.”
Katarina thought of various answers, but she couldn’t be sure. Ultimately, she chose to remain silent.
The Red Angel evil spirit slowly said a word, “Evernight.”
After a pause, “He” suppressed “His” emotions and added, “Otherwise, I would’ve long found Trissy Cheek.”
Without waiting for Katarina to respond, the Red Angel evil spirit turned around and left.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
In another ruin, a hint of joy flashed past Klein’s eyes when he saw the secret mausoleum collapse and spill out copious amounts of blood. But it was ephemeral because he had to turn his attention back to his situation.
With George III’s ritual failing and him not becoming Black Emperor, it meant that his goal had been achieved. What followed next was to escape!
At that moment, while the mausoleum’s destruction didn’t have any significant impact, Reinette Tinekerr followed “Her” agreement with Klein, and she didn’t stay any longer. “She” first entered the spirit world and fled deep inside it.
The power “She” borrowed from “Herself” was coming to an end!
The maintenance of the beautiful, concealment angel had already reached Klein’s limits. After it transformed into a strange world, it naturally disappeared.
Inside the half-collapsed ruin, Klein faced the arm of Abomination Suah, Hermes from an ancient time, Emperor Roselle’s projection, William Augustus I’s projection, and the Angel of Light projection, as well as the thunder that pointed at an unknown location. Anyone of them had the ability to easily kill him.
And for him to summon a Historical Void projection at the angel level wasn’t something that could succeed within a few attempts.
Without any hesitation, Klein’s body turned incorporeal as he attempted to hide in the Historical Void.
At this moment, a vortex suddenly appeared in the grayish-white fog in his vision. It was made up of countless transparent maggots that extended out transparent and slippery tentacles.
Zaratul!
Composite Start
Composite End
Zaratul’s actual body had appeared!
“He” had been waiting in the Historical Void for Klein!
At that moment, Klein’s action of entering the Historical Void could no longer be reversed. All he could do was watch helplessly as he was pulled in by the vortex and thrown into the center!
He wanted to snap his fingers and ignite another paper crane, but he realized that no flames could rise up there.
Having probed him once, Zaratul was confident of “His” trump card. By relying on “His” level suppressing him, and the authority of bizarreness, “He” made Klein unable to control the flames anymore!
In addition, Klein’s intuition told him that the destination after making a “Teleportation” attempt was mysteriously connected to the vortex formed by the transparent maggots.
He was unable to escape, nor could he summon enough helpers.
However, Beyonders of the Seer pathway never perform unprepared.
The vortex formed by the transparent maggots slowly spun as it received a “visit” initiated by Klein. The transparent and slippery tentacles swam over in an unstoppable manner.
They reached towards him, but they only wrapped around the ancient book covered in dark-colored skin.
The blood on the book’s surface hadn’t completely faded.
Groselle’s Travels!
At the most dangerous moment, Klein pricked his fingers, allowing his blood to flow onto the surface of Groselle’s Travels. Then, with a whoosh, he entered the book world and temporarily escaped the fatal trap set up by Zaratul.
The moment he entered the book world, he immediately stretched out his hand and grabbed forward, pulling out a marionette that he had temporarily possessed from the Historical Void.
Hvin Rambis!
He had once tested that he could summon the projections of true history here. After all, it belonged to Sefirah Castle, and praying to The Fool in the book world wasn’t obstructed. Of course, if that didn’t work, he had other ways to resolve it. He could summon Justice Audrey who existed in the book world’s history!
In short, he needed a Mid- or High-Sequence Beyonder from the Spectator pathway to bring him into the sea of collective subconscious, into the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, and into the Hall of Truth.
Time was of the essence, so the faster, the better. This was because he had no idea how long before this Sequence 1 would be able to grasp the secret of Groselle’s Travels, much less whether the other party would forcibly descend into the book world.
He could only race against time!
Hvin Rambis, who was wearing a formal suit and a dark red bow tie, held onto him with a stiff expression. He directly entered the sea of collective subconscious formed by countless shadows.
With the power of a Manipulator, they quickly shuttled through and arrived at the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, in seconds, appearing before the entrance of the Hall of Truth.
Klein released his control over his marionette, Hvin Rambis, and under the nudge from the strong winds, he “ran” through the door.
As he passed by the colorful murals, his inner voice resounded in the hall:
The chances of summoning 0-08 here should be higher…
Using it to draw or write at the end of the mural on the left side can affect the real world…
Through its arrangements, I can make Zaratul make a mistake, allowing me to find a safe escape route…
No, it’s still easier to let Amon’s avatar join the battle royale and implicate Zaratul. That will be easier to fulfill…
It’s no wonder the Goddess wants to “bait” Amon into Backlund…
The mural on the right represents the book world. I can use 0-08 to draw another temporary door for me to leave…
While “flying”, Klein’s right hand kept grabbing at the void ahead.
Five times, ten times, twenty times. When Klein borrowed strength from his former self, his right hand suddenly sank as he dragged out a dull classic quill.
0-08!
In the next second, Klein arrived in front of the huge pillar that was multiple arm spans wide.
This had a clear sense of being worn down by time. It was the throne of the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt.
Klein circled around the stone pillar and arrived at the end of the mural. He raised the quill, 0-08, and was about to write.
He had never tested for any changes when using 0-08 in here before. He was afraid that it would result in an excessive accident and alert Amon’s brother, making his ploy of preventing George III from becoming the Black Emperor to be detected in advance.
At this moment, he no longer needed to bother about such matters. He could wholeheartedly weave the development that he needed.
Suddenly, 0-08, which was about to begin writing, disappeared. It disappeared before it reached the time limit!
What’s happening… Klein felt alarmed.
He then realized that his words in the Hall of Truth hadn’t been projected. There was silence all around him.
With his spiritual perception triggered, Klein slowly turned around and saw that the time-worn rock had turned into a hundred-meter-tall cross at some point in time.
In front of the cross was a huge, blurry figure standing there. Facing everything with its back, it was observing all life with compassion.
Inside the Hall of Truth, there were rows of black, high-back pews, but only one supplicant.
The supplicant had his eyes closed as he sat in the middle of the first row. He wore a rather simple white robe with a pale gold beard that covered half his face. His hands were clasping a silver cross in front of his chest as he wore a genial and calm look.
Adam.
Twilight Hermit Order’s Chair, King of Angels Adam.
Klein didn’t even know when “He” had arrived.
At this moment, Adam looked up, revealing his clear, limpid eyes that resembled a child’s.
He slowly stood up, speaking with a calm expression:
“George III’s death causes Loen to suffer a heavy blow. Unable to sit idle any further, Intis decides to take this opportunity to launch an attack. This war officially develops into a war that sweeps through the world.
“Can you accept such an outcome?”
Chapter 1150 Mad Dash
Although there was no concept of temperature in the Hall of Truth, Klein still felt a chill down his spine when he heard that. He felt a wave of heat, and he wanted to defend himself, but when he opened his mouth, he didn’t know what to say.
For a few silent seconds, his figure was reflected in Adam’s limpid eyes before he said with some difficulty, “I accept it…
“But I will try my best to minimize the damage caused by the war in the future, so long as I’m still alive.”
He paused and asked in a deep voice, “Is this the price you exacted for the bestowment?
“Back when a certain ascetic here mentioned your true name, you had already noticed this book and secretly made arrangements?”
Adam, who was dressed in simple white robes, didn’t respond. He walked towards the mural on his left and stopped in front of one of the murals. He looked up slightly and quietly admired it.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
On the mural, a book consisting of goatskin flew up into the clouds and landed in a gigantic claw.
After watching for a while, Adam said with a warm voice, “You may leave.”
He immediately felt that he had been rejected by the Hall of Truth, the sea of collective subconscious of the City of Miracles, and the book world. He involuntarily floated up and flew out of the area.
During this process, he saw Adam return to the front of the black pews. Holding the silver cross pendant, he closed his eyes and prayed sincerely to the huge and blurry figure.
Outside the sea of collective subconscious, an illusory door silently appeared. It stood in midair and was connected to the outside world.
The book world also began to ostracize him, “squeezing” him out of the huge door.
Suddenly, Klein returned to the real world and returned to the grayish-white fog. He was in the state he was in prior to entering the Historical Void.
Unlike before, he hadn’t been locked down by the whirlpool formed by countless transparent maggots. As for the slippery tentacles that were almost invisible, they wrapped around Groselle’s Travels slightly and disappeared into thin air.
Without having time to lament over the loss, Klein’s thoughts raced, and he made a choice almost purely on instinct.
Composite Start
Composite End
He leaped into the grayish-white fog in another direction and hid in a shattered spot of light. This was the so-called Historical Void.
Klein regretted it the next second because Zaratul’s slippery and terrifying tentacles had extended out from the grayish-white fog. The countless translucent maggots were no longer formed a spinning whirlpool as they disintegrated into a tidal wave that surged towards him.
Zaratul could actually fight in the Historical Void!
This was the suppression effect that high-level members of the same pathway had against lower-level ones.
A demigod of the same Seer pathway was always the best choice for dealing with a Seer demigod of a lower Sequence.
Without any hesitation, he “ran” through the spots of light and into the depths of the fog of history, just like his advancement.
Scenes of the secret mausoleum collapsing, Backlund suffering an air raid, and the tragic Great Smog flew behind him. However, the dangerous premonition in his heart didn’t weaken at all; instead, it intensified significantly.
He even “saw” a thick shadow getting closer and closer, covering himself.
This was a tidal wave formed by the transparent maggots and the slippery tentacles!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein ran as fast as he could, constantly chanting the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess in Jotun in his mind, hoping to be saved. This was the only thing he could do, and “She” was the only existence that could save him at the moment.
Of course, if he knew of Amon’s honorific name, he would definitely attempt to provoke this Blasphemer.
Only by messing things up would he have a chance of surviving.
Roselle’s declaration as emperor, the modification of the steam engine, the Battle of the Violated Oath, the White Rose War, and the Twenty Year War flashed past one by one. Klein realized that his body was being increasingly covered by shadows, and his consciousness was gradually slowing down. He had a feeling that he was having his Spirit Body Threads controlled.
At this moment, Hounds of Fulgrim ran out of the grayish-white fog’s various spots of light.
They were covered in pitch-black short fur, their eye sockets burning with dark red flames as the corners of their lips extended to the back of their heads.
This group of monsters-like creatures, the Sefirah Castle Keepers, ran past Klein and rushed behind him.
He immediately regained his lucidity.
F*ck! he cursed himself, his eyes slightly red as he continued “running” with his vision blurred. He went from the Fifth Epoch to the Fourth Epoch, and from the Fourth Epoch to the Third Epoch.
Composite Start
Composite End
The massive shadow that resembled the tidal wave behind him paused for a few seconds, then it continued surging towards him as if nothing had happened, drowning out the Historical Voids he passed through.
Klein didn’t hold back in expending his spirituality. He used all his might to “run” with the light spots that he had lit in the fog of history. He ran from the Third Epoch to the Second Epoch until he arrived at a lonely fragment of light. Around him was a withered forest and a normal tomb.
This was the period of history where Giant King Aurmir buried his parents.
As for the “tidal wave” that was formed by Zaratul, it didn’t seem to understand this history well enough. It stopped at some unknown era and didn’t manage to catch up.
At that moment, Klein’s spirituality was almost exhausted. And in the fog of history, he could only borrow power from the current Void. But clearly, there was no past projection of himself here.
And when his spirituality was exhausted, he would have no choice but to leave the fog of history and return to the real world. When that time came, he would be facing Zaratul again.
Phew… Klein exhaled and pulled out another paper crane. He snapped his fingers and lit it.
However, after waiting for a few seconds, he failed to see the Snake of Fate, Will Auceptin, appear.
In the Historical Void, there’s no way to use ordinary paper cranes to contact Will… Why hasn’t Amon appeared yet… As his thoughts flashed, he could only repeat in Jotun, “The Evernight Goddess who stands higher than the cosmos and more eternal than eternity. You are also the Lady of Crimson, the Mother of Concealment, the Empress of Misfortune and Horror, Mistress of Repose and Silence…”
After holding on for a few seconds, he suddenly had an idea. Hence, he didn’t hesitate to leave the fog of history and return to the real world.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as his figure appeared, his “Spirit Body Threads” floated into the air and was grabbed by a slippery, transparent tentacle.
And opposite him, another figure appeared at the same time.
It was the barefoot, linen-robed ascetic leader, Arianna.
Based on Klein’s abilities, the angel-level historical projection he had summoned must’ve disappeared. Therefore, the person who came was undoubtedly the actual body.
The Evernight cloister’s matron glanced at Klein, and instantly, he vanished under Zaratul’s tentacle.
Klein entered a concealed world belonging to Arianna. It was night time, and it was a monastery with many ancient buildings erected. There was a huge and holy crimson moon hanging high in the sky.
Using the experience gained from their past cooperation, Klein immediately used “Traveling” to appear in the crimson moon, leaving this concealed world in order to appear elsewhere.
After returning to reality, Klein had already distanced himself from Zaratul. Hence, he didn’t hesitate to use “Traveling” to directly leave. And having held Zaratul back for a short period of time, Arianna entered a concealed state and left the battlefield.
Boom!
A terrifying thunderclap boomed as the transparent tentacle that attempted to reach out to where Klein had disappeared suddenly retreated, disappearing along with the actual body.
Having “Teleported” to the sea, Klein couldn’t be bothered to borrow strength from his past self. He first summoned a paper figurine from the Historical Void and shook his wrist.
Most of the items he had with him had been destroyed when he became a “bookmark.” It was unknown where he had lost his marionettes, Qonas and Enuni. Of course, they might’ve evaporated under the illumination of the Angel of Light.
Pa!
The paper figurine burned with scarlet flames as it leaped up into the form of an illusory angel that had layered wings on its back. It embraced him and removed any traces.
Then, he activated “Traveling” once again and left the area.
…
In the secret mausoleum in East Chester County, William Augustus I and Queen Mystic Bernadette managed to sense the death of George III, either through the changes in “order” or via their clairvoyant abilities.
The latter didn’t stay any longer. Her body suddenly separated like a collection of soap bubbles that reflected light, scattering in all directions before bursting.
William Augustus I wasn’t in the mood to stop or chase after her, but “He” didn’t feel much pain.
…
After making a huge detour, Klein, who had used Angel’s Embrace three times to remove his traces, finally returned to Backlund secretly. It was probably the safest place.
He didn’t return to the apartment he had previously rented. Instead, he found a hotel in the Backlund Bridge area and got a room.
Of course, he didn’t forget to change his appearance, height, and temperament.
The more ordinary and common his appearance was, the less attention he would garner.
After entering the room, Klein endured the mental fatigue and physical trauma he received, and he began to chant the honorific name of Sea God Kalvetua. He planned to take four steps counterclockwise and head above the gray fog. He wanted to use his “true vision” and the real Angel’s Embrace to confirm his surroundings to eliminate any latent dangers.
Fortunately, Zaratul should’ve signed a contract with George III, so “He” can’t leave the mausoleum “He” was guarding as “He” pleases. Otherwise, I would most likely have become “His” marionette in that chaotic battle… The appearance of “Him” and Abomination Suah exceeded my expectations… Klein heaved a sigh of relief and took one step in a counterclockwise manner. He opened his mouth and chanted in Mandarin, “The Exalted…”
Suddenly, Klein’s body trembled. His voice came to a halt as he froze on the spot.
In his line of sight, a figure had appeared on a chair beside the full-body mirror in the room. He was a young man of medium build, wearing a dark-colored jacket and trousers. He looked like a mixed-blood man with Loen and Balam roots.
This was the marionette that Klein had lost—Winner Enuni.
Enuni smiled as he faced Klein’s pair of eyes that could no longer move.
“Don’t randomly leave your marionettes around. They can be tracked.”
As he spoke, he slowly stood up. He casually took out a crystal monocle from his pocket and slowly wore it on his right eye.
(End of the Fifth Volume—Red Priest)
Chapter 1151 Decei
In a hotel in the Backlund Bridge area.
Apart from his thoughts that still belonged to him, Klein could no longer control anything else. Even his eyeballs couldn’t move.
He knew very well that this was likely a deeper level of “Parasitizing.”
In this state, he could only look ahead of him in fear and despair. He watched as Enuni, who was wearing a monocle with a smile on his face, changed into Amon’s original form. He took a step forward counterclockwise and opened his mouth to speak in Mandarin in an articulate and mellow manner:
“The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
…Did “He” steal my thoughts just now, or my ability to speak Mandarin… It should be the former; otherwise, “He” wouldn’t be able to grasp this ritual… Klein’s pupils couldn’t widen as he watched. He felt an unprecedented sense of anxiety.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As though sensing his emotions, the monocled man turned to look at him and smiled. He then took another step counterclockwise and whispered in Mandarin, “The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Following that, this Blasphemer carried on the ritual with great familiarity. With every step “He” took, and every chant of the incantation, Klein’s heart sank even deeper into a dark swamp, as though he could no longer see any light.
“…The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
When Amon took the final step and recited the final incantation, a boundless grayish-white fog suddenly appeared in front of Klein. He heard layers of pleas.
There was no need to listen carefully, as he understood what it meant with his spiritual perception.
After advancing to Scholar of Yore, he had obtained basic control over Sefirah Castle. No matter who it was, even if they had the correct ritual and corresponding incantation, they needed to obtain his permission to enter the world above the gray fog!
Reject “Him”! Klein was instantly delighted as this idea clearly surfaced within him.
However, just as he had this thought, he had forgotten it. Standing there, he looked like a statue carved from stone.
His intention of rejecting Amon had been stolen by “Him.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…” Klein once again felt despair, but the grayish-white fog in front of him and the prayers in his ears didn’t disappear.
“…” Klein was first taken aback before he understood what was going on.
I understand! I have to head above the gray fog myself and control Sefirah Castle to give “Him” permission to enter! There is no default option!
This thought was like a straw which Klein grabbed at without any hesitation. It prevented himself from sinking into the water silently without anyone hear him cry.
Although he still didn’t know how to make use of this matter, his intuition told him that a slim possibility and his only hope could be hidden in this detail.
At this moment, Amon stopped the attempt and cast “His” gaze at Klein.
Clearly, “He” had failed to successfully enter Sefirah Castle.
This Angel of Time adjusted the monocle on his right eye and smiled without any change in expression.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, your idea of saving yourself is very interesting.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Amon had used the standard Loen language, but every word seemed to be able to stir the powers of nature, creating one “explosion” after another in his mind.
…How is he so sure that I’m The Fool and not the Blessed of The Fool… Klein felt his body turn cold as the hope that had just surfaced sank into the water once more.
“How am I certain?” Amon tsked and pulled the chair from before over and sat down. “He” pointed at the round stool opposite “Him” and said, “Sit down, don’t stand on ceremony.”
The moment “He” finished his sentence, Klein couldn’t help but stride forward and sit on the round stool.
Amon looked around the room and grabbed Klein’s black silk top hat. He put it on his head and said with a smile, “Did you think that I wasn’t aware that the ritual would be unsuccessful?
“It hasn’t been long since Sefirah Castle produced an anomaly, so how could I forget?
“I just want to see your reaction. And you subconsciously felt despair and instinctively rejected me. That was very interesting. If you weren’t the one who was called The Fool, how could you have such thoughts?
“Dear Mr. Fool, am I right?”
As “He” repeated the four rhetorical questions, Amon looked rather pleased, as though “He” was an old hunter who had caught the fox’s tail.
Composite Start
Composite End
…I fell for his scam… Only then did Klein realize why Amon wasn’t disappointed at all.
He subconsciously wanted to deny it, but after some thought, he calmly said, “Kill me.”
Eh… I can speak now? Klein tried to control his body, but it was completely impossible.
In the next second, he was prepared to recite the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess, but this thought was immediately lost.
The thin-faced Blasphemer Amon pressed down on his right monocle and maintained his excited state from before.
“So that you can be reborn in Sefirah Castle?”
…The more I talk to this fellow, the more mistakes I make… Klein shut his mouth tightly and didn’t say another word.
When Amon saw this, “He” shook “His” head with a smile.
“There’s no need to be so afraid. Actually, there’s no bad blood between us.”
Uh… Sitting on the round stool like a doll, Klein was stunned for a moment, but he didn’t respond.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amon leaned forward slightly and looked into his eyes before continuing with a smile:
“The only conflict we have is regarding Sefirah Castle.
“But do you really wish to shoulder that fate? Aren’t you worried that the original owner of Sefirah Castle will revive within you?”
“…” This was something Klein was very concerned about, making him at a loss for words.
Amon pinched the crystal monocle and didn’t urge him to answer. He smiled and said, “If you give me Sefirah Castle, all the problems will be resolved.
“That way, whether the original owner of Sefirah Castle comes back to life, or if the corresponding fate can be shouldered, the person who needs to worry is me, not you.
“Also, I’ll be the one to take over the subsequent arrangements of my zealous brother, ‘Door,’ and Lil’ Zaratul’s pursuits and the benediction of Evernight.
“And you will be freed from all this and just stay as a Sequence 3.
“Heh, why would I want to kill you? What’s the point of killing a Sequence 3? Even if I want to retrieve the characteristic, it’s still expendable. My prey will only be Pallez, Lil’ Zaratul, and ‘Door.’ The rest will purely depend on my mood.
“As for the organization that you established, I can also help you maintain it. It’s very fascinating and interesting.
“If you think this price isn’t enough, then I can make you my Blessed. Heh heh, are you not pretending that The Fool is the Angel of Time Amon in the City of Silver? This can turn into a reality in the future. I will lead them out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods and see the light outside.
“When the time comes, you’ll still have a chance to advance to Sequence 2 and become an angel.”
…This… This is practically taking over all my worries and hardships. There are only benefits left… Klein, who didn’t have a huge desire in becoming a true god and controlling Sefirah Castle, heard his heart palpitate with excitement. If he hadn’t known that Amon was the number one master in deceit, he would’ve agreed to it on the spot. But in the end, he still said without any expression, “Kill me.”
“Is that the only thing you know how to say?” Amon said without any signs of anger. He looked at Klein with piqued amusement.
To “Him,” this was a very interesting matter. It was completely understandable that “He” would encounter difficulties during the process. They only served to make success even more fulfilling and delightful.
I’m just a heartless broken record… By lampooning, Klein eased his depression and despair. Instead of answering, he asked, “How do you know that the City of Silver thinks that you are The Fool?”
He didn’t dare to say that the City of Silver still suspected that The Fool was the god that Amon believed in, afraid that he would provoke him.
Of course, if Amon was the type of person who would lose his intelligence after being provoked, he definitely would’ve tried doing so. This was because he now suspected that, after gaining initial control of Sefirah Castle, he would be reborn above the gray fog after his death. Unfortunately, Amon wasn’t a King of Angels from the Storm pathway, but a God of Trickery that gave even the true deities a headache in the Fourth Epoch.
Amon laughed and said, “Do you think I only have two avatars in the City of Silver? Since you, The Fool, and The Hanged Man have intervened, then I’m happy to quietly watch from the sidelines.”
…The City of Silver is still accommodating Amon’s avatar… Who’s the fellow who was “Parasitized”… Yes, previously, the members of the Giant King’s Court’s exploration team weren’t “Parasitized.” This is something that can be confirmed… As his mind tensed up, Klein felt that it was only natural. This was because Leonard had once told him that seeing one Amon meant that there were a bunch of Amons lurking around. It wouldn’t just be a small handful.
Without much thought, Klein tried hard to come up with an attempt to create an opportunity.
“You didn’t rob me of my destiny directly because you can’t handle it right now?”
Amon nodded frankly and said, “Yes, that’s why I want to make a deal with you peacefully.
“But since you rejected my offer, I can only bring you to see my real body, to a sufficiently safe place. Then, your destiny will be taken away. When that happens, your ending will not be as good as I just said earlier.”
As he spoke, the black-haired, black-eyed man with a broad forehead and thin face slowly got up and walked towards the door. With that, Klein stood up and followed behind like a puppet.
As he reached out to open the door, Amon seemed to recall a question. He pressed down on the crystal monocle and turned to look back at him.
“What’s the fourth line of your Scholar of Yore honorific name?”
In mysticism, every existence’s corresponding honorific name wasn’t that strict. As long as one used the correct format and certain descriptions to narrow the scope to prevent any ambiguity, they could point towards the corresponding hidden existence. This was also why quite a number of heretics who knew anything about mysticism could randomly make up honorific names while still receiving feedback.
Of course, if it wasn’t for the honorific name given by the hidden existence, there was no way to enjoy receiving “feedback.” Whether they established a connection or not depended on whether the existence was interested in the supplicant.
Previously, Amon had used his understanding of the Scholar of Yore and Gehrman Sparrow, and the powers of the Marauder pathway’s Sequence 7 Cryptologist, to restore the full honorific name that could point accurately to Gehrman Sparrow. However, “He” didn’t attempt to pray and use the “automatic response” to establish a connection to lock onto Klein’s location, because his godhood intuition told him that there was a problem with the fourth sentence, dooming him to fail.
The fourth line of Klein’s honorific name flashed across his mind, but he had no intention of telling Amon.
At that moment, Amon opened his mouth and read out his thoughts:
“Protector of Backlund magic and drama performers…”
This so-called “Angel of Time” and “Blasphemer” fell silent for a few seconds after saying it out loud.
Then, he smiled, very happily.
After laughing, Amon adjusted his monocle on his right eye and said with a smile, “To be honest, this is all very interesting.
“Are you really not considering becoming my Blessed?”
Klein opened his mouth and gave a familiar answer:
“Kill me.”
Chapter 1152 “Error“
Upon hearing Klein’s reply, Amon smiled and shook his head. As “He” reached out to open the door, “He” casually asked, “How did you think of such an honorific name?”
“It needs to have a certain connection with myself, but also be able to avoid others from using the prayer’s automatic response to lock onto me. There aren’t many such honorific names.” Seeing that his identity had been exposed, there was no need for Klein to hide it any further. Furthermore, he hoped to use such a conversation to grasp an opportunity.
At the same time, his mind raced as he began thinking about how to save himself.
I’ve been deeply parasitized. If I have any thoughts that aren’t beneficial to Amon, it will be easily sensed and detected by “Him”…
Today is Saturday, and it’s almost Monday again. If The Fool suddenly stops the Tarot Gathering without any warning, the other members will definitely be terrified, nervous, and confused. Here, those who have the means to contact The World will definitely attempt to summon the messenger to ask for the reason. And once Miss Messenger approaches me, “She” will be able to discover the existence of Amon. Then, “She” can use the Yesterday Once again charm to recover to “Her” peak condition. With the complete strength of an angel, “She” has a sizable chance of rescuing me from Amon’s avatar…
The most important thing for me now is to persist and “live” for two days!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Yes, since Amon can’t steal my fate right now, why did “He” try to trade peacefully? Even if I agreed to it, “He” wouldn’t dare to let me go above the gray fog to grant “Him” permission. That would mean that I’m free from “His” control and able to Sefirah Castle to effectively purify and make a counterattack against the “Parasite”…
Is the “agreement” itself a switch, and there’s no need to follow up on it?
Amon deliberately didn’t mention this…
As expected, it was a scam!
Having grasped a sliver of hope, Klein decided to stall for time as long as possible for the next two days. The focus of Amon was still on the honorific name that no human and angel could think of.
As he walked out of the room, he scratched his chin and said, “Have you provided any protection to Backlund’s magic and drama performers?”
I’ve protected a Trickmaster before… Having made plans, Klein was much more cooperative than before. He answered simply, “I’m a Magician myself. I’ve ‘performed’ many times in Backlund.”
The monocled Amon nodded.
“Barely counts.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He then walked out of the hotel room and went down the stairs to the street. Like a servant, he followed behind without any abnormalities.
Looking to his left and right, Amon pinched his monocle and sighed with a smile.
“How regretful.”
“What’s there to regret?” Klein asked in puzzlement.
I’ve already been caught by you. What else do you have to regret?
Amon pressed down on “His” silk top hat and maintained “His” smile.
“You can make a guess. If you can guess correctly, I can give you a better ending.”
Klein didn’t believe in “His” promise at all. In order to not be tricked into revealing more secrets, he shook his head and said, “I can’t guess it.”
“How boring,” Amon said simply. “He” clenched “His” right hand into a fist and lightly tapped on “His” monocle.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
From the pedestrians, the trees by the side of the street, the sparrows on the rooftops, the rats in the muddy corners, and all kinds of living creatures in the air, illusory worm-like figures flew out, returning to Amon like stars.
This son of a god’s status instantly rose to the level of an angel.
As for Klein, he raised his left hand, and the human-skinned glove suddenly turned transparent.
This was the activation process of “Traveling.”
At that moment, the only thing on him which was real was Creeping Hunger. The rest were made by using the powers of a Faceless, as well as the glove using flesh and blood as the material.
Seeing that “Traveling” was about to begin, Klein was taken aback as he blurted out, “Why didn’t you teleport in the room?”
He had expected Amon to leave Backlund with him. After all, this was a place where even a King of Angels had to be wary of. However, he couldn’t understand why “He” would open the door, go down the stairs, and leave the hotel in such ordinary fashion.
The eye behind the monocle swept across Klein as the corner of Amon’s mouth slowly curled up.
“I’ve already answered you. What a pity that you didn’t seek help from Pallez.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This Angel of Time had an obvious smile on “His” face, but there was no emotion in “His” black eyes. It made Klein shudder.
H-he’s certain that I have some connection with Pallez Zoroast… Is it because of what happened the last time? No, stop it! Klein attempted to Cogitate, trying his best to control himself from thinking too much, so as to prevent his thoughts from being stolen by Amon.
Amon glanced at the panicking passers-by on the street in an impassive manner before looking up at the gray sky and saying, “I can only wait for the next opportunity. The most important thing now is to bring you to that place.”
As they spoke, both of them turned transparent at the same time and vanished from the hotel’s entrance. None of the people who came over felt anything amiss.
After passing through countless indescribable spirit world creatures and overlapping layers of different saturated colors, Klein and Amon appeared above the sea.
Beneath their feet was a huge fissure. The blue seawater had been cut off as they plummeted deep into the bottomless “darkness” like a waterfall without ever filling it.
This was the entrance to the ruins of the battle of gods.
With a thought, Klein asked, “You’re taking me to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?”
The magnificent “waterfall” was reflected in Amon’s monocle. “He” nodded slightly and casually replied, “That’s right. When we get there, even your messenger won’t be able to sense you through the contract.”
The Forsaken Land of the Gods was clearly separated from the spirit world. Only by relying on Sefirah Castle could a connection be made.
Composite Start
Composite End
…Amon knows what I’m planning to do… The flame of hope that was ignited in him was extinguished by the cold reality.
He couldn’t find another way to save himself for the time being.
At this moment, the levitating Amon muttered to “Himself,” “If my mausoleum in Backlund hadn’t been destroyed by the Church of Steam, we could’ve used the Abyss as a springboard to head there directly. We wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
“…” Klein guiltily changed the topic.
“The Abyss is connected to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?”
“No.” Amon shook “His” head and said with a relaxed expression, “But I can use some of its characteristics to go anywhere.”
“I heard that there were some nasty changes in the Abyss.” With a thought, Klein probed.
Amon turned “His” head and glanced at him without concealing “His” curiosity.
“You’re actually aware.”Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
“Yes, I once thought of exploring the Abyss.” Klein didn’t speak further, afraid that the King of Angels of the Marauder pathway would discover that he could read Roselle’s diary.
At this moment, Amon suddenly laughed.
“You want to explore the Abyss?”
“What’s so funny about that?” Klein was very interested in what had happened to the Abyss to begin with; thus, he took the opportunity to cooperate with Amon in an attempt to know more.
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly had a new idea:
Using the conversation he had with Amon, he could grasp more historical secrets to speed up his digestion of the Scholar of Yore potion. That way, he could try using it to deepen his control of Sefirah Castle and escape from his current predicament.
This thought flashed through his mind as he quickly restrained himself and stopped thinking about such matters.
In regards to his question, Amon chuckled and said, “Your visiting of the Abyss is like offering yourself as a beautifully packaged gift to someone who wants it.”
“…Dark Side of the Universe?” Klein was first alarmed before he made a guess.
Amon nodded.
“‘He’ was originally the only surviving ancient god, the Devil Monarch, Farbauti. Now, heh.”
Without finishing “His” sentence, Amon leaped and jumped into the huge, illusory rift with the strong winds.
With that, Klein lost the support of the wind and fell straight down.
After an unknown period of time, the water that resembled a fountain surged upwards rapidly, throwing him and Amon to the other side of the severed face.
Just as he entered the ruins of the battle of gods, Klein was hit by bright sunlight. He suddenly heard a series of intense and crazy ravings.
It was like a thin needle that pierced through his eardrums and stabbed into his brain, filling every thought with immense pain.
As for the Worms of Spirit that formed his Mythical Creature form, they gradually changed, as though they were about to give birth to a degenerate consciousness that didn’t belong to him.
The True Creator’s ravings!
With regards to this, Klein could barely withstand it, but it was difficult for him to hold on for too long. There was no way for him to go too far in the ruins of the battle of gods.
At this moment, he saw that the monocle on Amon’s right eye absorbed all the light around them. It became unusually bright and white.
Then, a thick darkness ruled the sky.
Amon directly stole the “day” of the ruins of the battle of gods!
In the darkness, this Angel of Time’s avatar brought Klein to an island and made him sleep against a stone pillar.
Soon, Klein arrived in the hazy dream world. He saw the projection of the Giant King’s Court, which was filled with an epic feeling, opposite the black cloister and the cliff.
Amon, wearing the black silk top hat and crystal monocle, appeared beside him. With a relaxed smile, “He” pointed at the projection of the Giant King’s Court that was frozen in the sunset.
“That’s the entrance to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.”
After some thought, Klein raised his doubts:
“Don’t you need to enter a dream at a specific location to open the entrance?”
He couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope again. He thought that it would be great if Amon wasted a week or two of his time in the ruins of the battle of gods.
“That’s right.” Amon didn’t deny what Klein had said. “He” casually said, “If you wish to open the entrance, you have to travel on a ship to the core of this ruin’s waters. This might take more than a month, and you will experience many dangers that you’re currently unable to withstand. As for me, I don’t have to.”
“Is it because you’re the son of the Creator?” Klein guessed in deliberation.
“No.” Amon had one hand in “His” pocket as “He” turned to walk to the black cloister’s entrance. “In chaotic places like this, ‘order’ is in shambles, and the laws governing them have mutated. There are too many things that can be exploited.”
As this Angel of Time walked, “He” turned to look at Klein.
“The Marauder pathway’s Sequence 0 has a very abstract name, Error.
“It was named by my father. ‘He’ once used a strange word of unknown origins to represent it:
“Bug.
“When translated, it’s a trojan horse of fate, the slug of time, the loopholes in rules, the manifestation of all errors.”
Chapter 1153 The Sunset Tunnel
“Error”… Bug… Is that the essence of the Marauder pathway? As he came to a realization, Klein also confirmed one thing.
That was that the ancient sun god, the City of Silver Creator, Amon’s father really did come from Earth.
The word that Amon said was standard English!
Fellow Earthling, your two children have really caused me so much pain… If only they were all like Bernadette… As he lampooned inwardly, he asked curiously, “You want to use this dream world’s… loophole?”
Klein controlled himself and didn’t use the term “bug” to describe it, lest it would arouse suspicion in Amon due to his overly ordinary fluency when speaking the word. He would then reveal a trump card for no reason.
Faced with a King of Angels who could steal his thoughts and deeply “Parasitize” him, he had very few trump cards to begin with. He had to make good use of every single one of them. Who knew when they might end up being effective.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Amon had already walked out of the black cloister.
“He” had one hand in his pocket, and without doing anything, the heavy door opened automatically, as though it was welcoming the arrival of a distinguished guest.
“You can think of it that way, but in actual fact, it’s a little more complicated than that.” Amon didn’t show the might of a Blasphemer at all as he casually answered Klein’s question, “This dream world doesn’t have any errors, or rather, loopholes. It’s just that, due to the clashing of remnant divine powers, some places appear more chaotic. And I can use this chaos to create a loophole.”
As the huge door that was prepared for the giant was completely opened, Amon pinched his monocle and walked into the hall, venturing deep inside.
During this process, “He” smiled and gave a more in-depth explanation:
“You should know very well that this cloister is composed of dreams.”
“Yes, it comes from the dreams of different living beings in the ruins of the battle of the gods.” After some thought, Klein added, “It might also be left behind by some dreams from the past.”
At that moment, the man and angel walked on a winding black staircase. The light of dusk shone through the stained glass from high above, bringing with it a feeling of burning holiness.
Amon touched the human skull engraving on the railings and smiled as “He” took in the surroundings.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Generally speaking, the area you enter this dream world is where you end up when waking up, regardless if you’re in the dreams of other living beings in other seas.”
Unable to nod, Klein could only express his opinion with words.
“That’s right.”
“And after I create a loophole, I can wake up in the corresponding location by entering other dreams. Clearly, this cloister is much smaller than the sea ruins outside. The structure is even narrower. Perhaps, we can reach our destination in a few minutes.” There was a hint of joy in Amon’s tone.
To “Him,” creating and exploiting loopholes was a joyous matter.
…This… Amon is actually able to use such a method to quickly pass through the ruins of the battle of the gods. We won’t even be wasting an hour or two, much less one or two weeks… As expected of a King of Angels, the Blasphemer of the Fourth Epoch… The glimmer of hope that was generated in Klein vanished instantly.
He wasn’t sure if Amon had deliberately not mentioned it in advance, so as to enjoy watching the bubbles of “His” target’s hope being popped time and time again. Or if “He” didn’t care about such trivial matters. All he could do was to curb his heavy depression and say, “You want to control the core dream of this illusory world?”
He remembered Queen Mystic Bernadette mentioning that she didn’t dare enter the black wooden door in the deepest depths of the cloister.
“It’s not me, it’s us,” Amon replied with a smile.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“He” seemed to suddenly recall something. He raised his hand to adjust his monocle and asked with interest, “Why did you put a monocle on your marionette?
“I didn’t even need to prepare one myself.”
“…” Feeling awkward for a second, Klein thought for a second and decided to answer truthfully, “Not long ago, in order to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion, I deliberately wore this monocle in front of the Red Angel evil spirit.”
Amon, who was walking down the stairs suddenly paused. “He” turned “His” head to look at Klein and smiled.
“Very interesting.”
This Angel of Time said thoughtfully, “To think that Medici hasn’t completely died. Next time, if I encounter ‘Him,’ I’ll disguise myself to look like you, and then I’ll wear a monocle in front of ‘Him’ again.”
Poor Sauron Einhorn Medici… As a whole King of Angels, can you not be so senseless… Is this the so-called “God of Mischief”? When Klein heard that, he felt wistful, not knowing what to say.
Amon pressed down on the crystal monocle and asked, “Did you wear this monocle on your left eye?”
“How did you know?” Klein was shocked, imagining that Amon had stolen the scene from the fog of history.
Composite Start
Composite End
“How did I know?” Amon said with a smile. “There are two possibilities. Firstly, it’s because you’re of a Beyonder of a low level, so you’re definitely not a match for that fellow Medici. You were afraid that if your disguise was too realistic, then you would incur a fatal subconscious attack and deduced that you would be better of doing so. Secondly, if you had the intention of imitating me and ended up doing an accurate imitation, then I might be able to use the ripples generated by fate to detect the incident. Since I didn’t notice it, it must mean that the monocle was worn on the wrong spot.
“Make a guess. Which possibility is it?”
…I will choose the most dangerous possibility, regardless of whether it’s true or not… This way, I will be even more careful and cautious in the future when it comes to matters like this… Of course, there must be a future first… Since Amon didn’t show any signs of viciousness or oppression. Klein had unknowingly let down his guard and felt that Amon was an easy-going King of Angels. But now, he suddenly snapped to attention as he came to a realization that this was a trait of a master swindler!
“The second possibility.” Klein gave his answer.
Amon didn’t say if he was right. “He” reached the bottom of the stairs and came to the lowest level of the cloister. He stopped in front of a black wooden door covered in strange patterns.
“I’ve been here before. Once this door is fully opened, the power inside will shatter the dream world in its entirety,” Klein said as he attempted to extract more historical secrets from Amon.
Amon reached out for the handle, his thin face impassive as he said, “This is my father’s final dream. The corresponding location is where ‘He’ perished.”
…The ruins of the battle of gods was where Rose Redemption attacked the ancient sun god, the source of the Cataclysm? When Klein heard that, he tensed up as his thoughts raced.
With regards to this answer, after understanding the formation of Rose Redemption, he had a corresponding theory regarding the various abnormalities in the ruins of the battle of gods. He wasn’t too shocked now, and the Scholar of Yore potion had even been digested to a certain degree.
Immediately following that, he let out an indescribable sigh.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the closest he had gotten to the ancient sun god.
Previously, when he saw it through dream divination, they were separated by a distant stretch of both space and time.
The ancient sun god and Emperor Roselle were the protagonists of an era, but in the end, they ended up miserable. The ending was tragic… Roselle still has the means of being revived. I wonder if this former “Creator” had any similar setups… Dark Angel Sasrir? The True Creator? Amidst his thoughts, Amon opened the black wooden door covered in strange patterns.
There was a sea inside, and the blinding sunlight shot straight at it. There seemed to be a rich gold color hidden in the waves.
Klein didn’t understand what the thick gold represented previously, but now, he had a preliminary idea.
It was the blood of the ancient sun god!
Before “He” died, “He” was affected by the power of the “Evernight” and fell into a dream. He dreamed of his body being torn apart, staining the sea with blood.
Clang!
As the black wooden door opened, an unimaginable aura emanated out, causing the entire cloister to violently shake, as though it had encountered an earthquake that could destroy this world.
Amidst the dust and collapsed stone bricks, the two of them entered the golden sea through the wooden door.
Following that, he felt his Spirit Body melt as his psyche evaporated. In seconds, he would become fertilizer for the dream.
At this moment, bright and pure white light shone out from Amon’s crystal monocle, instantly shattering the dream world.
“He” returned the “day” he had stolen to the ruins of the battle of the gods, allowing the place to turn from night to day!
At the same time, “His” and Klein’s figures turned somewhat transparent. Then, they appeared in midair above a sea that was dyed golden.
The temperature here was higher than what Klein imagined, but it wasn’t as dangerous as the dream.
Or rather, the sea in the core region of the ruins of the battle of the gods was separated into safety zones due to various clashes of divine power. As long as one didn’t blindly explore the area, then there wouldn’t be too much of a problem.
In the next second, Amon’s monocle drew in all the light from “His” surroundings, making himself appear extremely bright.
“Day” was stolen and “night” had fallen once again. After the two landed on an island in a safe zone, they once again entered the dream world.
This time, they appeared outside the black wooden door covered with strange patterns.
Amon adjusted “His” monocle, which “He” wore on “His” right eye, and pulled it with “His” left hand, “stealing” the distance between the entrance and the cloister.
Both of them took a step forward at the same time, leaving the cloister and arriving at the edge of the cliff. Opposite them was the projection of the Giant King’s Court that was frozen in the dusk.
Klein originally thought that Amon would follow procedure and chant the corresponding honorific name, but to his surprise, “He” only raised “His” right hand and snapped “His” fingers.
The clouds that separated the two mountains instantly boiled as they parted to the left and right, revealing an invisible dark rift at the bottom.
The projection of the Giant King’s Court on the opposite side suddenly sucked all the rays of light from the sunset over, letting them surge forward and fill up the deep crack.
Hence, in between the two mountains, an orange-red light road appeared in the clouds.
“Let’s go.” Amon gave a low laugh as “He” leaped down the cliff. With the fluttering of “His” clothes, “He” landed on the passage formed by dusk.
Unable to resist, Klein could only follow and jump down the cliff.
Chapter 1154 I“ll Give You a Chance
The path that was formed by dusk didn’t seem to contain anything, but after Amon and Klein landed one after another, they didn’t continue falling, as though they were walking on the ground.
This time, Amon didn’t “steal” the distance. Instead, “He” “brought” Klein along as they approached the majestic projection of the Giant King’s Court. From time to time, “He” would observe and admire the beautiful scenery.
Walking above the sea of clouds, they walked along a sunset bridge with the legendary palace in the distance. It was supposed to be a joyful and refreshing matter, but Klein felt as though he was walking into the Abyss, doing so one step at a time. The more he struggled, the deeper he fell.
Once he entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, many things that he relied on would be useless.
Before long, Amon and Klein arrived at the projection of the Giant King’s Court and stood in front of the tallest building.
On one side of the building was a steeple, and on the other side was a spire. The main door was far more than ten meters tall, with it being mainly a grayish-blue color. It was covered with symbols, labels, and patterns. It was where the Giant King lived, the place where Dark Angel Sasrir slept.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein glanced at the pitch-black hole to the left of the door, roughly determining that the door in the dream didn’t need a key to open. Otherwise, the True Creator’s believers wouldn’t have been able to pass through. After all, the actual key back then was in Vice Admiral Iceberg’s collection room.
“Next, we’ll be able to enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods once the door is opened. However, we’ll definitely attract the attention of others by doing so.” Amon chortled and took a few steps diagonally to the edge of the door. “We won’t open the door, but instead directly head over.”
As “He” spoke, the Angel of Time raised “His” hand to adjust “His” monocle.
A dark blue color appeared in the corner of the grayish-blue door. It was an illusory door without any sense of being corporeal.
“The ‘Door Opening’ power of an Apprentice is a very low-level ability, but it’s perfect when used here.” Amon lowered “His” right hand and introduced in satisfaction.
Taking two steps, “He” passed through the illusory door.
Hmm, there are no useless Beyonder powers, only useless Beyonders… If I directly push the door open, I’ll draw the attention of others… But from who? The True Creator? “His” holy residence, “His” divine kingdom should be somewhere in the Forsaken Land of the Gods… If I can lure “Him” over and let “Him” clash with Amon, I might be able to find a chance to escape… Without any ability to control himself, Klein followed behind Amon without leaving much of a gap, stepping into the blurry dark blue door.
The moment he stepped through, he felt the world spin around him. Even his spirituality seemed to be tom apart.
After the abnormality disappeared and his condition was restored, he realized that he was on a beach that was soaked in the glow of the sunset.
Composite Start
Composite End
The sand and stones here were all black in color. Deep blue waves surged over from afar as they crashed into the coast, one wave after another, but they didn’t produce any sounds like they should have.
They were quiet, like a grand illusion.
This sea is an illusion… Coming in would probably result in one appearing here, but it’s not necessarily the case for leaving… According to the principle of reciprocity, if one wants to leave, they can only open the residence of the Giant King, where Dark Angel Sasrir is in deep sleep? With a sudden realization, Klein turned his head and looked in another direction. It was a mountain bathed in dusk. On it were countless palaces, towers, and many majestic city walls.
This was the legendary Giant King’s Court.
Even if the City of Silver could find a path that leads to the beach, it would be meaningless… From the corner of his eye, he saw that Amon had changed his image.
“He” wore a black classical robe and a pointed hat of the same color. He changed from being a gentleman from the present era to an ancient mage that originated from the Fourth or even the Third Epoch.
With a thought, Klein continued looking at the Giant King’s Court which wasn’t too far away. He casually said, “Dark Angel Sasrir is sleeping in the palace of the Giant King.”
Amon stood to his side as “He” looked in the same direction and said without any change in expression, “I know.
“I’ve entered the Giant King’s Court and even visited the graves of Aurmir’s parents.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As expected… One of Klein’s guesses was finally confirmed.
He deliberated and said, “What answers you searching for1?”
“You can make a guess.” Amon continued looking at the Giant King’s Court and laughed.
If I had any idea, I wouldn’t need to ask you… After thinking for a few seconds, he said, “Some secrets of the First Epoch?”
You can say that,” Amon replied without much concern.
Klein hesitated for a moment before saying, “Aren’t you curious about Dark Angel Sasrir’s condition?”
“I am.” Amon didn’t change the direction of “His” gaze as “He” said with a smile, “But compared to me, there are still many people who are more interested in that: my zealous brother, The Hanged Man, the Dragon of Betrayal, as well as Evernight, Storm, and White. I want to see who’s the first one who isn’t able to hold back. Heh heh, if I can steal everything of importance inside at the critical moment, ‘Their’ expressions will definitely be very interesting.”
This thought… The reason for stirring up such a huge matter was purely to cause trouble, to gain some excitement? Klein frowned slightly and realized that Amon’s values were different from that of humans.
This is a natural Mythical Creature… Completely different from humans… Eh, why can I frown on my own… Just as he came to a realization, he sensed that something was missing in his body.
Composite Start
Composite End
He subconsciously turned his head to look at Blasphemer Amon.
There was a semi-translucent Worm of Time with twelve rings in Amon’s hand. “He” smiled as “He” looked into Klein’s eyes and said with some anticipation, “Since we’ve already arrived at the Forsaken Land of the Gods, there’s no need to worry about external interference. I’ll give you a chance.
“Before I reach my true destination, I will no longer “Parasitize” you. You can use every method that you can think of to escape, and I will try my best to stop you.
“Good luck. Don’t disappoint me.”
For a moment, Klein couldn’t believe what Amon had just said. He suspected that Amon was bluffing him.Read more chapter on vipnovel
But when he thought of Amon’s behavior all this while, he felt that it was something that was in line with “His” character.
“Alright.” As his thoughts raced, he took a deep breath and solemnly replied under the orange glow of the sunset.
Backlund, Parliament House.
Due to King George Ill’s sudden self-destruction, none of the nobles and Members of Parliament were allowed to return to their respective homes. Instead, they were gathered here to receive heavy protection from the three Churches and the military.
Dressed in a pure black dress, Audrey stood behind the railing on the second floor and quietly looked down.
Composite Start
Composite End
As the matter had happened too suddenly and lacked any prior warning, she still found it surreal despite receiving some indication from The World Gehrman Sparrow.
She seemed to have transcended reality and was watching a performance.
Her father, brother, and the other nobles and Members of Parliament were gathered in cliques as they occupied different small rooms. From time to time, one would walk out of the small room, bringing with them the stench of smoke and their gentlemanly attire as they rushed to another discussion circle.
The ladies and madams sat in the lounge. Most of them had yet to return to their senses as their eyes were dazed and their bodies trembling.
The parliamentary staff and the military’s middle and low-ranking officers were running about everywhere, transmitting information from different places.
A soldier dressed in a red shirt and white pants walked in from the outside and handed a stack of paper to the officer in charge of the hall. The officer glanced at it and immediately called for his assistant. He pointed at the small room where Earl Hall and the rest were in. Without asking anything, the adjutant took the documents and ran towards his destination.
All of this happened in a very quiet environment. Only the sound of footsteps and faint whispers echoed in the air. It was as if it was a huge oil painting drawn on the canvas of the real world. The gorgeous decorations, dark colors, dim lights, and the expressions on everyone’s faces created an extremely heavy atmosphere.
Audrey pursed her lips slightly and looked at it for a while. Her mood was still at a nadir, and she only managed to maintain her calm by relying on Placate.
Why would Mr. World deal with the king…
The death of the King will definitely bring deep hatred…
It doesn’t matter what Sequence the King is, because he has never shown it. This doesn’t affect the overall strength of the kingdom, but this incident is enough to explain one thing: The three Churches, royal family, and military have fractured apart. The internal strife is quite serious…
The situation with Loen will be very dangerous. Its enemies will definitely not let this opportunity go… As her thoughts raced, she saw a man in a black coat rush into Parliament House.
He suppressed his voice and started talking to the officer in charge of the lobby.
As an experienced Spectator who could observe the subtle expressions and body language, reading lips was undoubtedly Audrey’s strength. As she watched, she interpreted the corresponding content:
Intis has used the excuse of conflict in the borders of the Homacis mountain range to gather a large number of troops there.
Audrey bit her lip lightly as that familiar feeling of not belonging there arose again. It was as if she had seen a novel’s description play out in the real world.
The grayness of the sky seemed to grow thicker. No one spoke in the house where the Morettis lived.
Benson stood behind the oriel window with a solemn expression as he looked at the people rushing down the streets.
It was unknown what he was thinking.
Melissa sat on the sofa beside the coffee table. She lowered her head and looked at the crude machinery she made. It was as if she had become a statue.
“Sigh, the situation has become even more chaotic.” Benson exhaled as he touched his hairline. He turned his head back and forced a smile. “Regardless, Backlund is definitely safer than most places.”
Melissa didn’t raise her head. Instead, she said with an ethereal voice, “Klein found a good job, and our lives gradually improved. In the end, an accident took him away…
“We moved out of Tingen, and you got a job as a civil servant. I entered university and started on the correct path. In the end, war broke out…
“It wasn’t easy for us to get used to this environment. We were praying that the war would end early. In the end, the king was blown to pieces…”
Having said that, Melissa slowly lifted her head and looked at her brother with a confused expression.
“Benson, is it that difficult to obtain and maintain a better life than what we had before?”
Chapter 1155 Walking in the Dark
Backlund, East Borough.
Fors, who had just returned from the land of ice and snow, was wrapped in thick layers of clothing. She looked at the burning charcoal stove in front of her as if she had fallen into a terrible environment again. She couldn’t help but shiver a few times.
“George III is already dead. The things that happened before will definitely come to an end. Perhaps we can move out of this place and head to North Borough or Hillston Borough.
“The houses there have fireplaces!”
Xio sat on a chair opposite her and similarly stared at the warm furnace. She replied with a slightly confused expression, “Let’s wait another week or two.
“To be honest, I still can’t believe that George III was killed so easily… I didn’t have time to do anything.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This bounty hunter, who had become a Judge, sounded disappointed, confused, and puzzled. It felt as though she had lost her motivation in life.
Fors temporarily forgot about the damage caused by the cold as she consoled her, “I don’t think that this was done by Gehrman Sparrow. It was done by those people who used Shermane. They were the only ones investigating the secret motives of George III. Your actions have contributed to his death to a certain degree. It’s as if you had exacted your revenge in an indirect manner.
“Eh… There shouldn’t be any more surveillance or suppressive measures placed against your family. You can try to start a new life. If you have the chance, you might be able to use proper channels to make an appeal for your father.”
Upon hearing the last few sentences, Xio raised her head.
“Yes, the situation is getting more and more chaotic now. I’m worried that they’ll be affected by the war.
“Fors, do you think it’s safer to be in Backlund, or in an ordinary city that isn’t near the borders?”
Fors thought for a few seconds and shook her head calmly.
“I don’t know.”
She added, “I plan to ask Mr. World. He must have a better grasp of the overall situation. Do you still remember? He warned us beforehand that something would happen around George III, and to avoid approaching him.”
Composite Start
Composite End
In addition, Fors also wanted to ask where the next stop of her “travels” would be so that she could make preparations early.
“Yes!” Xio nodded instinctively.
Fors flipped through the newspapers she supported with her knees, and she drank the coffee she had left. Then, she slowly got up and entered the room inside. She prayed to Mr. Fool in a low voice, asking “Him” to pass her questions to The World Gehrman Sparrow.
…
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, near the Giant King’s Court.
Without being “Parasitized” at a deeper level, Klein followed Amon to the foot of the mountain. In the frozen dusk, they circled to the front of the mythical land.
Although Amon had given him a chance to escape, he wasn’t in a hurry to do so. This was because he knew very well that Amon had the strength and level of at least a Sequence 2. “He” was an angel in the truest sense of the word, an entity he couldn’t fight head-on. Besides, a Marauder was known as an “Error,” a loophole, a bug. Its powers were very strange, making it impossible to guard against. Klein believed that whatever normal means he could come up with to save himself would be ineffective.
I can only stay patient and wait for an opportunity that can be used… During this process, I have to keep making attempts to observe Amon’s response… Yes, I still have to take note of a problem: I can’t believe anything Amon says. “He” has already retrieved the Worm of Time and removed my parasitized state. At least, in terms of my condition, “He” isn’t lying, but this might not be the whole truth. I can’t rule out the possibility that “He” has left a Worm of Time lurking in my body. “He” might take control of my body at a critical moment… As these thoughts surfaced in Klein’s mind, he “chatted” with Amon, asking about Dark Angel Sasrir. However, he saw that nearby, in the distance, the dusk was fading away as darkness blanketed the area. Lightning bolts that snarled from time to time lit up half the sky.
They had arrived at the boundary of the Giant King’s Court and were about to leave the mythical kingdom.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Once I’m in the darkness, I’ll either evaporate into thin air or encounter a sudden terrifying monster attack… With a thought, Klein pretended not to know anything as he continued proceeding forward. He went from the orange dusk and into the deep darkness.
At this moment, Amon, in his black classic robe and pointed hat, accompanied with a monocle, reached out “His” hand and pulled back a lantern covered in thin animal hide.
Inside the lantern, a candle made of some unknown oil emitted a faint yellow light and a slightly pungent smell.
“Carry it.” Amon threw the lantern at Klein.
“…” Klein caught the lantern and fell silent.
A few seconds later, he probed, “Where did you get this from?”
At that moment, Klein imagined that Amon had summoned a projection from the Historical Void.
Amon pinched the crystal monocle and said with a smile, “I stole it from the human camp up ahead. Oh, that’s the City of Silver’s Afternoon Town camp.”
It was stolen… Klein’s eyelids twitched. He didn’t ask further as he carried the lantern into the endless darkness.
Composite Start
Composite End
The dim yellow light was like an invisible defensive barrier as it quickly spread out, creating a warm zone in the dark night.
At this moment, the lightning in the sky kept flashing. The gap between them was rather long, and there was almost no thunder. It occasionally boomed.
According to the general knowledge he had learned from Little Sun, this was nighttime in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. It was the most dangerous period.
As he proceeded forward, he first used the Faceless powers which had undergone a qualitative change. Together with Creeping Hunger, he adjusted his eye structure to adapt to this special environment. Following that, he used his spiritual perception to survey his surroundings.
He felt that, in the darkness, there were many eyes staring at him, with creatures of indescribable shapes hidden. However, every time the lightning lit up and shone brightly, there was nothing.
He wasn’t worried at all about the serious backlash from using Creeping Hunger while not feeding it. From his point of view, there were only two outcomes. One was that Creeping Hunger attempted to devour him, but had its thoughts stolen away by Amon. The second was that Creeping Hunger successfully devoured him, the wearer, allowing him to be resurrected; thus, escaping from his current predicament. The latter was something he was looking forward to, while the former didn’t offer any losses, other than leaving Creeping Hunger somewhat perplexed.
After proceeding forward for a while, he saw the City of Silver’s Afternoon Town camp that was built using an abandoned building.
Beyond those boulders and walls that were formed by stone pillars, the bonfire quietly burned and illuminated most of the areas inside, making them completely different from the outside world.
The members of the City of Silver’s exploration team were either patrolling or watching the area under the light’s illumination to prevent any accidents.
One of them was a Dawn Paladin who was nearly 2.3 meters tall. He was standing at the top of a stronghold and looking into the distance, wary of the monsters hidden in the darkness.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, he saw a faint yellow flame coming from afar in the darkness.
This… This Dawn Paladin’s pupils dilated as his heart raced.
Apart from newborns and children who had yet to receive education, everyone in the City of Silver knew that this land had been forsaken by God. No one else would use fire in the darkness to create light. Even monsters who were good at controlling flames would be hidden in a dark environment before they attacked. As for the other humans, all the cities that the City of Silver had discovered to date had already been destroyed and turned to ruins. There were no survivors. The only outsider they had seen to date was the strange little boy, Jack.
And at that moment, a flame appeared in the depths of the darkness, one that was constantly moving!
What does this mean? The Dawn Paladin who was standing in the stronghold couldn’t think of anything at that moment. He could only feel his body trembling slightly.
The dim yellow light slowly approached from afar. It passed by the campsite and headed beyond Afternoon Town. Vaguely, the Dawn Knight saw two silhouettes that belonged to humans. They walked deep into the darkness, and their silhouettes were strangely illuminated by the light.
Holding what looked like a lantern, they slowly left the camp and disappeared into the endless darkness.
At some point in time, the Dawn Paladin was already holding his breath until the faint yellow light was completely gone.
There are other humans? No, they can’t be humans! The Dawn Paladin’s eyes narrowed as he carefully turned around to inform the Elder of the six-member council presiding over this camp.
At this moment, he discovered that one of the lanterns hanging on a stone pillar was missing.
This Dawn Paladin’s body stiffened as cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
…
As he walked away from Afternoon Town, Klein endured the stares of numerous pairs of eyes in the depths of the darkness. He secretly made use of the powers of a Scholar of Yore, as well as his connection with Sefirah Castle, to sense the grayish-white fog that was interwoven through history.
He had succeeded.
This proved that the Forsaken Land of the Gods wasn’t isolated from Sefirah Castle.
The holy residence of the True Creator, or even the divine kingdom, is located in this piece of land… If I were to trigger Sefirah Castle and create an anomaly, would it cause “Him” to cast “His” gaze over and clash with Amon… “He” is a true god. I don’t have extravagant hopes in escaping in the chaos, but I can seize the opportunity to commit suicide when “He” is dealing with Amon… With a thought, Klein wanted to make Sefirah Castle quake slightly.
In the next second, this thought disappeared.
The corners of Amon’s mouth curled up slightly as he walked beside him.
“The Hanged Man has no interest in Sefirah Castle. Of course, ‘His’ rationality might not be constant.”
Klein didn’t have extravagant hopes that his impulsive thought could truly succeed. He mainly wanted to test Amon’s reaction and see what “His” response was. At that moment, he didn’t feel depressed, nor did he hide his curiosity in asking a question, “The Hanged Man is referring to the Sequence 0 of the Shepherd pathway?”
Amon nodded slightly and said, “That’s right. This symbolizes degeneration. Of course, if you want to explain it in a positive light, that is sacrifice and responsibility.”
Klein thought for a moment before probing, “I thought this was a nickname you came up with.”
Just like Medici.
Based on what he knew, the True Creator was born because of Rose Redemption. It was very likely related to the death of the ancient sun god. Therefore, he wanted to know what kind of attitude Amon had towards this evil god, and whether it was the same as “His” brother.
Amon nudged his monocle and chuckled.
“I’ve always respected the gods.”
To have a Blasphemer say this sounds really contradictory… Helpless, Klein put a stop to the topic.
Chapter 1156 Thinking
Most of the areas in the Forsaken Land of the Gods didn’t have paths that one would consider normal, but it wasn’t that difficult to walk through them. This was because large swaths of the land were barren. Everything was mostly black in color.
On the moors, there were occasional sightings of plants that stubbornly grew. They were of a variety of strange shapes and distorted sizes. Klein had no way to tell what they originally were.
Around them, in the areas that the lantern couldn’t illuminate, the darkness seemed to have a life of its own. It seemed to move silently, as though it wanted to devour everything that they could blanket.
As a Scholar of Yore, Klein just needed one glance from the corner of his eye to see the Spirit Body Threads extending out from the darkness around him. They were illusory, dense, and countless. This meant that there were many monsters lurking in the darkness.
These monsters were extremely silent. They stared at Amon, who was dressed as an ancient mage, as well as Klein, who looked like a present-day gentleman. Under the dim yellow light, they walked through the wilderness.
With his eyes fixed ahead, Klein casually held the animal hide lantern in his hand, not worried about when it would be extinguished.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as the two of them were about to leave this barren wilderness and enter a hilly region, a deformed monster of mangled flesh with two heads and five arms suddenly trembled in the darkness behind them.
It had become Klein’s marionette.
Controlling Spirit Body Threads was silent to begin with, and it wasn’t more than 500 meters away.
In the next second, the monster collapsed silently, losing its life.
Walking to Klein’s left, Amon, who was wearing a pointed hat, smiled. “He” raised “His” right arm and opened “His” palm, revealing something.
It was a transparent maggot with three-dimensional patterns.
A Worm of Spirit!
This was stolen from the marionette, along with the Spirit Body Threads.
Without waiting for Klein to speak, Amon easily crushed the transparent maggot with “His” fingers.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein immediately felt a pain that came from deep within his soul. His head felt like it was about to split open.
Thankfully, he had gotten used to this feeling from him repeated creating Yesterday Once More charms and Control Spirit Bullets. He only grimaced without losing his composure.
Amon maintained “His” smile and threw down “His” palm.
“You’re too reserved. You can be more daring.”
Having recovered from the pain, Klein raised his hand to rub his temples, feeling exhausted. Every Worm of Spirit was calling for him to rest.
As he was being chased by Zaratul, the spirituality that he borrowed from his past self had been mostly expended. There was still the continuous “Traveling” after that. By using Angel’s Embrace to remove traces, he was already nearing his limit.
After he returned to a safe zone, he had planned on going above the gray fog to check on his surroundings before entering a deep sleep and replenish his energy. Alas, he ended up suffering an ambush from Amon, which resulted in him being parasitized. He had been tormented all the way to the Forsaken Land of the Gods. If he wasn’t in a perilous situation, he might’ve fainted or showed signs of losing control.
“I need to rest now,” Klein put down his right hand and said frankly.
He believed that Amon would satisfy his request, because the more he failed at escaping despite trying his best, the more he could satisfy this God of Mischief’s desire for entertainment.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright.” The monocled Amon’s face turned slightly as “He” said while facing the hillside, “There’s a resting place there. We’ll arrive soon. Of course, I don’t mind if you want to camp out in the wilderness. I just feel that you humans might prefer a place that gives you a sense of security.”
“Let’s go there.” Klein originally wanted to directly control the flame of the lantern to complete a Flaming Jump, but his drained spirituality stopped him. He could only follow Amon and rely on his feet to move forward.
Along the way, with a mind of asking more questions, he said to Amon, “Why don’t you ‘steal’ the distance to immediately arrive at our destination?”
Amon turned “His” head and glanced at Klein with “His” monocled right eye. The corners of “His” lips curled up slightly.
“I’m not the one who wants to rest.”
“…” Klein shut his mouth and quietly walked forward.
After about ten bolts of lightning flashes, Amon raised “His” hand and pointed diagonally ahead.
“We’re here.”
In the shadow of a hill less than a hundred meters away, there were a few buildings that looked like half-steeples. More than ten giant stone pillars protruded out from the ground, reaching only the height of Klein’s knees. A few strands of wild grass grew out from the crevices, their blade-like tips were dark red like blood.
Composite Start
Composite End
“There used to be people living here?” Klein rubbed his temples and asked.
Nudging the monocle with “His” right index finger’s second joint, Amon smiled and said, “This place used to be a very large city. When the Cataclysm happened, the land cracked open and devoured the entire city, leaving behind only these structures to prove that it once existed.”
The destruction of civilization… This thought suddenly popped up in Klein’s mind. He sped up his pace and arrived at the destination where there was strange wild grass.
After entering a half-collapsed building, Klein instinctively looked around and observed the place.
The grayish-white stone walls that had cracked open had murals that had been washed away by thousands of years. They were already indiscernible, and he could tell that the people in the city believed that entering Heaven after death was an honor.
After regulating his breathing, Klein threw away the animal hide lantern in his hand. Leaning against a thick stone pillar, he barely managed to imagine layers of spherical lights.
He didn’t care about the dangers of sleeping in such an environment.
Let the danger come strike harder! Before he fell asleep, Klein shouted in his heart.
The black-robed Amon glanced at him before casually sitting down beside him and snapping “His” fingers.
The candle that was about to burn out in the lantern stopped melting, but the dim yellow light continued to spread.
Composite Start
Composite End
Despite only having fuel to last a few more minutes, it seemed to be able to last another few hours or even days.
It was like an error that violated the laws of nature.
After for an unknown period of time of feeling groggy, Klein finally recovered his energy and was woken up by Miss Magician’s prayers.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
He was temporarily unable to respond to this. He closed his eyes and pretended that he was still dreaming.
Without being “Parasitized” at a deeper level, I don’t think Amon can monitor my thoughts. “He” can only tell if my thoughts are harmful to “Him”… With a thought, he secretly summoned the grayish-white fog.
He had borrowed a state from his past self through the Historical Void, a state that wasn’t directly meant for escaping.
That was when Hvin Rambis invaded his island of consciousness.
This attempt wasn’t stopped or stolen.
Using this state, and the fact that he was able to maintain his lucidity in dreams and the mind world regardless of any intrusions, he split a portion of his self-awareness and stayed in the spiritual sky, calmly looking down at the island.
He began to examine if there were any abnormalities in his mind and thoughts that were being parasitized.
After a series of strict comparisons, he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his mind world.
In other words, even if there was still a Worm of Time in his body, it was still considered being parasitized at a superficial level. It was impossible to monitor his thoughts.
After finding such a “safe zone,” Klein finally released his repressed thoughts and analyzed the current situation. He considered the subsequent methods for self-preservation.
Amon is a God of Mischief and also a God of Deceit. It’s impossible that “He” is playing this game purely for his entertainment… If “He” really wants to do that, “He” can definitely wait until “He” meets with “His” true body and steals my fate. “He” can attempt it after obtaining Sefirah Castle. That way, even if something unexpected happens, “His” main goal will also be achieved and “He” wouldn’t suffer any losses…
What is “His” goal behind this matter? If I can grasp the crux of the matter, I might be able to discover true freedom…
Also, after “He” recited the luck enhancement ritual incantation in Mandarin, “He” actually didn’t show any concern towards this special language, nor did “He” ask any questions. This totally doesn’t match the sense of curiosity that “He” portrays…
Uh… Did “He” deliberately use the word “Bug” to probe me… so as to see what connections I’ll make…
But “He” didn’t steal my thoughts. No, if all my ideas are disjointed from one another, I wouldn’t be able to discover that they’ve been stolen…
Klein recalled the situation back then, and he used the logical connections between his thoughts to confirm that he hadn’t had his thoughts stolen.
This made him confirm one thing:
That was, that being “Parasitized” at a deeper level, Amon could directly monitor his thoughts without stealing it!
Amon made it seem that he had to notice malintent before he took action. It was a bluff!
I knew it, this deeper level of “Parasitization” seems to be different from what Pallez described…
Based on this deduction, the thoughts that I’ve been thinking of along the way have been heard by Amon, including Earth, fellow Earthling, and child education…
How terrifying…
Thankfully, when I was plotting to destroy the advancement ritual of George III, I had imagined the perilous situation of being “Parasitized” by Amon. Half of my thoughts were my instinctive reactions, while the other half was intentionally let loose. This way, not only do I reveal my secrets, but I can also use this to gain Amon’s “trust,” concealing the most important and core matters.
For now, “He” definitely knows that I plan to obtain more historical secrets from “Him” so as to quickly digest the Scholar of Yore potion. However, “He” doesn’t know that I’m not far from being able to fully digest it. I’m just a few steps short or just one opportunity away…
Did Amon deliberately remove the parasite and play such a game with me because “He” had once heard of Earth from the ancient sun god and had come into contact with some secrets? He plans on using my attempt to save myself to complete certain matters that might be inconvenient or impossible for “Him”? If that’s the case, there will definitely be something happening next…
Yes, I have to show that I didn’t notice this and still plan on escaping like a normal person.”
Once I’ve returned to my optimal state, I’ll make my first “attempt”! After a while, Klein opened his eyes.
The pointed hat-wearing Amon sat beside him and smiled at him.
“Have you decided? When are you going to take action?”
“He” acted as if “He” was Klein’s partner and not the target from which Klein was trying to escape from.
Chapter 1157 Poise
Klein pressed down on the grayish-white wall and slowly sat up straight. He smiled and shook his head.
“Before I fill my stomach, my brain refuses to work.”
He was speaking the truth, and also a lie. This was because, before becoming a complete Mythical Creature, a saint would still be hungry and thirsty. But to a Sequence 3 demigod, not eating or drinking for half a month wasn’t a problem. As for a whole Mythical Creature, eating was only a hobby, not a necessity.
What he wanted to express was that, before he officially made attempts at escaping, he needed to be in optimal condition.
“The habit of a Magician,” Amon commented with a smile. “I’m not in charge of providing food, but you can think of a solution yourself.”
Looking at the lantern on the ground, Klein thought for a few seconds before reaching out his right hand into the air.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
A not-so-tall coffee table immediately appeared in front of him. It was an item from the residence belonging to Dwayne Dantes.
Under the dim yellow light, Klein reached out once again to summon a beautifully packaged box from the Historical Void.
Inside the box was a set of cutlery, including a knife, fork, and cup.
The reason why he chose this item was because he couldn’t form a set of cutlery by individually summoning them. He could only maintain three images from the Historical Void at the same time.
After setting up the cutlery in a leisure manner, Klein politely turned his head to the side and nodded at the pointed hat-wearing Amon. Following that, he summoned a medium-well done steak covered in black pepper sauce.
It landed on the porcelain plate, emitting some steam. With him slicing the steak with the knife, he revealed the remaining edge of the pink protein.
Klein forked a piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth. He felt that the texture was real and the texture was succulent. It wasn’t fake at all as it really calmed the anxiety of his stomach.
“For fifteen minutes, not only will I not feel hungry, but I will also receive ‘real’ provisions.” After swallowing the piece of beef, Klein smiled and introduced it to Amon like a hospitable host, and not a pitiful Beyonder who had been kidnapped.
Amon pressed against the crystal monocle and nodded with a smile.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ve tried it. It’s not bad.
“Your ability to adapt is really quick. Are you really not considering being my Blessed?”
After cutting another chunk of beef, Klein forked it up and replied as though he was chatting with a friend:
“Kill me.”
At that moment, the relative frequent lightning and endless darkness ruled the land. Wherever the light from the surroundings couldn’t shine on, eyes were staring at the area with zero emotion. The twisted, dark-red grass gently swayed in the occasional breeze.
In the half-collapsed building, the dim yellow light painted the artistic coffee table and the exquisite cutlery with warm colors. The aroma of the steak wafted in the air, not showing any contrast with the outside world that was continuously connected to it.
Under the gaze of the terrifying monsters in the depths of the darkness, Klein enjoyed a sumptuous meal in a refined and poised manner in the desolate land that was soaked in extreme terror.
After finishing his steak, he summoned a small glass of iced wine from Maygur Manor and drank it in one gulp.
Following that, cream soup, pan-fried cod, tender lamb stew with peas, baked potato skins, and all sorts of grape wines were summoned one after another before entering Klein’s stomach.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
During this process, the steak that was the first to be eaten had already been maintained for a long period of time. It had vanished into thin air, but Klein’s stomach and body were numbed by the subsequent food and he was oblivious to it.
Of course, the coffee table and food were replenished. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have lasted to the end of his meal.
At the end of the meal, Klein continued reaching out his hand, pulling out a cup from the void. Inside was a ball of vanilla ice-cream.
He then used the spoon to scoop the ice-cream into his mouth, feeling it melt with its delicious sweetness.
After the ball was finished, he still wasn’t satisfied as he summoned another ball of ice-cream from the Historical Void. As such, he ate five different flavors of ice-cream in a consecutive fashion.
When Klein reached out his hand for the sixth time, Amon, who was sitting on his side, suddenly laughed.
Your fate has had an abnormal change. You’re lucky enough.
“Is this your preparation?”
Klein’s right hand immediately froze in midair. His pupils seemed to dilate to a certain extent.
Composite Start
Composite End
Almost at the same time, in the darkness around them, where the lanterns couldn’t shine, strange creatures twitched and instantly became Klein’s marionette.
This time, Klein sent out a hundred Worms of Spirit in one go, hoping that one of them would be lucky enough to avoid Amon’s theft.
Right on the heels of that, behind the coffee table, a figure wearing a black coat and no hat was replaced with a disgusting vampire covered in pus.
The artistic coffee table and exquisite cutlery shattered like glass that had been smashed to the ground. Countless cracks appeared and shattered.
They quickly returned to the Historical Void, just in case it affected Klein’s subsequent summoning attempts.
In the next second, the one hundred marionettes, along with the Klein, who had hidden somewhere, reached out to grab at the void. He attempted to avoid Amon’s interference with quantity.
At that moment, they were all Scholars of Yore.
This was the ability of Bizarro Sorcerers, the source of the qualitative change of a Seer.
Of course, the chances of success of each marionette summoning was independent, so there was no influence each had with the other.
At that moment, the projection that Klein was summoning was the projection of Reinette Tinekerr who had recovered to “Her” peak state in the Tudor Ruins. Due to the contract and charms, “She” was the easiest angel projection he could summon from the Historical Void!
Composite Start
Composite End
Amon was still sitting leisurely in “His” spot. “His” monocle emitted a faint glow as “He” watched the 101 Kleins summon at the same time.
With his right hands reaching out in an orderly manner before being retracted, none of his hundred marionettes succeeded. He didn’t drag Reinette Tinekerr out of the void.
At that moment, Amon raised “His” right hand and also grabbed ahead of “Him.”
“His” arm sank slightly, and “He” casually pulled it back. Outside the half-collapsed building, a huge cloth doll that was as huge as a castle appeared. It was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, bound by vines.
Ancient Bane Reinette Tinekerr!
Amon had stolen the historical image that was summoned by Klein!
Reinette Tinekerr’s red eyes immediately reflected the figures of Klein’s hundred marionettes.
Without a sound, the marionettes, that were either disguised with Klein’s appearance or in the state of a monster, emitted a faint glow, turning into homed mountain goats, white rabbits, and other different animals.
Transformation Curse!
Klein’s actual body had long disappeared. Then, he walked out of the flames that rose up from the animal hide lantern. He looked at the various animals that might be considered his and suddenly sat down and chuckled.
Taking a stroll after a meal effectively improves one’s health.”
He didn’t mention anything about his attempt to escape, as if nothing had happened.
Amon maintained “His” relaxed posture and nodded cooperatively.
“I’ve read quite a number of books written by humans. There are indeed such opinions among them.”
With that said, “He” raised “His” hand and pointed at the projection of Reinette Tinekerr.
“This is your messenger?”
This was something that could be easily confirmed, so Klein didn’t hide it. He tersely acknowledged and nodded.
“What a pity.” Amon sized up Reinette Tinekerr’s projection and shook his head with a tsk.
As he felt the food in his stomach disappear, Klein asked, “What’s the matter?”
“I should bring you to Backlund to wait for a few more days. That way, I can wait for your messenger to deliver a letter to you. Then, ‘She’ will become my messenger.” Amon nudged “His” monocle on “His” right eye and said with a smile, “Snatching an angel messenger. That will be very challenging and fun, isn’t it? Life needs some fun, excitement, and anticipation.”
“I share the same thoughts,” Klein replied sincerely.
“What a pity.” The hatted Amon shook “His” head again. “Evemight is someone I need to be careful about. If we stayed there any longer, even I wouldn’t have any idea what would happen.”
As he spoke, this Angel of Time dispelled the Historical Void projection of Reinette Tinekerr, allowing “Her” to vanish in front of Klein.
You seem to be very wary of the Goddess?” Klein pretended to be a devout believer of the Evernight Goddess.
Of course, he didn’t need to don a disguise. He was still a Blessed of Evernight.
Amon’s gaze shifted to the lantern inside the half-collapsed building and looked at the dim yellow light.
“I’m unable to steal things that I’m curious about from a concealed state. I can’t decipher what other arrangements ‘She’ might have and what’ the key thing to take note of are.”
To a King of Angels of the Marauder pathway, there was sufficient reason to be apprehensive.
Taking advantage of the opportunity while Amon was answering his question, Klein suddenly recited the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess in Jotun:
You are the Evemight Goddess who stands higher than the cosmos and more eternal than eternity…”
Just as he said that, his thoughts were lost. If he hadn’t had such plans previously, he wouldn’t have known that he had made such an attempt.
Amon turned to look at him and said with a smile, “Are you trying to sound me out, believing that I’ll also repeat your words after stealing your thoughts and words?
“At Sequence 4 Parasite, one is able to control the stolen items and make them appear at a suitable time.”
“Is that so…” Klein nodded gently. “Thank you.”
As he spoke, Klein quickly summarized his experience and lessons of his escape attempt.
Because the existence of the contract and their subordinative relationship, summoning Miss Messenger is the easiest amongst all the angels I know.
Summoning the ice-cream from the past Will can establish a subtle connection with “He” who represents fate, and allow me to be blessed with luck. Yes, every ball of ice-cream represents a portion of my luck… I originally planned on summoning ice-cream as a cover to secretly summon the Snake of Fate.
In the future, the summoning had to be done with a certain degree of interference. Otherwise, Amon would be able to directly steal the Historical Void image I summon. It would only be giving “Him” a helper after going through so much effort…
Just as his thoughts raced, Amon pointed at the bunch of animals that had been cursed by the Transformation Curse, and he said with a slightly evil smile, “Aren’t you worried that there won’t be any suitable food in the Forsaken Land of the Gods? There it is, as long as we don’t dispel the curse, they’re real animals.”
Klein was stunned as he suddenly looked at the goats and the white rabbits.
With him willing them, the animals looked at him simultaneously.
In a sense, they were all himself. After all, they were combinations of Worms of Spirit and monsters before being hit by the curse.
Chapter 1158 Coming to Terms
After silently staring at the rabbits and mountain goats for more than ten seconds, Klein closed his eyes and flicked his right index finger and middle finger as if he was pressing an invisible piano key.
A third of the marionette collapsed, losing the feeling of being alive.
Klein’s expression immediately warped, as though he had been struck 33 times by a giant sword.
The familiar and extreme pain he felt swept through his Spirit Body, causing light-colored meat tendrils to sprout on his body. Every sprout seemed to be forming a transparent maggot.
This was the backlash from killing 33 Worms of Spirit.
After taking nearly fifteen minutes to recover, Klein made his second attempt at letting the other third of his marionettes die.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The same pain, the same time to rest, and the same actions were repeated again. Finally, he completely finished off this batch of cursed marionettes.
He couldn’t handle it all at once because the damage caused by the death of a hundred Worms of Spirit was enough to make him lose control. And being cursed meant that he couldn’t directly solve the problem by retrieving the characteristics.
Of course, this was the standard of a Scholar of Yore who had just advanced recently; it wasn’t the performance of a Scholar of Yore who was almost done digesting the potion.
In fact, the loss of a hundred Worms of Spirit would only worsen the pain, without him showing any signs of losing control or affecting the battle. He was only acting just now, allowing his performance to match his role.
At his level, losing half the number of Worms of Spirit that he had at the same time would lead to losing control.
Once he completely digested the Scholar of Yore potion, he would be able to recover from having nearly 500 Worms of Spirit die at once. Even if he lost all the corresponding Beyonder characteristics, he wouldn’t lose his status and level. He could slowly recover his strength by absorbing the Beyonder characteristics of the Seer pathway.
After completing this, the recovered Klein walked out of the half-collapsed tower-like building. He went to the darkness outside and brought back a few white rabbits and a goat.
He then realized that the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods wasn’t as dangerous as Little Sun had described. Most of the monsters were weak.
No, to be precise, the danger lurking in the depths of the darkness, apart from making people evaporate into thin air, nothing else can compare to the fellow beside me named Amon… Klein glanced at the thin man who was sitting near the lantern, smiling as “He” watched him busy himself. He summoned something like boiled water from the Historical Void, and he squatted down, seriously removing the fur and flesh from the white rabbits and goat.
Composite Start
Composite End
After a series of tasks, Klein set up a bonfire. He set up a barbecue rack that came from history, and he placed a white rabbit on it. He brushed it with a full set of condiments he made himself, like basil, fennel, and salt, as he constantly turned the meat over.
At this moment, the delicacies from the Historical Void he had eaten before had long disappeared due to him no longer maintaining their existence. His body and soul were calling out for replenishment.
A tempting fragrance was gradually emanated as Amon’s nose twitched slightly.
“You’re really eating them?”
Without waiting for his reply, the God of Mischief continued, “They’re essentially the flesh of monsters and your Worms of Spirit. Are you sure you want to eat them?”
“There’s no way to undo the curse at the level of an angel. If there’s no way to resist or correct it at the same level, there’s no way of dispelling it. Since a thing looks like a rabbit, smells like a rabbit, and tastes like a rabbit, it’s a rabbit.” As Klein seriously roasted the rabbit, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Besides, how can I not maintain the best state if I want to escape from your grasp? For this sliver of hope, I can only challenge my psychological limits.”
This is what it means to endure humiliation and suffering! Klein added inwardly.
At the same time, he sighed at the Ancient Bane’s Transformation Curse.
This was many times stronger than a Sequence 3 Disciple of Silence’s curse!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
There’s almost no limit to the amount of time it can be maintained… Clearly, an ordinary animal can use all of my Beyonder powers through the Worm of Spirit, but a deformed marionette due to a curse isn’t possible… This is a curse at the angel level… Apart from putting up resistance from someone at the same level, one can use the correct method to remove it. No curse is irreversible. There are always loopholes… Heh heh, will kissing this rabbit turn it into Gehrman Sparrow? Klein made a self-deprecating comment as he analyzed to compose himself.
After hearing his reply, the monocled Amon, nodded with a smile.
“Very good.
“This is indeed a good revelation to have.”
Klein didn’t respond as he resumed his barbecue.
Not long after, with the help of Flame Controlling, he finished roasting a rabbit and a goat’s leg. Taking advantage of the opportunity before the condiments disappeared, he matched some sweet ice tea he summoned from the Historical Void with the food, filling his mouth with fragrance. It nourished his body and mind, allowing him to effectively relieve the pressure, despair, and indecisiveness from being “kidnapped” by Amon.
During this process, he would occasionally recall the disgusting looks of the monsters, as well as the fact that the Worms of Spirit were equivalent to himself. However, he was able to bring his feelings under control very well.
After filling his stomach and replenishing his energy, he turned the remaining ingredients next to the fire into dry rations, as though he was saving up for his subsequent plans.
Seeing him slowly but orderly making all sorts of preparations, Amon suddenly nudged his monocle and asked with a slight smile, “In actuality, you’re trying to stall for time before we reach the actual destination, right?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein’s hands paused for a moment before he continued with his actions. He smiled and said, “Yes, I’m waiting for help.
“Guess who?”
Amon didn’t answer directly as “He” said with a smile, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Klein continued his work until he prepared rations for three or four meals.
He thought for a moment and once again reached his hand into the void in front of Amon. He failed again and again as he kept making attempts. It was unknown what item he was trying to summon, but it seemed like he was using his actions to dare Amon into stealing it.
After watching for a few seconds, Amon smiled and shook “His” head. “He” slowly stood up and walked out the half- collapsed tower building.
Klein’s right hand stopped in mid-air before he retracted it and pinched his forehead.
He muttered to himself in puzzlement, “What was I trying to do just now…”
While trying to recall, Klein stood up as well. He brought along his packed rations, picked up the animal hide lantern, and walked to the back of Amon’s side.
The man and angel circled around the hill and entered a valley.
Composite Start
Composite End
The water was sloshing in the river, but when the dim yellow light shone at it, or when the lightning in the sky lit up the area, Klein realized that there was no water in the riverbed. The sounds he had heard earlier had also disappeared.
“A river that has been transferred into a concealed state?” After some deliberation, he raised a question to Amon.
“That’s right. It will only appear in darkness void of light,” Amon replied with a slight nod, unfazed with the question.
“Can I drink it?” Klein pressed.
Amon smiled and said, “Sure. This was once one of the water sources of a city that had persisted for 1600 years in the darkness. As long as you can bring the water away from the riverbed, they can appear in places with light.
Your next move is to suggest that I bring the lantern to wait by the side while you hydrate yourself in the darkness? “And then, take this opportunity to transform into a concealed state?”
Klein smiled awkwardly.
“How could I use such a simple method?”
Hearing that, Amon laughed and stroked “His” monocle.
“Sometimes, the simplest plan is the most effective. You can give it a try.”
With regards to the words of this peerless swindler, Klein couldn’t believe it, nor did he dare to believe it. He was afraid that the other party was using reverse psychology with the truth.
He could only put the matter of the water aside and ask, “In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, how many human gathering points, like the City of Silver, have yet to be destroyed?”
Amon looked ahead and said without changing “His” expression, “The ones I know don’t exceed ten.
“In this aspect, the City of Silver is lucky. At least, they can see and have the ability to touch the light.”
This means that the City of Silver is very close to the Giant King’s Court, the door leading out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. There’s no need to risk death to reach it. As for the other cities, no matter how steadfast they are in the darkness, no matter how many exploration teams they send out, it will all be futile. There’s no way to find the exit? Indeed, from this angle, the City of Silver is unfortunate, and also lucky… This is purely dependent on the reference point… Klein held the lantern as he proceeded along the bank and began coming up with his second attempt at escaping.
Amon walked beside him, occasionally providing him with ideas that seemed reliable but had unknown actual results. “He” appeared to be suffering from schizophrenia, trying “His” best to destroy “His” true body’s hopes in obtaining Sefirah Castle.
On the other side of the Giant King’s Court, in the City of Silver.
After receiving the Chiefs summoning call, Derrick Berg brought the Unshadowed Crucifix to the top of the spire and entered a spacious room.
There was a mysterious and complicated altar set up here. Different items were placed in different spots—a total of six items, each of them emanating a dangerous aura.
With a glance, Derrick saw an ordinary silver flute, a mask made from a skull, and the remains of a deformed person. “You have the Unshadowed Crucifix. You can stay here for fifteen minutes, but you can’t exceed that time. Otherwise, you will suffer a sudden death.” Colin Iliad wore a linen shirt and a brown coat as he exhorted Derrick.
Derrick’s spiritual perception was triggered as he asked, “Your Excellency, is this because of that Twilight Mask?”
His right hand pointed at the mask made from a skull.
“Yes.” Colin nodded slightly and said, “I’ve already prepared the remains of six powerful creatures. These were all hunted by myself, or with me as the main force.”
Derrick was immediately enlightened.
“You still lack the blessings of a deity?”
Colin instantly fell silent. After nearly ten seconds, he opened his mouth and slowly said, “Yes.”
After some hesitation and struggles, he finally chose The Fool.
At least those mushrooms had given the City of Silver hope.
Derrick suppressed his joy and thought back to the interactions at the Tarot Club. He raised a question in puzzlement: “Why didn’t you let those two god-level Sealed Artifacts give you their blessings?”
He remembered that subsidiary gods—or angels—could satisfy the requirements of the ritual. It wasn’t the case that only a Sequence 0 true deity could provide blessings. After all, a Silver Knight was only a Sequence 3.
Colin fell silent again and hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “They won’t give blessings.”
Chapter 1159 Validation
They won’t give blessings… Derrick was a little confused by this answer, not fully comprehending it.
Back in the Afternoon Town camp, when he handed the Silver Knight potion formula to Chief Colin Iliad, the other party had praised him for making a huge contribution. He believed that the upper limit of the City of Silver was no longer that of Sequence 4, and his tone didn’t reveal the need to seek blessings from external sources.
Hence, Derrick had always believed that the Chief would be able to use the two god-level Sealed Artifacts to complete the Silver Knight’s advancement ritual. Now, it was inevitable that he was surprised.
Back then, the Chief didn’t know that the two god-level Sealed Artifacts couldn’t provide blessings, and he only realized this problem when he returned to the City of Silver? Derrick subconsciously made a guess and didn’t ask further. He nodded heavily and said, “Alright, I will try my best to help you seek blessings from a deity.”
Demon Hunter Colin exhaled silently and pointed at the door.
“There’s no one in the room opposite.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick turned around and passed through the corridor, entering the half-open room.
Then, he took a seat and recited softly, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era.
“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.
“The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
Inside Sefirah Castle, and hidden within the gray fog, the crimson star representing The Sun rapidly expanded and contracted. It kept repeating the process, producing rings of pleas.
And not far beside it, the crimson star representing The Magician remained in the same state because of The Fool’s lack of a response. The circular rings, ripples, and tremors that the two created intertwined and became more intense.
Under the illumination of the bolts of lightning, Klein carried a leather lantern and walked into the valley. He suddenly felt that the illusory pleas in his ears became even more chaotic and louder.
However, he realized that he had heard it clearer than before. Not only could he tell that the plea came from a woman and a man, but he could also vaguely make out certain content: The woman seemed to mention “The World” and “Backlund.” The man used Jotun, and the keyword seemed to be “a ritual.”
Ritual, Jotun… That’s Little Sun… Uh, that Chief wishes to receive Mr. Fool’s blessings? Mr. Fool also needs some blessings right now… The woman might be Miss Magician, but I can’t rule out Miss Justice either… The corners of Klein’s mouth twitched in embarrassment. He turned his head to look at Amon in the pointed hat and monocle, and he said, “Can I pop over to Sefirah Castle to answer a prayer?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“What do you think?” Amon was taken aback as “He” asked in amusement.
“Since you want to play such a game, why won’t you let it be more exciting?” In fact, Klein didn’t have any hope regarding his request. This was because, as long as he could return to Sefirah Castle, he could use the power there to make the first step in escaping from his predicament. This was equivalent to getting Amon to just set him free.
The reason he mentioned this was because he wanted to use this to start the subsequent topic.
Amon nudged the crystal monocle with his knuckle and chuckled.
“As the God of Mischief, I’ve been alive since the Third Epoch. I believe you know what that means.
“Yes, what do you want to ask?”
…This is an accurate grasp of my state of mind and thoughts… Klein sighed and asked, “Why did you parasitize the City of Silver’s exploration team back then? You even patiently stayed in the dungeon for decades.”
Amon nodded and replied in a relaxed manner, “I had a premonition that the City of Silver would obtain extremely important information. Now, this prophecy has come true, right, Mr. Fool?”
…”He” did all of that just to wait for me and the Tarot Club? From the looks of it, this Marauder pathway’s King of Angels can see the disturbances in fate caused by Sefirah Castle to a certain extent… Klein had never expected the answer, leaving him momentarily at a loss as to how to continue the topic.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After about ten seconds, he sighed and said, “You’re really patient.”
“He” was a King of Angels who liked to play pranks; yet, “He” actually stayed inside a dark dungeon without any sources of entertainment for decades.
“This has nothing to do with patience. It didn’t take too much of my time,” Amon casually replied.
…I’m still used to using a human’s standards when talking about a deity. To Amon, who was born as a complete Mythical Creature, a few decades is nothing. “He” might even be more than 3000 years old… Klein regulated what he knew and asked again, “The City of Silver is one of the few places that persist on believing in your father. Aren’t you going overboard with what you did to the expedition team?”
This question didn’t seem to be necessary, but Klein believed that it would aid him in understanding Amon’s thoughts and style, doing so in order to see if there was anything that could be used.
Amon turned his head and glanced at him with his monocled right eye. “He” said with an indifferent smile, “If it wasn’t for their faith in my father, the City of Silver would’ve already been reduced to ruins.
“Heh heh, according to my observations, they’re hiding quite a significant secret. As for what it is, because of the gaze directed by you and The Hanged Man, I haven’t had the chance to pry into it.”
…A trueborn Mythical Creature. The deaths of just a few humans might be equivalent to trampling a few ants to death. “He” wouldn’t take it to heart at all… The City of Silver actually has a secret that even Amon thinks is a big secret… What could it be? Klein thoughtfully changed the topic.
“Was Dark Angel Sasrir really created from your father’s rib?”
Composite Start
Composite End
This was something that Klein had wanted to ask the entire time, but he hadn’t found the opportunity to ask.
The smile on Amon’s face faded as “He” looked at the darkness in front of “Him.”
“Yes, ‘He’ separated a portion of his characteristics and corresponding negative personalities. ‘He’ used his rib as the material to create Dark Angel Sasrir.
“If that wasn’t the case, how could a proud and arrogant person like Medici obey the so-called Left Hand of God, the deputy of Heaven?
“Without Sasrir’s rebellion, implication, and influence, even if Evernight, Earth, God of Combat, and the other Kings of Angels joined forces, it’s impossible for my father to perish.”
Indeed… Dark Angel Sasrir is the most key factor in this matter… It’s no wonder the Goddess wanted to bewitch “Him” at the very beginning… Who would’ve thought that “He” would betray “Himself”? Klein’s initial speculation of the battle of gods had been confirmed. He felt his Scholar of Yore potion digest a little more.
He deliberately hesitated and made a guess:
“Could your father have foreseen such a development? Dark Angel Sasrir is also the key to his resurrection?”
Amon suddenly laughed.
“You asked so many questions in order to further digest the Scholar of Yore potion, right?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…” Klein pretended to break out in cold sweat, and he quickly adjusted his state of mind.
“I’m just curious. What are you looking for in the Forsaken Land of the Gods? What are you pursuing? The Marauder pathway Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic that you’re missing isn’t here, nor is Sefirah Castle.
“Are you trying to revive your father?”
Amon maintained “His” smile and looked straight ahead.
“Yes, and no.
“My zealous brother is already very close to reviving my father. ‘He’ probably doesn’t need my help anymore.”
Adam really wants to revive the ancient sun god? I thought that “He” was purely doing it for the sake of becoming a Sequence 0… Without hiding anything, Klein called out the name of the Twilight Hermit Order’s leader.
He was even looking forward to Adam beating “His” younger brother up.
Of course, beating someone up wasn’t in line with the style of a King of Angels of the Spectator pathway.
“There’s no need to mention ‘His’ name. ‘He’ won’t interfere with my matters, nor will I interfere with ‘His.’ I don’t address ‘Him’ as Adam, because I think that a nickname like ‘zealous’ is very suitable for ‘Him.’ I have to say that Medici is very talented in giving nicknames. Also, even if I say ‘His’ name, ‘He’ wouldn’t be able to hear it if I don’t wish for ‘Him’ to hear it.” At this moment, the monocled Amon smiled as he exposed Klein’s idea.
Following that, Klein didn’t mention the Dark Angel any further, because it was obvious that Amon wouldn’t answer.
Before long, the man and angel walked out of the valley and saw a silent city.
More than half of the buildings in this city had collapsed. The remaining ones had a sharp roof, as though they were towers that led to heaven.
On the surface, dark red vines and plants grew, forming fruits whose edibility was unknown.
After entering the city, he discovered that there were stone coffins placed in front of each house. Inside were skeletons or recently rotted corpses.
A common point between them was them being greatly deformed. Some had four legs; some had a slit in the middle of their eyebrows; some lacked skin, directly revealing their flesh; some had arms wrapped around their necks like tails.
“This was originally a city that believed in the Phoenix. Later, it converted its target of faith to my father, but it retained some customs related to death.” The monocled Amon, casually sized up his surroundings and said, “After the Cataclysm, they were left behind in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. However, there were no edible, relatively normal plants around them, so they could only eat those corrupted monsters. Over generations, their bodies began to produce defects and psychological problems. Eventually, they were completely wiped out.”
The Cataclysm brought about by the Goddess’s assassination of the City of Silver’s Creator really was a calamity for civilization… Before that, there were elven, giant, phoenix civilizations, and so on. After that, all that’s left are traces of them… When Klein thought of the city that had been swallowed into the ground, he sighed.
In the history books, in mysticism, it was very apt to call that history: “The Cataclysm.”
He paused for a moment before asking, “Why are we entering this city instead of going around it?”
Amon smiled and said, “In the Second Epoch, apart from wielding the Death pathway, the Phoenix Ancestor also occupied part of the Apprentice pathway. Some of the decorations here can become a loophole that I can make use of to shorten our journey to our final destination.”
Klein’s expression immediately darkened.
Chapter 1160 Improving
City of Silver, at the top of the spire.
After waiting for a long time, Derrick still didn’t receive a response from Mr. Fool.
This made him panic a little. He didn’t understand what this meant, nor did he know how to deal with it.
Mr. Fool is in a state where he can’t respond to his prayers? Yes, “He” informed us two days ago that the gathering next week would be canceled. This should be a sign… Having recalled what happened previously, Derrick barely managed to calm his anxiety and nervousness.
He couldn’t be blamed for having such a huge reaction, because the City of Silver’s textbooks recorded similar situations:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Creator who normally responded to “His” believers suddenly stopped responding and forsook this land!
After a few seconds of silence, Derrick stood up and returned to the room where the Chief was. He said to Colin Iliad, “We have to wait a few more days.”
“Wait?” Demon Hunter Colin repeated the keyword as he frowned slightly.
From his point of view, this was an unusual matter, seemingly symbolizing a bad development.
Derrick resisted his instinctive reaction of scratching the back of his head, and he nodded with some difficulty.
“Yes.”
The grizzled Colin Iliad stared at him for a few seconds before nodding slowly.
“Alright, head back first.”
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment.
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors, who was wrapped in thick clothes, paced around the warm stove, her face full of doubt.
Finally, she turned her head and looked at Xio.
“Why hasn’t Mr. World replied?”
“Perhaps he’s preoccupied with something,” Xio explained the reason she had long considered. “Perhaps it’s because it’s not convenient for Mr. Fool to pass on your prayers. ‘He’ has temporarily paused the gathering.”
Fors nodded thoughtfully and said, “Mr. Fool informed us that the gathering will be temporarily paused next week. It was only decided in the middle of the week. Is this related to George III?”
Recalling Mr. World’s investigations all this time, Xio acknowledged and said, “Very likely.”
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, in the dead silent city.
Dressed in a classic black mage’s robe, Amon led Klein into a relatively complete cathedral.
Segmented stone pillars lay tilted, and dark red weeds grew out from their cracks, wrapping around the avian sculptures.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With the animal hide lantern in hand, Klein surveyed the area and confirmed that the residents of this city weren’t truly dead. There were still a few survivors left. He had no idea what method they had used to transform into monsters of the deep darkness. They were hiding from the faint yellow light, surrounding a cathedral in a place that couldn’t be seen. They wanted to attack the two ordinary-looking humans, Klein and Amon.
The reason why Klein was able to confirm that these monsters were originally residents of this city was because their Spirit Body Threads had a certain abnormality. Some were grayish-white, some were distorted, and some were sticky. They were completely different from the monsters elsewhere. They greatly resembled the corpses inside the coffins.
I don’t know what kind of despair and mental breakdowns will make the remaining humans choose such a path… Perhaps the deepest sense of despair was that they couldn’t see hope on a daily basis while the situation around them worsened… With a sigh, he made use of this opportunity to adjust his mentality.
He was experiencing various instances of hope surfacing, only to be met with despair time and time again.
The monocled Amon walked to the edge of the light and walked all the way into the deepest part of the cathedral.
Klein followed behind and saw a door covered in pale white light.
“This city is actually split into two parts: ‘light’ and ‘darkness.’ They’re using certain abilities of the Apprentice pathway to hide a portion of the area. They have to use a specific ‘door’ to enter,” Amon said as “He” pointed ahead.
A Secrets Sorcerer’s powers? With some realization, Klein nodded, indicating that he knew what was going on.
Amon then said, “Behind this door is the ‘dark’ side of this city. I can use it to connect to a similar region far away. We can directly arrive there and shorten our journey.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As expected of the incarnation of loopholes… Klein watched as Amon stretched out “His” left hand and pressed down on the door formed from pale white light.
The light began to ripple as it rapidly spread outwards, becoming more and more intense.
At that moment, a deformed monster hiding in the depths of the darkness while spying on the cathedral suddenly trembled, becoming Klein’s marionette.
Twenty or thirty seconds ago, Klein had already completed the process of obtaining initial control over it and deepened his influence. However, he waited until now before he completely converted it.
Right on the heels of that, Klein and the marionette reached out their hands at the same time. They took advantage of the opportunity when Amon changed the “door,” and they grabbed something.
In his hand was something in the shape of a full moon, and was embedded with scarlet gemstones, the Scarlet Lunar Corona. In his marionette’s hand was an ancient, brass-colored Master Key!
At the same time, they opened their mouths and made a “bang” sound. They used Air Cannons to push the Scarlet Lunar Corona and the Master Key to the door of light.
These two items combined could make one hear Mr. Door’s pleas for help. This also meant that Mr. Door’s powers could enter the real world to a limited extent.
And this was the controller of all “doors.” He was one of the existences who was most unwilling to see Amon become an “Error” or control Sefirah Castle!
Klein didn’t expect that the sealed Mr. Door could really hurt Amon. He only hoped that he could use this opportunity to interfere with the Angel of Time and create a good enough opportunity for himself.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, if Mr. Door could cause any abnormal changes to the door, magnifying or distorting the loopholes created by Amon; thus, affecting the King of Angels of the Marauder pathway and teleporting “Him” far away, Klein would definitely sincerely thank Mr. Door for a week.
After his previous attempts, Klein realized his greatest disadvantage. It wasn’t that he was one Sequence short and had a qualitative gap in power level. Instead, he had lost the initiative and couldn’t make proper preparations. Every time he began preparing, he would be interrupted or foiled by Amon.
For a veteran Magician, unprepared performances were often synonymous with failure.
If he could make preparations in advance, he could quietly summon Mr. Azik’s, Reinette Tinekerr’s, and Snake of Fate Will Auceptin’s historical projections. Against a Sequence 2, even if there was no way to deal with “Him,” it would definitely create a very good opportunity to escape.
At that moment, the Scarlet Lunar Corona and ancient-looking Master Key whistled through the air and arrived at the door of light.
The white light that formed the illusory door distorted and devoured the two items. It was dyed crimson as it collapsed into a whirlpool.
It was as though the bottom of the vortex was invisible, like a gigantic eye.
Just as Amon was about to turn around, “He” made a slight pause as if “He” had heard an old friend’s shout.
However, this pause disappeared instantly, as though it had never appeared.
With Amon’s gaze directed at Klein, the latter instantly lost six Beyonder powers.
This included the control of Spirit Body Threads, the summoning of Historical Void projections, Paper Figurine Substitutes, Flame Controlling, Underwater Breathing, and Bone Softening.
Of course, losing these six Beyonder powers for a marionette didn’t affect Klein’s subsequent operations.
The indiscernible pause from before had allowed Klein to switch places with his marionette in time!
He had already arrived deep in the darkness outside the cathedral. The deformed monsters around him trembled and turned into his marionettes.
For targets such as these that weren’t even Sequence 5, it took only two or three seconds for Klein to transform them into marionettes. And by the time he summoned the Scarlet Lunar Corona, he had already begun doing similar actions.
As he enjoyed the darkness without any scruples, he attempted to transform into a concealed state or successfully commit suicide. At the same time, he reached out with his marionettes to grab at the fog interwoven with history.
This time, he split the marionette into three groups, summoning Reinette Tinekerr, Mr. Azik, and Snake of Fate Will Auceptin, respectively. He didn’t want to follow his past mistakes, where he had managed to succeed with great difficulty only to have “Them” taken away by Amon. With such arrangements, he might be left with one or two.
Of course, the premise was that Amon was unable to steal multiple Historical Void projections at once.
This was something that Klein needed to confirm.
Klein retracted his hand, but he didn’t grab anything.
All the marionettes who summoned the Snake of Fate failed. Among the Scholars of Yore groups who summoned the Death Consul and Reinette Tinekerr, two of them had their arms tense up slightly.
Klein was delighted as he suddenly felt that this attempt could end up turning into a real escape attempt.
At this moment, the crystal monocle that Amon wore emitted a terrifying light.
The entire city, including the surrounding rivers, hills, and wilderness, were all filled with pure, scorching sunlight. “Day” had once again descended upon this land after bidding farewell to it for thousands of years.
Amon had stolen the “day” from the ruins of the battle of gods!
In the face of such a “day,” not only did Klein feel like his body was about to melt, but he also heard familiar and crazy ravings in his ears. They were like steel needles that pierced through every Worm of Spirit.
This caused his mind to be filled with immense pain. His marionette’s summoning attempts had failed while on the brink of success.
The “day” in the battlefield of the gods contained the True Creator’s ravings!
The deformed monsters that were hiding deep in the darkness, which were the few survivors of the city, seemed to temporarily regain their senses. They stared blankly at the “day” and couldn’t help but narrow their eyes.
Then, they wildly charged towards the source of that “day,” melting one by one into dust.
Far away in the City of Silver’s Afternoon Town campsite, the guards at the stronghold also noticed that there was a light coming from the northeast. It was different from lightning, just like the scene of the sun rising from the legends.
This scene only lasted for a few seconds before it shattered and the sky returned to its dark state.
As soon as he recovered from the ravings, Klein saw the pointed-hatted Amon standing in front of him.
This Angel of Time nudged “His” monocle and smiled.
“Well done.”
Chapter 1161 Countdown
Well done… Faced with Amon’s “praise,” Klein forced a smile and politely replied, “Thank you.”
To be honest, he preferred to hear curses rather than “praise,” as that meant that he was close to succeeding.
Of course, Klein suspected that even if he managed to escape, Amon wouldn’t be flustered and exasperated. Based on the character displayed by this God of Mischief, it was very likely that “He” found it interesting and exciting while also inevitably feeling a little depressed and disappointed to the point of being eager for the next round.
“It’s a huge improvement to be able to think of using Door to disrupt me.” Amon smiled indifferently. “But don’t you think that I’d be in a relatively more vigilant state while ‘Door Opening’? And that it’s actually not that easy to be affected by an accident?”
After some thought, Klein answered seriously, “That’s what I thought in the beginning, but later on, I felt that you should be able to grasp my state of mind, believing that I wouldn’t dare to act when you opened the door. When that happens, making an attempt might work wonders.”
Doing it when others believe that you wouldn’t do it was also a strategy.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In his previous life, Klein had come into contact with games that had such a higher level of thinking that made his head spin.
“What if I thought of this level as well?” Amon said with a smile as “He” used “His” knuckle to nudge the bottom of his monocle.
At the same time, the remaining marionettes, which were still alive, took out crystal monocles out of thin air and wore them on their right eye. All of them cast their gazes at Klein.
This left Klein’s scalp tingling. He discovered that the connection between the marionettes and himself had instantly been severed.
“Although you’ve improved, failure still demands some level of punishment.” With a smile, Amon turned around and walked towards the cathedral.
As “He” took a step forward, the marionettes revealed smiles one after another as they collapsed to the ground stiffly. This caused Klein’s soul to be torn apart again and again as the blood vessels on his forehead visibly bulged.
As he endured the pain, he stood rooted to the ground and calmed down after a long while.
During this process, although he had always been in the depths of the darkness, he didn’t suffer any attacks from the terrifying monsters, nor did he turn into a concealed state.
When did Amon steal the concealment powers in this city? If I had tried to commit suicide, I definitely would’ve had the thought stolen from me… My preparations still aren’t enough. I don’t have enough confidence when dealing with Amon, having not considered the things “He” might have stolen into consideration… I really didn’t expect “Him” to release the “day” that “He” stole from the ruins of the battlefield of gods… Regarding what else “He” stole in the past, or whatever “He” has on “Him,” I have no idea. I can’t make targeted preparations… That monocle is some sort of vessel used to store stolen items? Or is it part of Amon to begin with? So every time he parasitizes someone, a monocle will be taken out… Klein rubbed his temples and walked into the cathedral. Looking at Amon before the door of light, he asked, seemingly casual, “Why do you have so many monocles? Where do you usually place them?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Amon stroked the monocle on “His” right eye and smiled indifferently.
“Why don’t you ask me why every avatar of mine has eyes? And where do I usually place them?”
“…I understand.” Klein nodded in enlightenment.
Amon cast “His” gaze back to the door of light that had yet to calm down from the rippling. “He” casually said, “I have the nagging feeling that this operation of yours is a major preparation piece, and not an attempt.
“What cheap trick did you pull off during that process?”
After some deliberation, Klein replied with a smile, “Guess.”
“I do have some guesses. Do you think I’ve guessed it correctly?” Amon asked with interest as “He” pinched the edge of his monocle.
“Perhaps, or perhaps not.” Klein didn’t give a clear answer as he cooperatively walked to Amon’s side. He saw “Him” reach out again and press down on the pale white door of light.
Above the door of light, ripples appeared once again as they became more intense and exaggerated.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After about ten seconds, the ripples spread the surroundings, causing the door of light to expand twice in size.
Amon glanced at Klein, gesturing for him to take a step forward.
Klein instinctively turned his head and looked around the cathedral.
Beyonder characteristics left behind by the mutated monsters were shimmering outside the area that the lantern had lit up. They weren’t all Beyonders when they were alive. After those ordinary people turned into monsters, a large part of the power came from the darkness and degeneration. The powers didn’t belong to them, so no characteristics were purged.
“I almost forgot.” After taking a look together with Klein, Amon suddenly shook “His” head and smiled.
Just as “He” finished his sentence, a bunch of Beyonder characteristics floated up and entered “His” body. They merged with “Him,” leaving only a small portion behind.
“Most of the people who chose to transform into monsters are of the Apprentice pathway, Beyonders and their family members who can enter the city’s ‘dark’ side,” Amon said casually as “He” retracted his gaze.
Even if it’s a similar pathway’s Beyonder characteristic, it would be problematic if it’s directly “eaten,” right? Shouldn’t it only be possible to jump to a higher level of a neighboring pathway? It also allows the accommodation of lower Sequences? Seeing this, Klein was a little stunned as he asked curiously, “Won’t this accumulate madness?”
This wasn’t just a matter of accumulating madness. Klein suspected that if he did it himself, there was a high chance that he would go crazy.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Others will,” Amon said with a smile, “but not me.”
A true “bug”… Klein couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Then, the distance between him and the door of light disappeared.
Subconsciously, he forgot about the remaining Death pathway’s Beyonder characteristics, and he entered the mutated door of light with Amon.
Endless darkness and squirming lines of light were mixed together, giving rise to the feeling of a sudden descent.
About ten seconds later, he discovered that he and Amon had appeared on a square. The dim yellow light of the animal hide lantern seemed to be stopped by an invisible force, causing it to only illuminate half the square.
Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the surroundings.
With the help of the lightning, Klein saw several incomplete statues erected around the square. They either had their hands tied to their backs, had their bodies entangled with the thorny roses, or looked like mummies. They gave off the feeling of being “restrained.”
“This city first believed in the Mutant King.” Like a qualified tour guide, Amon introduced the situation of each “scenic site” to Klein. “They’re very interesting. They’re usually restrained and quiet, just like ascetics. However, once they encounter prey, or in special moments in time, they will release a bloodthirsty desire to kill. You can imagine that on the night of the full moon, this is a city where werewolves roam.”
From the looks of it, the Mutants originally had the concept of temperance… Later on, it was led astray by the Mother Tree of Desire… Using the new round of lightning, Klein took a few more looks and asked thoughtfully, “The Mutant King’s image is close to that of a mummy?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“No. Although ‘He’ is an ugly and twisted man, ‘He’ likes to entangle ‘Himself with thorny roses.” Amon scoffed.
Klein took the opportunity to ask, “What kind of idols will your believers worship?
“In mysticism, your symbol is a clock and a Worm of Time?”
Amon scratched “His” chin and said, “In theory, my believers are all ‘me.’ I don’t need to trouble myself with building an idol.”
My believers are all ‘me’… Thankfully, I have a Blessed like Danitz now… Klein suddenly realized that he was quite similar to Amon in certain aspects.
Of course, when I say “my believer is myself,” it’s a funny story. When Amon says that “my believers are all ‘me,”1 it becomes a horror novel. The difference in style is quite huge… Klein finally mocked himself.
As Amon walked forward, “He” continued, “However, in my father’s era, quite a number of people believed in me. Some of them set off with the name ‘Angel of Time,’ using the emblem of the clock to construct my idol. Some of them used the title of ‘God of Mischief and used a crow covered in mysterious patterns as my image, while others combine the two together.”
Having said that, the monocled Amon suddenly turned “His” head and glanced at Klein before curling his lips.
“We’re less than three days away from our final destination.”
That is to say, I only have three days left… Klein nearly drew in a cold breath of air. The pressure increased rapidly, making him feel as though his nerves were being crushed.
He had yet to determine the true purpose behind this game Amon made, nor did he discover any traces of what he was being driven to do. This meant that he was unable to grasp the key, and he was unable to find a real opportunity to escape.
The performance of Amon’s avatar made him understand that he might not even be able to last ten seconds before “Him.”
As his thoughts raced, Klein fell silent. Following that, he walked out of the square covered in ruins.
There were few pedestrians on the streets as they came and went in a hurry. In Pritz Harbor, where many houses were covered in bum marks, the chestnut-haired Queen Mystic placed a newspaper on the table.
The first page of the Tussock Times was about the king’s assassination. It also claimed that the assassin came from Feysac or Intis.
“This isn’t stopping the disaster, nor is it worsening the disaster…” Bernadette muttered to herself with a serious expression.
She pondered for a moment, picked up the cloth on the table, and wrapped it up. Then, she released her fingers and allowed it to relax.
This time, the coffee cups, pens, newspapers, and other items in the tablecloth disappeared. What appeared were ritual items like silver-made candles.
Following that, Bernadette held a ritual and summoned Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger.
As a partner, she felt that she needed to ask about the other party’s situation and see if there was anything else she needed to help with.
The moment the ritual ended, four blonde, red-eyed heads walked out of the burgeoning candle flame. Dressed in a dark and complicated long dress, Reinette Tinekerr’s neck was empty.
Bernadette’s eyelids twitched indiscemibly before she picked up the letter and gold coin that she had prepared earlier and handed it to the messenger.
One of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads bit on the letter and gold coin while the other head sized up Queen Mystic for a few seconds.
“She” shifted “Her” gaze back and walked into the void. However, just as Bernadette was about to put away the tablecloth, Miss Messenger suddenly appeared again.
One of the two heads with blonde hair and red eyes spoke one after another:
“He…” “Has disappeared…”
Gehrman Sparrow has gone missing… Bernadette had a vague sense of foreboding when the abnormally terrifying messenger returned. She had roughly figured out what had happened. Therefore, after hearing the other party’s response, her expression sank slightly. There was no obvious reaction.
Queen Mystic’s blue eyes, which resembled a condensing sea, instantly turned darker. They temporarily lost focus, as though she was looking at a torrent of fate through Reinette Tinekerr.
Two to three seconds later, Bernadette suddenly closed her eyes, as if a blinding light had appeared in front of her.
Blood-red liquid trickled from the corner of her eyes, accentuating her pale face.
With her eyes tightly shut, Bernadette said in a slightly ethereal voice, “Gehrman Sparrow is in grave danger. Darkness is devouring the light, leaving behind only a sliver of hope.”
This was a prophecy.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Sequence 3 of the Mystery Pryer pathway was “Clairvoyant.”
The four heads held by Reinette Tinekerr spoke one after another:
“What…” “Does…” “Darkness…” ” Symbolize…”
Bernadette maintained her composure and said, “Desolation, aberration, apocalypse, negativity, error.”
Reinette Tinekerr, who was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, didn’t let the head in her hand speak any further. Throwing down the letter and gold coin, she turned and walked into the void, disappearing into the room.
Queen Mystic Bernadette stood rooted to the ground for a few seconds without moving.
Finally, she opened her eyes again. Her blue eyes were hazy and lifeless, as though she needed more time to restore her eyesight.
Bernadette thought for a moment and reached out her right hand.
The tablecloth was stowed away before being spread open once again. The ritual items were replaced with a fountain pen, paper, and ink bottle.
Composite Start
Composite End
The fountain pen suddenly leaped up, as if it was held by an invisible sprite. It quickly wrote down the matter of Gehrman Sparrow’s disappearance onto the paper.
…
In the captain’s cabin of the Future.
Despite looking at the fried mushrooms on her plate and taking in the fragrance of the fat, Cattleya didn’t pick up her cutlery for a long time.
Suddenly, her spiritual perception was triggered. She turned her head to look at the spot where the brass sextant was placed, and she realized that a letter had appeared there at some point in time.
Cattleya immediately revealed a smile as she reached out to pick up the letter and eagerly began reading it.
Gradually, she frowned.
“Gehrman Sparrow has gone missing…” Cattleya repeated the key point of the letter in a low voice. She acutely felt that this matter was somewhat serious.
She easily understood the meaning behind Queen Mystic’s letter. Without any hesitation, she bowed her head, clasped her hands, and recited an honorific name in ancient Hermes:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
Above the gray fog, the crimson star representing The Hermit came alive. It began expanding and contracting, spreading out ripples of prayers.
They intertwined with the ripples created by the two crimson stars that corresponded to The Magician and The Sun. They surged towards the ancient and majestic palace, like tidal waves.
…
Someone is praying to Mr. Fool again… The echoes are getting even stronger, and the sound is becoming more clear… Hmm, I can hear it clearly, and the image is also clearer… This prayer seems to be from Ma’am Hermit. Only she likes to wear ancient warlock robes…
Queen Mystic discovered that something has happened to Gehrman Sparrow? Although I was worried that I would die this time and needed a certain amount of time to revive, I had already hinted to the members of the Tarot Club that I might cancel the gathering next week, but that was just a hint. It wasn’t a formal notice, nor was it clear enough. When Monday comes, they’ll definitely panic, pray, and try to make contact, only to discover that Mr. Fool has also disappeared. No, “He” has run off with The World. Klein used a deprecating comment to ease his feelings.
He glanced at Amon, who was walking beside him. Without a word, he lifted the lantern in his hand and said, “It should’ve been extinguished long ago.”
Wearing a pointed hat and black mage robe, Amon nodded slightly and said, “I left it in a magical state. It can maintain its light for a week without needing any fuel.”
Klein thought for a moment and asked, “Is this the deceiving of natural laws?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Amon turned “His” head and used his monocled right eye to look at Klein for a second before smiling.
“Smart.
“The ‘Error’ pathway’s Sequence 3 is a more profound version of ‘Swindler,’ known as ‘Mentor of Deceit.'”
It’s about the same as my guess… However, it isn’t only the Error pathway that can do such a thing. The Black Emperor can use “Distortion” and “Exploit” powers to achieve that… In his mind, Klein began comparing the differences between the Marauder and the Lawyer pathway.
At this moment, Amon stroked “His” chin and asked with interest, “There are less than three days left. If you don’t think of a way to escape, it will be too late.
“Do you plan on making a new attempt tomorrow?”
“…Make a guess.” Klein forced a smile as he answered in the same rhetoric manner that Amon was best at using.
To be honest, he didn’t believe that the effects would be better given more attempts.
On the one hand, frequent attempts were indeed able to test the limits of Amon’s powers. By expending the “items” that “He” had previously stolen, Klein could establish a good foundation for the final battle. But on the other hand, he would also expose his trump cards. After all, he was in a passive state and had no chance to prepare. To force Amon to showcase more of the means available to “Him,” it required him to use the few trump cards he had.
If his countermeasures were all figured out by Amon after his repeated attempts, he wouldn’t have any chance of escaping.
Composite Start
Composite End
An attempt to escape was a double-edged sword. If one wasn’t careful, one would cut oneself!
It was precisely because of this that Klein didn’t blindly take action, and carefully made plans in his heart.
As he spoke, he walked out of the city that originally worshiped the Mutant King and later believed in the ancient sun god. There were only white bones and several stone structures that had been weathered by the elements here that showcased its former prosperity.
Outside the city, there was an endless wilderness that couldn’t be seen in the lightning.
…
At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard sat on a sofa. He placed his feet on the coffee table and leisurely flipped through the day’s newspaper.
Yesterday, George III’s death had brought them copious amounts of work. He had spent the entire night on duty, and he received five hours of rest today.
After sleeping for two hours, Leonard woke up in high spirits, attempting to understand the current situation from the normal media.
In fact, as the captain of a Red Gloves team, he knew more than the reporters about certain aspects. For example, in the outskirts of Backlund, where the Tudor ruin was located, it had collapsed into a rather large lake. It had nearly affected Dwayne Dantès’s Maygur Manor. Another was the death of George III, who had self-destructed at the square, but wasn’t the actual person. The search for his corpse was to no avail, as though he had vanished into thin air that night.
Of course, Leonard was extremely certain that George III was already dead. The eldest prince was about to inherit the title of Balam Emperor and Loen King.
Back then, something had happened at Sefirah Castle. This matter definitely has something to do with Mr. Fool… Klein had long warned us about George III… The reactions of the three Churches were very strange. Even the Church of the Lord of Storms, which is most prone to acting rash, wasn’t too angry… As Leonard flipped through the newspaper, his thoughts wandered casually.
At this moment, his mind was filled with the slightly-aged voice of Pallez Zoroast:
“Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger is here.”
Leonard suddenly looked up and saw the angel-level messenger wearing a dark and complicated long dress appear in front of him.
The four blonde, red-eyed heads held by Reinette Tinekerr spoke one after another:
“Gehrman…” “Sparrow…” “Has encountered…” “Extreme…”
“Danger…” “He has…” “Gone…” “Missing…”
Klein has encountered danger and disappeared? Leonard immediately retracted his legs and stood up.
Without waiting for the reminder provided by Pallez Zoroast, his spiritual perception stirred as he blurted out, “Is it related to the death of George III?”
“Yes…” “He…” “Destroyed…” “The Apotheosis…” “Ritual…” “Of…” “George…” “III…” The eight red eyes on Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads looked at Leonard.
Apotheosis ritual? Although Leonard was anxious, he was still shocked by the phrase.
For someone to hold an apotheosis ritual, one had to be a Sequence 1 angel at the very least. Yet, Klein was able to directly participate in something at that level… Mr. Fool’s plan? Leonard’s green eyes glimmered slightly. Relying on his relatively rich experience, he pointedly asked, “What happened to Klein the last time you saw him?”
The four blonde, red-eyed heads of Reinette Tinekerr shook and said, “Possibly…” Under…” “Zaratul’s…” “Pursuit…”
As Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger, this Ancient Bane was able to sense that “Her” employer had also left the Tudor ruins after escaping.
And as for those who understood the means of a Scholar of Yore, they were undoubtedly High-Sequence Beyonders of the same pathway. Therefore, Zaratul would definitely be able to obstruct and pursue him.
Zaratul? The leader of the Secret Order, the Sequence 1 angel, Zaratul? As Leonard was worried about Klein, he felt fear and concern for the life of his former colleague.
At that moment, a deep voice sounded in his mind:
“Ask ‘Her’ what other clues ‘She’ has.”
Leonard immediately did as he was asked.
Reinette Tinekerr seemed to know that Leonard wasn’t simple. She repeated Queen Mystic’s prophecy word by word.
After listening to what was said, Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a while before sighing.
“Error…
“I think I know about your former colleague’s current situation.”
Leonard subconsciously wanted to ask, but because there were outsiders around, he held back his urge.
Pallez paused and continued, “The anomaly with Sefirah Castle attracted Zaratul. How could Amon not notice it?
“This should be related to the struggle for Sefirah Castle.”
Sefirah Castle… Leonard slowly took a deep breath and said to Reinette Tinekerr, “He might’ve fallen into the hands of Amon.”
After Miss Messenger’s four heads nodded and turned to leave, Leonard immediately sat down and clasped his hands. Closing his eyes, he prayed.
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
Chapter 1163 Approaching
Above the gray fog, the crimson star representing The Star also burgeoned and contracted. The rippling light gradually overlapped with the other ripples created by the other three crimson stars, turning into a tidal wave that surged through the entire mysterious space, causing the space to vibrate slightly.
After describing the matter related to Klein, Leonard ended his prayers and waited for Mr. Fool to respond.
However, he still didn’t receive any feedback after nearly fifteen minutes.
Mr. Fool has always been very responsive… Leonard couldn’t help but mutter.
After a few seconds of silence, Pallez Zoroast reminded with a slightly-aged voice, “Recall what The Fool said recently.’
Leonard thought carefully and slowly said, “In the middle of the week, ‘He’ reminded us not to head into the woods in the northwestern outskirts of Backlund… Yes, ‘He’ seemed to hint that the gathering might not be held as planned…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“As expected.” Pallez Zoroast let out a long sigh and said, “The Fool had predicted Amon’s appearance to a certain extent. ‘They’ might be fighting in different domains now. One of them wishes to hold onto Sefirah Castle, while the other wishes to become the new owner of Sefirah Castle. Your former colleague has unfortunately been embroiled in this matter.”
“Mr. Fool had expected this? Is this a trap ‘He’ laid for Amon?” Leonard’s green eyes lit up as he blurted out.
Pallez spent a significant amount of time thinking as “He” spoke much slower.
“Perhaps that’s the case. Perhaps it’s because Amon exploited the trap and took the initiative. Don’t underestimate a Blasphemer, a powerful King of Angels.”
According to what Leonard knew, Mr. Fool was either the owner of the Sefirah Castle who was slowly recovering, corresponding to some unknown deity in history, or “He” was the embodiment of sefirot. Currently, “He” was unable to control “His” authority and strength very well, something that could be fixed with a further qualitative change.
And regardless of the possibilities, Mr. Fool was still unable to reach the level of a true deity. He was likely on the same level as the King of Angels.
Under such circumstances, it was rather normal that Mr. Fool and the terrifying Blasphemer would undergo an intense battle. After all, that person was one of “Them,” one of the strongest hidden existences beneath the deities. “He” was even more powerful than the Hidden Sage that was usually categorized as an evil god. Even deities were somewhat apprehensive towards “Him.”
“…”Leonard couldn’t help but tense up. He asked in a low voice worriedly, “Old Man, do you have any way to provide any help? Isn’t Amon your greatest enemy?”
Such help might be limited, but it should be able to pull Klein out of the maelstrom.
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon hearing that, Pallez Zoroast laughed and said with an obvious self-deprecating tone, “Aren’t you expecting too much from me?
“Indeed, if Amon obtains Sefirah Castle, I’ll definitely die at ‘His’ hands. I might not be able to survive this winter. And if Sefirah Castle is left with The Fool, I might have a chance of surviving in the future.Read more chapter at vipnovel
“But would an old man like me, who has just recovered to Sequence 2, have the ability to interfere with a battle at this level?
“Even if I were to use the Yesterday Once More charms, what can I do in the short time span of two to three seconds? Yes, yes. At the critical moment, I might be able to help The Fool warp the situation, but I don’t even know where ‘They’ are fighting. How can I seize the opportunity?”
Leonard fell silent after hearing Old Man’s long answer. He immediately bowed his head and raised his hands to press them against the sides of his head. He muttered to himself, “Don’t tell me that I can only watch helplessly…”
Pallez sighed and said, “Be patient. All we can do now is be patient.
“The Fool and Evemight, and some other deities and Kings of Angels seem to have some tacit understanding with each other. They might even be cooperating with one another. ‘They’ will not allow Amon to take away Sefirah Castle.
“Wait patiently. Perhaps it won’t take long for a window of opportunity to appear.”
Leonard straightened his body and leaned back. He took a deep breath and exhaled.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I understand.”
The Blue Avenger, which had been ordered by the Church of the Lord of Storms to attack the port and Feysacian merchant ships near the waters of Sonia Island, was hiding somewhere outside the safe sea route.
Alger Wilson stood behind the window of the captain’s cabin, using his extremely distant vision to stare at the long coastline.
To this “newly advanced” Ocean Songster’s point of view, many captains who received similar missions were the cream of the crop of the Mid-Sequence Beyonders. Their joint operation would definitely be able to effectively harm the traffic flow of Feysacian waters.
This also meant that an attack from Feysac would be reasonably fierce, with a high chance of a Sequence 4 demigod leading the attack. Of course, one couldn’t eliminate the possibility of a Sequence 3 War Bishop or Silver Knight appearing.
This was a dangerous development for Alger. He didn’t wish to put himself in such danger.
At the same time, his crew, colleagues, and partners would monitor each other, preventing anyone from deserting. If Alger were to skive and walk on the edge of danger, it wouldn’t take long for him to consider killing most of the crew members and become a true pirate, or lose the Blue Avenger and return to Pasu Island for an internal probe.
After this operation ends, the captains who could still survive wouldn’t exceed a third… Alger calmly analyzed the situation and quickly came up with a plan to avoid danger.
That was to participate in the operation, but not take center stage.
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger planned on using a “surprise attack” on the port while his brethren frenetically attacked the Feysacian merchant and supply ships. This would bring the people on board his ship onto Sonia Island, allowing them to lay in ambush in a primeval forest. Occasionally, he would cause some minor disturbances to the port which were easily managed. This way, the Feysac demigods would definitely cast their gazes at the sea, and not towards him.
At the same time, in the eyes of the crew, he would be a role model who was willing to take great risks to enter the enemy’s borders.
After thinking through all the details, Alger immediately gathered the crew and repeated his plans. Finally, he emphasized, “This will be very dangerous. Trust me, it’s very, very dangerous. We won’t be able to advance and retreat like we can at sea. We might be surrounded by enemies at any time, but such an attack will definitely exceed the expectations of the Feysacians, and it will give us the outcome we want.
“Are you willing to remain on the ship as cowards, or do you want to follow me into battle as a hero to show your devotion to the Lord?”
The crew members felt their blood boiling as they rashly said, “F*ck the Feysacians!”
Very good.” Alger felt relieved as he struck his right fist on his left breast. “May the Storm be with us!”
“May the Storm be with us!” the sailors saluted and shouted.
After making the necessary arrangements, Alger believed that he needed to borrow the Unshadowed Crucifix as soon as possible so as to purge the excess Ocean Songster’s Beyonder characteristic. Although he had exaggerated the danger of landing on the island, there was still a certain level of danger involved. Therefore, he wanted to quickly recover to his optimal condition.
And he had long understood Mr. Fool’s earlier hint. He felt that tonight or tomorrow morning, Mr. Fool would officially inform them that the gathering was to be canceled.
Of course, there were some ideas in the deepest depths of Alger’s heart. He suspected that every time Mr. Fool canceled the Tarot Club, something had happened to “Him.” He wanted to use this prayer to test if this mighty existence was still normal.
Composite Start
Composite End
No, I can’t. Thou shalt not test God… This isn’t a test. Mr. Fool didn’t hint that I can’t pray to “Him” recently. Besides, borrowing the Unshadowed Crucifix is something I really need to do within the next few days… Alger paced back and forth, unable to make a decision.
At this moment, he heard the sound of waves crashing. Through the additional type of vision provided by the ghost ship, he saw the water part as a huge fish-type creature appeared.
The strange-looking giant fish opened its mouth and spat out a small metal ball that landed on the deck.
Alger nodded and expressed his gratitude with his singing.
This was a sea creature that the Church of the Lord of Storms had tamed. In this operation, it and its companions were the messengers between the various ships and the islands.
Upon receiving his gratitude, the giant fish-like creature trembled. With a flick of its tail, it headed deep into the sea and swam into the distance.
Alger looked at it silently for two seconds before summoning a gust of wind to bring the metal ball into the captain’s cabin.
He twisted open the metal ball and took out the piece of paper inside. Alger’s eyes froze from a mere glance at it.
George III has been assassinated… Alger repeated the content with a heavy expression before recalling The World Gehrman Sparrow’s reminder and Mr. Fool’s hints.
This time, he no longer hesitated. He locked the room and softly muttered the honorific name, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
These prayers are almost becoming a choral symphony… Mr. Hanged Man wants to borrow the Unshadowed Crucifix from Little Sun? Leonard… Yes… These voices are stacked over one another, undulating in pitch and volume. It’s making the surroundings tremble… Klein rubbed his temples, having a feeling that he had been struck by lightning from every direction.
At this moment, he followed Amon deeper into the desolate moors and saw the grayish-yellow fog that blanketed the area. There were a few ravines and in the deep, dark depths, there were plenty of things roaming.
Compared to the quiet, lurking monsters from before, the ones here were rather special.
The pointy-hatted Amon raised his hand to nudge his monocle and pointed ahead with a smile.
“Another half a day and we should be reaching our final destination.”
Haifa day… It hasn’t been a day yet… Didn’t you say three days?” Klein’s pupils seemingly dilated.
Amon smiled and said, “I said not more than three days.
“One day is not more than three days, too.
Upon saying that, the King of Angels paused and asked with piqued interest, “Did I hamper your arrangements? “Are you feeling more despair?”
Klein didn’t answer as he suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed into the void beside him.
Chapter 1164 Cheating
Although Klein had been a Beyonder for less than two years, his experience could be described as rich and exciting, even among Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 saints. The things he possessed or encountered before that could be summoned from the Historical Void, and the ones that were capable of quickly killing him didn’t number many.
Here, he chose the Flaring Sun Charm that he had used in Tingen City. He had already recited the incantation, injected his spirituality into it, and was about to activate the charms!
Indeed, to a demigod of the Seer pathway that meant bizarreness and change, it wasn’t very effective against him. He mainly depended on the damage it did to his body, but Klein didn’t dodge or defend himself. Instead, he released his body and mind to embrace the light of “hope.”
Even at the level of a Sequence 3 Scholar of Yore, the defense of a Seer pathway’s Beyonder remained low. His offensive ability was also equally insufficient compared to his peers. This resulted in a sad fact:
When Klein wanted to commit suicide, he didn’t have any powers that could quickly kill himself. After all, it was impossible for him to control his Spirit Body Threads and transform himself into his marionette. This would result in logical contradictions. Towards the end of the process, he would lack the ability to continue making himself a marionette.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And when he was searching for ways to kill himself through external means, he realized that, as long as he didn’t use methods like Marionette Interchange, Paper Figurine Substitutes, and Historical Void Hiding, there were too many options that he could consider.
The Seer was such a powerful pathway that veered towards the extremes.
Seeing that Klein was about to take out a Flaring Sun Charm from the fog of history, along with having a strong desire to commit suicide, Amon only smiled. Without even raising “His” hand, “He” stole the entire idea, causing the crystal monocle to glow slightly.
Klein immediately forgot what he was trying to do.
But his actions didn’t stop!
His shocked reaction when he heard that they were only half a day away from the final destination was mostly faked. This was because he had always been wary of the God of Deceit. He didn’t trust anything that “He” said.
There were too many interpretations of “not more than three days,” so Klein had long prepared for the worst. After hearing what Amon said, he immediately arranged the things he needed to do into a sequence: After having the idea of summoning the Flaring Sun Charm to commit suicide; it was to summon that existence; summon that existence; summon this, that, and those existences. He made it cyclic, hoping that no matter how many thoughts Amon stole from him, he would still follow his original plan and perform the corresponding actions.
Regarding this matter, back when he dealt with 0-08, he had been thinking about it above the gray fog. He had used the experience of treating the real him as a marionette and only following a predetermined set of actions. This helped him greatly.
At that moment, although he didn’t know what he was trying to do, to the point of not realizing that he had forgotten something, he knew very well what he would do next.
Composite Start
Composite End
The past wasn’t important, but the present and future were key!
Klein reached out his palm again and grabbed the void in front of him. His entire arm sank.
However, when he retracted his right hand, nothing came out.
At the same time, Amon raised “His” palm and gently swiped forward.
“He” had stolen the Historical Void projection that Klein had summoned!
A figure quickly appeared beside Amon. It was an elder dressed in a hooded black robe. His eyes were deep black, like a dark water surface, and the white beard around his mouth was long and dense.
Zaratul!
The leader of the Secret Order, the Sequence 1 angel, Zaratul!
The existence that Klein had attempted to summon was actually Zaratul, and he had succeeded in one try!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was because he had made preparations in advance.
Back in the city that the phoenix believers had built, when Klein had split his marionettes into three groups, he was actually attempting to summon Zaratul from the Historical Void.
Without a doubt, it was impossible to succeed at that time. However, as a Scholar of Yore, it would be a massive failure if one failed to notice that someone else was trying to summon their historical projection. As for Zaratul, he was definitely a senior, excellent, and experienced Scholar of Yore.
After such a failed summoning, Klein had established a connection with Zaratul.
This was the tacit understanding between Scholars of Yore!
As for a Miracle Invoker, an Attendant of Mysteries, “He” was able to respond to “His” historical projection. It was just like how a Scholar of Yore had a hundred percent chance of success when borrowing strength from his past.
In addition, a Scholar of Yore had no contractual connection with the Historical Void projection. They relied on the other party’s lack of intelligence, or them having good relationships with them, to control it. And in this world, the few high-level existences most unwilling to see Amon obtain Sefirah Castle was Mr. Door, followed by Pallez, and then Zaratul!
In other words, the two of them were short-term allies when it came to resisting Amon.
Due to these factors, Klein believed that he could summon Zaratul in one go. And the facts proved that he was right.
Composite Start
Composite End
And it was precisely because of this that he wasn’t worried at all that Amon would steal away his historical projection that he had summoned. He even hoped that the Angel of Time would do so.
As for the reason why he first came up with the idea of committing suicide before summoning Zaratu, it was to let Amon steal his thoughts. And for Amon, “He” would be happy to try since “He” was a King of Angels in search of excitement. With too many choices for “Him” to choose from, it was unlikely “He” would repeat another “Thought Usurpation.” It might be the “Theft” of a Historical Void projection.
This was one of the few trump cards that Klein had.
In the next second, Zaratul’s gaze turned from a glazed one to a spirited and real one.
Clearly, this Attendant of Mysteries, a senior Scholar of Yore, had entered the Historical Void and allowed “His” projection from the same era to receive “His” consciousness!
And having “His” own consciousness meant that Zaratul’s projection didn’t hesitate at all to firmly cast “His” gaze at Amon.
The eyes of Amon—the ones wearing and not wearing the monocle—narrowed at the same time. “He” saw the lightning around “Him” increase in frequency as the vast wilderness with many ravines instantly turned empty and dark. They were speckled with twinkling stars.
“He” had apparently been pulled beneath the cosmos by Zaratul.
This was a miracle.
As for the projection opposite of Amon, it had already transformed into a gigantic, mysterious whirlpool formed by squirming mysterious. They extended out in all directions with transparent tentacles. Just looking at them would make humans lose their minds and turn crazy.
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Klein abandoned the other thoughts in the “queue.” He took the opportunity to control a monster deep in the darkness and transform it into his marionette.
Immediately following that, he switched places with his marionette.
After coming to the depths of the darkness, Klein reached out his hand once again to grab at the air in front of him a few times in succession. His marionette did the same action as well.
Finally, he dragged a new figure out of the void.
It was a figure dressed in a simple linen robe, with a tree bark as a belt. Standing there, barefooted with long, black hair, Arianna’s facial features were ordinary and her eyes dark and cold.
The Evernight cloister’s matron, the ascetic leader, the Servant of Concealment, the Grounded Angel, Arianna.
As soon as Arianna appeared,”Her” dark eyes turned normal. She didn’t look like a projection at all.
“Her” true body seemed to have entered a concealed state, allowing the summoned Historical Void projection to also possess intelligence.
This was also one of the reasons why Klein had chosen to summon “Her,” and had given up on summoning Mr. Azik and Miss Messenger who gave him a higher success rate. This way, even if an accident happened during his “suicide,” preventing his success, there was still a chance to fight Amon in the subsequent battle!
After a Historical Void’s projection possessed their own consciousness, it made it much easier for Klein to maintain them. This resulted in an extension in time for the maintenance of the projection.
Following that, he used the connection between the Scholar of Yore and their summoned Historical Void projection, quickly communicating to Servant of Concealment, Arianna, his intent to kill him!
Arianna suddenly bent “Her” body, and “Her” right hand reached behind her back. “She” pulled out a bone sword covered in strange patterns from the depths of the darkness.
Then, “She” suddenly took a step forward and swung “Her” sword forward.
The entire darkness literally stirred as it wildly spread towards where the spot Klein was standing.
An unlucky monster happened to be situated between the two of them as it melted away when drowned by the tide of darkness.
This wasn’t the authority of concealment. This was a combination of repose and horror. It symbolized danger in the darkness, a symbol of silent destruction and vanquishment.
The Beyonders of the Sleepless pathway had to reach Sequence 3 Horror Bishop to grasp such powers.
Subconsciously, Klein’s survival instinct made him attempt to escape. But at that moment, he felt that the surrounding darkness was an enemy. If he was infected by that force, he would become a part of the tide. There was no avoiding it.
There’s no need to use all your strength. You can easily kill me with just a portion of your strength… Klein restrained his primal instincts, and he stood on the spot, waiting for the destruction to sweep through him.
At that moment, a distant, illusory bell sounded.
It was as if it had traveled through a long stretch of history, causing everything around it to slow down, including the surging darkness.
In midair, swaths of darkness were pierced, revealing a gigantic wall clock carved out of stone.
It was ancient and mottled, and its surface was separated into twelve segments by grayish-white and bluish-black colors. Each segment had different symbols, and the needle had a total of three hands—short, medium, long. It seemed to be formed from the twelve rings of a Worm of Time.
As the second hand ticked, the bell rang again.
Gong!
As the sound echoed, the surging darkness like a tide slowed down even more. Then, the ancient clock’s projection dissipated, turning back into Amon with “His” pointed hat and monocle.
Behind “Him”, the projection of Zaratul was also in a sluggish state.
Right on the heels of that, Amon levitated in midair, extending “His” right hand, and “He” pressed down at the darkness.
The darkness quickly returned to normal, drowning Klein without causing him any damage. It was unknown if there was a bug or if a Beyonder effect had been stolen.
At the same time, Amon’s body instantly became abnormally huge. It was nearly twenty meters tall, but none of “His” clothes suffered any damage.
“He” looked down at Klein and raised “His” hand to adjust his monocle. He ignored the attacks from the Zaratul projection behind “Him” as “He” curled “His” lips and said with deep interest, “Interesting.”
As Amon spoke, the transparent tentacles covered with mysterious patterns extended out from the gigantic vortex behind “His” back, and they wrapped around “His” many different Spirit Body Threads.
In the blink of an eye, the illusory black threads were lifted up without any resistance.
And with that, one strange monster after another was hoisted up in the air, like ham waiting to be dry-aged.
The Spirit Body Threads beside Amon were all stolen by “Him” at some point in time!
While Zaratul launched “His” attack, “His” other slippery tentacle kept extending into the void, attempting to pull something back.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In just a few seconds, a figure quickly appeared.
“He” had long chestnut-colored curly hair, blue eyes, high nose bridge, thin lips, and a very beautifully manicured mustache. He wore a dark red coat with rusted golden threads. It was none other than the former Emperor of Intis, Roselle Gustav.
The moment this Knowledge Emperor stepped into the real world, “He” looked down at the gigantified Amon, and complicated and illusory symbols instantly formed in “His” eyes.
“He” wasn’t worried that Amon would steal “His” attack at all, because “He” had prepared an extremely large amount of useless miscellaneous knowledge. Be it the forceful injection or Amon’s theft of it, “He” could achieve the goal of blowing up the other party’s mind.
Just as Emperor Roselle’s projection was fully formed, another figure appeared from Zaratul’s transparent tentacles.
The figure had a young face, but his long hair was already half-white—pulled back and flailing in the air. In the darkness, half of it was hidden, and the other was prominent.
This was an angel that Klein didn’t know. “He” looked like a man with eyes that were dark and filled with the vicissitudes of life. “His” facial features were considered pretty good, but there was a bunch of thick, short black hair on “His” cheeks. “He” emitted the feeling that “He” was both old and youthful, both rational and crazy.
“He” immediately transformed into a cluster of squirming worms that extended out transparent, smooth tentacles akin to Zaratul’s projection.
Clearly, this was also an angel from the Seer pathway.
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Klein didn’t even dare to look straight at the situation occurring in midair. However, when his spiritual perception triggered, he had already sensed something familiar.
The second angel that was summoned by Zaratul was the son of an ancient god, the original ancestor of the Antigonus family!
This was the historical projection “Him” before “He” became The Half-Fool.
Clearly, Zaratul had made sufficient preparations in this period of time.
As Antigonus displayed “His” complete Mythical Creature form, the surrounding environment changed once again. The darkness became even darker, as though it had a life of its own as it surged towards the massive manifestation of the classic black-robed, pointy-hatted, and monocled Amon.
In the area enveloped by darkness, all the monsters instantly turned into marionettes.
Antigonus seemed to have moved a portion of the ancient divine kingdom from “His” memories into the real world, so as to separate Amon from Klein.
This was also a miracle.
When the miracle happened, Zaratul’s transparent tentacles pulled out a third projection from the fog of history.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a knight in full black armor. “He” was a demigod from the Fourth Epoch’s Solomon Empire, and had not left an illustrious name in history.
However, “He” had another identity. “He” was a member of the “Red of War” army, and the leader of this army was King of Angels, Medici.
In this division, every member could connect with Red Angel Medici’s mind and become one.
In other words, if Medici could converge their powers, then they too could also transmit their own powers to the collective pool.
The powers of a Scholar of Yore powers couldn’t summon anything associated with the Uniqueness. Even if they were to raise their Sequence and receive a qualitative change, it remained the same. However, there was no doubt that Seers would seek ways to push the envelope by attempting to bypass the restrictions and obtain help from the Uniqueness to a certain extent.
Klein had summoned the Goddess’s descent vessel to accomplish this point, while Zaratul summoned a powerhouse of the Red of War army.
At this moment, that projection was equivalent to a portion of Medici!
The knight in black armor stepped onto the battlefield. “He” scanned the battlefield in a sluggish manner before laughing out loud.
Yo, Lil’ Raven, have those feathers I burnt recovered?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Due to the fact that his historical projection had summoned another three angel-level historical projections, Klein suspected that he couldn’t maintain it for ten seconds.
If it wasn’t for this change, then he would most likely have felt that he had found a way to indefinitely increase his combat strength. That was to summon two angels and one projection of himself every time. Then, he could use his projection to summon two angels and himself again. If this continued, he would have an infinite number of projections available.
At that moment, the ascetic leader of the Church of Evernight, Arianna’s body faded and entered a concealed state. Following that, “She” suddenly appeared behind the gigantified Amon, slashing out with the bone sword that was covered in strange patterns.
Taking advantage of the opportunity when Amon was being attacked by the five angel projections’ attack, Klein kept converting monsters into his marionettes, getting them to aim at him. He opened his mouth and let out a bang.
Air Cannons whistled towards him.
At the same time, Klein stretched out his hand and easily took out a Flaring Sun Charm that had already been activated and was just short of releasing its effects.
He didn’t believe that he would be able to survive such repeated attacks.
Amidst the booms, Klein suddenly heard a “tick-tock” noise.
The entire world seemed to stop for a moment before it returned to normal.
Following that, he saw a huge hole in the dark sky. A ray of pure hot sunlight shone in and lit a golden charm.
Composite Start
Composite End
It was the Flaring Sun Charm. It had turned into a huge ball of light that was engulfed by countless balls of flames.
However, the target it attacked wasn’t Klein. It had made an error and, instead, wrapped around the Red of War demigod.
Meanwhile, the vast amount of knowledge that Roselle Gustav had injected, the miracle created by Antigonus, the destructive sword which Arianna had swung out, the transparent tentacles that Zaratul extended, they all pointed at the same target in an erroneous manner—Medici’s black-armored subordinate.
At some point, the projection that consisted of a part of Medici’s will first suffered an explosion in “His” mind. Even “His” instinctive reaction seemed to have disappeared. Then, “He” was assaulted by the barrage of heavy attacks, and quickly dissipated in midair.
Wearing a pointed hat and a classical mage robe, it was unknown when Amon had returned to the size of a human and landed at the bottom of the battlefield.
“He” raised “His” right hand and adjusted the crystal monocle as a beam of light lit up.
Behind “His” back, the ancient mottled clock phantom appeared once again. The longest second hand quickly spun half a round at an extraordinary speed.
It took less than a second, but everything on the desolate moors seemed to have lost ten to twenty seconds.
The projection of Antigonus’s historical projection disappeared. Following that, Roselle’s historical projection faded away. Finally, it was the historical projections of Zaratul and Arianna.
The amount of time “They” could be maintained had been stolen.
Klein, who was just about to commit suicide for the third time, couldn’t believe his eyes.
He had expected Blasphemer Amon to resolve the five angel projections. After all, they were merely projections. A projection was much weaker than the actual body. However, Klein never expected the other party to be so casual about it that he didn’t even have a chance to commit suicide.
He had used his trump card in exchange for such an outcome. It was inevitable for him to feel disheartened and despair.
Amon nudged his monocle and took a step forward to appear in front of him. “He” smiled.
“If ‘They’ were all ‘Their’ true bodies, it would indeed be more troublesome.
“However, the Historical Void projection has a very huge flaw. And grasping the ‘problem’ of something is what I’m best at.”
Looking at this Angel of Time whose smile remained the same while his expression was one of delight, as though “He” hadn’t been in a difficult situation just now, Klein’s heart slowly sank, as if he had fallen into an abyss.
His spiritual perception was triggered as scenes quickly flashed through his mind.
After entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Amon changed his clothes—going from a dark colored jacket, trousers, and black top hat that met the aesthetic standards of modern times to a classic mage’s robe and a pointed hat.
After that, “He” suggested a game of escaping and obstructing;
“He” appeared extremely confident and wasn’t worried about any mishaps…
As his thoughts raced, Klein’s throat turned dry, and he said in a low and hoarse voice, “You… are the true body…
“After entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods, your true body merged with your avatar?”
He seriously suspected that the person in front of him was Amon’s true body, the true Blasphemer, the whole King of Angels!
The corners of the monocled Amon’s mouth curled up bit by bit.
“This is very interesting, isn’t it?
“The expression on your face after knowing the truth is what I wanted to see in this game.”
“He” had clearly admitted that “He” was the main body. “He” was born accommodating the Uniqueness of the Marauder pathway. “He” was peerless amongst the ranks of those beneath that of deities.
This meant that, unless a true deity descended, no matter how hard Klein struggled, he wouldn’t be able to escape from Amon’s hands. And this was the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The only active deity was the True Creator, and “He” wasn’t too interested in Sefirah Castle.
Although he had suspected that the Amon beside him had swapped with “His” actual body, Klein, who had experienced countless instances of hope, only to have them destroyed, experienced what was the ultimate sense of despair when he was truly certain of it. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Tarot Club involved Miss Justice, Leonard, and company, as well as how he knew that Amon was best at deception, he would’ve admitted defeat and expressed his willingness to become “His” Blessed.
Isn’t it normal to join the ranks of the opponents if you can’t beat them… As he lampooned, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He recalled the words that Amon had previously said.
This… His eyes lit up, and he completely calmed down. Looking at Amon, he leisurely stretched his body and said with a smile, “Kill me.”
Chapter 1166 Its Name
Lightning once again lit up the desolate moors that were blanketed with grayish-yellow fog. It illuminated the spot where an angel-level battle had just happened, illuminating the calm smile on his face.
Amon looked at him for a few seconds before nudging his monocle and smiling.
“Can’t you say something else?
“You seem to have found new hope?”
Klein’s smile didn’t change as he clenched his fist to his nose and stuck one hand into his pocket.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I just suddenly understood something. It turns out that it’s not too demoralizing to play this game with your true body. On the contrary, this shows that you have no way of stealing my destiny.”
“Oh?” Amon smiled as “He” spoke in a tone, as though “He” was looking forward to what Klein would say next.
Klein laughed and said without any hesitation, “Otherwise, once I entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, you would’ve directly stolen my destiny and become the new owner of Sefirah Castle. Even if you want to play a game of escaping and obstructing, you could’ve waited until the main goal was achieved before doing so. That way, you wouldn’t be taking any risks. And having lost my chance to resurrect and my original destiny, I’ll put in an even greater effort into escaping due to my instinct to survive.
“Indeed, the God of Mischief might do something that disregards danger, doing so in pursuit of excitement, but you’re still the God of Deceit.”
Having said that, Klein looked at the unperturbed expression on Amon’s face and paused.
“I know that you really have the ability to steal the destinies of others, but being capable of doing something doesn’t mean that you’ll do it. This requires a risk assessment, as well as weighing and analyzing the pros and cons.
“I believe that you don’t wish to steal my destiny directly. That will make you bear the burden of everything brought about by Sefirah Castle. You have to resist the trauma of the resurrection of its original owner. Even for a King of Angels like you, this is also very dangerous. If you aren’t careful, you can perish. Therefore, you want to find a loophole—you want to get Sefirah Castle without suffering the negative effects. And this requires my ‘permission.'”
When he said that, Klein thought of the experience of getting hit by computer viruses in his previous life. Those viruses would always pretend to be normal and cheat him into giving him permission.
This was somewhat similar to the current situation.
Composite Start
Composite End
After hearing Klein’s words, Amon looked at him without a word. Instead, “He” calmly adjusted the crystal monocle.
Klein smiled and continued, “From the moment you parasitized me, you’ve been setting up a huge scam. On the one hand, you’ve given me the option of becoming your Blessed, telling me that your true body can withstand my destiny, causing me to bear a heavy psychological burden.
“In the subsequent journey, you constantly made me see hope before destroying it. From time to time, you’ll give me a time limit, making me unknowingly seize an opportunity and catch my breath. Then, you suddenly shortened the trip, disrupting my plans. Finally, you reveal the card that you’re the true body, sending me into the abyss of despair, so as to destroy my will and dismantle my mental defenses. I would completely break down and choose to become your Blessed, and ‘agree’ to that hidden ‘transaction.'”
After hearing everything in silence, Amon suddenly laughed and raised “His” hands to gently clap.
“Perfect deduction.
“However, you seem to have missed a problem.
“What I said was to see my real body at a sufficiently safe place. Then, your destiny will be taken away. Now that we haven’t reached our final destination, I naturally won’t take the risk.”
Klein’s expression sank slightly before he relaxed again.
“I’m looking forward to how different the developments will be there.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He responded to Amon in “His” style.
The genuine King of Angels adjusted “His” monocle and pointed to the side with a smile.
“Soon. We’ll arrive in less than half a day.”
“How long is that exactly?” Klein instinctively lacked trust in Amon’s vague descriptions.
Amon scratched “His” chin and chuckled.
“Half an hour.”
Klein turned his head to look in the direction where Amon had pointed. He only saw deep darkness, nothing else..
A bolt of lightning streaked across the desolate moors, but even farther away was a thick grayish-yellow fog.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
Backlund, Empress Borough, in the Hall family’s luxurious villa.
After two days of chaos, Audrey’s life finally regained some peace. This made her even more curious about the truth behind the king’s assassination.
Considering how Mr. Fool had seemingly hinted that the Tarot Gathering would be canceled today, Audrey decided to pray to this existence in advance and establish a connection with The World Gehrman Sparrow to figure out the corresponding situation.
The moment she glanced at Susie, the golden retriever immediately walked out of the room, closed the door with her leg in passing, and sat outside.
Audrey sat down, took on a prayer pose, and recited in ancient Hermes:
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
…
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment.
“Do you think there will be a gathering today? There’s no formal notice…” Fors took out her pocket watch for women and opened it.
Xio shook her head.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I don’t know.”
Fors couldn’t sit still any longer. She left her seat and paced back and forth anxiously as she muttered to herself, “Mr. World didn’t respond, neither did Mr. Fool respond…”
As she spoke, Fors suddenly looked at her friend who was eating some ham. She hurriedly said, “Xio, why don’t you try praying to Mr. Fool and ask if the gathering will be held as scheduled today?”
Xio frowned slightly as she put down her fork and nodded.
“Okay.”
She also found the situation a little strange.
She clasped her hands and held them under her chin. Xio took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
…
Backlund, North Borough, underground of Saint Samuel Cathedral, in a room behind Chanis Gate.
Emlyn White woke up, feeling puzzled over the dream he had.
He had apparently dreamed of the Sanguine Ancestor, Lilith!
In his dream, he was trapped in a castle covered in red grapevines, one he couldn’t escape from no matter how hard he tried.
Later, through a narrow window from high above, he saw the crimson moon outside and a pair of bat wings that covered half the crimson moon.
In the legends of the Sanguine, this was one of the symbols of the ancient goddess, Lilith.
Right on the heels of that, Emlyn flew up high in excitement, attempting to open the narrow window. At the bottom of the glass, he found a tarot card.
On the surface of the tarot card was a lad dressed in gorgeous clothes. He was wearing splendid headgear with a stick over his shoulder. There was a bindle hanging on the end of the stick, and a puppy was following behind him.
The Fool card.
At this point in his dream, Emlyn naturally woke up. As a Sanguine Viscount, he had the ability to perform a basic analysis of dreams.
It must be because of my current situation that this dream appeared. That Star actually didn’t deliver any human blood to me…
I am indeed the target of the Ancestor’s benediction…”She” is hinting to me that if I wish to escape from my predicament, I have to obtain help from Mr. Fool?
What day is it today? Forget it, I’ll just pray. That way, I can leave as soon as possible.” Emlyn sat up with hope as he piously chanted, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
…
Above the gray fog, the three crimson stars that corresponded to Justice, Judgment, and The Moon began to expand and shrink, emitting light to create ripples.
They merged into the dark red “tide” that originally existed, causing the shock waves in the mysterious space to instantly intensify.
Amidst the quake, the “tide” flooded the ancient and majestic palace, lighting up one mysterious symbol after another behind the eight seats on the long bronze table.
This brought a new halo and resonance, accompanied by a buzzing sound.
At the end of the long, mottled table, the back of The Fool’s seat lit up as well. The complicated symbol formed by the Contorted Lines and Pupil-less Eye kept extending outwards, becoming layered and extremely three-dimensional.
The dark red “tide” was attracted over and formed a “figure” on the high back chair belonging to The Fool.
This “figure” wasn’t stable enough. It distorted and scattered from time to time, hardly capable of maintaining its form.
On a desolate moor covered with grayish-yellow fog, Klein paused for a moment and looked up at the lightning that streaked across the sky.
He then retracted his gaze. Holding the lantern in his hand, he followed beside Amon, deep into the endless moors.
The more the man and the King of Angels proceeded, the more ravines the ground had. Similarly, their depths became more and more exaggerated.
About ten minutes later, another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. Not far away, Klein saw a single-eyed giant with a bluish-black pupil, pacing back and forth. It towered tens of meters.
His body was covered in traces of rotting pus. His eye was sunken and lifeless. It was obvious that he was dead.
However, he continued wandering around. Grayish-yellow gas emanated from his body, interweaving in midair to create the fog over the moor.
The grayish-yellow fog that enveloped the vast moor was actually generated by this bluish-black giant!
“The youngest son of the Giant King Aurmir, the God of Glory, Bladel. ‘He’ publicly cursed my father and was punished to forever roam this area. Of course, ‘He’ has long died in the Cataclysm, but ‘He’ still wasn’t able to free ‘Himself.'” Amon looked at the giant and smiled. “If I hadn’t stolen the corresponding damage dealt to you, you would’ve been contaminated by the fog created after Bladel’s death. You would become a cursed entity that roams this area.”
Do I have to thank you? Suddenly, Klein felt like he had entered a myth.
With him in tow, Amon continued forward. Soon, they approached the bluish-black, single-eyed giant.
There was an extremely deep ravine on the spot where the giant was loitering about. As the lightning flashed, a thick and vast grayish-white building appeared at the bottom.
With just a glance, Klein’s eyelids twitched slightly as he recalled the scene he saw when he was divining the Unshadowed Crucifix.
If he remembered correctly, this should be where the ancient sun god, the City of Silver’s Creator, Amon and Adam’s father walked out from!
Is this the safe place that Amon mentioned? Klein’s heart sank.
At this moment, the pointy-hatted, monocled Amon walked to the edge of the ravine. With “His” back facing the grayish-white building, “He” spread his arms slightly and said with a smile, “This is the holy land where my father was awoken. Buried in it is the history I wish to seek.
“My father told me that this place has an ancient name, called…”
As a streak of silver lightning tore through the sky, the black-robed Amon paused as “He” widened “His” arms, saying with a solemn tone, “Chernobyl!”
“Chernobyl!”
Upon hearing Amon’s words, Klein’s first reaction was one of shock.
Back when they were approaching the bluish-black, single-eyed giant, he had come up with many possibilities, but he never expected to hear such a name.
This was akin to seeing a machine gun appear in an ancient oil painting, or a novel’s plot appearing in a scientific paper. It was filled with unbelievable contradictions.
In the next second, he thought of the funny matter about how the ancient sun god had used “His” rib to create Dark Angel Sasrir, but had named “His” eldest son Adam. He instinctively believed that the current situation was similar, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To have Amon, who was so powerful that “He” was almost a “bug” in the real world, a King of Angels who always wore a sinister smile on “His” face, speak the name with such seriousness and solemnity, it made Klein unable to hold back his laughter. Besides, he had no intention of controlling himself.
It’s best if “He” gets angry from the embarrassment and kills me… The reason Amon is this way today has largely to do with the ancient sun god’s method of upbringing! The corners of Klein’s mouth curved into a smile, prepared to ruthlessly vent his inner laughter.
At this moment, another bolt of silvery-white lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the deep ravine. It made Klein once again see the grayish-white building at the bottom.
This was a building that was completely different from the current style of the Fourth, Third, and even the Second Epoch.
Thump!
Klein’s heart rapidly contracted before it expanded again. The smile he just made froze on his face.
Thump! Thump!
When he heard his own heartbeat, he suddenly had the common sense he had regarding the present world appear in his mind.
12 months a year, 365 days a year, has leap years…
Composite Start
Composite End
24 hours a day, 60 minutes a day, 60 seconds a minute…
It’s confirmed to be a planet…
There’s a sun and a moon in the sky…
Badump! Badump! Badump!
Klein’s instinct prevented him from thinking any further, but deep in his heart, there was still a “voice.”
Could it be that I’ve never actually “transmigrated”? I’ve always been on Earth the entire time, but I’ve been hanging from the door of light above the gray fog for too long, making me truly not belong to this era…
As this thought formed, many details that didn’t catch his attention spewed out like a volcano in his mind.
To the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea, before entering the ruins of the battlefield of the gods, there are rotting and crumbling steel buildings around the ancient well. They appeared to be left behind by humans…
The Northern and Southern Continent are overall very similar in shape to that of North and South America. However, a large part of the isthmus that connects the two landmasses has been wiped away by some kind of power, forming the Berserk Sea with its complicated and winding sea routes… Also, Sonia Island is like the gigantic landmass in the north that drifted south… Midseashire is like the expanded and connected version of the Great Lakes of North America. It’s as though it suffered a strike from a massive meteor…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The mountains and rivers on the Northern Continent have changed a lot, but the overall shape is barely recognizable…
In that case… the Western Continent where the elves come from, and the Forsaken Land of the Gods in the Eastern Continent, will correspond to Chernobyl…
In the legends of treasure out at sea, there’s a lost civilization called the Newins. It sank somewhere in the Fog Sea…
The Giant King’s parents are humans… The Sanguine, elves also seem to originate from humans…
I previously had two questions: Why would Sefirah Castle grab transmigrators from Earth? Why would all of them be people from my era? This can also be explained…
In the short span of two to three seconds, it was as if lightning was constantly exploding in his mind. This caused his lips to tremble slightly, as though he was trying his best to contain the backlash of his revelation.
But the moon in this world is crimson… The constellations are somewhat different from those of Earth… I’m not an astronomy aficionado, so I can’t remember clearly. However, the Emperor consumed the potions from the Savant pathway. If the cosmos was completely identical, he would’ve discovered it a long time ago… The opposing opinion appeared in Klein’s mind. They were like a strong anchor, preventing his ship from being blown away from the port in the midst of the storm.
But one second later, he remembered two lines.
One sentence was a terrifying prophecy that he had read online in his previous life:
Composite Start
Composite End
“When the stars are right, Chaos will rise from underground, and the Great Oldest One will awaken.”
The other was:
“Be careful of the moon!”
This… That prophecy wasn’t randomly made up? When the stars are right… So, this resulted in the previous discrepancies? Klein almost ignored Amon in front of him. Even his body began to tremble.
He used a great deal of strength before he sighed inwardly.
Perhaps, I’ve never left my hometown, but I will never be able to return home…
Just as he came to this understanding and realization, the grayish-white fog silently appeared in front of him.
This time, he directly stood in front of the Waning Forest, which corresponded to the end of the First Epoch and the early stages of the Second Epoch.
Unlike the past, the boundless gray fog in front of him was no longer empty. Deep in the fog, in a very far distance, points of shattered light were lit up.
They were like lighthouses, illuminating the path of history. They led Klein forward as they traced back thousands of years, or even further.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, he saw the resplendent bluish-black door of light. He saw transparent cocoons hanging above it, and himself in a T-shirt and loose pants.
An invisible wind blew past as the grayish-white fog beneath the door opened, layer by layer, revealing cities.
There were tall skyscrapers with all kinds of cars parked, frozen with pedestrians that walked past.
One by one, these cities were covered in grayish-white dust. Many buildings had collapsed, broken steel bars tearing out of their frames. Some of the cars had caved in, others had broken down. There were even some that had been squashed into metallic pancakes. The passers-by looked lifeless, like wax figures…
Upon seeing this scene, Klein stopped and stared intently.
He knew very well that:
This world was Earth!
At that moment, he completely digested the Scholar of Yore potion.
Suddenly, Klein’s consciousness returned to the real world. He realized that his connection with Sefirah Castle had strengthened.
Amidst the buzzing sounds, the resonance generated by the prayers of the Tarot Club members grew in intensity.
Previously, he could use them to vaguely sense Sefirah Castle above the gray fog and see that the Klein at The Fool’s seat was trying to establish some sort of connection with the dark red, warping figure that was about to take form.
In an instant, he came to a realization. There was no longer a need for him to chant the incantation or take four steps counterclockwise. With a mere thought, his Spirit Body could enter Sefirah Castle, becoming one with that “figure.”
This was undoubtedly the best opportunity for him to escape!
He couldn’t be bothered to marvel at the fact that this world was Earth. Believing that Amon definitely didn’t know of such a development, Klein immediately thought of jumping straight towards Sefirah Castle.
At this moment, the corner of his eye reflected the pointy-hatted, monocled, classic mage-robed Amon curled “His” lips into a smile—one that spoke of endless joy.
Klein’s mind suddenly exploded as all his thoughts were occupied by the crazy raving from Amon.
“You’re right. I didn’t want to steal your destiny, bearing the burden while becoming the new owner of Sefirah Castle…”
“You’re right. This was a scam that has been going on since the beginning…
“However, the core of this scam was to make you think that me giving you hope and destroying it was to break your will and make you agree to become my Blessed…”
“If I hadn’t specially changed my clothes when I entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, as well as my ‘accidental’ use of ‘Error’ powers, would you have been so sure that my true body was already here?
“Could it be possible that the God of Deceit doesn’t understand that changing one’s image would expose many problems?
“Did you think that I wouldn’t understand what the name ‘Chernobyl’ means?
“I’ve been in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for more than a thousand years. I’ve been searching for the oldest traces of history, the ones that go far beyond the First Epoch.”
“The true goal of this journey was to give you some time and give you some historical knowledge to aid you in digesting the Scholar of Yore potion, so that you can relax your vigilance in this area. Then, when your connection with Sefirah Castle deepens and you attempt to trigger it, I’ll seize this opportunity and use a loophole to steal Sefirah Castle.
“The destiny shall be yours, and Sefirah Castle shall be mine.”
…
Not only did the terrifying ravings from the King of Angels contain the sounds of Amon’s chuckle, but they also wreaked havoc on Klein’s mental state. They were no weaker than Mr. Door’s roar.
The surface of Klein’s skin began to show signs of protruding Worms of Spirit as he was brought to the brink of losing control.
In his body, a twelve-segmented Worm of Time burrowed out, transforming into an Amon phantom wearing a black mage robe and a matching pointy hat and crystal monocle.
“He” had parasitized Klein at a superficial level, not to monitor his thoughts, but rather to take control of the situation at the critical moment through parasitizing him at a deeper level. “He” wanted to seize this opportunity!
In the beginning, Amon had used a “deeper level” of parasitizing with one main goal—to parasitize a Worm of Time at a superficial level, without the saint being able to detect it!
The Amon projection turned back and gave Klein, who was unable to straighten his thoughts after being disrupted by the ravings, a look. It revealed a smile that was identical to its true body.
The corners of “His” lips curled up slightly, carrying a look of endless joy.
“He” turned around and used the invisible connection to leap towards Sefirah Castle above the gray fog.
This was similar to the situation of “Him” parasitizing Derrick Berg and trying to use the crimson star that corresponded to The Sun to infiltrate the world above the gray fog.
But this time, no one was inside Sefirah Castle to purify “Him”—to close the “door,” to stop Amon.
This was a spectacular act.
This was the God of Deceit.
Chapter 1168 My Anchors
In the blink of an eye, Amon saw the grayish-white fog and the ancient and majestic palace above.
“He” just needed to reach out “His” hand and pass through the final obstacle to truly touch Sefirah Castle and directly occupy the place and, in essence, take it away.
But at that moment, a gigantic bluish-black palm suddenly appeared above the Amon phantom, blocking “Him” from entering Sefirah Castle.
Amon’s projection subconsciously turned its head and looked in the direction of the palm. It saw the pus-covered, one-eyed giant who had long since died.
Bladel, who was known as the God of Glory, still didn’t show any signs of life in “His” exaggerated vertical eye. The curse of the grayish-yellow fog kept emanating from “His” body.
However, it was different from before. There were seemingly illusory black tubes behind “His” back. They extended all the way into the infinite distance, a mystery as to what they were connected to.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
The towering bluish-black giant instantly condensed a broadsword formed from the orange-red light of dusk. Holding it in one hand, “He” cleaved down at the side of the deep ravine where Amon’s body was.
This youngest son of the Giant King, the one who had died due to the curse, suddenly unleashed an unimaginable power after roaming aimlessly for thousands of years.
The “Twilight Sword” tore through the void and jumped out from the spot where the Angel of Time, Amon, was standing. It ripped through everything around it, turning into a storm that could destroy this desolate moor.
Amon didn’t move and remained standing there. No matter how the orange-red “sword” storm raged, it didn’t harm “Him” at all.
“He” seemed to have used some sort of “error” in this world again.
However, in this state, Amon was no longer able to transmit “His” ravings into Klein’s mind, allowing him to finally gain a sliver of peace.
Ignoring how he was about to lose control, he regained his clarity of mind using the clear and real surroundings and the layers of prayer. Then, he immediately resonated with the dark red “figure” sitting at The Fool’s seat above the gray fog, and he established a new connection.
He didn’t hesitate to return to Sefirah Castle!
Composite Start
Composite End
And at this moment, Amon’s phantom, which was attempting to infiltrate above the gray fog, was obstructed by the bluish-black palm of the God of Glory, Bladel. “He” wasn’t able to instantly break through the titanic obstruction.
The monocled King of Angels, be it “His” avatar or true body, opened “His” mouth and said a name, “Evernight.”
Yes, this was help coming from the Evernight Goddess, but it wasn’t without reason!
Although Klein lacked confidence in this matter, he had always kept it as one of his trump cards. He only believed that it might not be effective and had a very low chance of success. It could only be used as a glimmer of hope at his most desperate hour.
After entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods and obtaining some space to think on his own, he worked hard to find “resources” available to him that could be used. Then, he recalled something:
The matter of the former Chief of the City of Silver!
This Demon Hunter had attempted to switch to Sequence 3 Ferryman of the Death pathway, but he ended up turning into a monster inside the mausoleum he built.
This anomaly was related to illusory black tubes, and such a phenomenon had been seen from the Numinous Sect’s Artificial Death.
In other words, the mutation of the former Chief of the City of Silver was very likely related to Artificial Death.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This indirectly explained something—that for some unknown reason, those that could influence the Forsaken Land of the Gods, other than the True Creator, included Artificial Death who had come to “life” to a certain level.
And now, Artificial Death could be considered the Evernight Goddess in some ways!
Based on this reasoning, Klein suspected that the Goddess could use the Uniqueness of the Death pathway to exert a low level of influence to some degree on certain things in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
In addition, there were only three people involved in the matter regarding the former Chief of the City of Silver. One of them was the current Chief, Colin Iliad; the demigod Elder, Waite Chirmont, and Shepherd Elder, Lovia. They were either Sequence 4 saints or an important believer of the True Creator. It was impossible for them to be completely unaware that they had been “parasitized” by Amon.
As for the only person who received feedback from the escapade, it was Derrick Berg who was under The Fool’s watch. He wasn’t one of Amon’s “Parasites” either.
In other words, Amon wasn’t aware of the former City of Silver Chief’s abnormality involving the black illusory tubes. That was key.
Therefore, even if “He” was able to guess that the Evernight Goddess had obtained the Uniqueness of the Death pathway, causing the God of Combat to have an intense reaction, there was no way for “Him” to know that this would bring about unforeseen developments to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
With this knowledge in mind, Klein consciously performed certain tasks, despite not having much confidence.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
In the city that believed in the phoenix, he didn’t take away the remaining Death pathway’s Beyonder characteristics, hoping to leave a trail.
Composite Start
Composite End
After summoning Zaratul’s historical projection, he didn’t seize the opportunity to commit suicide immediately. On the one hand, he was afraid that Amon would still have the ability to stop him and affect his other arrangements; while on the other hand, he tried to use the summoning of the Servant of Concealment Arianna’s projection to inform the Evernight Goddess about the exact situation.
After completing these two matters, Klein had no idea what the final outcome would be. He had mostly focused his attention on the fact that Amon’s avatar had been replaced by “His” true body.
When he arrived at his final destination and saw the roaming angel’s corpse, he had just thought of something when he was distracted by Amon’s introduction. It took him only until now to realize that the Goddess had long gained some rudimentary control of this Giant King’s youngest son through the Death pathway’s Uniqueness. “She” had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to use this cursed angel.
And the concealment forces that filled the Forsaken Land of the Gods helped “Her” conceal the illusory black tubes very well.
Suddenly, in the ancient palace above the gray fog, at The Fool’s seat situated at the end of the long, mottled table, the dark red figure that kept warping and scattering took the form of the scholarly Klein with his black hair and brown eyes.
With just a thought, Klein’s consciousness and Spirit Body had returned to Sefirah Castle!
Following that, he used the close connection between his body and Sefirah Castle, together with the prayers of the Tarot Club members, to amplify the resonance effect. He then saw himself—glazed eyes, on the brink of losing control. He saw Amon’s projection which had circled around the bluish-black palm using an “error.”
The monocled Amon raised “His” head, making eye contact with Klein, who was seated at The Fool’s seat.
Klein beckoned for the Sea God Scepter and raised it.
The entire gray fog boiled as the entirety of Sefirah Castle quaked.
Composite Start
Composite End
A vast amount of terrifying power gathered over, transforming into a torrent of lightning. The blue gems that lit up at the same time sent an illuminating light that surged down like a torrent, drowning Amon’s avatars and his own body.
A deep rumble of thunder echoed as the terrifying silver lightning tore everything it enveloped apart.
Amon’s projection disintegrated, and Klein’s body was destroyed.
He had finally succeeded in committing suicide.
After completing this attack, Klein, who was high above the gray fog, immediately cut off the connection between Sefirah Castle and the real world, so as to prevent Amon’s true body from creating any new accidents.
Right on the heels of that, he began to wait for the “miracle” and waited for his “resurrection.”
Beside the deep ravine which had grayish-white buildings at the bottom, Amon’s true body adjusted the crystal monocle, stealing the curse that kept Bladel “existing.”
The bluish-black giant immediately began to rot, quickly being reduced to bones. The illusory black tubes didn’t persist, and they instead shrank back into the depths of the darkness.
Dressed in a pointed hat and a classic black robe, Amon stood there. “He” raised “His” head and looked into the sky silently for a few seconds, as though he was looking at Sefirah Castle through the fog of history.
Finally, “He” pinched the crystal monocle and muttered to “Himself” as the corners of “His” mouth curled up.
“Interesting.”
…
In the ancient palace, at the end of the long, mottled table, Klein sat at the seat belonging to The Fool. He carefully looked down at the grayish-white fog.
He discovered that the Beyonder characteristics that had been destroyed with his body had unknowingly entered the Historical Void. It fused with the Worms of Spirit from the past, turning them corporeal.
As long as Klein willed it from Sefirah Castle, these Worms of Spirit would immediately be able to escape the fog of history and reform his body in the real world.
The miracle of “resurrection” was essentially a deeper use of one’s strength from the past.
“Miracles” happen using the past and future? Klein frowned slightly as he attempted to analyze how the “Miracle” in Miracle Invoker came about.
After thinking for a few seconds, he quickly pulled his attention back and attempted to revive himself in Sefirah Castle. Then, he discovered a problem:
His body could only be revived in the real world. Furthermore, it had to be within a certain range of his remains. As for his Spirit Body, it could be reborn above the gray fog, but Klein’s Spirit Body hadn’t been destroyed—it was sitting on the high-back chair of The Fool.
Obtaining help from the past works. The number of resurrections I’m using now is depleting the number I’ll have after I become a Miracle Invoker… From the looks of it, there’s only one chance now. Tsk… Amon should be guarding my “corpse” now. I have to think of a way to get out of this predicament…”His” sense of time is different from a human’s. He’s a very patient God of Mischief… Yes, my current state can only be maintained for three days. After that period of time, I won’t be able to borrow powers from the past to resurrect… If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just abandon my body and become an undead! Klein’s mind raced. Although he was somewhat vexed, he was in his most relaxed state over the past few days.
He finally got out of that nearly hopeless situation.
He looked at the high-back chairs that had symbols light up on their backs, as well as the burgeoning and contracting dark red stars. Klein exhaled and relaxed as he leaned back into his chair. He couldn’t help but reveal a smile.
“These are my anchors.”
Author’s Note: This arc has finally come to an end. The whole story’s origins was when I was reading the Cthulhu myth. When I saw the line about the stars being right, I suddenly thought of this: We often say that Cthulhu will awaken soon, but what happens if Cthulhu has already awakened…? For those who don’t know much about Cthulhu, it doesn’t matter. Just treat this name as an evil god. After all, the corresponding deities were completely reconstructed by me.
Chapter 1169 Klein“s
The flashing dark red glow slightly warmed Klein’s heart. He felt that he wasn’t that lonely, and that someone still remembered him.
As the illusory, overlapping sounds of prayers became clearer and clearer, turning increasingly real, noisy, and chaotic, he realized that Sefirah Castle was summoning him, and the resonance between the two was growing stronger.
After all the members of the Tarot Club had completed their prayers, Klein had a vague feeling that he could enter Sefirah Castle at any time, allowing his consciousness to manifest there instantly. However, he was still obstructed by that one last obstacle.
This problem was finally resolved after he completely digested the Scholar of Yore potion.
It was also because of this that he had the opportunity to return to Sefirah Castle before Amon broke past the obstruction from the God of Glory, Bladel.
In just two short days, all the members of the Tarot Club have prayed. Generally speaking, there shouldn’t be a coincidence like this… Some aren’t problematic, but there are some that seem to have been affected by the Goddess and Will… I was lucky enough, so I naturally had a good “development”… After careful thought, he realized how unreasonable certain parts were, but this was something that could be explained, and there was no need to pay too much attention to it.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After changing his seating posture slightly, Klein’s gaze gradually darkened.
Although he felt that he might not be able to return “home” the moment he saw the door of light and cocoons, he still felt that his hopes were completely destroyed upon confirming that this world was his former hometown. The light of dawn was swallowed by the darkness.
Back then, using “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era” as an honorific name might be a revelation given to me by my spiritual intuition… In the deepest part of my heart, I might’ve sensed something… Yes, I remember that I transmigrated while I was sleeping. But why was I wearing a T-shirt and loose pants while hanging in the cocoon? Klein frowned slightly as he cast his gaze at the grayish-white fog under Sefirah Castle.
As he searched for the reason for the fragments of light in the fog of history, he tried hard to recall every detail of that fateful night.
Finally, he found the corresponding historical segment:
Zhou Mingrui, who was wearing a t-shirt and loose pants, set up the luck enhancement ritual before dinner. He took four steps counterclockwise and recited incantations like “The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
In his memories, nothing had happened back then, but the scene in history wasn’t like this!
After Zhou Mingrui finished his four steps and completed the ritual, his face turned pale and his eyes glazed over.
Following that, he ate his meal in a daze. He read books, watched dramas, and fiddled with his phone as if he was completing a predetermined program.
Composite Start
Composite End
Finally, Zhou Mingrui came to the sink and looked at his lifeless eyes in the mirror. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went to bed.
During this process, he didn’t change out of his T-shirt and loose pants. He covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes.
Before long, an intense light and violent shaking ended the corresponding historical scene.
Klein couldn’t help but raise his hand and rub his temples. He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
So the idea of there not being any changes and everything being normal after the luck enhancement ceremony was simply what I concluded. In actual fact, my body had already experienced certain anomalies…
If it were in the past, he would definitely feel horrified and scared about the truth of the matter. However, after suffering from shock so many times, with his world view nearly collapsing just moments ago, such a “trivial matter” was unable to generate any intense ripples in him.
However, after discovering this, combined with the Emperor’s “transmigration”—a result of buying a mysterious silver plate—as well as one of the hanging Spirit Bodies in the transparent cocoons actually having a cell phone on them, Klein quickly had some guesses about what had happened back then.
It should be the owner of Sefirah Castle affecting reality, disseminating the luck enhancement ritual, mysterious silver plate, mutated cell phones, and other things. Anyone that obtains them and performs some required procedure would end up being pulled above the gray fog at some point, hanging by the door of light…
This was a random selection. It didn’t point to a specific target. I don’t know if I’m lucky or unlucky.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, why was it named “Quintessential Divination and Arcane Arts of the Qin and Han Dynasty”? Was it randomly made up by the influenced humans, or was it really passed down from the Qin and Han dynasty era?
It’s not that it’s impossible. If the “when the stars are right” prophecy is true, and if it corresponds to the Creator—the Oldest One—then “He” has always been in a deep slumber underground. “He” was like that in ancient times, a time that was far more ancient than ancient times. As for Sefirah Castle, it’s said that it was a manifestation of parts of “His” body… This isn’t a sanctuary or escape pod…
In the beginning, the Oldest One was, on the one hand, waiting to awaken and destroy the world. On the other hand, “He” was trying to influence reality with a tiny amount of constant fluctuations. By disseminating the ritual and making other arrangements, wouldn’t that be somewhat contradictory?
That prophecy must’ve been made by the humans that were influenced by “Him”…
Klein stretched out his right hand and lightly knocked on the edge of the long mottled table, stuck in a conundrum that was temporarily impossible to answer.
Soon, he remembered a sentence and some things.
That statement was:
“Whatever separates will definitely converge, and whatever converges will definitely separate.”
Those things were:
Composite Start
Composite End
The ancient sun god, Amon and Adam’s father deliberately separated “His” negative personality;
Beyonders who were close to the ground or encountered some corruption would gradually form a brand new self;
After reaching the moon, Emperor Roselle’s personality had changed a little without him realizing it;
Many of the twenty-two Beyonder pathways were conflicting, just like Demoness and Hunter.
Perhaps the Creator—the Oldest One—was an amalgamation of contradictions, and “He” could only relieve this problem by sleeping… Klein had a certain guess, but he was unable to verify it.
He wasn’t even sure if the Oldest One, who would awaken when the stars were right, as spoken of in mythical legend in “his previous life,” was the Creator of all things who splintered into everything in present-day myths.
This required more clues and more evidence to confirm. He couldn’t just rely on his own guesses and imagination.
It’s not like I’m a Visionary, Klein thought in a self-deprecating manner. He then cast his gaze upwards. It was almost comprised solely of gray nothingness there, with some grayish-white clouds floating there.
There are still many things I need to confirm. For example, is that so-called “Chernobyl” a sanctuary created by humans after the awakening of the Oldest One? Or did the Beyonder characteristics of the twenty-two Beyonder pathways really originate from the Oldest One? Another would be the positions of the constellations. Is it actually normal, or is it abnormal now? Does the 1368 apocalypse correspond to the moment when the stars are right? And finally, the origins of the first Blasphemy Slate and what exactly is on the moon…
Thinking of this, Klein suddenly stopped tapping his fingers and softly said, “For example, the hometown of the Elves, the legendary Western Continent, whether it exists or not, and why can’t anyone go there…”
Composite Start
Composite End
The answer to his question was a long period of silence. He slowly leaned back and rested his arms on the armrest.
After a few minutes, Klein closed his eyes and had an idea. Or rather, he decided.
After he successfully revived, he planned on staying in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for some time to seek out some questions.
Just as Emperor Roselle had said, many of the answers were in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Blasphemer Amon had wandered here for more than a thousand years to explore the history that surpassed the First Epoch.
Furthermore, if he kept heading east in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, he might reach the legendary Western Continent… Klein cast his gaze outside the ancient palace as he looked into the distance.
To him, staying in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for some time was also a type of strategy. At the very least, this would attract the attention of Amon, making “Him” not need to mobilize “His” avatars in the outside world to search for Gehrman Sparrow in Loen or Backlund. That would bring great danger to the people that he knew.
Thankfully, the avatars of Amon who knew that I’m soft-hearted had been wiped out. The corresponding information was also not propagated because of the existence of concealment… If not for that, Amon might end up directly using the lives of Benson, Melissa, Leonard, and Miss Justice to threaten me… I don’t even dare to think of the outcome… Heh heh, the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck has finally shown its powers… Phew, even if I want to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods, I don’t have a solution now. I have to barge into the place where the Dark Angel is sleeping… Klein shook his head and felt that even if he could resurrect, he would be facing all kinds of dangers.
No matter how he thought about it, a Scholar of Yore wouldn’t last long if he were tracked by a King of Angels!
The key to the matter was that the Evernight Goddess was still digesting the Uniqueness of the Death pathway. “She” could only spare a limited amount of power for infiltrating the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Once the Angel of Time, who wielded the authority of “Error,” was prepared, it was nearly impossible to accomplish what had happened today.
On the one hand, I have to seek help from other possible existences. When I successfully revive, I will attempt to use my marionette to recite the honorific name of the Lord of Storms, Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Let’s see if “They” have any means to descend into the Forsaken Land of the Gods. “They” had fed on the ancient sun god back then, so ‘They’ definitely do not wish for Amon to obtain Sefirah Castle…
On the other hand, since the Scholar of Yore’s potion has been completely digested, I’ll have to consider becoming a Miracle Invoker. As long as I have an angel’s status and become a complete Mythical Creature, my situation will be much better. At the very least, I’ll be able to withstand a wave of Amon’s ravings when facing “His” true body… Klein decided to use the medium to spy on the terrifying maggot cluster on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range once his Spirit Body recovered. From there, he could obtain the knowledge corresponding to a Miracle Invoker.
It was highly likely that it was The Half-Fool of the Antigonus family!
After considering his future plans, he looked around and answered the crimson stars one at a time.
“The Tarot Gathering will proceed as usual today.”
He wanted to see if Ma’am Hermit, Mr. Hanged Man, and the others could provide him with inspiration and allow him to be revived far away from Amon.
Of course, it was necessary to use an ingenious excuse.
After responding, the world above the gray fog became extremely quiet again. Klein sat at the seat of The Fool, temporarily with nowhere to go.
After a moment of silence, he leaned forward slightly and used his right hand to support his head, looking straight ahead.
On the long, mottled table, a variety of delicacies and exquisite candles appeared. As for the high-back chairs around it, they became even closer in style to the current times.
One figure after another appeared. One of them was an elderly man with a loud voice and silver strands in his black hair. Another was a woman who was nearly fifty years old. She had an Asian face with short hair that only reached her ears. Some of them were young men who were playing with their phones and enjoying the sumptuous food, while others were young ladies who were laughing and joking…
Behind them, new figures appeared one after another. It was the gray-eyed Dunn with a receding hairline, and Daly with her blue eyeshadow and blush.
With a smile on their faces, they surrounded the long, warm table surrounded by candlelight above the grayish-white fog. They chatted happily and commented on the delicacies from time to time.
Klein maintained his expression and posture as he propped his hand on the side of his face and silently watched this scene in stillness for an extended period of time.
Chapter 1170 Ritual
Backlund, North Borough.
Leonard, who had just arranged a mission for his team, saw the boundless gray fog and heard Mr. Fool’s response.
He let out a long sigh of relief and said in a low voice, “Seems like there are no more problems.”
Since Mr. Fool was able to provide feedback, as per normal, and convene the Tarot Gathering, it meant that “He” had already won the battle against Amon.
This way, Klein was likely able to escape from his predicament.
In Leonard’s mind, Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice scoffed:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Don’t count your chickens until they’ve hatched. After you enter Sefirah Castle, observe if The Fool is wearing a monocle on ‘His’ right eye.”
“Are… Are you saying that the present Fool might be Amon in disguise?” Leonard’s eyelids twitched as he hurriedly asked.
Pallez sighed and said, “You can’t eliminate this possibility. Amon can really do such a thing.”
“…I will take note.” Leonard’s relaxed state of mind instantly tensed up again.
…
On the Future, in the Sonia Sea.
Mr. Fool actually responded after so much time… Does this mean that The World Gehrman Sparrow’s disappearance had something to do with “His” plan? I can’t be sure. Perhaps Mr. Fool’s lack of response during this period of time was to save Gehrman Sparrow. And now, “He” has succeeded… “He” didn’t directly mention this matter. “He” is planning to let The World tell the story at the Tarot Gathering? After hearing Mr. Fool’s voice, many thoughts instantly flashed across Cattleya’s mind.
From Queen Mystic’s letter, she suspected that George III’s death was due to Mr. Fool’s interference. The disappearance of The World Gehrman Sparrow was also an extension of this matter.
Cattleya’s first reaction was to write to Queen Mystic Bernadette and tell her that Gehrman Sparrow has been found. However, after some thought, she suppressed her urge, and she prepared to participate in the afternoon’s gathering. She wanted to know the details and figure out what she could and couldn’t say before sending Queen Mystic feedback.
Composite Start
Composite End
Regardless, it seems like the matter has been resolved. The Admiral of Stars exhaled and sat by the window in peace as she took in the blue sky.
…
In the periphery of a primitive forest on Sonia Island.
Alger Wilson stood on a thin tree branch, looking at the port and the blue skies not far away.
The strong winds around him swirled without dispersing as they affected the trees nearby.
As the illusory grayish-white fog appeared, Alger was first delighted before he felt a little terrified.
Mr. Fool only responded after quite some time… This means that “His” previous state was indeed a little abnormal.
However, “He” has already recovered…
“He” didn’t respond to my loan request regarding The Sun’s Unshadowed Crucifix. He discovered my test and discovered a hint of my hidden thoughts…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
I can’t do such things again in the future! Mr. Fool has only issued a simple warning this time. “He” might punish me directly next time.
Thou shalt not test God. Thou shalt not test God.
As his thoughts raced, Alger lowered his head and piously said, “Thank you for your kindness and forgiveness.”
…
Backlund, inside the Hall family’s luxurious villa.
Mr. Fool didn’t pass on my question to Mr. World… Is this because the Tarot Gathering will proceed as normal in the afternoon, and there will be time for us to communicate? Audrey realized certain problems from the delay in the response. Generally speaking, Mr. Fool’s reply is very timely. It was more than fifteen minutes this time… “He” was handling other matters—very important matters? Is it related to George III’s death?
Regardless, a fifteen-minute delay wasn’t too serious a problem. Audrey quickly retracted her thoughts and felt much better.
I’ll know the truth from Mr. World later.
I hope that this incident won’t have any more serious consequences, other than a full-scale war. At the moment, war is already unavoidable…
Composite Start
Composite End
…
North Borough in Backlund. Beneath Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Mr. Fool didn’t say that “He” would help me… Emlyn White held a cup of red liquid and frowned slightly.
He then interpreted the symbolic meaning of the response from another angle:
Mr. Fool specifically emphasized that the Tarot Gathering will proceed as normal in the afternoon. He wants to tell me that the opportunity to escape from the predicament lies with a member? Could it be The Star?
Uh, in short, I should be able to leave this week.
Emlyn had been taken into protective custody and kept behind Saint Samuel Church’s Chanis Gate, so no matter what happened in the outskirts of Backlund, it was unlikely for it to affect him. Furthermore, it was impossible for him to suddenly escape from prison and head to places like the Blood Emperor ruins. Therefore, when Klein hinted to the other members last week, he hadn’t been involved.
…
In the Berg household in the City of Silver.
Upon hearing Mr. Fool’s response, Derrick jumped up from bed, the excitement from his face was overflowing.
Composite Start
Composite End
Mr. Fool hasn’t disappeared! Mr. Fool hasn’t forsaken the City of Silver like the Creator did!
He paced back and forth a few times, feeling the urge to immediately rush out of the room and head to the twin towers where he could tell the Chief the good news.
However, having had more than a year to mature, those experiences had left a clear mark on him. Finally, he calmed down and decided to attend the Tarot Gathering and obtain the promise of receiving the blessings before he sought the Chief again.
Perhaps, the lack of response during this period of time was a test of me, the Chief, and the City of Silver, one set by Mr. Fool. “He” wanted to see if we would rapidly lean towards the Fallen Creator… It was unknown when Derrick’s thought processes had a hint of The Hanged Man’s colorful thoughts.
Of course, he didn’t have any other thoughts because of this. From what he knew, it was very normal for deities to test their believers. Back then, the Creator had left behind many similar legends.
Despite being done with his contemplation, Derrick still couldn’t sit still, and he continued pacing back and forth in his room.
He had never felt such anticipation towards the Tarot Gathering in the “afternoon.”
In the City of Silver, in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the “afternoon” was a relatively abstract concept. As there weren’t enough labels to confirm the time, they could only use the frequency of the lightning to define day and night, without going into any finer details.
…
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment.
“Ha.” After receiving Mr. Fool’s response, Fors couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
As a best-selling author, she had a rich imagination. Before Mr. Fool responded, she had already come up with one terrifying story after another:
Mr. Fool had exchanged “His” death for George III’s failure;
Mr. Fool’s ploy was discovered by the deities and was besieged;
Mr. Fool’s old injuries relapsed and “He” fell into a deep sleep. Without “His” blessings, The World Gehrman Sparrow was being pursued by “His” enemies…
These stories didn’t develop in the same way, but the end was very similar. Fors would once again succumb to the full moon’s ravings, eventually losing control and becoming a monster.
Phew… Fors exhaled and said to Xio with a beaming smile, “I just realized today that Mr. Fool is the most important man in my heart. Uh, a ‘Him.'”
“More importantly, you have to become a demigod as soon as possible and completely escape the curse of the full moon,” Xio replied seriously.
After joining the Tarot Club, she had learned of her friend’s true situation.
“Yeah!” Fors nodded and said with a smile, “In short, I need to drink a glass of wine to celebrate!”
…
Above the gray fog, inside Sefirah Castle.
After calming down, Klein used Cogitation to restore his Spirit Body state.
When I first learned Cogitation, I was required to imagine something that doesn’t exist in this world so as to replace what’s on my mind. That way, I can truly enter Cogitation. At that time, my first reaction was to outline an intercontinental missile from Earth, but I didn’t succeed… Heh heh, I didn’t think too much about it back then. Now, in hindsight, this might’ve already spelled certain problems… It’s not something that doesn’t exist in the world, but one that has been snuffed out in the fog of history… Klein rubbed his temples and naturally recalled a matter of the past.
He immediately focused his mind and planned on obtaining the Miracle Invoker potion formula before the Tarot Club.
At that moment, Amon was patiently guarding the spot where he had died. He could only stay in Sefirah Castle, so there was nothing else he could do.
After some consideration, he grasped towards the exterior of the ancient palace and pulled an item from the gray fog’s Historical Void.
It was a black notebook bound with a hard-paper cover. paper.
The Antigonus family’s notebook!
Sure enough… It’s not a manifestation of the Uniqueness. It’s just that there are some powers left behind by The Half-Fool of the Antigonus family… Klein sighed and threw the notebook onto the long bronze table in front of him.
This was because the content of the notebook might be problematic. He didn’t intend to decipher the formula of the Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker through it. He was only using it as a medium for divination.
Following that, Klein conjured a pen and paper and wrote a divination statement:
“The original owner of this notebook.”
Putting down the pen, he picked up the paper and notebook, leaned back in his chair, and repeated the words he had just written.
After repeating it seven times, he entered a hazy dream. He saw a mountain peak that reached into the clouds. At the top of the mountain, there was a dilapidated towering palace that was separated from reality.
In the palace, there were many places covered with moss and weeds. At the very end of the hall was a huge stone chair. Its surface was inlaid with dull gemstones and gold. In the middle, countless transparent maggots were huddled into a cluster as they slowly squirmed and grew, extending out like slippery tentacles covered in patterns.
Unlike before, this time, Klein saw the “monster” directly and clearly saw “His” actual appearance.
The palace above the gray fog suddenly began to shake violently, and Klein’s figure was hoisted up in midair.
In the next second, his Spirit Body collapsed into numerous squirming Worms of Spirit that crawled all over the ground.
Sefirah Castle immediately quaked, and everything returned to its original state. Klein’s Spirit Body took form once again.
He sat at The Fool’s seat and rubbed his temples before saying with a wry smile, “It really is The Half-Fool with the Uniqueness…”
After he muttered to himself, Klein did a slight recollection before picking up the pen and began to write down the knowledge he had obtained from prying into the secrets of the Mythical Creature.
“Sequence 2: Miracle Invoker
“Main ingredients: One heart of the Dark Demonic Wolf (God of Wishes) or the Beyonder characteristic of another Miracle Invoker.
“Supplementary ingredients: 300 ml of Dark Demonic Wolf’s blood, one Worm of Time, one Worm of Star.
“Advancement ritual: Return a piece of history that has been left behind to the present era.”
Chapter 1171 The Third One
Let a piece of history that has been left behind return to the present era… Return, not reappear… The meaning of the two are completely different. It’s not sufficient for me to write the true history of the Fourth or Third Epoch and disseminate it to complete the ritual… Klein’s right hand, which was holding the fountain pen, paused. He instinctively analyzed the contents of the Miracle Invoker potion.
After some thought, he found something that perfectly matched the ritual’s requirements.
That was to let the people of the City of Silver escape the Forsaken Land of the Gods and return to the Northern and Southern Continents, allowing this history that had been left behind for two to three thousand years return to the present era!
This isn’t any easier than escaping Amon’s pursuit. The only way to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods is to enter the Giant King’s Court and open the palace where Dark Angel Sasrir is in deep slumber. This is the ancient sun god’s negative personality. It’s ranked first among the Kings of Angels and is known as the Left Hand of God, the deputy of Heaven. “He” might even be stronger than the current Amon… Besides, “His” current state is being watched by the various deities… Yes, the more controllable aspect of this compared to my escape from Amon is that I can make sufficient preparations… Klein slowly exhaled and felt that there was a certain chance of completing the ritual.
In fact, he knew very well that, even without him, the City of Silver would make repeated attempts to open the door to the Giant King’s residence and find a way to leave this forsaken land. It was as if they were moths darting towards the flames, even at the cost of death.
No matter what, with my “participation,” the chances of success will definitely be higher than what it is now… Klein subconsciously wanted to open the door to the Dark Angel’s slumber ground to attract Amon, creating chaos to offset the damage caused by the Dark Angel’s awakening.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a tactic he was rather familiar with.
However, he eventually rejected this idea because it was too dangerous.
After spending some time with Amon and finally seeing the level of a King of Angels, Klein instinctively began to fear these terrifying existences. He no longer wanted to use the conflict between them to create chaos.
Just “Their” existence alone could cause irreparable damage to the surrounding Beyonders and the entire region!
Under such circumstances, trying to rely on “Them” to create a chaotic situation was no longer tottering on the edge of the abyss—if one wasn’t careful, they would fall into the abyss and into eternal damnation. Therefore, it was best not to try.
Unless he had no other solution, to the point of escaping being just his wishful thinking, Klein didn’t want to make such an attempt.
Indeed, a portion of a Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder powers comes from history, which is why there’s a ritual requirement like this… How did the other Scholars of Yore complete it? Looking at the parchment on the long bronze table, he thought of a possible solution from another angle. If it were me, the only solution I can think of is to isolate some people or history from reality. Only when they are forgotten will I allow them to return to the present era. This might take centuries, or even longer… What an evil act… Heh heh, it reminds me of The Peach Blossom Spring… Those people living in utopia away from the outside world share some characteristics…
After some thought, Klein believed that the difficulty of this ritual for Scholars of Yore was whether they could survive until the ritual was held. Furthermore, there were too many accidents that could interrupt self-isolation like that.
The Forsaken Land of the Gods has perfectly resolved these issues, but it also brings with it greater problems… Dark Angel Sasrir… What is the condition of this Heaven’s deputy right hand now? Is it related to the resurrection of the ancient sun god… The level involved in such a matter has already reached the ceiling of this world… Why am I always involved in such matters… Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh. He could roughly guess that this was due to the destiny Sefirah Castle brought him.
Composite Start
Composite End
After all, Blasphemer Amon was unwilling to shoulder such a destiny.
Retracting his wandering thoughts, he focused his attention back onto the Miracle Invoker potion formula.
The Worm of Star is from the Apprentice pathway? The supplementary ingredients contain three high-grade spiritual materials of the three neighboring pathways… I’ve already made the Worms of Time into Fate Siphon charms. There’s no way to restore them. Let Leonard’s grandpa ‘lend’ me another one? How can that be called ‘lending’? I’m going to use the upgraded version of a Yesterday Once More charm to exchange for it!
Where should I find the Worm of Star…? There aren’t many demigods from the Apprentice pathway that live in the real world… The Aurora Order’s Saint of Secrets, Botis? However, I’m stuck in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and can’t deal with him… All I can do is ask Ma’am Hermit and Queen Mystic for help. At the same time, I have to urge Miss Magician to become a Traveler as soon as possible… Yes, I can also get her to ask her teacher where Worms of Cosmos might be…
There’s actually only one main ingredient. It’s either the heart of the Dark Demonic Wolf or the Beyonder characteristic produced by other Miracle Invokers. It’s no longer two as one…
Yes, that also means that, at this level, there are very few scattered characteristics. They’ve all gathered…
The Dark Demonic Wolf is also known as the God of Wishes. That’s a standard angel, a subsidiary god. If I can’t find any materials that can be used, wouldn’t I be slaying a god?
The level of an angel can already be considered a hidden existence. There’s a fundamental difference from being a Sequence 3…
Just thinking about it makes me scared…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After making a list of helpers that he could rope in, he felt a lot more at ease. He had a feeling that he no longer feared his debts when they reached a significant amount.
He lifted his right hand that was holding the fountain pen, and he continued to record what he had previously learned.
Most of this was something he already knew, and he could only use it as a reminder.
Finally, he wrote down incomplete information in the corner of the parchment.
“Sequence 1: Attendant of Mysteries
“Main ingredients: One Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic.”
This piece of information meant that Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics were difficult to obtain through other means, with only three to choose from.
One of them is on The Half-Fool on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range. It’s with the Uniqueness. The other is with Zaratul. There’s still one more. According to what Leonard said, the True Creator has clues to its location. Where could it be… Yes, Little Sun and the rest had hunted Shapeshifters in the northern city ruins, Nois. There seems to be a high-level existence of the Seer pathway lurking there. I wonder if it corresponds to Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries… Klein gradually had a thought, and he planned on visiting Nois for a preliminary investigation after he resurrected and escaped Amon.
After digesting the knowledge he had gained, he summoned his golden pocket watch from the junk pile and opened it to check the time.
Composite Start
Composite End
Before he destroyed the Blood Emperor’s ruin, he had sacrificed many things that he didn’t need in battle, above the gray fog to prevent any damage.
Despite that, he still lost quite a bit after the battle and his eventual suicide. Furthermore, they were all extremely valuable. Just the thought of it made him almost lose control.
Groselle’s Travels, Death Knell, Creeping Hunger, Fate Siphon charm, Flaring Sun Charms, Marionette Qonas and his equipment, Marionette Enuni and his two rings, and the adventurer’s harmonica… No, I can’t think about it anymore. Thankfully, I had thrown Azik’s copper whistle above the gray fog ahead of time. Thankfully, I can still summon the Historical Void projections of these items. They’re just accompanying me in a different form… Uh, probably not for Groselle’s Travels… Klein’s temples throbbed as he couldn’t help but feel heavy.
He sighed and seriously mourned over the items, especially the mystical item that had accompanied him for a long time: Creeping Hunger.
After a long silence, Klein forced his attention back to the present. As he waited for the Tarot Gathering to begin, he casually thought about the ancient sun god and the other matters such as Chernobyl.
Suddenly, he frowned slightly.
Since this is my hometown, there have never been transmigrators. They’re all ancient humans that were released by Sefirah Castle. Then, do places like the Chaos Sea also have similar existences? Was Chernobyl converted into a sanctuary?
According to what Amon said, and what I saw in my divination, the ancient sun god had indeed woken up in Chernobyl. Then, is he a “transmigrator” released from Sefirah Castle, or a survivor of a sanctuary?
If it’s the latter, who’s the third person inside the cocoon…
Upon thinking of this, Klein was alarmed as his pupils dilated slightly.
Composite Start
Composite End
He already had a certain guess about the history of the elves. It likely had nothing to do with Sefirah Castle.
This way, he still couldn’t find the correct corresponding identity of the third, or more correctly, the first “transmigrator.”
This “transmigrator” didn’t seem to leave behind any traces in history!
Without any hesitation, Klein’s consciousness sank into the grayish-white fog. With the power of Sefirah Castle, he came directly to a certain part of history that was relatively distant.
It was made up of many fragments of light, and the clearest one was the suspended Zhou Mingrui above the door of light.
And beside Zhou Mingrui, the corresponding fog of history was instantly lit up due to his sufficient knowledge of Roselle. He saw a young man who also had his eyes tightly shut in the cocoon.
There was no need to verify it. Through that sense of familiarity and spiritual intuition, he confirmed that this was the former incarnation of Emperor Roselle Gustav, Huang Tao.
Without bothering to appreciate the Emperor’s true appearance, Klein turned his gaze to the other side.
There was a transparent cocoon there, and the figure inside could vaguely be seen.
As he had already seen the other hanged figures, he had lit up many fragments of light in the fog of history. They interweaved and stimulated each other, barely allowing him to see the fuzzy area.
The figure inside was obviously a woman.
Female… A thought came to his mind as he realized that he had missed a direction when he analyzed the “transmigrator.”
“Transmigrators” had an objective mindset. They could completely control themselves and not leave any traces that exceeded the times, but there was one thing that couldn’t be avoided.
It was very obvious that Sefirah Castle was related to the three pathways related to the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder. After the birth of a “transmigrator,” they had to quickly make a connection with one of these three pathways.
Not only was Klein involved in the case brought about by the Antigonus family’s notebook, but he also quickly had the opportunity to choose the Seer potion.
In Intis where Roselle was active, there was the Secret Order, and he got to know Zaratul early on.
According to this logic, the ancient sun god with the Marauder authority was indeed one of the reasonable suspects.
Klein immediately conjured a pen and paper and began listing the corresponding names he knew at the moment. For example, Fourth Epoch people from the Antigonus, Zaratul, and Abraham family, or the Kings of Angels surrounding the ancient sun god.
Before long, Klein’s gaze stopped on a few names.
The first person was none other than the ancient god, Flegrea, who clearly had the authority of Seer. Behind him was “His” subsidiary god.
The God of the Dead, Salinger, and the Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises.
The latter was also known as the Evernight Goddess.
Chapter 1172 “Unperturbed“
Klein stared at the parchment in front of him for a long time without moving.
After a while, he gently tapped the edge of the long mottled table, causing all the items that he conjured to disappear.
He summoned his golden pocket watch and opened it to take a look. He sent a message to Little Sun, informing him to prepare to participate in the Tarot Gathering.
About a thousand heartbeats later, dark red beams of light rose from the two sides of the long bronze table, condensing into different figures on different high-back chairs.
Without any gaps in time, all the members of the Tarot Club looked at the figure sitting at the very end who was shrouded in gray fog.
Seeing that Mr. Fool wasn’t wearing a monocle, Leonard inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he turned around and looked at the bottom of the long, mottled table to confirm the situation of The World Klein Moretti.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Similar to him, Cattleya, Audrey, and Fors instinctively turned their attention to The World Gehrman Sparrow after seeing Mr. Fool.
One of them knew that The World was in a dangerous situation and could only seek Mr. Fool’s blessings. Another had failed to receive any feedback for two days, and she suspected that Gehrman Sparrow had really been embroiled in the matter regarding George III, with something definitely having happened during that time. The final one knew that George III’s matter was extremely risky, and was a little worried that Mr. World would suffer serious injuries.
Seeing that The World Gehrman Sparrow was perfectly fine without any abnormalities, Audrey retracted her gaze, curtsied, and bowed towards the end of the long bronze table.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~”
With the world situation becoming even more chaotic, she felt a little comforted by the fact that the Tarot Club could still maintain its original state. This significantly improved her mood.
After the Tarot Club members bowed under Miss Justice’s lead, The Fool Klein nodded slightly, indicating for everyone to sit down.
Then, he slowly surveyed the area and smiled.
“It seems all of you were very concerned whether today’s Tarot Gathering would proceed as usual.”
Upon hearing this, Alger’s heartbeat sped up as he heard thumping sounds.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without a doubt, he believed that Mr. Fool was referring to him, and was giving him a gentle punishment.
In other words, “He” had given him a chance to repent.
Alger lowered his head and said with a trembling voice, “We weren’t pious enough and thought too much.”
Uh… Why is Mr. Hanged Man apologizing on my behalf… Fors, who had instructed Xio to ask Mr. Fool if the Tarot Gathering would proceed as scheduled, was stunned for a moment before she gave up on thinking. She then turned to the end of the long bronze table and lowered her head. She repeated, “We weren’t pious enough and thought too much.”
So I wasn’t the only one who prayed to Mr. Fool over the past few days… Mr. Hanged Man claims to have overthought things because there was a possibility that the Tarot Gathering would be canceled, causing him to have some unnecessary speculations? But Fors shouldn’t have thought of that… Audrey looked across the table and then to her sides, feeling enlightened.
The Fool nodded and looked around again.
“Such concern is considered normal.”
He laughed and sighed.
“I’ve recently used The World’s body to play a game with Amon in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Thankfully, we didn’t have to skip this Tarot Gathering.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Everything he said was the truth, but what the others would decipher from this information was definitely far from the actual situation.
And this way, even if the news of The World Gehrman Sparrow being equal to The Fool was released, the members of the Tarot Club would only sneer in their hearts that Amon was trying “His” deceitful tricks again. To have a period of time that The World was equal to The Fool didn’t necessarily mean that The World was always equal to The Fool. A portion of the truth was also a lie.
Played a game with Amon… Old Man’s guess was right. Mr. Fool was deliberately using Klein to bait Blasphemer Amon… From the looks of it, “He” had obtained a rather satisfactory outcome, allowing Amon to suffer a terrible loss… Leonard, who had long come up with speculations, felt that this was completely in line with his expectations and didn’t doubt Mr. Fool’s words at all.
Mr. Fool didn’t reply for fifteen minutes because “He” was in a critical moment battling Amon? “He” has already recovered to such a state? Audrey was pleasantly surprised and shocked when she heard that. For some reason, she felt a strong sense of honor.
Alger could also tell from Mr. Fool’s words that “He” had taken another step towards “His” recovery. He was actually able to hold the upper hand against a King of Angels.
This made him even more frustrated at himself for having doubts and testing The Fool.
Mr. Fool had hinted in advance that the Tarot Gathering might be canceled because “He” had long predicted that there would be a conflict between “Him” and Amon? In fact, it’s even possible that “He” had taken the initiative to create this episode by setting up a trap for Amon? Alger instantly made many connections and felt that there was no way he could hide his thoughts in front of such a high-level existence.
He warned himself once again: I can’t do such things again!
So Mr. World didn’t provide any feedback because his body was being used by Mr. Fool to resist Amon… That King of Angels, Amon, is truly powerful. Mr. Fool actually needed to personally take action… Fors and Xio exchanged looks, not having any more doubts about their previous questions.
Composite Start
Composite End
Cattleya roughly understood the reason why The World had disappeared. She also guessed that the messenger who had the contractual ties with The World likely wasn’t able to enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
At the same time, she was surprised by the appearance of a King of Angels appearing on-stage in the present times. She felt that this was one of the signs of the apocalypse.
Emlyn wasn’t aware of what happened recently. He merely looked at everyone with a somewhat blank look. For some baffling reason, he felt that he had been locked behind Chanis Gate for far more than a week or two. Perhaps it had been a month or two, to the point that he felt like he no longer had a grasp over the current situation.
Mr. World has come to the Forsaken Land of the Gods… Did Mr. Fool use his body to engage in a battle with that terrifying Amon? Derrick was first alarmed before he felt a strong sense of joy.
This meant that the City of Silver’s next exploration would receive tremendous help!
He immediately looked towards the end of the long bronze table, and he blurted out, “Honorable Mr. Fool, the Chief wishes to receive your blessings for a ritual. Are you agreeable to such a request?”
Having long learned of this from his prayers, Klein nodded slightly and said, “Sure.”
After receiving his promise, Derrick couldn’t help but smile. For a moment, he didn’t know how to express his gratitude.
Two seconds later, he lowered his head and said loudly, “My faith lies only with Mr. Fool!”
The Fool nodded and turned to look at Ma’am Hermit. He warmly said, “What questions do you have this time?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Uh, the Queen didn’t say anything in her letter… Cattleya was taken aback as she decided to first ask something she wanted to know. After all, she could still ask several questions.
She deliberated for two seconds before saying, “Honorable Mr. Fool, what’s the truth behind George III’s death?”
The moment The Hermit said that, Justice Audrey and company immediately focused their attention.
This was exactly what they wanted to know.
Amongst them, The Star Leonard had a certain level of understanding over the matter. He was more concerned about the deeper reason behind this incident.
And among the members of the Tarot Club, the only one who was more confused about the situation was Emlyn. His mind was filled with thoughts like, “what?” and “what happened?”
He hadn’t even read the newspapers recently, so he didn’t know that King George III had been assassinated.
As for The Sun, although he wasn’t sure why George III died for no reason, he didn’t care at all.
The Fool Klein smiled and said calmly, “George III wanted to become the Black Emperor. And for this reason, he dug up the Tudor ruins, engaged in human trafficking, and created the Great Smog of Backlund. He initiated a war, allowing the Feysac airships to bombard Backlund. Unfortunately, he failed at the final ritual, and the secret mausoleum he needed for the ritual was destroyed.”
He briefly described the entire incident in the calmest tone he could make, doing so without mentioning what he had done.
It would be beneath Mr. Fool to explain the situation on “His” own accord.
The Great Smog of Backlund… The airship raid… This was all done by George III to become a god? Audrey’s eyes widened as she instantly recalled the two things she had experienced before.
Suddenly, she understood why The World Gehrman Sparrow wanted to stop George III from becoming a god.
She knew that he was a gentle and kind gentleman, and he would definitely not allow the culprit behind these two tragic cases to go scot-free.
If it were me, I would also have thought of doing so, but I would hesitate and be stopped by the possibility of ill developments… As for Mr. World, he is firm and decisive… This is a matter that involves the deities. Yes, there should also be the will of Mr. Fool in this matter… Audrey glanced at The World Gehrman Sparrow, who was sitting silently at the other end of the long, mottled table. She nodded slightly to express her agreement.
Black Emperor… George III wished to become a god? This… Yes, Mr. Fool has the Black Emperor Card of Blasphemy. Gehrman Sparrow was previously investigating the matter of the Great Smog and human trafficking… Indeed, all of these are connected together. There was actually such a secret hidden behind it… From the looks of it, Mr. Fool’s goal has been achieved. “His” plan has succeeded… Therefore, “He” has taken one more step towards “His” recovery. “He” can now face off with a King of Angels head-on… The more Alger thought about it, the more fearful and spirited he became. He felt that, despite knowing of some clues ahead of time, he was completely unaware of Mr. Fool’s setup.
Amidst the shock experienced by Leonard, Fors, and the other members of the Tarot Club, Cattleya, who already had a premonition, suppressed her emotions and decided to ask another question:
“Honorable Mr. Fool, what’s the attitude of the seven deities regarding this matter?”
Chapter 1173 Advice
Good question… The Fool Klein inwardly praised her, and he explained by using the Red Angel evil spirit’s explanation in his own words:
“The seven deities wish to have a Black Emperor, but ‘They’ are not unanimous in their candidate for the Black Emperor.
“When George III successfully obtained the ticket to becoming one through secret preparations, the seven deities had no choice but to accept it, regardless of whether they approved of ‘Him’ or not.”
So that’s the situation… Apart from The Moon Emlyn and The Sun Derrick, the other members of the Tarot Club were enlightened. They roughly understood why the Churches acted in a rather contradictory manner when faced with the tragedies of the Great Smog of Backlund, the deaths caused by the Feysacian air raid, and George III’s assassination.
Following that, they suddenly had a question:
Since George III had already made preparations and had reached the final step of carrying out the ritual while obtaining the tacit approval of the seven deities, why would “He” fail?
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They immediately thought of an answer:
Because Mr. Fool didn’t agree to it.
Hmm… In the destruction of George III’s Black Emperor ritual, the Churches probably didn’t do anything to stop it. Perhaps, they even provided some help to Mr. Fool’s subordinates… Did the Church of the Lord of Storms make use of this chaos to secretly do something? No, they likely wouldn’t conceal it too much… Leonard recalled all the details he had previously discovered, and he was confident of his grasp over the overall situation.
The seven deities’ tacit approval… Mr. Fool vetoed it and sent The World and other Blessed to secretly destroy George III’s apotheosis ritual… But what has this got to do with the Queen? Why did she discover that Gehrman Sparrow has gone missing? Hmm, Black Emperor… The Queen might’ve participated in the operation led by Mr. Fool, and later, discovered that a participant had gone missing… Cattleya made a guess at the truth through her rich knowledge and insight.
And at this moment, Emlyn had just managed to make heads and tails of the discussions that had just been discussed, and he managed to understand the developments outside during his time in protective custody.
George III had secretly plotted to become a god and received the seven deities’ tacit approval. In the end, Mr. Fool’s Blessed destroyed “His” ritual, causing him to die on the spot!
Seeing that everyone was silent, The Fool Klein looked at The Hermit Cattleya and said, “Any other questions?”
“There’s nothing else this time.” Cattleya bowed her head even lower. She was more respectful than before towards the mighty figure at the end of the long bronze table.
Although she had long known that Mr. Fool had the Snake of Fate, Death Consul, and Ancient Bane under “Him,” and was in secret control of the Life School of Thought, she still never expected that the powers Mr. Fool could mobilize in the real world were able to destroy a king’s apotheosis ritual. Furthermore, “He” had foiled a plot of a King of Angels, the son of the Creator.
Composite Start
Composite End
Mr. Fool’s hidden forces are more exaggerated than I imagined… What effect do the members of the Tarot Club exert on “Him”? A backing faction? Individual growth? Or is it just a backup plan? Cattleya instantly thought of many things and momentarily forgot that she was already a Sequence 4 demigod. No matter which organization she was in, she was considered a member of the upper echelons.
Just the feats displayed by Mr. Fool is enough to make a saint lack confidence… Justice Audrey only took a glance at Ma’am Hermit before she interpreted her mental state.
At this moment, The Fool Klein nodded.
“You may begin.”
Upon hearing this, Leonard immediately turned to the other end of the long, mottled table and said to The World, “How’s your situation now?”
Fors, Xio, Audrey, and the other members of the Tarot Club also cast their gazes over, expressing their concern for The World Gehrman Sparrow’s situation.
From their point of view, Mr. World, who was stuck between Mr. Fool and Angel of Time Amon as a combat tool, was probably in a bad situation. His survival meant that he was already considered lucky enough.
Feeling the varied concern, Klein controlled The World and chuckled hoarsely.
“Not too bad, but not too good either.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“It’s all thanks to Mr. Fool’s grace that I finally obtained a secret from Amon, but I haven’t completely escaped from ‘His’ grasp”
Without waiting for everyone to respond, he continued, “I’m currently in a rather sticky situation.
“I relied on Mr. Fool’s powers to enter a certain concealed state and temporarily extricate myself from Amon’s grasp. However, if I were to dispel this state and return to the real world, I’ll only find myself back where my body is. And it’s very likely that Amon is still loitering nearby.
“I would like to make an attempt at finding a solution. I wonder what your opinions are regarding this matter?”
The meaning behind The World Gehrman Sparrow’s words was very clear. He wanted to rely on himself first, leaving Mr. Fool’s help as a last resort.
And his actual meaning was essentially the same: Find a way to bypass the restrictions first. And in the case that his solution didn’t really work, then he would consider living in the state of being undead.
Solution? Alger and company were suddenly a little excited because the suggestions they provided would be used to fight against a King of Angels.
If they were employed and were of use, then this would be a proud moment in their life, one that would remain for the rest of their lives!
Audrey was just about to speak in excitement when she retracted her words. This was because she knew that she couldn’t give random suggestions; otherwise, it could lead to Mr. World getting caught by Amon.
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio thought about it seriously and realized that she couldn’t come up with any useful suggestions. She could only choose to observe and learn.
“Must it be where your body originally was? Do you have any blood or hair that was kept elsewhere?” Alger thought for a moment and gave a suggestion using a question.
The Fool Klein thought for a moment and made The World shake his head.
“No.”
Compared to his original body, a single tube of blood was too little.
Thinking of this, Klein suddenly had an idea:
Perhaps he could use those two tubes of blood as ingredients, combining them with other methods, using Alchemical Life to create a new body!
There are two problems. Firstly, Alchemical Life requires the Spirit Body’s involvement; otherwise, the final product might not be considered my body. Secondly, I don’t know any demigods who can complete Alchemical Life. The only one barely related to them is Frank Lee… Will I end up becoming a mushroom man? Then, I’d be better off as an undead… As Klein thought about it, he nearly shivered.
After The Hanged Man’s suggestion was rejected, The Hermit Cattleya set off from her knowledge of mysticism. She deliberated and asked, “Do you have a Sequence 3 Sealed Artifact?”
“Why do you ask?” The World asked.
Composite Start
Composite End
“A Sequence 3 Sealed Artifact can respond to prayers within a certain range. You can make use of that,” Cattleya explained simply.
Klein roughly understood what Ma’am Hermit was thinking.
“You’re talking about ‘descent?'”
“That’s right. Get someone to set up a descent ritual at the periphery, and you should be able to respond to it in your own concealed state.” Cattleya first glanced at The Sun and described the specific plan. Then, she realized something as she asked, “Do you really have a Sequence 3 Sealed Artifact?”
She originally wanted The World to seek Mr. Fool’s bestowment.
“I’m already a Sequence 3 Beyonder,” Klein replied simply as he controlled The World.
“…” The members of the Tarot Club were momentarily speechless.
They knew very well that Mr. World must’ve advanced to Sequence 4 at the end of June to become a demigod.
And now, it was December of the same year!
The Queen once said that using the blood of the Snake of Fate to advance would make it easier for me to become a Sequence 3 Clairvoyant than others… Besides, the Tarot Club has given me plenty of precious mysticism knowledge. It has greatly helped me digest the potion… But even so, I still need another half a year before I have a chance of attempting to reach Sequence 3… The Hermit Cattleya subconsciously looked around and discovered that the other members wore stupefied and envious looks.
She sighed silently and said, “Is my suggestion useful, Mr. World?”
The World Gehrman Sparrow shook his head.
“There is a huge restriction when responding in that state.”
Once he chose to descend, it would mean that he would begin the rest of his life—no, afterlife—as an undead.
Perhaps, I can combine the two methods… Yes, I can use the method of praying to The Fool, Sea God, or Protector of magic and drama performers to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods, but that’s not urgent. It’s too easy to reveal the truth… The Fool Klein made The World look at The Star Leonard while in thought.
Leonard instantly understood what he meant. He tersely acknowledged.
“I’ll go back and do some research to see if there are any other ideas.”
Clearly, his true intention was to ask Old Man when he was back. “He” was an angel who knew Amon rather well. Perhaps, he could come up with suggestions that no one else could think of.
This was the answer that Klein wanted. He immediately made The World say, “Okay.”
After the discussion of how to escape his predicament came to an end, The World Gehrman Sparrow looked at Fors.
“Help me ask the Abraham family if they still have any Worms of Cosmos that have yet to lose their spirituality. If there are, what will be the price for the exchange.”
A Worm of Star was a high-level spiritual material. Most of the time, it didn’t contain any Beyonder characteristics. Therefore, their spirituality would suffer an irreversible loss. Without any special methods, it would be difficult to preserve it for too long.
Worms of Cosmos… Fors was taken aback before she nodded.
“Alright.”
After receiving an answer, Klein made The World cast his gaze at The Hermit Cattleya.
“If Miss Magician isn’t able to exchange for a Worm of Star from the Abraham family, I would like to entrust you with a mission.”
“What mission?” Cattleya asked with interest.
The World said with a smile, “Hunt the Aurora Order’s Saint of Secrets, Botis.”
Chapter 1174 Joint Operation
The Aurora Order’s Saint of Secrets, Botis… Mr. World wants to hunt him? Fors’s first reaction was that she had heard wrongly. After all, Gehrman Sparrow had no connection to the Saint of Secrets.
However, she quickly had a rough idea from the Worm of Star that had just been mentioned.
This made her suddenly excited and thrilled. This was because she also wanted to hunt the Saint of Secrets, Botis, to avenge her teacher’s family. However, due to her lacking strength and the inability to pay for it, she had kept this thought to herself.
Although it sounds like Mr. World doesn’t plan on personally taking action, Ma’am Hermit is also a Sequence 4 demigod, and she has the support of that Queen Mystic behind her… I can provide the utmost support within my abilities! As her thoughts raced, Fors cast her gaze at The Hermit beside her, waiting for her reply.
After some thought, Cattleya said, “Botis is very likely a saint of the Apprentice pathway. It’s very difficult to hunt him. Besides, he has the Rose Redemption backing him and the True Creator’s protection. With my current level, it’s almost impossible for me to complete this mission solely on my own.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You can seek the help of Queen Mystic. I will also arrange for other partners for you.” Klein made The World Gehrman Sparrow reply in a low and hoarse voice, “The reward is the right to choose the spoils of war first, and mysticism knowledge that will allow you to digest the potion within this year.”
It’s December… Cattleya’s heart palpitated when she heard that. She deliberated and said, “When the time comes, I will try, but I cannot guarantee success.”
No matter how difficult the mission of hunting the Saint of Secrets was, it couldn’t be as dangerous as accepting the knowledge injection process from the Hidden Sage. And as for the mysticism knowledge provided by the latter, they didn’t necessarily aid in digestion. There was a high probability that it included mathematics, machinery, and literature.
“No problem. As long as you do it seriously, I’ll still compensate you with the mysticism knowledge even if you fail in the end.” The World nodded and confirmed the deal.
At this moment, Fors finally couldn’t help but speak out:
“Mr. World, Ma’am Hermit, can I join this mission? I might be able to provide some help.”
Even if you didn’t, I would’ve gotten you to… The Fool Klein secretly laughed and made The World nod gently.
“There’s a spot reserved for you in this mission.”
Fors wasn’t surprised at all. She asked curiously, “What can I do? What do you need me to do?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Gehrman Sparrow replied in an extremely calm tone, “Bait.”
“…” Fors opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. She had a feeling that she knew that this would happen.
The World Gehrman Sparrow continued, “Similarly, you also have the right to choose the spoils of war. You’ll be just after Ma’am Hermit.
“Also, during this period of time, I can help you record Beyonder powers like ‘Traveling.'”
Fors had never expected a reward, as it was her greatest reward to be able to exact revenge successfully. In the future, she might even receive additional rewards from her teacher. Without any hesitation, she nodded and said, “Okay.”
The World immediately cast his gaze towards Miss Justice.
“How’s the digestion of your Dreamwalker potion?”
Thanks to the expedition into Groselle’s Travels and the persistence she had put into her acting, the speed at which she digested the potion was very fast. Her eyes darted around as she thought for a moment.
“I’ve already concluded the acting principles. In another two to three months, I should be able to completely digest it.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s a little slow… Klein mumbled inwardly as he made The World say, “Create more opportunities to act.
“If you can digest the potion before Ma’am Hermit attacks the Saint of Secrets, I can give you Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic ahead of time as payment so that you can join in on the operation.”
Klein believed that he would have to stay in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for a very long time. Most of the matters in the outside world could only be interfered with through the members of the Tarot Club. It was also beneficial for him to increase their strength as soon as possible.
Furthermore, he wasn’t directly giving it to her. The difficulty of hunting the Saint of Secrets Botis was just as Cattleya had said. It was rather difficult.
“Alright!” Audrey was just fretting over how she could accumulate more credit with Mr. World. Therefore, she naturally agreed without any hesitation when she heard his offer.
In her heart, the members of the Aurora Order were lunatics and destructive maniacs. There was no need to find a reason to deal with them!
In addition, Audrey had previously been troubled by her lack of experience as a Beyonder. This gave her a chance. Although it was rather dangerous, it was still an opportunity.
Gehrman Sparrow sure is generous… To provide the knowledge that can help a Mysticologist digest the potion and a Sequence 4 demigod characteristic… This shouldn’t only be for the Worm of Star. It sounds like a supplementary material… He’s helping the members of the Tarot Club improve as quickly as possible according to Mr. Fool’s will, so as to be effective in the future? Alger listened to The World’s conversation with the other members and vaguely grasped a certain truth.
This made him rather vexed. He suspected that if he hadn’t lacked faith and had other thoughts, to the point of foolishly testing Mr. Fool, he might’ve already been “assigned” a mission that could aid him in pushing open the door of godhood.
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Justice, who had agreed to the request, glanced at The Magician and said with a faint smile, “I’m looking forward to the Abraham family not having any Worm of Star.”
“Me too.” Fors nodded seriously, indicating that she had the same thoughts.
Seeing that The World was done speaking, Cattleya thought for a moment and said to Judgment, “Do you want to join this mission? Do some intelligence gathering on the periphery. Your ability in this area left a deep impression on me.”
Even without Ma’am Hermit’s invitation, Xio wouldn’t refuse in helping her friend. She nodded gently and said, “I don’t have a problem if the operation is in Backlund. If it’s somewhere else, my role would be greatly discounted.”
A Sheriff and their own area of jurisdiction were always connected. The more familiar they were with the place, the better they could showcase their abilities. Once they exceeded that range, they could only rely on their Beyonder powers.
“Your reward is being third to choose the spoils of war.” Cattleya looked at The Star once again. “If there’s a need, I hope you can allow the official factions to appear at the right moment.”
Leonard chuckled.
“I hope you don’t have to go that far.
“My reward shall also be a spoil of war.”
…If my dear poet friend here wasn’t invited in the end, then the mission of hunting the Saint of Secrets would’ve nearly become a sorority for the female members of the Tarot Club… The Fool Klein muttered inwardly as he made The World Gehrman Sparrow finalize the matter. All that was left was to wait for the Abraham family’s feedback.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following that, Alger and Derrick reached a rental arrangement for the Unshadowed Crucifix.
Just as they entered the free exchange segment, Emlyn couldn’t help but look towards the end of the long bronze table.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, can you give me a hint? How should I escape protective custody?”
The Fool, who was shrouded in the gray fog, nodded slightly and said simply, “This week.”
His answer was said with great confidence, but it wasn’t a prophecy, but a judgment of the situation.
The current situation had Feysac and Intis attacking Loen, while Feynapotter was attacking Loen”s allies—Lenburg, Masin, Masin, etc. The three Churches definitely didn’t wish to suffer any damage the Sanguine could bring while already having existing enemies. Therefore, Emlyn would be released very soon, but it was hard to say for Father Utravsky.
Similarly, the Sanguine’s focus would definitely be shifted to the global situation. It was unlikely for them to have the motivation to continue probing Emlyn and his other “partners.”
In addition, in the past two days, the one whose reason for praying was the most forced—apart from Xio—was Emlyn White. Klein suspected that he had been locked in the basement of Saint Samuel Cathedral all this time because it was convenient for the Goddess to exert “Her” influence on him. Now that the matter had ended, he was no longer of any use.
Combined with the three factors, it wasn’t difficult to conclude that Emlyn would be free in no time.
The only exception was that if this fellow had really been forgotten. Be it the Church of Evernight or the Sanguine, they had forgotten that there was such a fellow locked behind Chanis Gate. If that was the case, Klein would get The Star Leonard to provide him with some assistance.
Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief and sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
At the end of the free exchange, The World Gehrman Sparrow suddenly looked at The Hanged Man.
“You said that you’ve already arrived on Sonia Island and are inside the primitive forest?”
“Yes,” Alger replied in puzzlement.
Gehrman Sparrow pondered for a moment.
“You can try to seek out an elven ruin. Perhaps you might chance upon some sort of opportunity.”
Alger suddenly thought of the Book of Calamity and the scenes he had seen in his dream. He nodded thoughtfully and said, “Alright.”
After another round of exchanges, the Tarot Gathering came to an end. Audrey and company stood up and bowed before leaving the world above the gray fog.
…
After returning to his body, Leonard immediately lowered his voice and described Klein’s predicament. Finally, he said, “Old man, do you have any good suggestions?”
“My suggestion? I think it’s better to ask The Fool for help,” Pallez Zoroast replied without any hesitation.
“…” Leonard coughed lightly and said, “Aren’t you going to use this opportunity to make things difficult for Amon?”
Chapter 1175 Ideas Are Very Importan
“Making things difficult for Amon?” Pallez Zoroast chuckled. “What benefits can there be? Otherwise, forget it.”
Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words. After a few seconds, he said, “At least it can make you feel good.”
Pallez chuckled.
“I will feel better if you don’t bring this topic up.”
Without waiting for Leonard to respond, this Sequence 1 angel from the Marauder pathway sighed with “His” slightly-aged voice.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Doesn’t your former colleague have a Deceit Charm? Perhaps he can use this to come up with a solution.”
After getting rid of the Amon avatars in Backlund, Pallez had given the godhood symbols and magic labels needed to make four charms—Deceit, Parasite, Deprivation, and Aging—to Leonard. Leonard had passed on this knowledge to Klein, and the latter had used the knowledge and the Worms of Time to create one Deceit, Parasite, and Deprivation bullet each. Later on, he had used them to deal with Qonas Kilgor, but Leonard wasn’t aware of this.
Leonard whispered thoughtfully, “Old Man, are you saying that by using the Deceit charm, you can mislead Amon and cause him to misidentify the location, preventing him from influencing Klein’s escape?”
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast snapped back, “Do you think it’s possible to use a Deceit charm in front of a Marauder pathway’s King of Angels?”
It’s impossible… Leonard laughed dryly and pressed in a thick-skinned manner, “What do you mean then?”
Pallez Zoroast’s voice suddenly sounded more spirited:
“Deceive the rule that one can only return to where one’s body is!”
“Deceive the rule? That works too?” Leonard asked in shock.
Pallez gave a self-deprecating laugh and sighed.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Compared to deceiving Amon, deceiving a rule is much easier. After all, underneath this world is madness and chaos.”
This sentence made Leonard speechless for a moment. On the one hand, he wasn’t experienced enough. He didn’t know that orders and laws could be deceived, and on the other hand, he never expected that, in Old Man’s heart, Amon was even more terrifying than the laws of nature and the order of the world.
After nearly ten seconds, he spoke again, “With this method, how high is the possibility of success?”
“It’s very, very low,” Pallez said with a sneer. “However, the probability of deceiving the order of the world like this with a Deceit charm made from a Worm of Time from Amon’s avatar is very, very low. Therefore, my suggestion is still to get him to make a request to The Fool for help. Don’t waste any more time. When fighting Amon, the longer the delay, the more dangerous it will be.”
Leonard pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“I understand. I’ll also advise him to do so.”
Of course, he wouldn’t forget mentioning the highly improbable method that Old Man had suggested.
“It’s good that you understand. Seriously, disturbing an old man’s reading…” As Pallez mumbled, “His” voice gradually lowered and disappeared from Leonard’s mind.
In 7 Pinster Street, the newspaper that was placed on the coffee table suddenly flew up and automatically spread open over the sofa.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Using a Deceit Charm to deceive the requirement that I can only resurrect where my original body is? Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace, Klein reconstructed Pallez Zoroast’s “suggestion” in his own words.
As soon as he finished speaking, he recalled the animal hide lantern that kept burning: Amon had deceived the laws of nature, allowing the candle to remain in a magical state and continue burning for a week without needing any fuel.
His eyes lit up as he whispered, “This line of thought is something only an angel from the Marauder pathway can think of immediately…
“It might not be impossible!”
Like Pallez, he did feel that, compared to dealing with Amon, it was much easier to deal with the laws of nature.
After seeing hope, he immediately analyzed the possible outcome:
Although I’ve already used the Deceit Bullet, I can summon it from the Historical Void. After all, before the effects end, I’ll definitely reform my body and successfully resurrect…
The laws of nature are truly pitiful. Not only will they be deceived, even the item used to deceive it is fake…
Composite Start
Composite End
The only problem is that the bullet might not be able to deceive the mysticism law. It was already a little difficult to deal with Qonas Kilgor back then…
Amidst his thoughts, he slowly surveyed the area and gradually gained inspiration.
That was to use Sefirah Castle!
After gaining initial control of Sefirah Castle, he could already mobilize the power of a Sequence 2 angel here.
And many of the things he had come into contact with previously had explained that the authority of Sefirah Castle had a high probability of spanning over the three pathways of Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder. It could generate a convergence effect on the corresponding Beyonders, and it had clearly attracted the attention of Amon.
That was to say, Klein suspected that Sefirah Castle had the power of these three pathways at the same time. However, as a Seer, most of the power he could stir was concentrated in this domain.
With the help of the medium known as the Deceit Bullet, I might be able to stir the other powers of Sefirah Castle… Since I’m already capable of using some miracles in the Seer domain, having power from the Marauder pathway at the angel level is a highly reasonable deduction. The only problem is that there must be a medium of a sufficient level… This way, I don’t have to worry about not being able to deceive that rule… As his thoughts brightened up, he seriously began to formulate a plan.
He used the mysticism laws as his target and attempted to formulate a “scam.”
In order to reduce the difficulty, it’s best to have additional preparations. I can’t deceive something out of nothing, at least unless I’m Amon’s true body…
Yes. I’ll bestow a tube of my blood to Little Sun. I’ll create a fake respawn point that exceeds the range.
Composite Start
Composite End
And then, using the Deceit Bullet as a trigger, stir the corresponding angel-level powers contained within Sefirah Castle, “misdirecting” that rule and making it view the fake respawn point as the real one, while the real one becomes the fake one…
He outlined the details bit by bit, and when his thoughts finally took form, Klein immediately used the mysticism connection between himself and the spot he died, to observe the actual situation with his “true vision.”
He saw that the grayish-yellow fog had thinned a lot, and the deep ravine that hid Chernobyl was no different from before.
It was unknown where Amon, who was wearing a pointed hat and a monocle, had stolen a rock from and had placed it on the spot where Klein had passed away. “He” sat on it and patiently played with a human-skinned glove.
“He” occasionally bent the human-skinned glove’s finger and stretched it at other times, as if “He” could pass a hundred years doing that.
About a kilometer away, in a certain spot in the grayish-yellow fog, three Amons in black classical mage robes crouched around a rock as “They” seriously played poker cards that “They” had stolen from somewhere. From time to time, “They” would nudge their monocle.
Elsewhere in this extensive moor, Amon would be either alone or in groups, strolling leisurely, writing in thought, or discussing all sorts of questions with one another.
In the dark and dangerous Forsaken Land of the Gods, it was such a harmonious scene. It would’ve been better if the young men weren’t all the same—wearing classic black robes, pointed hats and monocles, with similar black hair, black eyes, broad foreheads, and thin faces.
Just as Klein was about to make a further observation, the Amon sitting on the rock suddenly raised “His” head. “He” nudged his crystal-carved monocle and looked at him.
Across the moor, all of the Amons looked up at the highest point of the fog of history.
Klein immediately retracted his gaze and cut off the connection.
…
In the City of Silver, Derrick Berg arrived at the top of the spire and met Chief Colin Iliad.
“Your Excellency, I’ve already received the promise of blessings,” Derrick said frankly and directly.
With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad was visibly relieved. He slowly nodded and said, “That’s good. That’s good.”
He had repeated the sentence in a rare instance.
As an excellent Demon Hunter and the City of Silver’s Chief, he had always been patient, never taking unnecessary risks. Therefore, with the sudden lack of a response from The Fool, he didn’t immediately turn to the True Creator, and he decided to wait patiently for another month.
For the City of Silver, which had been waiting in the Dark Ages for more than two thousand years, a month was something that could be accepted.
Without waiting for Derrick to reply, Demon Hunter Colin left the window and calmly said, “Head back first. I’m going to start preparing for the advancement ritual.”
Derrick glanced at the Chief and said sincerely, “You’ll definitely succeed!”
He didn’t stay any longer. He immediately left the spire and returned home.
After setting up the ritual again and placing the six powerful corpses that he had hunted to the correct position, Colin Iliad began to concoct the potion.
After all of this was done, the City of Silver Chief closed his eyes and lowered his head, chanting in Jotun, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
Above the gray fog, Klein saw ripples of light emanate as he heard a slightly illusory prayer.
He immediately summoned a paper figurine and combined the power of Sefirah Castle with it. He threw it into the prayer circle and conveniently marked the City of Silver’s Chief.
At the same time, with the help of this prayer circle, he observed the situation of the entire spire and the City of Silver. He confirmed that there was no sign of Amon’s parasitic existence near the Chief or Little Sun.
I have to seize this opportunity! Klein immediately conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made him pose as he prayed.
At this moment, Colin Iliad saw the light.
In the holy light, a holy angel with twelve pairs of illusory wings suddenly descended. As clean, white feathers fluttered down, the Demon Hunter was embraced by these wings of light.
This was a blessing from Mr. Fool.
Chapter 1176 Plo
In the face of the angel’s embrace, Colin Iliad wasn’t astonished. He accepted everything with a calm expression, as though he was already prepared.
The ritual began. He took a step forward, picked up the Silver Knight potion, and poured it into his mouth.
Without a sound, this Demon Hunter’s body swelled up, turning into a grayish-blue giant with bluish-black veins covering him. He stood several meters tall, with black cracks on his forehead.
Every inch of this giant contained the indescribable power of mystery and terror. Apart from his head which still retained the appearance of a human, the rest of his body was akin to a Mythical Creature that exerted a strange mental influence.
In the next second, the skull underlying Colin Iliad’s head seemed to soften as it sank inwards. With the black crack as its core, his head slowly squirmed, as though it was forming a nebulous vortex.
Such pain made the City of Silver’s Chief, who had killed many powerful creatures, unable to restrain himself. He let out a series of howling cries that could make the minds of ordinary creatures split apart.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If it wasn’t for the fact that Colin Iliad had already evacuated the members of the spire in advance, leaving behind only the demigod-level Waite Chirmont to watch over him and prevent any accidents from happening, many Beyonders would’ve definitely lost control.
The remains of the six powerful living creatures that were situated in different spots floated up under the invisible power of the ritual, circling the mutated Colin Iliad, using some sort of mysterious connection to awaken some of the memories of this peerless Demon Hunter.
It was the experience of hunting “demons.” It was him painfully ending the former Chief’s attack with his own hands. It was his life of defeating powerful monsters again and again.
These manifestations appeared like painting on an altar. Sometimes, they would be integrated into Colin Iliad, and sometimes they would be extracted from him, helping him define himself. He maintained a certain level of clarity during the extreme pain and changes.
Only at this moment did Colin Iliad finally understand the essence of the ritual.
As a Sequence 4 Demon Hunter, the hunting of every powerful creature was a battle of intense mental catharsis. It left a deep impression in his life.
With these powerful mental imprints, he was able to locate himself after consuming the potion, and not be lost in pain and madness.
This made Colin Iliad recall a term recorded in some of the books in the City of Silver: “Anchor”!
At Sequence 3, he was considered a deity in a certain sense. He could respond to prayers within a certain range, so an anchor was required.
Composite Start
Composite End
As this wasn’t the level of an angel, an anchor didn’t necessarily need to be a believer. It could be replaced by other things, such as the clear marks in one’s life that had meaning in mysticism.
In the memories that had been awakened, Colin Iliad slowly regained his self-awareness. He felt his body again and grasped its changes.
Right on the heels of that, a layer of wings formed from illusory light extended out from behind him. They fused with the surrounding “paintings” as they constantly shrank inwards. The surface of Colin Iliad’s body collapsed into a silver armor that was firm and beautiful, but it didn’t possess any weight to it.
After the Demon Hunter advanced to a Silver Knight, due to the difference in the deity’s blessing, there would be minute differences between Silver Knights. Previously, the leader of the King Court’s Chasers, Light Culler Murskogan, had received blessings from the Giant King. Therefore, the various aspects of the Silver Knight domain were much stronger.
On the other hand, Colin Iliad could occasionally make his body condense a Silver Rapier that could teleport. While in combat, it would appear at random during an attack, with beneficial tendencies, bringing about unpredictable changes.
In addition, he could also obtain a certain uniqueness when using Mercury Liquefaction.
As the silver armor finally took form, Colin Iliad had completed his advancement. Apart from not having a single vertical eye on his head, he was equivalent to a Mythical Creature.
At this moment, he raised his right hand and waved it to the side.
At a small hill outside the City of Silver, a silver beam erupted out of thin air. It tore apart everything around it, splitting the small hill into two halves.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
During Colin Iliad’s advancement to Silver Knight, Derrick Berg completed the bestowment ritual and obtained a small metal tube.
Seizing the opportunity of the City of Silver’s Chief creating abnormalities and drawing away most of the attention, Klein suddenly reached out while in the ancient palace above the gray fog. He had summoned a bullet and Death Knell from the Historical Void.
Right on the heels of that, he did a divination in advance, confirming that there weren’t any signs of Amon’s parasites around Little Sun. Without any hesitation, he opened the revolver’s cylinder and stuffed the Deceit bullet into it.
Pa!
With a shake of his right hand, he closed the cylinder and used the mysticism connection to aim at the spot where he had died.
Bang!
He calmly pulled the trigger and fired the only bullet.
At the same time, taking advantage of this Beyonder effect, he willed Sefirah Castle’s powers into mobilizing.
Composite Start
Composite End
The gray fog boiled once again, including the space around them. A majestic but slightly dark energy surged out like a tidal wave, wrapping around the bullet, passing through the gap and shooting towards the real world.
The light in Sefirah Castle suddenly dimmed. Suppressing his fear and horror, Klein used Death Knell’s historical projection to simulate the feeling of a sudden descent. He “leaped” towards the crimson star representing The Sun and leaped towards the tiny tube of his blood.
On the barren moors of Chernobyl, all of the Amons wearing pointed hats raised “Their” heads and looked at the lightning that streaked across the sky. “They” looked at a deep and quiet swath that even the lightning couldn’t illuminate.
The Amons nudged “Their” monocles, and after a moment of silence, “They” laughed.
“He doesn’t seem like someone who can come up with such a solution…
“Pallez?
“‘He’ joined this organization codenamed the Tarot Club?”
…
In the Berg household in the City of Silver.
The darkness in front of Derrick suddenly turned dark, as if the candles in the room had been burned to ashes.
Composite Start
Composite End
To the residents of the City of Silver, this wasn’t a good thing. Derrick’s eyes immediately lit up with the light of the sun.
At that moment, bits of light burst out from the deep darkness like transparent squirming worms.
The metal tube that Derrick had received shattered automatically as fresh red blood floated out from it and suspended itself in midair. It didn’t spread apart but instead merged with the fragments of light.
In just two or three seconds, these “light fragments” condensed into one, forming a huge ball of light.
The spherical light ball stretched out and changed, quickly forming a figure.
The figure had a deep outline and a cold expression. He wore a silk half top hat and a black coat while holding a black iron-black revolver. It was none other than Gehrman Sparrow.
Having successfully deceived the laws of mysticism, Klein used the help of his old blood to complete his resurrection!
Without needing any introduction, Derrick had already recognized the visitor through his special temperament. After being stunned for a moment, he instinctively revealed an uncontrollable smile.
“Mr. World?”
Klein raised his head slightly and looked at Little Sun, who seemed to have grown taller. He subconsciously reached out and pressed down on his top hat.
He then nodded gently and said, “I will be in the Forsaken Land of the Gods during this period of time.
“However, I have to leave now. I can’t lure Amon into the City of Silver.
“If there’s a chance in the future, I will cooperate with you.”
Having understood what Mr. World meant, Derrick nodded heavily and said, “Alright!”
Just as Klein raised his right hand and was about to snap his fingers to leave with Flaming Jump, Derrick looked at him and suddenly pointed to the storage cabinet in the room.
“Mr. World, do you need to bring some food with you? There are mushrooms that can produce milk!”
“…” Klein controlled himself, not letting the corners of his mouth twitch. He maintained his cold attitude and said, “I don’t drink milk.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he snapped his fingers, causing a scarlet flame to fly out of his pocket, wrapping around him like water.
The fire quickly dissipated like falling stars, and Klein’s figure disappeared from Derrick Berg’s room.
Outside the City of Silver, in a deformed forest, flames flashed continuously, extending all the way to the moors leading to the north.
After he truly left the City of Silver did Klein slow down his “footsteps” and summon a lantern from the Historical Void.
He had long expected that the revival process would go so smoothly. After all, once he found the correct solution, there was no way that Amon could stop him.
In the City of Silver, Amon only had a few avatars at the Sequence 4 or 3 level, so Klein could use his “true vision” to locate them and eliminate them ahead of time.
And if they could form an avatar at the Sequence 2 level, Klein, who had gained initial control of Sefirah Castle, could stir powers at the power of an angel, allowing him to easily fight such an avatar while being above the gray fog, and would stay undefeatable since he couldn’t be attacked. He had the confidence to defeat his opponent.
If Amon moved “His” true body to the City of Silver, then Klein could choose to revive at his original spot.
Of course, Amon could create an avatar that was almost at Sequence 1 and send “Him” to the City of Silver. However, under the premise of the conservation of Beyonder characteristics, how many avatars could “He” create?
Not more than two!
As for Klein, he could split his remaining blood into multiple portions. He could use the bestowment ritual to send them to Mr. Hanged Man, to Ma’am Hermit, and to The Star Leonard. There were too many spots where he could revive, so there was no way that Amon could guard all of them.
This was an “above board” plan based on his own level, Beyonder powers, and the special ability of Sefirah Castle. Before he attempted to revive himself, Klein was already quite certain of the outcome. The only thing he was worried about was that “Deceit” would be detected by Amon ahead of time, allowing “Him” to interfere in a timely manner, causing his respawn location to change.
Fortunately, his divination had confirmed that the level of danger wasn’t high. This was one of the reasons why he dared to try.
Phew, I’ve really escaped from Amon… As he advanced amidst the dim yellow light, Klein felt the presence of his body, and he heaved a sigh of relief.
Of course, he knew very well that he was going to encounter the relentless pursuit of Amon’s main body and various avatars!
Chapter 1177 Substitute
On the desolate moors filled with deep ravines, Amon stood in different spots. “They” opened “Their” mouths and chanted in Jotun, “The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle…”
“The Mystery stemming from ancient times;
“The witness of an extended history;
“Protector of Backlund magic and drama performers;
“The great Gehrman Sparrow…”
These voices were layered as they bored into the void, as though they extended to an infinite distance.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Ten seconds later, all of “Them” adjusted “Their” crystal monocles in different manners and chuckled softly.
“He changed it really quickly.”
If Gehrman Sparrow was still automatically responding to this honorific name, “They” could then use this opportunity to determine the other party’s location and create an “error” to appear directly beside “Their” target.
…
In the darkness that was illuminated by lightning from time to time, the hatted and coated Klein proceeded north at a moderate pace while holding a lantern.
There’s a prayer… Amon is using Gehrman Sparrow’s honorific name… This means that a number of Amons aren’t too far from me… But the City of Silver doesn’t have ‘His’ parasites… They’re in the surrounding patrol teams, or in some unexpected creatures? As he walked, Klein suddenly turned his head and listened carefully for a few seconds.
Regarding this matter, he was rather glad that he was cautious enough. He had changed the honorific name that allowed default acknowledgement while above the gray fog. It went from the “Protector of Backlund magic and drama performers” to “Protector of all poor children in Backlund.” This came from the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation he had set up.
Yes… Amon is a Cryptologist. It’s very likely that he can “interpret” this honorific name from all the information regarding Dwayne Dantès… No, I don’t even need an automatic response… As Klein looked at the faint yellow light emitted by the lantern, he quickly made a decision.
He made every Worm of Spirit only capable of listening to prayers, without having the ability to autonomously respond unless they had been given permission from the main body.
Composite Start
Composite End
This way, frequent prayers would severely affect his daily life, but it wasn’t a big problem. This was because, other than Amon’s vile harassment, no one else would pray to Gehrman Sparrow since he hadn’t spread the word about his honorific name.
After settling this matter, Klein thought of all of Amon’s terrifying aspects. He suddenly had some doubts about what to do next.
His original plan was to stay far away from the City of Silver and head to the Nois ruins in the north to investigate the situation there. He wanted to see if he could obtain the main ingredients needed for the Miracle Invoker potion. However, after connecting that ancient city ruins with Amon, a problem was revealed:
Klein could already confirm that the upper levels of neighboring pathways also followed the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence. Since Amon had been wandering around the Forsaken Land of the Gods for more than a thousand years and had come near the City of Silver, how could “He” not be attracted to the Nois ruins in the north?
For the Chief of the City of Silver to not dare to enter, it means the power in Nois City has definitely reached the level of an angel. Amon wouldn’t ignore it… “He” probably doesn’t dare to directly eat such a high-level Beyonder characteristic of a neighboring pathway, but that doesn’t prevent “Him” from setting up a trap… Even if “He” hadn’t done so in the past, “He” would definitely be rushing over there now… Of course, I can’t exclude the possibility that Amon has yet to discover it because, during the City of Silver Chief’s first visit, the Nois ruins weren’t as dangerous. Perhaps that power at the angel level came to the Nois ruins later… “He” has been constantly migrating “His” believers to avoid Amon? Amidst his thoughts, Klein felt a little afraid about heading northwest for the ancient city.
He decided to first see if there were any other ways to obtain the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker potion before considering if he should head to the periphery of the Nois ruins to observe and gather some intel.
With this in mind, he walked towards the wreckage of a tall tower in his black coat and half top hat, guided by the occasional lightning.
Along the way, in the dangerous darkness outside the dim yellow light, monsters lined up and silently followed him.
They were already his marionettes.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Compared to them, the saints of the Seer pathway were even more bizarre and terrifying.
As they walked, one of the monsters that looked like a fish with limbs suddenly chanted in Jotun, “The Sun that is Eternal;
“You are an Inextinguishable Light;
“You are the Embodiment of Order…”
The moment it finished reciting the three-lined honorific name, the monster collapsed to the ground and lost its life.
The honorific name of deities often wasn’t limited to three lines, but when chanting, one could choose any three. For example, the Eternal Blazing Sun’s complete honorific name was “Eternal Blazing Sun, Inextinguishable Light, Embodiment of Order, God of Contracts, Guardian of Businesses.” And just now, Klein had used the first three.
With this method, he prayed to the Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and the Evernight Goddess, hoping to receive a certain response.
However, there was no change in his surroundings fifteen minutes later.
It’s useless to pray to a Sequence 0 true deity in the Forsaken Land of the Gods? Unless the target is the True Creator, or is an existence that wields things like Sefirah Castle or the Chaos Sea?
Composite Start
Composite End
That’s not right. In Afternoon Town, that clergyman had the Goddess’s true name concealed when saying it. When he mentioned the fourth King of Angels, he suffered “immolation” due to the involvement of deities… Perhaps it’s because there’s still all kinds of divine power in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, not only concealment and degeneration. And the true names of the different deities each have special meaning in mysticism, allowing it to stir the corresponding powers?
This way, it would explain why the City of Silver has been teaching the two true names of Badheil and Herabergen, but they didn’t end up establishing any connection with the God of Combat or the God of Knowledge and Wisdom… The prayers in the Forsaken Land of the Gods are not heard by the true deities, or even if “They” can hear them, “They” are unable to respond… This also means that there are no remnant powers of the God of Combat or the God of Knowledge; otherwise, there would have been certain anomalies…
Yes, it’s also possible that it’s not because there are no anomalies, but that the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, uh—god-level Sealed Artifacts—in the City of Silver have eliminated them…
In that case, if I were to directly chant the true name of the Goddess, would I cause the surrounding darkness and concealment to stir? If this kind of power can be controlled, I’ll have an additional effective trump card when being tracked by Amon… The probability isn’t very high. Directly chanting the true name of a deity is an act of blasphemy, and it will result in the corresponding backlash, just like Afternoon Town’s clergyman… Based on his logic and the phenomenon he had seen, Klein came up with a theory on the present situation. He was eager to try reading out all the true names of the deities he knew, one by one, and checking their effects.
Finally, he restrained himself and didn’t blindly make the attempts.
I’d better go above the gray fog to do a divination first. Otherwise, who knows if there will be an unbearable accident… Hmm, divination involving deities might not give a clear revelation… After muttering inwardly for a while, Klein scoffed at his impulsiveness. My previous plan was akin to: I haven’t been courting death for two days. I shall do it seriously today!
At that moment, he had already arrived at a collapsed tower. He sat beside a wall that had only been cut down by half. He reached out to take out a paper crane from the Historical Void, and he ignited it.
He wanted to see if he could contact the Snake of Fate Will Auceptin Ceres if there was a medium. He wanted to know where he could obtain the main ingredients of the Miracle Invoker potion.
Under the illumination of his third summoning of the lantern, Klein fell into a deep sleep, but he didn’t dream of anything.
Indeed, it doesn’t work… After he woke up, Klein shook his head and let his body enter a Historical Void.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following that, he took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog.
Sitting at the seat belonging to The Fool, he beckoned for a small paper box from the junk pile. Inside was a stack of paper cranes.
These were personally folded by a certain baby.
At the same time, The World Gehrman Sparrow was conjured. He prayed to Mr. Fool in a grayish-white region and requested “Him” to forward his request to Miss Justice, saying that this act could allow her to make contributions to her exchange for the Manipulator potion formula.
Of course, Klein had already revealed that the potion needed to be consumed while amidst a huge emotional resonance.
…
Backlund, Empress Borough, Inside the Hall family’s luxurious mansion.
Audrey returned to her bedroom once again and set up a bestowment ritual to obtain the paper crane.
She picked up a thin pencil and wrote on the paper crane’s surface:
“Dwayne Dantès has requested you to meet with me.”
After finishing her preparations, Audrey followed Mr. World’s instructions and placed the paper crane under her pillow before lying down to sleep.
Soon, she saw a pitch-black desolate plain. As a Dreamwalker who had given herself hints in advance, she maintained her consciousness and walked towards the black steeple in the middle of the plains with strong curiosity.
As soon as she arrived at her destination, Audrey’s spiritual perception was triggered. She raised her head and looked at the top of the steeple.
At some point in time, there was a giant silver snake coiled there.
This gigantic snake didn’t have any scales. Its body was covered with symbols and patterns that formed wheels that were connected to each other, with different labels.
At that moment, the gigantic snake was staring at Audrey with its bright red and cold eyes. It said in a low voice, “What does Dwayne Dantès want?”
This is the angel of the Fate pathway that gave Ma’am Hermit a drop of blood? Audrey controlled her thoughts and calmly looked at the gigantic snake. She said in honesty, “He wanted me to ask you where he can obtain the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker potion?”
The gigantic silver snake suddenly fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “The number of Sequence 2s in different pathways differ in numbers. Under the situation of the quota of Attendant of Mysteries being filled, there can only be a total of six Miracle Invokers.”
A Miracle Invoker is the name of a Sequence 2 potion… Mr. World is going to become an angel? Or is he making preparations for his partner? No, if it’s a companion, he can get them to ask “Him” themself… Audrey was first alarmed before she began to look forward to the mysterious serpent’s answer.
Chapter 1178 I Have a Blessed
The gigantic silver snake looked down at Audrey and opened its blood-red mouth.
“The Sequence 1 potion that Zaratul, the leader of the Secret Order, consumed came from an Attendant of Mysteries. In other words, ‘He’ possesses an extra Miracle Invoker characteristic.
“Similarly, it was the same for the ancestor of the Antigonus family back then. Of course, if they were interested in something, or if they had a candidate who had won the favor of the family to the point of them being willing to nurture them, then an angel with sufficiently high status can separate the extra Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic to the other party.
The third Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic had combined with a characteristic of mysterious origins. It has become Sealed Artifact 0-05, also known as the Magic Wishing Lamp… A true deity once attempted to destroy this item, to separate the characteristics and allow them to converge automatically, but eventually failed.
“The fourth and fifth Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristics are in the form of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that exists in the Churches of the Eternal Blazing Sun and Lord of Storms. One of them is named 0-13. It comes from the Third Epoch’s Creator, designated as ‘The Last Banquet.’ The other is codenamed 0-32, a product of the War of the Four Emperors, designated as ‘Theater With Curtains That Never Draw.’
“The sixth Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic might be in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. During the Third Epoch, there was a remnant Dark Demonic Wolf who occasionally appeared. After the Cataclysm, ‘He’ vanished without a trace.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey listened attentively and thought carefully for a moment before saying, “You’re saying that, under the situation where the Attendant of Mysteries spots are filled, there are only six Miracle Invokers. And now, you only mentioned the Secret Order’s leader, Zaratul, and the ancestor of the Antigonus family, but the spots don’t seem to be filled.
“In such a situation, there might be an extra Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic.”
This wasn’t information that The World Gehrman Sparrow had informed her of in advance. Instead, it was a question that Audrey had come up with on her own accord from the details of the answer and her knowledge of mysticism.
The eyes of the giant silver snake moved slightly.
“Indeed. There should be three Attendants of Mysteries.
“But in the Second Epoch, in the era when the ancient god, Flegrea, still lived, the third set of the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic seemed to have disappeared without a trace. No one knows where it is. Likewise for the corresponding Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic. Perhaps it has already combined together and has found a sufficiently concealed method to hide itself.”
Audrey nodded gently and said, “I understand. I’ll pass on the information to Mr. Dwayne Dantès.
“Oh… He even asked me to ask you if there’s anything you need his help with?”
The giant silver snake slithered up and a third of its body stood up.
Composite Start
Composite End
“No.
“A small matter.
“Yes, I have a Blessed who is an outstanding gourmet. He has a desire to taste ice-cream from the various noble families, so as to determine the most delicious one.”
…This request… Mr. Snake, uh—maybe it’s Ma’am Snake—is really nice to her Blessed… “His” tone is as if he can’t wait… Hmm… This is too simple. I can agree to help on Mr. World’s behalf and complete it on my own. I’ll just treat it as accumulating the sufficient contributions needed to exchange the potion formula… Audrey said thoughtfully, “No problem.
“But how do I send him the ice cream?”
The giant silver snake slowly coiled and said, “Sacrifice it to him. He’s already a Sequence 3 saint and can accept sacrifices in the same city.
“His honorific name is ‘The Embodiment of Luck; The Clairvoyant Monster, The Calamity that Spreads Misfortune, The Witnesses of all Fates in Backlund, the Keeper of Chaos and Madness.”
There’s a difference between this honorific name and a normal Sequence 3’s. There’s no name at the end… Audrey’s eyes darted around slightly, but she didn’t say anything further and nodded in agreement.
…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Keeper of Chaos and Madness… Will’s last honorific name is quite interesting… This shouldn’t be the honorific name of the Snake of Fate, but something that “He” used when “He” was at Sequence 3. Some tweaks were made later on… The Monster pathway’s watches over chaos and madness? Or could it be said that in this world, even for Fate, those at the lower Sequences are in chaos and madness? Monsters are working hard to resist all of this, making everything seem normal? After Klein heard Miss Justice’s answer, he didn’t find it odd for Will Auceptin to request for ice-cream. Instead, he found the honorific name of the Life School of Thought president rather interesting.
Heh, having a Blessed… That’s like saying “I know someone”… Did Will learn this from me? No, I have a real Blessed, Danitz! Later on, I’ll have this fellow sacrifice something for me to eat. I can’t really eat those mutated monsters or summon projections from the Historical Void, right? Yes, if I have a chance, I’ll invite Little Sun to try them together. I can’t let him be obsessed with Frank’s mushrooms… Uh, the number of Blessed serving Will definitely won’t be less than mine. There might even be more. “He” has the huge Life School of Thought… Klein conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made him reply to Miss Justice, indicating that the ice-cream contributed plenty.
After completing all of this, he rapped the edge of the long mottled table and seriously considered the problem with the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker.
There’s no need to think about the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic with Zaratul. It’s impossible for “Him” to separate it to give it to me. “He” only wants to turn me into “His” marionette…
It’s not like there’s zero hope with Antigonus’s two portions, but if that’s the case, I’ll have to request it from the Goddess again. I can’t offer something equivalent… I’m afraid… Besides, the Goddess might not be able to provide it. The reason why “She” wants to seal The Half-Fool, who has lost control, is probably because “She” is unable to kill “Him.” Once “He” is killed, “He” will be able to escape his current predicament and revive elsewhere—just like how I escaped from Amon. Under such a situation, the Goddess has no way of getting Antigonus to separate a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic…
Even a true deity can’t shatter 0-05, so there’s no point targeting it. It’s useless even if I have it… This Sealed Artifact’s origins are truly mysterious. There’s something very fishy about it…
The Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun’s 0-13 is called “The Last Banquet.” It comes from the City of Silver’s Creator… Why does this person always like to use the names that have dangerous implications… The Church of the Lord of Storms’s 0-32 is “Theater With Curtains That Never Draw”… Just the sound of it allows me to imagine what it’s like… The chances of obtaining these two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are very low, but it’s not impossible. It just depends on whether the Eternal Blazing Sun and Lord of Storms are willing to support my growth so as to contain Amon…
Yes. Up to now, “They” have yet to show any kindness. I can’t find a suitable way to interact with the right person. I can’t possibly use divination to spy on the Eternal Blazing Sun again and communicate with “Him” through space, right? If that happens, wouldn’t it be better if “He” directly invades Sefirah Castle and takes control of this place?
If I were to nurture Mr. Hanged Man and wait till he has the qualifications to come into contact with a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, I’ll most likely have become Amon…
Composite Start
Composite End
The True Creator knows a clue to the third characteristic of the Attendant of Mysteries… “His” divine kingdom and holy residence are in the Forsaken Land of the Gods… These two might be related somehow…
The two sets of Miracle Invoker characteristics and an Attendant of Mysteries characteristics are highly likely to be in the Forsaken Land of the Gods… I wonder which one is in the Nois ruins?
Yes, the True Creator should only know a clue, and not its exact location. Otherwise, “He” would’ve obtained that Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic before the War of the Four Emperors and effectively increased “His” subordinates’ strength…
In other words, the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic is something even a true deity can’t obtain quickly, and it’s necessary to search for it. It might not be so easy for Amon to come across it, allowing “Him” to set up a trap… If the danger within the ruins were only recently found—having just been transplanted—it would match this trait…
From the looks of it, I still have to make a trip. However, I have to be careful enough. The danger comes from Amon and also from the ruins. Hmm, I’ll do a divination first, then I’ll observe and gather intelligence from a distance. I won’t enter blindly and will be patient enough.
Klein conjured a pen and paper and was about to write the corresponding divination statement when he suddenly thought of something and decided to make another confirmation.
He drew a complicated symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying. He threw it into the crimson star representing The Magician. With Gehrman Sparrow’s image and tone, he asked her to question Arrodes.
…
Backlund, East Borough. Fors, who was about to move houses, drew the curtains and lit a candle. She set up a mirror and found Xio to act as a bystander.
She then drew the symbol that Mr. World had given her.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the room, the environment gradually turned dark as cold winds stirred, causing the two to tremble.
The surface of the mirror suddenly rippled, forming ancient dark red Feysac text:
“You have summoned the great Arrodes. You have to abide by the corresponding rules:
“You have to answer a question for every question asked. If you lie or refuse to answer, you will be punished.”
“Alright,” Fors, who had been warned, calmly replied.
Following that, she asked curiously, “Where can one obtain the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker potion?”
On the surface of the mirror, dark red words appeared one after another as other lines vanished. They answered the question in detail:
It’s basically the same as Will’s answer… Above the gray fog, through the crimson star representing Miss Magician, Klein watched the specific process and nodded in disappointment.
After Fors memorized the answer, she said nervously, “It’s your turn to ask.”
The dark red words changed and formed a new sentence:
“Have you had an erotic dream in the past year?”
Phew… Thankfully, it’s still okay… Fors heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Yes.”
This was human nature. She didn’t feel that there was anything to be ashamed of.
Following that, she raised the second question:
“Do you have any suggestions on the matter regarding obtaining the main ingredient of the Miracle Invoker?”
Arrodes dispersed the dark red text and used silver colors to form new words:
“The Abraham family still holds the Apprentice pathway’s Sequence 2 Planeswalker potion formula, as well as the corresponding powerful Sealed Artifacts. A total of two of them.
“The Aurora Order also has one.”
This… Klein’s eyes lit up as he thought of a new possibility.
“Is that so…” Fors frowned slightly and said, “It’s your turn to ask a question.”
The silver color on the surface of the mirror faded away as dark red colors formed a sentence:
“Other than you, who else was the star of your erotic dream?”
Fors gaped as her face flushed red.
Chapter 1179 Preparations Both Ways
At that moment, Fors felt her cheeks burning as she stiffened. She didn’t even dare to turn her head to look at her friend.
She realized that she had severely underestimated the bottom line of the magic mirror!
After stuttering for a moment, Fors recalled Mr. World’s reminder and closed her eyes.
“I choose to accept the punishment.”
A silvery-white bolt of lightning fell from the air in the room, but the moment it appeared, the lightning vanished without a trace like it was a hallucination.
The dark red words on the surface of the mirror were dyed silver as they were quickly replaced with new content:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The question and answer game will end here today. Goodbye!”
Without waiting for Fors to open her eyes and before Xio could react, the rippling light in the mirror instantly calmed down. The gloom and darkness in the room shattered as they were swallowed by the light of the candle.
Wasn’t there supposed to be a punishment? Fors waited for a few seconds before opening her eyes slightly. She looked at the mirror that had returned to normal and then at Xio, who was watching by the sidelines.
Xio pointed at the top of her head and said, “There was lightning that smote at you, but it disappeared halfway. Also, the magic mirror had already left.”
“…The magic mirror was only joking? That’s not right. The warning I received was that the questions would be rather embarrassing, and the punishments would be rather heavy… Could it be that Mr. Fool protected me?” Fors rubbed her right cheek as she made a guess.
“Perhaps.” Xio nodded in agreement with her friend.
Just as Fors heaved a sigh of relief and rejoiced, she suddenly realized that Xio was looking at her earnestly.
“W-what’s the matter?” Fors’s heart skipped a beat.
Xio asked thoughtfully, “In that erotic dream of yours, who was the main lead?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…Haha, who would remember such a dream from so long ago? Besides, aren’t dreams blurry and unclear?” Fors forced a smile.
Xio tersely acknowledged.
“If that’s the case, why didn’t you answer with that just now?”
“…I was nervous. I was too nervous.” Fors glanced at the luggage that she had finished packing and said, “It’s time for us to move. I miss having a fireplace!”
As she spoke, she walked towards her luggage.
It was only at this moment that she realized that, at times, the outcome was similar whether she answered the magic mirror’s question or not.
Is this the “social death” that was mentioned by Gehrman Sparrow? I really want to bury my head into the ground! Fors continuously took deep breaths in an attempt to calm her burning face and embarrassed heart.
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein threw the Sea God Scepter back into the junk pile and scoffed at Arrodes’s act.
Despite knowing that I was the one who sent someone to summon it, it actually dared to raise such a question. Only when I stopped the punishment did it hurriedly change its attitude and leave in a panic… It sure had fun…
However, its answer has given me a new train of thought. I really don’t need to restrict myself to the path of a Miracle Invoker…
The second Blasphemy Slate is most likely from the City of Silver’s Creator, and is now in the hands of Adam… Although Amon and “His” brother are mutually staying away from each other’s affairs and aren’t on especially good terms, “They” have worked together before. I don’t believe that “He” has never seen that Blasphemy Slate… If that’s the case, “He” is definitely aware of the Miracle Invoker’s ritual and can guess that I’ll be bringing the City of Silver out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. When that happens, “He” wouldn’t even need to put much effort into tracking me. “He” just needs to wait at the Giant King’s Court…
Yes, I can’t go according to the enemy’s expectations, especially since this is a God of Deceit and the God of Mischief. Countless accidents will happen… If it’s because of my participation that the City of Silver’s thousands of years of hope ends up being destroyed, then it’ll be completely contradictory to my original intentions…
The problem with a Planeswalker is that I might hear Mr. Door’s ravings, and will suffer the scrutiny and corruption from the cosmos that’s worse than Sequence 2 angels from other pathways. Of course, this isn’t completely unacceptable…
Also, will I need to pay back the two resurrection chances that Sefirah Castle gave me? That’s still fine since I’ll definitely transfer back to being an Attendant of Mysteries at Sequence 1 because Mr. Door has already blocked off the advancement path of the Apprentice pathway. “He” is at least in control of the Uniqueness and two sets of Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics—perhaps even all three…
It’s not necessary for me to switch to Planeswalker, but I have to make the necessary preparations. When my options increase, even if Amon tries to stop me, the difficulty of burying a trap in advance will increase significantly. Only then can I become an angel while under the pressure of a King of Angels!
Yes. I’ll stay on the fence for now. I’ll prepare for the Miracle Invoker advancement while preparing for the Planeswalker advancement. I’ll determine which pathway to take based on the actual situation when the time comes.
Composite Start
Composite End
Having come to a decision, Klein felt refreshed. His mind was abnormally active, and he quickly came up with a preliminary plan.
I’m not in a hurry to ask Miss Magician’s teacher about the Planeswalker potion formula and the corresponding Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. This will scare the Abraham family, making them suspect that Miss Magician worships some evil god and has joined some terrible organization…
With their current situation, there’s a high chance that they won’t reply. They will change their identities, move, and sever all ties…
Yes, the head of the Saint of Secrets, Botis, will make a fine gift. Regardless of whether the Abraham family gives the Worm of Cosmos, this matter will have to be placed on the agenda… I hope Miss Justice can digest the Dreamwalker potion as soon as possible. I hope that Ma’am Hermit will be prepared. I also hope that the two ladies, Miss Magician and Miss Judgment, will be able to improve before the operation…
Right, according to what Miss Magician said, Saint of Secrets Botis is a defector of the Abraham family, and the Aurora Order holds a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact of the Apprentice pathway. That’s interesting… Perhaps I don’t need to contact the Abraham family. I might be able to get what I want from the Saint of Secrets. Uh, I have to remind Ma’am Hermit that Botis might be carrying a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, so confirmation has to be made before the operation…
If that Grade 0 Sealed Artifact isn’t in the hands of the Saint of Secrets, then I’ll probably have to face the Angel of Fate Ouroboros to get it… No, Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are terrifying to begin with. It’s one of the sources of danger…
Phew, I’ll first wait for Miss Magician’s teacher to reply and see if the Abraham family is averse to any mention of the Worm of Cosmos…
As he thought of this, Klein suddenly felt a hint of self-deprecation. He felt that he and the Aurora Order appeared to be destined enemies. They often had all kinds of interactions.
When the operation begins, the Aurora Order will definitely shout in their hearts:
“Why is it you again? Why is it us again?”
Composite Start
Composite End
After letting out a breath, he gathered his thoughts and conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow. He replied to Miss Magician who had reported the answer.
Following that, The World prayed once again, requesting Mr. Fool to forward his request to Danitz.
…
On a certain island in the Fog Sea, Danitz, who was waiting for the Golden Dream, turned his head to look at Anderson and chuckled.
“I’m going to summon Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger.”
Anderson pricked up his brows and scoffed.
“You’re qualified to consume the Conspirer potion.”
“You were the one who made it too obvious. Even I could sense that you were afraid of that messenger.” Danitz felt even more pleased with himself as he said humbly.
Anderson suddenly guffawed.
“Why do you not suspect that I’m pretending to be afraid? I’m just trying to find a reasonable excuse to avoid hearing things I shouldn’t be hearing.”
“…Dogsh*t, do you think I’ll believe the lies you came up with in a hurry?” Danitz was almost convinced.
Anderson spread his hands and walked to the door.
“You’ve gathered all the materials of the Conspirer potion. Remember to remind Gehrman to not forget my Iron-blooded Knight potion formula.”
Danitz waved his hand impatiently, indicating that he hadn’t forgotten.
After Anderson walked out of the room and closed the door, Danitz immediately set up a ritual and summoned the messenger holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.
Seeing the eight eyes look over at the same time, Danitz’s chest immediately retracted.
He forced a smile and handed out a gold coin.
“Ma’am, Gehrman Sparrow wants me to tell you that he’s fine. He’s now in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.”
…Wait, what did I say? The Forsaken Land of the Gods? As a crew member of Vice Admiral Iceberg, Danitz’s knowledge of mysticism was still adequate. After a momentary pause, his pupils clearly dilated.
“Alright…” Reinette Tinekerr bit down on the gold coin and answered immediately.
Then, “She” entered the void and vanished from the room.
After reporting this to Gehrman Sparrow, Danitz received the Iron-blooded Knight’s potion formula and new orders.
Prepare some local delicacies and sacrifice them to Sea God Kalvetua… Isn’t this mission a little odd? Danitz muttered to himself, but he didn’t dare to raise any questions.
He quickly tidied up the altar, found a parchment, and wrote down the supplementary ingredients and corresponding ritual in the Iron-blooded Knight potion formula.
Following that, he opened the door and handed the parchment to Anderson.
“Form a team of at least thirty people… The stronger the team’s strength and chemistry, the better the ritual’s effects…” Anderson unfolded the parchment in front of Danitz and read it. As he read, his brows gradually furrowed. “If the team’s chemistry is to build upon the idea of killing me—the captain—the ritual is rather simple…”
Without waiting for Danitz to mock him, a burning white flame appeared from his fingertip and burned the parchment.
Anderson chuckled.
“I need to go back to my homeland to find an opportunity. That place is currently being invaded by Feynapotter, and war is always the best place for building up and training a team.”
With a pause, he looked at Danitz and said with a smile, “I’ve prepared some questions for you. They’re in my room. Once you become a Conspirer, you can try doing it and see if your intelligence has improved.”
“…Dogsh*t! Are you trying to trick me into reading all the books in your room?” Danitz was almost moved, but he immediately understood that something was wrong.
No matter how high his intelligence was, he wouldn’t be able to solve the questions if he hadn’t read the textbooks!
“Not bad. It only took you three seconds this time to grasp the crux of the matter. If it were in the past, heh heh, you would’ve really believed me.” Anderson praised with a smile as he turned around and left the inn.
Chapter 1180 Different Effects
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, at night when the frequency of lightning had dropped to a very low frequency.
Two slices of white bread and a piece of barbecued meat is pretty good after all… The sweet and sour desserts from the Fog Sea are better than I had expected… After swallowing the last mouthful of food, Klein sighed in amazement from the bottom of his heart. He then threw the remaining packaging into the darkness—after all, there was no concept of environmental protection here, nor was there a rubbish bin.
Of course, he had removed his connection with those items ahead of time, just like how he would head over to Sefirah Castle to perform “sterilization” every time he abandoned a marionette. This was to prevent Amon’s avatars from locking onto him with them.
Hmm, lifeless objects won’t be transferred into a concealed state by the darkness here… Klein raised the lantern that Danitz had sacrificed, and he illuminated the abandoned items.
It was only after he filled his stomach that he was in the mood to try out the dangerous things he had previously divined.
Amidst the flickering dim yellow light, Klein reached his right hand out into the air and dragged out another projection of himself.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was another version of him from the Historical Void, one who was also holding onto a lantern.
Klein entered the grayish-white fog one second later, allowing his projection’s consciousness to awaken.
The projection was surrounded by a group of monsters. Amidst the endless darkness, it opened its mouth, planning to recite the name, “Amanises.”
“…”
He didn’t manage to make a single sound, as though the words he wanted to say had been concealed.
“Indeed, it’s as I expected.” Wearing a silk half top hat and a black trench coat, Klein slowly took a deep breath.
Looking at the lantern that emitted faint yellow light, he suddenly chanted in Jotun, “Leodero!”
Before he could finish his sentence, more than a hundred lightning bolts warped as if they were responding to being summoned. They instantly blanketed the area.
There was no time for him to dodge. Even if he had switched places with a marionette, he would still be within the attack range.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst the brightening of silvery-white light, he collapsed to the ground. His body was charred as he convulsed violently, as though he had become a gigantic piece of coal.
Then, his figure rapidly dissipated as the illusion vanished.
Wearing a real top hat, clothed in an Intis-styled windbreaker and carrying a simple lantern, Klein immediately “returned” to reality and continued proceeding forward as if nothing had happened.
After walking for a while, his figure suddenly turned blurry and clear.
Following that, Klein opened his mouth again and read out a name in Jotun:
“Au…”
Just as he produced the first syllable, a transparent flame burst out from his body, instantly reducing him to ashes, not giving him a chance to switch places with his marionette.
Klein’s figure appeared once again. He pressed his hat and walked calmly on the hill filled with strange plants.
“Herabergen.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
“Badheil.”
…
“Omebella.”
…
There’s nothing out of the ordinary. There are no traces of the corresponding divine powers left in the vicinity of the City of Silver…
Medici, Ouroboros, Sasrir… These are of no use, neither one of “Them” are deities… I thought that the situation at Afternoon Town and the Giant King’s Court was due to special circumstances. Using Sasrir’s true name outside can activate the powers of degeneration from the Forsaken Land of the Gods… As a King of Angels with the Uniqueness, Red Angel is also considered half a true god. Yet, there aren’t any traces left of “Him.” How shameful for a person—no, shameful for a King of Angels! As Klein walked down the hill, he followed his spiritual intuition and headed northwest where the city ruins of Nois were.
He would occasionally take a detour, occasionally using Flaming Jump, and he didn’t follow the route that the City of Silver had used to explore to reach their destination.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
Backlund, late at night.
Feeling that she had digested the potion a little more, Audrey very eagerly used Dream Traversal to leave her mansion and to enter the various dreams of the surrounding area.
Knowing what the current situation was like, she had a strong desire to become a demigod.
Just like that, she suddenly saw someone familiar.
This was a noble lady who had a good relationship with her. She was 29 years old and had married a viscount two years ago.
At this moment, the lady’s room was filled with rose petals. The bed was white, and there was a heart-shaped ring placed on it. And she could hear knocking sounds from the outside.
With flushed cheeks, the lady quickly walked over and opened the window.
A man wearing a black iron mask and a dark cloak leaped in. He hugged the lady and whispered, “I’ll take you away from your suffering.”
Then, the two of them started to wrap their bodies around one another as they rolled into bed.
As a Dreamwalker who was working hard to digest the potion, Audrey had long seen similar scenes. She had experienced the phase of feeling embarrassed, and she sighed at how everyone’s dreams were full of imagination. At that moment, she didn’t lose her composure at all. She maintained the etiquette of a Spectator, as though she was witnessing an overly intense play.
Composite Start
Composite End
After a brief examination, she discovered a problem:
The man wearing the black iron mask wasn’t the wife’s spouse, but more like a particular playboy in the aristocratic circles.
Is this a reflection of what’s hidden in her heart? Audrey muttered to herself in an academic manner while analyzing the dream.
Following that, she “traversed” into the dream beside her out of curiosity.
This dream corresponded to the noble wife’s husband, the viscount.
In the dream, this viscount was busy attending a discussion at the House of Lords. Later, he was chased by an earl with a revolver. The latter claimed that he had tricked his daughter.
After escaping to a safe zone, the viscount found his female secretary to vent his fear.
Audrey couldn’t help but leave the dream, wanting to see the state the viscount and his wife were in.
In the bedroom under the illumination of the crimson moonlight, the viscount was hugging his wife on the huge white bed. His wife was hugging him and sleeping in a very intimate manner.
Yes, I have to realize that everyone has a dark side to them. It’s just a dream that they’ve had. If “conviction” for a mere instantaneous thought was carried out, then everyone would descend into hell, and no one will be spared, including myself… I can control my dark side, preventing it from ever being realized in the real world. To most people, that’s already considered excellent… Audrey increasingly felt that acting as a Dreamwalker was a way to question and hone one’s mind and body.
She entered the dreamscape again and “traversed” to another area.
Not long after, she arrived at a warm “room.”
There was a dining table placed over a thick carpet. At the seat of honor was a white-haired old lady.
To her sides were a middle-aged couple and three children who were not of age. They were all enjoying the delicious food, chatting and laughing.
It was dark outside the room. The strong winds made the glass groan and thump as they seemed to brew a horrifying sensation before the disaster struck.
What is the owner of this dream bothered about? Audrey retreated from the dream and tried to find an answer from the real world to verify her hypothesis.
She then saw a small bed and the white-haired old lady.
There were photo frames on the bedside table of the old lady. They were either wrapped in black cloth or white flowers—consisting of a middle-aged couple and three underage children.
Audrey silently turned her head to look out the window, only to see that there were ruins nearby, ones left behind by an explosion.
The young noble lady pursed her lips and suddenly returned to the old lady’s dreams.
She didn’t stop the disaster that might happen. She only conjured a chair and sat on it. She looked at the happy and warm family in a solemn manner.
Amidst the howling wind and glass, the room was brightly lit. There was the fragrance of food and laughter everywhere.
Audrey had already concluded one of the acting principles of Dreamwalker:
“A traveler of a dream enters, takes in the sights, and records—never interfering. That was a Spectator.”
…
In Saint Samuel Cathedral, having been summoned by Bishop Anthony Steven, Leonard slowly walked up the spiral staircase under the sunlight that shone in through the stained glass.
Suddenly, he said with a suppressed voice, “Old Man, that secret gathering is about to begin again. Are you really planning to attempt to enter the treasures left behind by the Jacob family at the end of the month?”
“I’m not sure yet, but this is an opportunity. At the very least, Amon’s main body is being tied down by the matter regarding Sefirah Castle. “He” won’t suddenly appear.” In Leonard’s mind, Pallez Zoroast replied with a slightly hoarse voice, “However, I’m more inclined to reveal the news of the treasure trove. I want the people at the gathering to adventure and explore it. We’ll stay in the vicinity and observe the situation, taking what I need from their hands.”
Leonard was taken aback as he whispered, “Old Man, isn’t that too sinister?”
This was using the members of the Hermits of Fate as tools to step into a trap.
“Heh, naive, childish. You can tell them all the details and let them decide whether they want to go on their own.” Pallez scoffed.
Leonard didn’t mention it again. Instead, he asked, “Old Man, when can I become a demigod?”
Pallez chuckled.
“If you can obtain a spirit at the level of your former colleague’s messenger, you’ll be able to digest the potion by the beginning of next year. However, heh heh, it’s better to act according to my instructions. Engage in a deeper level of acting. Wait till the second half of next year, you’ll have the qualifications to try for Sequence 4. Of course, I’m not sure if the Church of Evernight will give you the potion and hold a ritual for you. That high-ranking deacon named Cesimir Crestet, had to wait several years before he truly became a demigod when war truly broke out, didn’t he?”
Leonard nodded and asked thoughtfully, “Old Man, can you act as a spirit to help me digest the potion?
“Your level should be higher than Klein’s messenger…”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a few seconds before he chortled.
“What a great idea.
“How about I help you digest the potion?”
“How?” Leonard knew that Old Man was mocking him, but he couldn’t help but ask.
“I’ll deeply parasitize you, gaining full control over your body,” Pallez snapped back.
As he spoke, Leonard came to the door of the Backlund diocese’s archbishop.
He immediately shut his mouth and raised his right hand to knock on the door.
“Come in.” Anthony Steven glanced at Leonard who had opened the door. “You can release that vampire behind Chanis Gate.”
Chapter 1181 Nois Ancient City
Upon hearing the bishop’s instructions, Leonard was first taken aback before he inwardly sighed.
Mr. Fool’s prophecy was really accurate…
No, it’s not a prophecy. “He” was already aware of everything.
Leonard quickly reined in his thoughts and followed the procedures to get Bishop Saint Anthony to give him an official document. Then, he returned underground and brought two members into Chanis Gate.
After waiting for the Keepers to check the documents, he came to Emlyn White’s room which was illuminated with shining silver candles that were covered with engraved patterns. He opened the heavy stone door with a brass key.
Ghostly blue light entered the cell, “stabbing” Emlyn White’s eyes to the point of him instinctively closing his eyes.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
His face was much paler than before, and his body was much thinner. He exuded a feeling that a gust of wind would lift him up at any moment.
Thinking of Mr. Fool’s answer, Emlyn suddenly felt confident in his current situation. Without opening his eyes, he slowly stood up and chuckled.
“I knew you would take the initiative to send me out.”
Would you be disappointed if I said that it was just a routine investigation? Leonard lampooned inwardly and replied without any expression, “I’ll give you thirty seconds. If you don’t leave Chanis Gate within this period, I’ll take it as you voluntarily choosing to stay behind.”
As a slightly more senior Nighthawk and a captain of a Red Gloves team for several months, Leonard had rich experience in dealing with prisoners.
Emlyn’s expression froze. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he ultimately maintained his silence. He walked past Leonard and his two teammates and walked out of Chanis Gate.
Outside, he suddenly shuddered, as if he wanted to purge the chill in his body.
“Once you return, getting some sunlight would fix you up. Oh, the sun is a rare commodity in Backlund’s winter, and you vampires don’t enjoy sunbathing… Aren’t you an Apothecary? You can concoct some medicine from the Sun domain yourself.” Seeing this, Leonard casually reminded him.
Emlyn’s condition wasn’t the best. On the one hand, he hadn’t drunk any spirituality-containing human blood for days. He could only rely on the blood of animals as a substitute. On the other hand, it was because he had stayed behind Chanis Gate for too long. The power of Evernight that supported the seal had eaten into him a little, making him require the effects of medicine from the Sun domain to remove the residual effects.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a Potions Professor, Emlyn was aware of his physical and mental condition. He didn’t retort or nod. He only emphasized the word “Sanguine” before asking, “Where’s Father Utravsky?”
“He still needs to stay a little while longer. I hope this bloody war will end soon. Don’t worry, we’ll let him come out twice a week to get some sunlight. As for which days they’ll be, it’ll depend on the weather in Backlund.” Leonard gave a simple response before sending Emlyn White to the ground and onto the streets.
Emlyn hesitated for a moment before asking again, “Where’s the nearest hospital?”
“What do you want to do?” Leonard asked in a professional manner.
“Get a blood transfusion.” Emlyn raised his chin slightly, trying his best not to change his expression.
Blood transfusion… more like drinking blood… Leonard didn’t call him out. He pointed in one direction and gave him the address.
After watching the Sanguine Viscount leave, he returned underground and began to discuss a recent case with his team members.
…
After several days of traveling, Klein finally arrived near the Nois City ruins in the north.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was equally a desolate plain. The dried riverbed left traces of itself on the ground.
Looking at the dark, shadowy city that was filled with a thin fog, he was in no hurry to get close. Instead, he found a hidden spot and muttered the honorific name of Mr. Fool.
Following that, he took four steps counterclockwise and recited the incantation before entering the world above the gray fog. To return to Sefirah Castle with just a thought, he needed the prayers of the Tarot Club members to stack together, forming a strong and firm anchor. That way, it would provide The Fool with the sufficient summoning power.
With the help of the prayer light, Klein used his “true vision” to check the situation of the Nois ruins from afar. He discovered that the thin fog was slowly dissipating, but it couldn’t completely dissipate. On the surface of the city, there wasn’t a single Spirit Body Thread. The people who were dressed in linen robes or animal hides were lying in different spots on the streets. They weren’t as lively and busy as the time the City of Silver’s expedition team visited.
After the angel or Sealed Artifact that occupied this city discovered that “Their” whereabouts were exposed, they chose to migrate? As Klein made a guess based on the situation in front of him, he retracted his gaze and looked at the grayish-white fog that held up Sefirah Castle.
He was trying to prevent the Miracle Invoker, or Attendant of Mysteries, or the corresponding Sealed Artifact from hiding in the Historical Void and ambushing the Beyonders of the ancient Nois City. He didn’t wish to directly encounter a cluster of translucent maggots that twisted into a huge vortex when he leaped into the fog of history, nor did he wish to be pursued by those terrifying tentacles.
The ambush that Zaratul had laid for him still left Klein feeling a lingering sense of fear. From time to time, he would have nightmares, hoping to seek Miss Justice for another round of treatment for psychological trauma.
This stimulus was worse than seeing his marionette, Enuni, wear a monocle in front of him while his body remained completely immobile. This was because he had implicated the Hounds of Fulgrim.
After confirming that the Historical Void was safe, Klein returned to the real world. He stretched out his hand, grabbed, and pulled out his former self. This former self was also wearing a silk half top hat, a black trench coat, and holding a simple glass lantern.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the next second, he “jumped” into the grayish-white fog and followed the illuminated spots in the Historical Void, running all the way to a period before the First Epoch, in that city of a long-dead civilization.
To him, this was a very ingenious “safe house.” This was because, aside from him, no Scholar of Yore could trace back to this lost piece of history.
Of course, to him, coming all the way here had required him to expend a lot of his spirituality. He could only stay there for another fifteen minutes at most, and that was only if he didn’t make any burdening attempts at summoning Historical Void projections.
After hiding his true body, Klein’s projection in the real world moved forward, quickly arriving outside the Nois ruins.
He didn’t blindly approach or enter. After circling to a small mound opposite the dried riverbed, he raised his right hand and summoned his original marionette—the cold Earl of The Fallen Qonas Kilgor with dark blue eyes.
Qonas’s body squirmed and instantly transformed into Gehrman Sparrow. Then, he reached out and took out a lantern from the Historical Void.
The historical projection who summoned a historical projection had “Disordered” the distance under the dim yellow light of the lantern. In a few steps, he arrived outside Nois City, alone.
With the lantern in hand, he passed through the rotting buildings and passed through the thin fog before entering the ruins.
Compared to using his “true vision” above the gray fog, actual contact made him discover more details.
The humans and monsters lying in different spots had signs of decay, as though they had been abandoned for some time.
Composite Start
Composite End
Some of them sat on chairs under the eaves of the house, others slumped beside stoves. Some held moldy bread while others held hands. There were some leaning against the walls and sitting on the ground, their lips pressed against a bone flute…
This allowed Klein to imagine the situation in the city back when they were “living.”
Some of them were slacking off and resting. Some were baking food, and others were shopping along the streets. Others were focused on music as some came and went, laughing nonstop. There were also others fighting monsters in an arena…
This was such a lively and bustling scene, but in reality, everyone had already died and were no longer in possession of their souls. They were only repeating predetermined actions.
And one day, this strange scene froze with time, and everyone collapsed without any warning.
A city formed by marionettes, the most realistic theater… Back then, the foggy town was in a similar situation… Although I’m also a Seer, I still have to say that, in terms of horror, terror, and bizarreness, our pathway is definitely ranked amongst the top three… Could it be that I’ll be acting in the same manner in the future? Attendant of Mysteries? With the lantern in hand, Klein walked through the streets that were littered with corpses. He followed his spiritual intuition and headed for the ancient Nois City’s center.
The situation here made him believe that the person who had once ruled the Nois ruins definitely had enough intelligence. After the City of Silver’s expedition team broke the peace and serenity here, the entity didn’t choose to kill or destroy any clues. Instead, this place was abandoned without hesitation before the entity migrated elsewhere.
The reason why the City of Silver wasn’t silenced probably had to do with an Amon parasite following behind. Yes, it could also be because of the True Creator… As he casually let his thoughts wander, Klein quickly arrived at a relatively intact cathedral.
Inside the cathedral stood a statue of a demonic wolf with eight legs. It was covered with short and dark hair.
There was a tuft of grayish-white fur at the top of the statue head. Its pitch-black pupils covered at least three-quarters of its eyes.
It’s not Flegrea… The Dark Demonic Wolf that occasionally appeared in the Third Epoch, the God of Wishes? “He” has been in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for thousands of years and has finally found that Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic? Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Klein suddenly heard footsteps coming, resounding one after another.
Standing sideways, he immediately cast his gaze outside the cathedral. He saw a figure slowly walking through the thin fog before its outline quickly formed.
He was nearly 2.3 meters tall, with a slight hunch to his back. With grizzled hair, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and a scar at the corners of his mouth, he looked like an old priest or bishop while donning a long black clergyman’s robe.
His dark brown eyes were calm, unlike the monsters deep in the darkness who were bloodthirsty and zero intelligence.
However, in the long, quiet night of low-frequency lightning, this clergyman didn’t carry any animal hide lanterns or have any fire lit. He just quietly walked through the thin fog.
Chapter 1182 The Holy Word
Although it had been less than a week since he entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein had long gotten a good understanding of the place through Little Sun. He knew that normal humans, even saints, had to use fire to create light in the darkness. Otherwise, it was very easy for them to encounter dangerous monsters lurking in the depths of the darkness, or be secretly devoured, disappearing without a trace, never to be found again.
And at that moment, the elderly clergyman wasn’t carrying any animal hide lanterns. Instead, he passed through the fog in the darkness and slowly entered the cathedral that was illuminated by the dim yellow light.
If it wasn’t for his deep and calm eyes that didn’t show any signs of madness, Klein’s first reaction would’ve been that he had encountered a special monster.
Of course, having a normal person’s state of mind and being immersed in darkness were contradictory traits. Any living creature with any semblance of normal intelligence could easily come up with a conclusion that this person might be even more terrifying than special monsters.
Klein had only met one person who could pass through the darkness without being affected by it while having sufficient intelligence:
Blasphemer Amon!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Sensing that the faint yellow light was reflected on his face, the tall black-robed clergyman with a slight hunch to his back stopped in his tracks. Looking at the demonic wolf statue, he hoarsely asked, “Where did the owner of this city go?”
Klein was the kind of person who would try his best to resolve a problem peacefully if a fight with a stranger could be avoided. As he raised his guard, he calmly replied, “I don’t know where either—I just entered the city—who knows where the owner went.”
Just as he said that, the entire cathedral dimmed. A thin fog surged in like a tidal wave from the outside, drowning the interior.
The lantern in Klein’s hand failed miserably at illuminating the windows and the situation at the door. It was dark outside, and nothing could be seen.
In the blink of an eye, the cathedral that worshiped the demonic wolf statue seemed to be isolated from Nois City. It was unknown where it was located.
Klein’s pupils dilated slightly as he looked at the clergyman with wrinkles and white hair. He asked in a deep voice, “Who are you?”
The hunched clergyman replied in a condescending manner, “I’m an attendant by the Lord’s side. I’m the Angel of the Holy Word, Steph. I walk this land of the past that the Lord had passed on, doing so on ‘His’ behalf in search of the ‘Blasphemer’ hidden in the darkness.”
As he spoke, the elder’s figure expanded to a height of four meters tall. Behind him, black illusory feathers appeared. Their shadows intersected and formed four pairs of gloomy but holy wings.
Angel of the Holy Word, Steph… An attendant by the Lord’s side… Land of the past… This is the Blessed of the True Creator, the Angel of Fate’s subordinate, a member of the Rose Redemption? It’s no wonder that “He” can walk in the darkness; “He” has the power of degeneration protecting “Him”… That evil god is still searching for the Beyonder characteristic of the Attendant of Mysteries? Klein had no choice but to raise his head and lock eyes with this clergyman who, despite wearing a black robe, had four pairs of angel wings on “His” back. This high-level existence angel’s form remained wrinkled with grizzled hair. There was a sense of contradiction in everything about “Him.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Pretending that he had never made an enemy of the Aurora Order, he calmly said, “That Blasphemer has long fled. I’m also searching for ‘Him.'”
After staring at Klein for two seconds, the Angel of the Holy Word asked in a low voice, “Who are you?”
It won’t be convenient saying it out directly… Klein sighed and smiled.
“I’m a lonely traveler.”
After he gave this reply, he suddenly felt an extreme sense of darkness developing within him. It then sank down and merged with the shadow created by the lantern.
The pitch-black figure abruptly warped and came to “life,” stretching itself out to become another Gehrman Sparrow—one with sinister and ferocious eyes and a solitary demeanor.
This… Klein’s pupils constricted. Without any hesitation, he reached out his right hand and grabbed outward at thin air.
At this point, if he hadn’t guessed that Steph was using his “answer,” he should’ve joined the Aurora Order and made the True Creator his god.
At this moment, he already knew what it meant by “Angel of the Holy Word.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was clearly the Angel of the Evil Word!
By using a person’s reply, “He” could extract a portion of the ambiguity or expand on it to create the effect of spirit language!
When Klein said that he didn’t know where the owner of the city had gone, Steph extracted the words “I don’t know where I went,” trapping himself and isolating himself from the outside world.
When this angel revealed “His” identity, every word was enhancing “His” level and strength.
When Klein answered who he was, it ended up separating “a lonely traveler” from him.
From the moment “He” appeared in Nois City, there was a strong sense of malice in the black-robed Steph!
And just as Klein was attempting to summon a particular image from the Historical Void, the sinister Gehrman Sparrow seemed to share the same thoughts as he did. He too grabbed at the same projection, canceling each other out.
Seeing that his powers as a Scholar of Yore had been restrained, Klein’s eyes narrowed. Without any hesitation, he opened his mouth and said a word in Jotun.
But in the next second, the word was stolen.
Composite Start
Composite End
Standing at about four meters tall, the stooped Angel of the Holy Word, Steph, had at some point in time grown a head covered in blood on “His” left shoulder. It looked very similar to “Him,” but was much younger—a person who was approximately in the forties.
Around the head were two skinless arms that had mangled flesh. They had “Grazed” different souls and had used Beyonder powers that could steal thoughts.
At the same time, another bloody head grew on Steph’s right shoulder, one that looked to be in “His” twenties.
Amongst the three heads, one “Grazed” souls and stole Klein’s thoughts, while the other was staring coldly at the target, deepening the self-awareness of the lonely traveler. The last one opened “His” mouth and said, “You lie!
“You are the person who destroyed the son of God’s descent ritual and interfered with the Lord’s descent twice!
“You are one of the targets I’m looking for!”
The corners of Klein’s mouth twitched as he calmly said a word in Jotun, “Leodero!”
This was the true name of the Lord of Storms!
The reason why this thought wasn’t stolen was because he had lined up his subsequent actions. The lineup was filled with the same content. It didn’t matter if the first thought was stolen, as it didn’t affect the subsequent thoughts.
This was a precious experience he had gained from fighting Amon.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, if he were to meet Amon again, he suspected that such a method might not work. Once the God of Mischief was prepared, “He” would definitely come up with something new.
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the Angel of the Holy Word Angel, Steph, lit up with bolts of silver lightning.
They covered the entirety of Nois City, and they tore through the darkness that enveloped the cathedral. They tore apart all the corruption, concealment, darkness, vileness, and evil.
Inside, Klein and the sinister Gehrman Sparrow were situated at the eye of the lightning storm. Without even a grunt, they dissipated.
Then, the terrifying, silvery-white, twisted electric bolts snaked the area and swallowed the demonic wolf statue as well as the Angel of Holy Words, Steph.
Amidst the dull rumbling sounds, the ancient city of Nois completely collapsed, becoming a true ruin.
At the opposite side of the dried-up river bed, Klein’s historical projection quickly faded away, returning to the real world.
Right on the heels of that, Klein immediately used Flaming Jump to distance himself from the Nois ruins. During this process, he pulled out a few paper figurines and made them into “angels” to cover his tracks.
The desolate plains returned to its state of dead silence once again. After an unknown period of time, the ruins where the cathedral stood shook. Steph slowly stood up amidst crumbling dust and rock.
“His” completely white hair had thinned again, and “His” deep-black clergyman’s robe became tattered.
The Angel of the Holy Word left Nois ancient city in silence, got “His” bearings, and walked deep into the darkness.
Half a day later, a figure approached the city’s ruins from another direction. It was none other than Klein who had made a huge detour.
He hadn’t had the chance to check the ancient city of Nois previously, and his return this time was motivated by the hope of finding actual clues of that existence.
At a relatively far distance away, Klein repeated his observations above the gray fog, summoned the historical projection, and hid in ancient times, using the projection to summon another historical projection.
After finishing his preparations, he stepped into Nois once again and returned to the cathedral in absolute silence.
Along the way, the corpses that had been lying dead on the ground had either turned to ash or turned to charred remains, devoid of that creepy and harrowing feeling.
That fellow named Steph didn’t die… From the looks of it, the remnant divine powers of Storm here can only injure an angel… Klein stopped in front of the ruined cathedral and muttered to himself wistfully.
Of course, he only found it a little regretful. He didn’t expect to finish off an angel so easily.
As he swept his gaze, he saw a few pieces of the demonic wolf statue.
The surface of it was dark black, and the insides were dark red—nothing like commonly seen stone.
These stones must be extraordinary for them to be used by that Dark Demonic Wolf for “His” statue. Furthermore, they don’t look like something produced in the vicinity… Perhaps I can seek out the area the Dark Demonic Wolf hid prior to Nois City by investigating them… As a Miracle Invoker, or even an Attendant of Mysteries, that Dark Demonic Wolf must be good at covering “His” tracks. It’ll be very difficult to track “His” whereabouts directly, but if I can find most of the areas “He” had hid previously, I should be able to gain insight into “His” habits and style…
Once I know a person’s past, I can predict his future! As he thought, he took two steps forward, bent down, and attempted to pick up a fragment of the statue.
At that moment, a charred hand suddenly reached out and blocked his finger.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a charred corpse standing up!
The charred corpse’s other hand held onto a crystal monocle and wore it on its left eye.
Amon! Left eye… Klein’s heart tightened at first before a strong sense of doubt and suspicion surfaced within him.
In the next second, the charred corpse smiled and said, “Sorry, I wore it on the wrong side.”
As it spoke, it took off the monocle and moved it to its right eye.
Chapter 1183Klein“s Advantage
“…” Once again, Klein understood why Amon was the God of Mischief.
At that moment, he didn’t even have the desire to lampoon. All he wanted was to immediately end the historical projection and escape from the Amon—no, Amons—in front of him.
The charred corpse that had been “Parasitized” wiped the soot from its face. Before Klein disappeared, it said with a smile, “There’s no rush. You are just a projection from the Historical Void. I can’t really parasitize you, and you should know very well that I’m not alone. It’s difficult for you to launch an effective counterattack.”
With a simple lantern in hand, Klein thought silently. He picked up a piece of the black sculpture fragment that had red insides, and he cautiously asked, “What exactly do you want to say?”
At that moment, Amon had already changed back into “His” appearance. The only problem was that “His” skin remained darker.
“He” adjusted “His” crystal monocle and chuckled.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You know that I’m aware that you’re searching for that Dark Demonic Wolf in an attempt to obtain the Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic from ‘Him.’ I happen to be very interested as well. Why don’t we play another game and see who can get to it first?”
What’s the point of that? It’s not like I won’t pursue it or think of snatching it if I don’t play this game. After two seconds of silence, he shook his head.
“I refuse.”
He had no intention of listening to what conditions Amon would offer. The more he heard from a top cheat, the more he would suffer.
Amon shook “His” head without a hint of anger.
“You’ll regret this. I had originally planned to use a Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic to exchange for Sefirah Castle with you, and also give you a period of time to transfer the secret gathering you organized.
“And now, I can only consider stealing your fate directly. I will carry the burden of the corrosion from the source. Yes, although it’s dangerous, it’s still thrilling enough. I’m already prepared to accept it and see who will eventually control the flow. With my father’s experience, I believe I won’t perform too poorly.”
…What? Corrosion from the source? The experience of the ancient sun god? Klein originally didn’t wish to continue discussing the topic of the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic and Sefirah Castle, but when he heard that, his heart stirred.
He recalled Amon’s description and couldn’t help but ask, “The source refers to the Oldest One, the first Creator?”
Composite Start
Composite End
He desperately wanted to know what sort of unbearable fate Sefirah Castle would bring him.
Amon pinched the edge of his monocle and looked at him for a few seconds before suddenly smiling.
“It’s better if I don’t answer this question directly, as you won’t believe every word I say.”
Tell me, I’ll determine its authenticity! Klein suppressed the urge to blurt out and calmly replied, “Maybe it’s just because you haven’t made up the reason yet.”
Amon didn’t mind at all as “He” smiled and said, “You can think of it that way too.
“Heh heh, at times, the truth that you discover for yourself is definitely more agreeable than what others tell you. If you have the time, you can wander around the Forsaken Land of the Gods. This should provide you with more clues. Of course, if you have the guts to enter Chernobyl, then you would know more.”
“…” Klein didn’t pursue the matter any further. After staring at the collapsed cathedral that was bathed in a faint yellow light, he casually said, “Did the Dark Demonic Wolf hurriedly migrate because of the discovery of your existence?”
Amon nodded slightly and said, “It wasn’t just me. ‘He’ also sensed The Hanged Man’s gaze. ‘He’ has been hiding in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for thousands of years. ‘He’ is very sensitive to such matters.”
A Sequence 2 angel, perhaps even a Sequence 1 angel, can only play hide and seek in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and live such an abject life… Isn’t the environment here a little too harsh? Klein sighed inwardly before saying, “You must’ve left more than one avatar in the City of Silver. Why didn’t you try to stop me from reviving there?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why didn’t you send more powerful avatars over?”
Amon nudged the bottom of “His” monocle with “His” right index finger and laughed.
“If that happens, you’ll choose to revive in the outside world. This will cause quite a bit of trouble for my follow-up tracking.
“And if I—if we were to relax a little, due to the existence of the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, you would most likely be resurrected here. In the following game, the only things that we need to consider are The Hanged Man and Ouroboros.”
Just as I thought… Klein said after some thought, “Even in the same region, as long as you exceed a certain distance, your true body and avatars have no way to instantly merge or switch locations?
“Back when you first entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, you were able to transform back into your true form because the anomalies with Sefirah Castle had similarly interfered with the area here, allowing your true body to sense something. You went to the entrance in advance to wait?”
After hearing what he said with a smile, Amon asked without answering, “What’s your guess?
“Why don’t you guess if I’ve turned back into my original form?”
Klein raised his right fist and covered his mouth. After pondering for a few seconds, he revealed a smile.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I guess your other avatars are setting up a corresponding ritual to allow your true body to descend directly…”
Before he could finish his sentence, his figure rapidly turned incorporeal and dissipated.
The Historical Void projection was dispelled.
In the wilderness outside the ancient city of Nois, the air around the hiding Klein suddenly stirred. In midair, there were a series of illusory monocles.
They stared at Klein’s figure, as if saying that they had finally found him.
However, Klein’s figure rapidly faded away.
Back when Amon moved the monocle to “His” right eye, Klein had already returned from ancient history to the real world. With the help of Paper Angel, he had used Flaming Jump and other Beyonder powers to quickly leave.
The reason why his historical projection was able to speak to Amon rather normally was because he was essentially a marionette. It was Qonas Kilgor in the form of Gehrman Sparrow. He had a Worm of Spirit that came from history inside him and was controlled by Klein’s projection outside the city.
Meanwhile, in the process of escaping far away, Klein frequently entered the Historical Void, allowing the projection outside the city to intermittently regain consciousness and maintain control of his marionette.
This caused the person who had spoken to Amon to fall into deep thought from time to time. He would either stare with a focused look for a few seconds or seemingly need time to recall what Amon had said.
Composite Start
Composite End
Against the God of Deceit, Klein didn’t dare to be careless!
After leaving Nois City, he circled around two more times and used his true vision to inspect his surroundings above the gray fog. Only then did he slow down.
The corrosion that comes from the source… I wonder if Amon is bluffing me… Indeed, I’ll have to enter Chernobyl one day to take a look, but I have to become a Miracle Invoker—doing so after I have self-preservation abilities to a certain degree; otherwise, I’ll just be knocking on death’s door… With the lantern that Danitz had sacrificed, Klein casually proceeded in the dark environment of the weeds.
Thanks to this experience, he finally had a deeper understanding of the danger in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
Extremely harsh and warped environment, crazy cultists, fallen angel, groups of Amons wandering about, and Mythical Creatures lurking in the darkness. Somewhere here, there are evil gods watching everything. I can stir remnant divine powers that others can as well… As expected of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The danger level far exceeds my imagination… As he sighed, he turned his attention back to the Dark Demonic Wolf.
To be frank, he didn’t think he had any advantage in tracking this Mythical Creature. Be it his understanding of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, or his confidence in the target’s situation, he was far inferior to Amon, who had been exploring the area for more than a thousand years, as well as the True Creator’s Blesseds who had the benefit of this place being their home ground.
My only advantage is that I share the same Seer pathway as the Dark Demonic Wolf. Furthermore, I have Sefirah Castle. There is a strong inclination for Beyonder characteristic convergence. This will have a certain effect on fate and judgment… However, Amon is a King of Angels of a neighboring pathway. There is also the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence between “Him” and the Dark Demonic Wolf. The effects won’t be any weaker than mine… Klein considered carefully for a moment when he suddenly had an idea. He found his best advantage.
The advantage was:
He was very weak!
Compared to Amon, the True Creator’s attendant, and the Dark Demonic Wolf, he was very weak!
Under normal circumstances, this was a disadvantage, but at times, it was possible that it could bring him something that he wanted.
My level is low, and I’m weak. That means that I can become the hunting target of the Dark Demonic Wolf instead… It’s very difficult for me to find “Him,” so why don’t I get “Him” to come and find me instead! A Scholar of Yore might not necessarily interest the Dark Demonic Wolf, but if this Scholar of Yore can still trigger Sefirah Castle, that’s a whole other matter… I can stir Sefirah Castle from time to time, leaving behind traces of the gray fog’s aura as bait for the Dark Demonic Wolf… The more he thought, the more viable he believed it was.
Of course, this was definitely very dangerous. If he wasn’t careful, he might accidentally bait Amon or even the True Creator. And the Dark Demonic Wolf might very likely choose to observe first before suddenly launching an attack and not giving him a chance to prepare.
Before taking this approach, I have to make sufficient preparations… There’s no need to rush it… Taking a deep breath, Klein reached out his hand and pulled out the black demonic wolf sculpture’s fragment that was red on the inside.
Although he had failed to obtain the item due to Amon’s obstruction, this didn’t stop him from taking it out from the Historical Void. This was because he had already seen it and had touched it. And the item itself wasn’t at a high level.
At this moment, he wanted to use the fragment to search for the hiding spot of the Dark Demonic Wolf by analyzing it in reverse and figuring out its modus operandi.
In the wilderness ruled by darkness, Klein lifted the lantern that emitted a faint yellow light. He got his bearings and changed directions before slowly entering.
…
Backlund, Hillston Borough.
Fors, who had gone out “Traveling” once, finally received a reply from her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.
Chapter 1184 “Record“
There are no Worms of Star at the moment… He wants me to take note of what else the person who’s seeking to purchase a Worm of Star needs… Fors read the letter from her teacher and silently heaved a sigh of relief.
However, when she thought about how she was about to begin hunting the Saint of Secrets, she felt a pang of nervousness. After all, he was a demigod, a saint who had reached Sequence 4 about one or two years ago. It was unknown if he was already at Sequence 3 now.
Although the mastermind behind the operation is Ma’am Hermit, as the bait, I still need to worry about my own safety… Besides, the Aurora Order still has Rose Redemption backing them, as well as angels and a King of Angels… Fors didn’t regret agreeing to Gehrman Sparrow’s request. This was something she had wanted to do in the first place. However, due to the high risk involved, it was inevitable for her to feel flustered and uneasy.
This made her think of another possibility:
If Mr. World could participate in the operation and lead it, I’ll definitely feel less nervous and worried.
It wasn’t that Fors didn’t believe in Ma’am Hermit’s strength and experience, but that the results from The World Gehrman Sparrow were laid bare for all to see. His hunts didn’t include one or two demigods, so having him run the operation would make one feel at ease.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio, who was sitting beside the fireplace, glanced at her friend and asked, “Is the hunt about to begin?”
“Yes.” Fors nodded solemnly before saying, “It won’t be too soon. Everyone needs some time to prepare.”
Hunting a demigod wasn’t akin to fox hunting in the suburbs during autumn. Setting off wasn’t as simple as bringing the equipment and gathering friends. This required a precise and meticulous plan. Fors believed that Ma’am Hermit had to come to Backlund personally, or live in another kill box that she had decided on for some time. Only by figuring out the exact situation could she come up with an effective plan.
As for Miss Justice, she was still speeding up the digestion of her Dreamwalker potion. This might take another one to two months or even longer.
For Fors, she could afford to wait. She also wanted to finish digesting her Scribe potion, set up the ritual, and become a Traveler before the actual operation began.
The only thing she wasn’t sure of was whether The World would rush them.
I will try my best to convince him—no, let Miss Justice convince him. That’s what a Spectator is best at… Just as Fors mumbled, she saw Xio turn around and hesitantly say, “The liaison officer from MI9 suggested that I should officially join them today. And they said that, with the new king in place, there are many matters from the past that I don’t need to worry about. People like me and him have the chance to have importance placed on them again.”
Fors listened attentively and said after some deliberation, “That isn’t some sort of investigation that’s targeted at us, right?
“This will likely make them discover that there’s a faction behind you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio nodded and said, “They believe that I was abandoned after that incident. Also, they suspect that that faction belongs to a Church—the Church of Evernight.”
Xio believed in the Evernight Goddess, so mentioning the Church was undoubtedly referring to the Church of Evernight. However, considering that her good friend was a believer in the God of Steam and Machinery, she made an emphasis to prevent any ambiguity.
“Heh heh, that’s what Mr. World told us to disguise ourselves as,” Fors stroked her hair with a relaxed expression and said with a smile.
She then made herself look serious and mature.
“Xio, this is an opportunity for you. ‘Acting’ as a Judge clearly requires the support of the officials. Your current strength and level aren’t enough to be a Judge in the underground world in Backlund. You also lack sufficient support.
“If you can really enter a court of law, rotate between the different courts, and serve in a criminal court for a few months, your potion should be completely digested. Oh right, I heard that MI9 has a ‘Paranormal Court’ within it, one which specializes in Beyonder cases. If you become a Judge there, you might be able to attempt to be a Disciplinary Paladin by February or March next year.”
Seeing Xio clearly being moved by her speech, Fors hurriedly added, “Once you make enough contributions, you might be able to restore your father’s reputation to a certain extent. Anyway, George III is already dead. As long as it doesn’t affect his reputation, Jevington II might not stop it.”
Jevington was the eldest son of George III. He had worn the crown as Balam’s emperor and was now the new king of Loen.
Xio fell silent for a while before she slowly nodded.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ll give it a try.”
“Yes, after things settle down, you can bring your mother and brother to Backlund. Although the situation is tense now and food prices are rapidly rising, you definitely get food rations from MI9. You can provide for them!” The more Fors spoke, the more she felt that joining MI9 was a good thing.
After persuading Xio, Fors entered her bedroom and prayed to Mr. Fool, asking “Him” to forward her message to Mr. World.
Immediately following that, Fors extracted the important points of her teacher’s reply and described her thoughts, hoping that Gehrman Sparrow could be more patient.
Just as she finished her prayers and was about to leave the room, her vision suddenly blurred. She saw a crimson tide surge out of the void, instantly drowning her.
Fors immediately discovered that she had arrived in the ancient palace and was sitting on her usual high-back chair. However, there was no towering figure that was shrouded in gray fog at the long, bronze table’s seat of honor.
At that moment, there was only her and The World Gehrman Sparrow around the long mottled table.
“…” Fors’s mind suddenly tensed up as her thoughts raced suddenly. “Mr. World, I meant, just now, that it’s best if you have some patience. This will make things simpler. It’s actually fine if you don’t. We will begin hunting as soon as possible.”
Klein let out a soft chuckle.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Don’t worry, I’m not in a hurry.”
When his ultimate goal had become an angel-level potion formula and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, he had enough patience regarding this matter.
Phew… Fors secretly heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously, “Then why did you look for me?”
Klein replied calmly, “Didn’t you wish to digest the Scribe potion as quickly as possible?
“Apart from the customs of different places, I think you still need to record all kinds of Beyonder powers. The higher the corresponding level, the better the digestion’s effect.”
Fors’s eyes lit up when she heard that.
“Yes… Yes!”
After blurting it out, she found her attitude highly questionable. She hurriedly and fearfully added, “Is this the advance payment you mentioned before?”
Klein nodded slightly and said, “Let’s begin. Be prepared. I’ve borrowed a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact from Mr. Fool. It corresponds to the level of a saint.”
To a Sequence 6 Scribe, the chances of successfully recording an angel-level Beyonder power was extremely low—nearly impossible. Therefore, Klein didn’t attempt to summon Miss Messenger and Mr. Azik from the Historical Void to showcase their “skills.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors sat up straight and nodded heavily.
“Yes.”
In the next second, she saw The World Gehrman Sparrow raise a white bone scepter covered in blue gems.
Amidst the bright light, bolts of lightning leaped out of the void and interwove together, forming a forest of lightning that emitted an aura of destruction.
Fors’s eyes turned silvery-white as her body and mind were left in awe.
After the Lightning Storm calmed down, she was stunned for two seconds before timidly saying, “It failed…”
“Again,” Klein calmly replied.
“Lightning Storm” descended again and again in the ancient palace above the gray fog. After an unknown period of time, Fors exhaled and leaned back in her chair. She couldn’t hide her joy as she said, “It’s a success! It’s a success…”
She had finally “Recorded” Lightning Storm once.
It’s finally over… Fors immediately relaxed. Then, she heard The World say without emotion, “Alright, next Beyonder power.”
…Next? Fors saw the crazy adventurer at the bottom of the long, mottled table extend his right hand and grab at the grayish-white fog. Out of nowhere, he took out a long, thorny cross that was covered in bronze.
Record this cross’s ability? Fors tried hard to make her expression appear normal.
After she digested the Scribe potion to a certain extent, the godhood powers that she could “Record” had increased from one to two.
“No.” Klein glanced at Miss Magician and said, “Record my summoning of the Unshadowed Crucifix.”
“…It failed,” Fors said softly.
The reason for her failure this time was that she didn’t have time to “Record” it.
Dispelling the maintenance of Unshadowed Crucifix, Klein once again reached into the fog of history and pulled out an iron-black revolver.
“It didn’t succeed…” Fors replied with a complicated expression.
All she wanted to do now was to return to the real world and digest what she had just received, but the ringing of the bell to mark the end of “class” just didn’t happen.
Nearly thirty times later, when Fors’s head throbbed in pain and her mental strength was beginning to run dry, she finally “Recorded” Historical Void Summoning once.
At that moment, she felt her tears fill her eyes, but she still held back her fatigue and tried her best to show the attitude of a good student.
“This can summon people and objects that one is related to through the Historical Void?
“When the time comes, who should I summon, or what item should I summon?”
Klein looked at Miss Magician and coldly replied, “Me.”
“…” Fors forced a smile and asked, “From which period?”
“The last time we met.” Klein had already thought of an answer.
It was the him who had deliberately sent Miss Magician back from the world of ice and snow to Backlund before he destroyed George III’s ritual. He had already become a Scholar of Yore by then.
Fors nodded solemnly and subconsciously asked, “What if I fail? For me to summon someone who exceeds my own level, the probability of failure should be very high…”
“Come again tomorrow to record this ability. Use Leymano’s Travels,” Klein said calmly.
Will two times be enough to succeed? Fors instinctively had such a question. However, she didn’t dare to speak when she saw how certain The World Gehrman Sparrow was about it.
She raised her hand and gestured.
“Then, can I go back now?”
With a terse answer, he allowed Miss Magician to leave Sefirah Castle with a delighted expression.
…
In a primitive forest on Sonia Island.
Alger Wilson led his subordinates into an elven ruin that was seldom visited.
Chapter 1185 Reappearing
The withered vines drooped down, covering the rotting wooden structure. The entire ruins had been frozen in a silent atmosphere that no one had tread within for a while.
Alger and a few sailors circled around the ruin in the environment of a withering winter, but they still failed to discover anything of value.
“Captain, batches of adventurers have come here before. What else could they have left us?” Finally, a sailor in his thirties impatiently broke the silence.
This resonated with his other companions as they echoed, “A place that didn’t take us much time to learn about can definitely be easily found by others.”
“That’s right, that’s right. Let’s continue to f**k the Feysacians!”
“Captain, are you trying to make this place a stronghold?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger slowly scanned the area, quelling the sailors to stop their complaints under his gaze and making them choose to obey.
After a few seconds of silence, he said, “I plan on using this place to ambush the Feysacians.
“Let’s observe the terrain and see if it’s suitable.”
With such an excuse, the sailors barely perked up, and the group quickly entered the depths of the elven ruins.
As he walked, Alger’s spiritual perception was triggered as he subconsciously looked behind a gigantic tree.
There were some signs of churning in the soil over there, and it wouldn’t take more than a year.
Alger retracted his gaze and pretended not to notice anything amiss. He naturally looked elsewhere.
After exploring the elven ruins, they returned to their new camp.
At that moment, it was almost evening and the forest was getting colder. Alger had dinner with the sailors before leaving two patrolling guards behind, and then all of them entered their respective tents.
Composite Start
Composite End
The cold wind blew through the trees, causing the bonfire to sway. Alger, who had wanted to leave the campsite in the middle of the night, suddenly heard faint singing from afar.
The voice was ethereal, like a woman humming and singing slowly, relating her inner thoughts.
This made Alger involuntarily recall the past. He recalled his mother who had long passed away, and the days when he was a bullied child.
Indescribable grief surged from the bottom of his heart, preventing him from waking up immediately. He waited for a few seconds before he suddenly sat up, frowning and listening.
This time, he didn’t hear anything. That melodious voice seemed to have never happened.
Alger narrowed his eyes, grabbed his thick jacket, and put it on. He walked out of the tent and came to the bonfire.
The two sailors in charge of night duty had just finished their patrol and were drawing warmth from it.
“Did you discover anything unusual?” Alger asked in a deep voice.
The two strong, vigorous sailors shook their heads.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“No.”
Alger’s brows relaxed a little as he turned around, intending to make his own rounds.
At this moment, he noticed something from the corner of his eye.
The two sailors were too close.
If it were any ordinary pirate, this wouldn’t have been a problem. However, Alger’s subordinates had undergone formal training through the Church of the Lord of Storms. They definitely knew that, in such an environment, the patrol team had to maintain a certain distance from each other. They couldn’t be too far or too close. They had to be able to see their companions, as well as prevent themselves from being taken away at the same time from a single assault.
Alger took two steps without batting an eyelid. He turned back and casually asked, “Did you discover anything normal?”
He had changed the question and made it appear very strange.
The two strong sailors shook their heads and replied without changing their expressions, “No.”
No… Alger nodded slightly with a relaxed expression.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Very good.”
He turned around and slowly walked into his tent.
The moment the sailors’ attention on him was cut off, Alger drew out the Blade of Poison and the Gargoyle Glasses. He opened his mouth and prepared to belt out a song.
At that moment, the ethereal voice from before appeared once again. It echoed in Alger’s ears and pierced into his mind.
This was an extremely ancient folk song, spelling out an extreme sense of sadness and melancholy through the singing. It made Alger’s Spirit Body produce pale, non-existent arms that constantly tore at him.
Alger’s expression twisted as his skin began to produce slippery, black fish scales. His dark blue hair stood up one by one as they became abnormally thick.
The thoughts that originally existed in his mind were disrupted by the song and were cut off by the pain. They were unable to take form any further.
Alger fell and struggled on the ground. He squirmed, becoming less and less like a human as he was pushed to the brink of losing control.
Suddenly, the singing stopped. A slightly indifferent voice entered Alger’s ears:
“Some elven blood…
Composite Start
Composite End
“Then, that shall be all. Use Siatas’s Beyonder characteristic well.”
Alger’s forehead was covered in cold sweat as he slowly got up. He didn’t know when a figure had appeared in the tent.
It was a woman with black hair and exquisite facial features. Her ears were slightly pointy, and her eyes were deep. Her facial features were soft, and she wore a complicated and ancient long dress. Even though she didn’t have the advantage in height, she still gave off an air of superiority.
“…Are you the Elf Queen, Queen of Calamity Cohinem?” A thought flashed through Alger’s mind as he took the initiative to ask.
The woman played with a beautifully decorated golden cup and calmly said, “Haven’t you already met me?”
Alger suddenly recalled the similar singing he had heard on Pasu Island. He recalled seeing a high elf when he entered the underwater coral palace.
After a few seconds of silence, Alger said in a deep voice, “You’re actually still alive.”
At the same time, he silently recited Mr. Fool’s honorific name in his heart, but he didn’t know if it would be effective if he didn’t recite it out loud.
The black-haired woman’s expression remained unchanged as she replied, “It’s very difficult for an angel to perish without encountering an enemy.”
“Then why did you split the characteristics and place yourself to be in a strange state? This makes you need to wait for an opportunity to be resurrected.” Alger had learned of the corresponding situation at the Tarot Club, and now, he was asking out of curiosity, partly to stall for time.
The elven lady suspected to be Queen of Calamity Cohinem snorted.
“Because the divine throne for ‘Storm’ is occupied by Leodero, and I have no way of resisting the ‘Tyrant.’
“Also, the elves are dwindling in numbers. My anchors are becoming increasingly unstable.”
Other people might not know who Leodero was, but Alger knew very well. He didn’t dare continue this topic in the real world.
Just as he was about to ask the Queen of Calamity Cohinem’s goal for coming, the Elf Queen said, “Do you want to become a demigod?”
“She” wants to use my body to revive? “She” wants to use my wish to advance to Sequence 4 and obtain godhood as bait to intrude my body? While Alger was tempted, questions arose in his mind.
Considering how Mr. Fool could cleanse all kinds of corruption, Alger acutely felt that this was an opportunity.
This made him recall a term Emperor Roselle had once mentioned:
A trojan horse!
And now, he had a high chance of bringing in the trojan horse and throwing out the invaders within.
“What do you want me to do?” Alger didn’t appear too anxious as he raised a question based on his personality.
Queen of Calamity Cohinem observed him for a few seconds before saying, “When you have the right to make contact with the Book of Calamity, take out something that no one else will notice, and take it to the Western Continent.”
The Western Continent… The legendary homeland of the elves? Alger frowned slightly and said, “Hasn’t the Western Continent already disappeared?”
The corners of Cohinem’s lips curled up slightly.
“Since it disappeared, it will reappear again.
“It will definitely appear again when the apocalypse happens.”
Without waiting for Alger to ask further, the Elf Queen paused and said, “You don’t have to personally send that item to the Western Continent, but you have to entrust someone trustworthy. Although I’m not skilled at curses, I can still make you die in pain from breaking our agreement.”
“But what if the Western Continent doesn’t appear again, or if it can’t be entered?” Alger thought seriously for a moment.
Cohinem, with her gentle gaze and lustrous raven-black hair, seemed to be lost in beautiful memories.
After a few seconds, she calmly said, “If it really doesn’t appear again, then the agreement shall be null and void.
“Perhaps entering the Western Continent requires an incantation or command, but I do not know what it is. However, you can ask a particular existence.”
“Who?” Alger asked, puzzled.
Cohinem glanced at him and coldly said, “The Mr. Fool you were chanting in your heart just now.
“I have a feeling that ‘He’ is the key to this matter.”
Alger’s heart tightened as he hurriedly lowered his head in response.
“I understand.”
Seeing this, Queen of Calamity Cohinem nodded slightly and said, “If you wish to become a demigod and abide by this agreement, you can head to the elven ruins when the sun rises.”
After the voice fell, the Elf Queen’s figure quickly dissipated, like a mirage that was often seen at sea and in the desert.
Alger suddenly opened his eyes and realized that he was lying in a tent, having just woken up.
His memories were in a mess, but he quickly regulated them.
He and his sailors had just found the location of an elven ruin and had yet to explore it.
The previous “exploration,” singing, sailor anomalies, and appearance and conversation with Calamity were all just a dream!
It’s no wonder I was so careless… Even though I knew that I might encounter the Queen of Calamity, I didn’t pray to Mr. Fool first… The Queen of Calamity relied on her status as an angel to create this realistic dream? Or perhaps, she has a corresponding Sealed Artifact. Even if she exists in a special state, she still has the means to use her powers? Alger listened to the commotion outside the tent, and he realized that everything was normal.
He then sat down and prayed sincerely to Mr. Fool.
In just twenty to thirty seconds, Alger arrived above the gray fog and saw Mr. Fool sitting at the end of the long, mottled table.
“You met Cohinem?” After The Hanged Man greeted him, The Fool Klein spoke casually.
Alger answered seriously, “Yes, but I can’t be sure that it’s the Elf Queen.”
Chapter 1186 Opportunity and Danger Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
The Fool acknowledged softly and didn’t deny The Hanged Man’s guess, nor was he certain that it was Queen of Calamity Cohinem. After all, it was impossible for him to take out a gold coin in front of him and perform a divination on the spot.
Alger waited for a few seconds. Seeing no clear response from Mr. Fool, he quickly went into greater detail about what he had said in the prayer. From the woman suspected to be Queen of Calamity Cohinem saying that he had some elven blood in him, to how she gave him a promise of becoming a demigod, as well as the key to the Western Continent and the completion of the agreement.
After recounting everything, Alger shut his mouth and lowered his head, not daring to directly ask Mr. Fool what “He” thought. He obediently waited for the great existence to speak.
Some elven blood… Send something from the Book of Calamity to the Western Continent… The missing Western Continent might reappear again… The Western Continent… The Fool Klein listened quietly. He closed his eyes and calmly said, “This is very dangerous, but this is also an opportunity for you.”
He had already gained initial control of Sefirah Castle, and the power he could mobilize had reached the level of a Sequence 2 angel. As for Queen of Calamity Cohinem, she couldn’t be higher than this level; therefore, he was quite confident that he could resist the various accidents brought about by the Elf Queen.
It was precisely because of this that he dared to claim it to be an opportunity for The Hanged Man.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, the prerequisite for grasping the opportunity was that The Hanged Man wasn’t rash or went overboard. He had to constantly remember to ask for protection at all times. Therefore, Klein specially emphasized that it was very dangerous. He wanted The Hanged Man to remember to pray to Mr. Fool before he took action.
This short sentence had two meanings to it, but he believed that Mr. Hanged Man would definitely understand it.
Alger was delighted as he replied rather sincerely, as though he had learned from The Sun.
“My faith lies only with Mr. Fool!”
These words made Klein feel uneasy as he remembered the pain of being drowned by endless lightning. He could only smile without saying a word.
Alger deliberated for a moment before asking, “Honorable Mr. Fool, what are the incantations or commands needed to enter the Western Continent?”
I would like to know that too… The Fool Klein sighed and said, “It’s not time for you to know.”
“Yes, Mr. Fool.” Alger didn’t ask further as he bowed respectfully.
When he returned to the real world, he immediately walked out of the tent and led his sailors out. Under the light of the morning sun, he spent a certain amount of time reaching the elven ruin.
Composite Start
Composite End
The scene here was identical to what he had seen in his dream. The withered vines covered the decaying wooden structure, and there were some areas where the text on monuments could be seen. The air seemed to have frozen, as though no one had stepped in for a long time.
Looking around, Alger suddenly thought of a question.
How was he to face the Church after he really relied on the Queen of Calamity to become a demigod?
Directly rebel, becoming the fifth king over the Five Seas—no, the sixth king? But this way, I won’t have a chance to come into contact with the Book of Calamity. Unless I design a situation that forces the Church to use this Sealed Artifact that might’ve been labeled as Grade 0 without my knowledge. That will not only be very difficult, but I have to become a Sea King, or even a Calamity to succeed… Yes, I can request The World’s help… If I wish to continue staying in the Church, I have to give them a reason that they cannot ignore but is sufficiently believable… Alger frowned slightly without hiding his solemnity.
In the eyes of the sailors who followed him, this was a sign that he was worried about the ruin.
As his thoughts churned, Alger gradually came up with ideas:
There are many books in the Church that have records of people turning into demigods due to a fortuitous encounter… Two-thirds of them were invaded by evil gods and devils and eventually lost their lives in the purification process… However, a third of them passed the test and became a high-ranking deacon or a cardinal…
Now that the war has broken out, the situation in Loen is tense. As long as there aren’t any problems during the investigation, the Church wouldn’t mind having an additional Sequence 4 demigod as cannon fodder… Then, I can slowly gain their trust later…
The prerequisite for all of this is that the Queen of Calamity hasn’t truly attempted to corrupt me or left a mark on me…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Considering the various Sealed Artifacts in the Church’s possession, I have to pray for Mr. Fool’s blessings ahead of time… According to Miss Justice, Angel’s Embrace can effectively hide one’s true thoughts and tests in one’s dream…
With the members of the Tarot Club beginning to become demigods or about to become demigods, Alger really didn’t wish to be lining the bottom of the barrel. Just like in the past, he had done so many things in the Church, all for the sake of being superior to others. Now, he was naturally willing to take a certain risk.
With this decision, Alger immediately led his sailors into the ruins and began exploring the path in his dreams.
This time, he didn’t split his subordinates into small teams. On the one hand, he was worried that an accident might occur, and on the other hand, he hoped that they could all be his “witness.”
After fifteen minutes, Alger and his crew arrived beside the giant tree that had signs of its soil being churned.
Before he could survey his surroundings, his vision blurred, and he saw a gorgeous palace made up of coral.
Above the palace was a layer of deep blue seawater that rippled outwards. Giant pillars stood tall and held up an exaggerated dome. It was tall and beautiful, but also dark and gloomy.
Alger looked around and realized that all the sailors beside him had disappeared. He immediately knew that he might have been pulled into an illusion.
He took a silent breath and slowly walked into the coral palace.
Composite Start
Composite End
There were many elves inside. They were either roasting fish or placing spices in the coagulated animal blood. Their choice of utensil was two tree branches to bring the food to their mouths. None of them minded the entrance of a stranger.
Alger then cast his gaze to the nine-staired stairs a hundred meters away.
On the steps, there was a coral throne inlaid with sapphires, emerald, and lustrous pearls. The Elf Queen, Queen of Calamity, was sitting there, looking down at Alger.
“Very good.” Cohinem nodded and threw out the exquisite gold wine glass.
The gentle but resilient wind held the wine cup in its embrace and, like tiny pixies in a line, carried the corresponding items towards Alger.
Alger reached out to receive it and looked down. He discovered that there was a blue liquid inside the golden cup. It was incorporeal, dreamy, and surreal.
“Drink it, and then head to the waters near the Symeem Island of the Rorsted Archipelago. Find this coral palace. The thing you want is inside.”
“If I don’t drink this ‘wine,’ I won’t be able to see that palace?” Alger asked thoughtfully.
Although he was facing an angel, he was still able to communicate rather calmly. This was because he met a mighty figure every week and was already used to this situation.
Queen of Calamity Cohinem nodded and said, “That’s right.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Will you leave a mark on me?” Alger asked cautiously.
“Yes,” Cohinem said coldly. “So, before entering the coral palace and obtaining the corresponding items, you can’t return to Pasu Island. You can’t meet the angels under Leodero.”
The pontiff can’t be met even if I want to… Alger heaved a sigh of relief inwardly before asking, “After I get hold of that item, the effect of this ‘wine’ will disappear?”
Elf Queen Cohinem, replied without any change in expression, “No, you need to directly consume that characteristic.
“When the time comes, this ‘wine’ will transform into a seal, allowing that characteristic to temporarily not invade your body. How you prepare the ritual and explain this to the Church of Storms will be up to you.”
Let the characteristic belong to me first before holding the ritual? This way, there might be a better way for the Church to accept it… Alger thought for a moment before raising his hand to bring the wine cup to his lips.
The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat and disappeared in a blink of an eye. The entire coral palace shattered as the light of dawn and the remnants of the gigantic green tree reappeared in front of Alger.
You didn’t sign a contract or get me to swear an oath? Yes, drinking that cup of “wine” is equivalent to making an agreement… Alger retracted his gaze and said to the surrounding sailors who were unaware, “There’s nothing here. Let’s go deeper and take a look.”
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Klein also retracted his gaze from the crimson star representing The Hanged Man and nodded thoughtfully.
That’s Siatas and Mobet’s grave… I never expected that golden wine cup to have such an effect…
That is indeed Elf Queen Cohinem… How’s “Her” present condition? Half of it is in the Book of Calamity, while the other is hiding somewhere unknown. “She” was using the golden wine cup or the characteristic to influence reality?
Mr. Hanged Man hasn’t been contaminated for the time being. I’ll wait for him to head to the Rorsted Archipelago before making another assessment.
As his true body had a limited amount of time left in the Historical Void, Klein didn’t stay any longer, and he returned to the pitch-black wilderness. He carried the lantern that emitted a faint yellow light as he walked towards a certain location.
As he walked, he turned his head to look east, which was symbolic of where Chernobyl was. His footsteps slowed down involuntarily.
Once I gather sufficient information from the Dark Demonic Wolf’s former hiding spots, I’ll head east. I’ll walk all the way until I reach the boundary and confirm the situation. Then, I’ll consider the matter of the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic… Amon probably wouldn’t expect that I would suddenly leave… “He” definitely knows the past of the Dark Demonic Wolf. It’s impossible for “Him” to do the same kinds of investigations that I’ll be doing… Yes, but “He” will definitely be tracking me… Klein exhaled slowly and sped up his pace.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the dark and red desolate plains. Raindrops began dripping down intermittently.
Klein dragged out a black umbrella from the Historical Void. With one hand holding an umbrella and the other holding the lantern, he proceeded alone.
…
About a week later, the Future was docked somewhere along the long Loen coastline.
Cattleya held a stack of tarot cards in her hand and said to the sailors—Nina, and company, “I’ll be staying in Loen for some time. All of you have to watch Frank and prevent him from doing his strange experiments.”
Chapter 1187 Change
Upon hearing the captain’s instructions, Nina pouted and pointed out the window.
“Are any of Frank’s experiments not strange?”
“…” Cattleya was momentarily at a loss for words. All she could do was sigh and say, “If there are any signs of danger, write to me immediately.”
As a Mysticologist, she also had her own messenger.
“Alright.” Nina puffed her chest out and said, “If there’s anything to blame, it’s solely because I’m the most mature and reliable person on the Future.”
Having said that, she asked curiously, “Captain, what are you doing in Loen? What mission did you take on? Are you going to engage in some sabotage raids behind enemy lines?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Nina was of Feysacian descent, and she was considered half-Intis. She naturally had some inclinations in the recent war; therefore, she guessed that her captain had established contact with Intis’s intelligence department.
“…You could say that,” Cattleya replied sternly.
In a sense, Nina’s guess wasn’t wrong. She had indeed taken on a mission and was dealing damage in Loen’s capital, Backlund. However, her target wasn’t an official faction, but a cultist.
Furthermore, there’s still a chance to meet the Queen. She probably hasn’t left Backlund yet, and the earliest she’ll leave is probably after the new year… Upon thinking of this, Cattleya suddenly felt a little excited.
Ever since she left the Dawn, she hadn’t really met Queen Mystic. She only had letters to communicate with her, or despite being on the same boat, they didn’t communicate with one another for some reason.
Nina didn’t dare to press further as she pointed to the door and said, “Captain, is there anything else? If not, we’ll leave.”
Cattleya nodded, indicating that this Future boatswain could leave with her subordinates.
Just as Nina held the handle and gently twisted it, Cattleya suddenly recalled something and hurriedly shouted, “Nina.”
“Hmm?” Nina, whose blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, turned around with a confused expression.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Don’t drink!” Cattleya emphasized seriously. “When I return to the ship, you’ll be allowed to have your fill.”
Nina immediately revealed a charming smile.
“Deal!”
Cattleya thought for a moment before exhorting,
“Apart from Frank, you have to take note of Heath’s condition. Don’t let him generate curiosity towards unknown voices, and don’t let him be overly exhausted. Also, pull Ottolov out of his room frequently, and control the frequency and times he interacts with mysticism knowledge. Also…”
“I know, I know. Don’t I know them all too well?” Nina waved her hand and agreed.
After the boatswain and her subordinates left the captain’s cabin and closed the door behind them, Cattleya cast her gaze out the window to look at the currently invisible Backlund.
After a few minutes, she took out a tarot card from the deck in her hand.
It depicted a lonely old man with a glass lantern and a staff: The Hermit card.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Late at night, Backlund, Empress Borough, Earl Hall’s house.
Audrey, who was wearing a white silk nightgown, suddenly opened her eyes. She took a blue cloak and draped it over her body.
She then got out of bed and walked to the full-body mirror in the room. Through the crimson moonlight shining through the curtains, she carefully observed herself.
Her pair of emerald-green eyes seemed to glow brightly and limpid. It was so clear that one could clearly see every detail.
Audrey closed her eyes. By the time she opened them again, all the abnormalities had vanished.
The corners of her mouth curled up bit by bit, and a small depression appeared on her face. Her eyes curved slightly as she silently praised herself.
Audrey, you’ve finally come this far!
She had completely digested the Dreamwalker potion.
Composite Start
Composite End
According to her confidence in herself, and her predictions, she had originally believed that it would take until February for her to digest the potion. To her surprise, she had encountered many strange and completely different dreams recently.
This included many dreams within dreams, dreams that were a result of a mental illness, lucid dreams, dreams caused by the influence of evil spirits and wraiths, and the dreams of a few demigods.
Under normal circumstances, as a Dreamwalker, Audrey could generally determine the creature’s level when entering a dream, thus avoiding danger. However, those demigods had hidden themselves very well. Only when she entered their dreams did she realize that something was amiss and nearly jumped in fright.
Fortunately, she wasn’t discovered all those times. She ended up accumulating experience, and she began carefully touring, traveling, observing, and analyzing in the demigods’ dreams, allowing her to greatly digest her potion.
In addition, the other special dreams gave her a completely different experience. After that, she attempted creating multiple dreams within dreams. Some attempted to hide behind the scenes in her dreams and guide them in an ingenious manner to develop and interfere with the subconscious in a reverse manner. She treated the mental illness of the owners of the dreams, or the corruption caused by an evil spirit or wraith.
To a certain extent, she had gone against the requirements of only observing, recording, and not making any interference. Yet, this strangely accelerated the digestion of the potion.
This made her conclude a new principle:
…If you really want to interfere, then be the mastermind and conductor behind the scenes. It’s so that even if the goal succeeds, no one will notice it.
This was something that Audrey had done very well. The few people with serious mental illnesses had unknowingly recovered after having five or six strange dreams.
And it was very normal for a dream to appear strange and incomprehensible.
Composite Start
Composite End
To be able to digest the Dreamwalker potion so quickly, it’s mainly a result of my good luck recently. Without so many unique experiences, I’d definitely have to wait another month or two. Yes, I might even be caught by a demigod and be thrown into a Beyonder prison or directly be killed… When did my luck become so good? It seems like it started after I sacrificed the ice-cream to that Fate domain’s angel, uh—”His” Blessed… Uh… Audrey looked at her reflection and blinked her eyes with a smile.
She quickly retracted her gaze, scanned her bedroom, and walked to the dressing table.
Sitting on it was a deck of cards.
In a room of a girl who enjoyed mysticism, it was normal for her to have a deck of tarot cards.
Audrey stretched out her right hand and touched the card at the top with her fingertip. She slowly took a deep breath and muttered to herself, The fighting at the Amantha mountain range is getting more intense…
Midseashire had already lost a port…
It’s said that the defenses of the Hornacis mountain range in Sivellaus County can’t last until spring…
If not for the fact that we have gained a significant advantage at sea, our connection with the Southern Continent’s East Balam would’ve surely been severed…
Alfred is still there…
I wonder how this war will develop.
Thankfully, I’m about to become a demigod. Mr. World has already given me the Manipulator’s potion formula and main ingredient… The seven drops of tears that were shed from intense human emotions have also been found during my dream experience recently…
The Tree Mentor’s golden leaves were obtained via a trade with Little Sun. I’m just short of the blood of an elderly mind dragon…
Phew, I’ll tried to trade for it with the Psychology Alchemists. Before Hvin Rambis died, I was already the person-in-charge of a small psychological discussion group… But will this reveal that Hvin Rambis’s death has something to do with me?
Or could I get Mr. World to summon the blood of an elderly mind dragon from history? This can last for at least fifteen minutes. When I succeed in advancing, I’ll converge my spirituality and complete my cueing. Its disappearance will not affect anything. After all, it’s just a supplementary material…
Audrey, you actually learned how to fake things. What’s more, it’s on such matters!
After a self-deprecating comment, Audrey began to think about the kind of situation to use to complete the advancement ritual of a Manipulator.
The ritual required one to drink the potion while in the midst of an emotional resonance generated during a special occasion with at least ten thousand people.
As her thoughts raced, Audrey came up with a preliminary idea:
The Goddess’s Winter Gifts Day?
But no matter how large a Mass is, it can’t accommodate 10,000 people… The cathedral can’t accommodate so many people…
Yes, it’s usually impossible. If there’s a chance, I can donate a sum of money. I can suggest we do an extremely large Mass in memorial square so as to placate the souls that passed away during the war.
In the most important square, the family members, relatives, and friends of the deceased are invited. As long as they accommodate a certain proportion of the participants, the emotions that resonate will affect the others who are participating in Mass, allowing the ritual’s requirements to be satisfied…
After calmly analyzing the situation, Audrey suddenly bowed her head and looked at the mirror on the dressing table. She saw that the faint smile on her beautiful face had long disappeared, leaving behind only calmness and sadness in her eyes.
She stared at herself, her lips curling up slightly as she whispered, “Audrey, you’ve become despicable…”
Closing her eyes and opening them again, Audrey had returned to normal.
She reached out to the stack of tarot cards on the dressing table and flipped the card at the top.
The card depicted a goddess of justice sitting on a stone chair with a sword in one hand and a balance in the other, coldly watching everything.
…
Backlund, Hillston Borough, in a house with a fireplace.
“You’ve finished digesting your Scribe potion?” Xio had just changed into her home clothes when she heard the piece of unbelievable news upon walking back to the living room.
Fors nodded with a haggard expression.
“Yes.”
“Do you know what kind of life I’ve been enduring recently?”
As she was being forced to “travel” to six places in a consecutive manner, she had to experience, admire, and record the sights day and night. In addition, she would be pulled up above the gray fog, recording all kinds of strange or high-level Beyonder powers.
The “Lightning Storm” and the “Historical Void Summoning” powers had been replaced several times. They had finally recovered their original setup today.
“I don’t know…” Xio answered honestly.
“I know you don’t know.” Fors took a deep breath and said, “What about you? How have you been recently?”
“Not too bad. It was arranged for me to preside over a Paranormal Court, and I had some thoughts about the acting principles. The speed at which the potion is being digested has increased,” Xio acknowledged.
“I find it hard to imagine you wearing a judge’s robe and sitting at the tribunal’s seat to judge.” Fors sighed from the bottom of her heart.
“Are you trying to say that the prisoners and lawyers won’t be able to see me?” Xio added, not minding it at all.
Fors laughed dryly and said, “I’ll need to have some rest to prepare my advancement ritual to become a Traveler.”
“Don’t you need to go deep into the spirit world? Do you have a way?” Xio asked in puzzlement.
Fors nodded and said, “That person asked me to summon his messenger.”
Chapter 1188 Thick-Skinned
Summon his messenger… As Judgment of the Tarot Club, as a member of MI9, Xio understood what a messenger meant. Furthermore, she knew that the middle ranks of the Numinous Episcopate widely used messengers.
Before she could ask for more details, she saw Fors walk towards the guest room on the first floor with her eyes vacant and footsteps listless. She said with an ethereal voice, “Let me sleep for a while. We can talk later.”
She slept all the way till the next morning, waking up thanks to the aroma of meat.
Desi pie? Fors rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room. She saw that the table was already filled with food.
“Yes.” Xio came out of the bathroom. “The one from the corner of the street. It’s not bad.”
Fors enthusiastically acknowledged and sat beside the dining table. She quickly picked up the Desi pie and stuffed it into her mouth.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After finishing one, she drank a mouthful of sweet iced tea and sighed in satisfaction.
This is life!
Oh no, I forgot to brush my teeth…
After she was done washing up, she finally regained her ability to think. She looked at Xio in puzzlement and said, “Did MI9 not have any suspicions about how you secretly became a Judge?”
“They thought it was the remuneration that motivated me back then,” Xio informed her of what she had learned.
Fors stroked her hair and said with a smile, “That’s true. Let them ask the Church of Evernight.”
She covered her mouth and yawned.
“I’m going to summon that messenger.”
After this period of “Recording,” the way she addressed Klein had changed from Gehrman Sparrow and Mr. World to “that person.”
Composite Start
Composite End
On the one hand, it was a form of respect, and on the other hand, she was afraid that someone would eavesdrop.
Upon hearing her friend’s words, Xio looked around and asked in confusion, “Aren’t you going to set up the ritual?”
She remembered that summoning a messenger required a ritual.
“That’s only one of the methods. That person got me to use another method.” Fors glanced at her clothes and realized that her clothes were all wrinkled since she hadn’t had the time to change her clothes last night.
Upon realizing that she would be meeting the messenger later, she decided to pay attention to her image. She hurriedly returned to the bedroom on the second floor and changed into a beige dress with frilly designs.
After preparing herself, she raised her right hand in front of Xio, and she grabbed at it as if she wanted to pull something out of the air.
In her eyes, an illusory book took form. It quickly flipped and stopped at one of the pages.
In the next second, her arm sank and a figure emerged from the void.
This was Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a half top hat and a black coat. He had a cold expression and an unyielding air, but his eyes appeared somewhat dull.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
I succeeded? This is just my second attempt… I’ve only tried it once yesterday and failed… Fors’s eyes widened as though they wanted to take in more light so as to see more clearly.
She knew that this was the Historical Void projection she had summoned, so she wasn’t too nervous. Instead, she held her breath and looked warily at Gehrman Sparrow’s projection. She couldn’t tell if he was real or fake.
She still remembered the combat achievements of this crazy adventurer.
Fors has actually summoned Gehrman Sparrow? Shouldn’t it be his messenger? Would Gehrman Sparrow still be able to summon something? Questions popped up in Xio’s mind.
Just as Fors was unsure of what to do next, Gehrman Sparrow’s eyes darted around slightly as his gaze instantly turned focused. He no longer had a rigid and vacant look, as though he was alive.
Following that, he took out an exquisite, silvery harmonica and blew it.
No sound came out of it, but the surroundings instantly turned cold as a biting wind stirred.
Then, a woman dressed in a dark and complicated long dress with four blonde hair and red eyes in her hands walked out of the void. Her eight eyes looked at Gehrman Sparrow.
Gehrman Sparrow nodded slightly and pointed at Fors.
Composite Start
Composite End
“This lady needs to set up four special coordinates deep in the spirit world. Please help her.”
“Alright…” One of the heads of Reinette Tinekerr said as it moved up and down.
Gehrman Sparrow didn’t speak further. As he approached the window, he made the glove on his left hand become transparent.
His figure quickly disappeared as he “Teleported” out of the house.
He left… He left just like that… The Historical Void projection I summoned left just like that? Fors stared with her mouth slightly open, as though she was experiencing a comical play.
According to her understanding, the thing she summoned should be under her control. How could it leave after giving some instructions?
Could it be that the Historical Void projection has the same personality as the actual person… No, it’s as if Gehrman Sparrow himself had descended… Fors glanced at Xio and realized that she was just as confused as she was.
At that moment, Fors suddenly shivered, as though an extremely terrifying creature was glaring at her.
She subconsciously turned her head and realized that Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger was looking at her with eight red eyes, carefully observing her.
As terrifying as Gehrman Sparrow… Fors forced a smile and said, “…Sorry to trouble you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Reinette Tinekerr’s four blonde, red-eyed heads spoke one after another:
“Need…” “To pay…” “Eight hundred…” “Gold coins…”
There… there’s still a fee? Fors turned agape once again, at a loss for a response.
After a few seconds, her thoughts suddenly became active as she began to calculate her savings.
After loaning 2,400 pounds to Xio, I still have 780 pounds left… My expenses recently have been quite high, but the royalties from my past novels are still being credited. Adding my other income and the 300 pounds Xio returned me, I have a total of 1,258 pounds… That’s enough…
Fors immediately agreed, but she immediately discovered a problem.
“Gold coins, all of them?”
Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads shook slightly.
“Yes…” “You…” “Can…” “Owe…”
As expected, all of them need to be gold coins… I remember that Mr. World has been trying to gather gold coins and exchange for gold coins for quite some time before. It was to pay this messenger? The relationship between him and his messenger is really complicated… Uh, Mr. World should still have quite a few gold coins. I’ll try to exchange 800 gold coins from him later… Fors secretly heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Alright.”
After agreeing, Fors saw the headless messenger raise one of the heads in her hand to bite down on her clothes near her shoulder.
The surrounding colors became saturated and brighter—the reds became redder, the blacks became blacker, and the whites became whiter.
In such a manner, Fors was led by Reinette Tinekerr through similar scenes that she had no way of getting her bearings right. It didn’t take long before she arrived at the spot where there was a faint fog.
In the depths of the fog, one eye after another seemed to look over, but they quickly shrank back.
…
When Fors summoned Gehrman Sparrow’s projection from the Historical Void to Backlund, he had immediately entered the fog of history and dashed all the way to a period before the First Epoch.
His consciousness came alive within the projection, reducing Fors’s spirituality expenditure.
This way, Klein had indirectly returned to Backlund. This was also the reason why he had gotten Miss Magician to use such a complicated method to summon the messenger.
As for the messenger summoned by the adventurer’s harmonica, it was an independent existence—it didn’t increase the burden on Fors’s spirituality burden. Even if the Historical Void projection vanished, Reinette Tinekerr could still remain in the real world if “She” so wished.
After a “Teleportation,” Klein’s figure appeared in a secluded alley near Saint Samuel Cathedral. He then used his Faceless powers to change his appearance and figure.
During this process, although there were still a few pedestrians in the alley, they were affected by an illusion. They didn’t notice a sudden companion appearing beside them.
Right on the heels of that, Klein straightened his clothes, pressed down on his hat, and walked quickly to Saint Samuel Cathedral. He found a seat to the side of the main prayer hall and sat down.
After taking off his hat and chanting an honorific name, he sincerely drew a crimson moon on his chest. Then, he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and prayed softly to the Evernight Goddess.
“…I’m currently searching for traces of the Dark Demonic Wolf’s past to grasp his exact condition…”
At this point, he recalled that the Dark Demonic Wolf might’ve been a former “colleague” of the Evernight Goddess. “They” likely knew plenty about each other as he quickly added, “…I wonder if you can give me some hints…”
He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he maintained a calm attitude and continued, “…After this matter is completed, I plan on heading all the way east to see if I can reach the Western Continent and see what state that place is in. I’ll take this opportunity to escape Amon’s pursuit and find other possibilities…”
After praying, he tapped his chest four times in a clockwise fashion and whispered, “Praise the Lady.”
Just as he finished speaking, a dark night sky with countless stars suddenly appeared in front of him. A message unknowingly appeared in his mind.
It was information regarding Black Demonic Wolf, Kotar.
“…” Klein was stunned for a moment. Only when the starry sky before him completely disappeared did he return to his senses. He sincerely praised the Goddess once again.
After leaving Saint Samuel Cathedral he used Creeping Hunger and another “Teleportation” to arrive near the Holy Wind Cathedral located in Cherwood Borough.
He wanted to pray to the Lord of Storms.
He looked up at the towering steeple and felt some momentary hesitation. He really wasn’t sure if he should enter the headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms in Backlund.
I’m just a Historical Void projection. There’s nothing to be afraid about… I won’t suffer any losses from praying, but what if the Lord of Storms hears about the Amon situation and decides to bestow 0-32 to me? That way, I won’t have to risk hunting the Dark Demonic Wolf… A person should always be hopeful! After some thought, he finally made up his mind.
He carefully raised his hand and summoned Enuni, the one who had yet to be parasitized by Amon, from the Historical Void to walk into the Holy Wind Cathedral in his own form.
A minute or two later, a dark cloud suddenly appeared above Backlund. There seemed to be a flash of silver lightning in the Holy Wind Cathedral, but no one noticed it.
Chapter 1189 Winter Gifts Day
As soon as the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, everything in the Holy Wind Cathedral returned to normal.
In a nearby corner, Klein raised his hand to rub his forehead. The corners of his mouth twitched as he mumbled, “If you don’t want to give it to me, so be it… But why did you kill my marionette…”
He then took a deep breath before his figure rapidly faded away and disappeared. The time limit for maintaining the Historical Void projection was almost over. After all, a Scribe’s imitation of a high-level power had significant differences from the original version. The burden of a Sequence 6 summoning a Sequence 3 was rather heavy. Even if a Scholar of Yore could transfer his consciousness over and reduce the spirituality expenditure, it was impossible for Fors to keep it up for too long.
…
In the outskirts of Backlund, downstream of the Tussock River.
Leonard hid his red gloves and slowly walked towards a certain spot.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, the slightly-aged voice of Pallez Zoroast rang out in his mind:
“How’s your former colleague been doing recently?”
Thinking back to the conversation at the Tarot Club, Leonard suppressed his voice and said, “He just avoided a trap set up by Amon’s avatar. He’s searching for the truth in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.”
After listening to what he had to say, Pallez Zoroast didn’t say another word and allowed Leonard to proceed forward.
…
After setting up the special coordinates, Fors was thrown back into the real world by Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger.
“I feel exhausted, but I just woke up not too long ago… It must be that High-Sequence Beyonder powers are too draining on my spirituality…” Fors covered her mouth and yawned. She looked at Xio with a haggard expression.
“That’s possible.” Xio agreed with her friend’s judgment.
Her intuition told her that the Gehrman Sparrow projection that had been summoned definitely wasn’t simple. It could even be equivalent to a saint.
Composite Start
Composite End
After some hesitation, Xio said, “Sleep a little longer. Don’t attempt to advance in such a state.
“In one of my previous trials, the murderer was mentally psychotic. He would deliberately make his friends, his students, and the tramps he took in, consume potions in all sorts of negative states, watch them lose control, and mutate into all kinds of monsters—disgusting and terrifying ones.”
“…What was this fellow’s goal?” Fors was stunned for a second.
“Two goals. One was to observe whether the same potion caused the same loss of control on different people. The other was to use oil paintings to record the corresponding scenes. He believed that the madness, the pain, and the distortion had an unparalleled beauty, one that can stimulate his greatest creative passion.” Xio recalled the trial from back then. She felt a sense of hatred and lingering fear. “He was a complete lunatic.”
“That fellow should be executed!” Fors couldn’t help but shudder when she imagined it. She bared her teeth and said, “Was he a cultist?”
“Perhaps, but there were no clues… On the surface, he appeared to be an outstanding artist, and he is very famous internationally. If it wasn’t for more than five of his students and friends who had disappeared over the past few years, attracting our attention, then he might’ve had to wait until he completely went mad and lost control, becoming a monster, before this matter would be discovered.” Xio suddenly paused for a moment before saying, “Back then, everyone in the law-enforcement team that opened his hidden basement vomited. There were all kinds of mutated and terrifying corpses, and hanging overhead were all kinds of harrowing yet charming oil paintings…”
“A hateful fellow, but it’s also a very attractive story.” Fors thought for a moment and pressed, “Was he a Devil?”
“No, he’s a Psychiatrist.” Xio rejected her friend’s guess.
“…You sentenced him to death?” Fors asked in anticipation.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio shook her head.
“His defense lawyer convinced me that he’s more suited to be a Sealed Artifact researcher.”
“There’s a lawyer? You have lawyers at the Paranormal Court? Isn’t it all a direct trial?” Fors asked in surprise.
Xio straightened her blonde hair and said, “There are some Beyonders from the Lawyer pathway among us who also need to act. Of course, they don’t know that they’re acting.”
“Alright.” Fors yawned again and pointed to the reclining chair beside the fireplace. “I’ll sleep for a while. Eh, don’t you have work?”
“We can take days off,” Xio replied succinctly.
Fors didn’t ask further as she walked to the fireplace and collapsed into it.
About two to three hours later, she woke up and Cogitated for fifteen minutes.
Following that, she found the Traveler Beyonder characteristic and the supplementary ingredients given to her by her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, and concocted a potion bottle.
Composite Start
Composite End
The potion’s color was white but transparent. It was like half-melted snow water, occasionally producing light-green bubbles.
Fors held the potion and glanced at her friend who was on guard by the side. She smiled and said, “If I lose control, don’t hesitate. Just chop off my head.
“No, pray first. There might still be a chance to save me.”
“…” Xio slowly nodded. “Maintain this state.”
Fors silently exhaled. Without any hesitation, she raised the bottle and gulped it down.
In the blink of an eye, she felt her body and her eyes light up one after another. They blasted around her body and opened one illusory door after another.
Fors’s consciousness couldn’t help but enter one of them. Her entire body turned transparent as she vanished.
In such a chaotic state of mind, Fors nearly couldn’t regain her sense of self-awareness. Thankfully, she had her fair share of being tormented recently and had a strong will. Furthermore, from time to time, she could feel the four special coordinates in the spirit world. Finally, she slowly came to her senses.
After an unknown period of time, she realized that she had already entered the depths of the spirit world. It was difficult to tell her exact location, and she couldn’t find her “way” back.
With the help of the four special coordinates, Fors slowly “traversed” back to a familiar spot, leaving the saturated, stacked colors and the thin fog before walking out of the spirit world.
Composite Start
Composite End
The four special coordinates weren’t only used to help me find a way back, they can also effectively maintain my self-awareness… Teacher is only a Sequence 7, so without any actual experience, it’s inevitable for him to miss out on such knowledge… As Fors thought, she cast her gaze towards Xio and smiled slightly.
“I’m a Traveler.”
Xio heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously, “What new Beyonder powers did you get?”
“The main one is ‘Teleportation.’ Also, ‘Invisible Hand.’ In addition, the number of demigod-level Beyonder powers I can ‘Record’ has increased to four. The actual effects should be close to that of a Sequence 4…” Fors examined herself.
She then raised her hand and pulled out a tarot card from across the room, one used for divination.
It was a person with a scepter in his right hand that pointed towards the sky. His left hand pointed to the earth. In front of him were people like the holy grail, a scepter, a sword, star coins: The Magician card.
…
Every year’s longest night was the birthday of the Evernight Goddess, commonly known as the Winter Gifts Day.
On this day, all Evernight believers would head to a nearby cathedral to witness the sunset of the sun. When night fell, they would participate in Mass, enjoy a holy meal, listen to the hymns, and do all sorts of activities.
The year 1350 for Loen’s Evernight believers was a very heavy year. The intensity of the war and the cost of items had made them lose the good mood they had. However, on Winter Gifts Day, they still came out of their houses. This was because the Church of Evernight was going to hold a massive Mass in the various large public squares to placate the souls that had passed away.
At the same time, many foundations would distribute food vouchers at the Mass. People who received them could be able to obtain the corresponding items in any of the relief points or cathedrals. This led to Storm and Steam believers who didn’t celebrate Winter Gifts Day to head for the nearest square.
West Borough, Memorial Square, where George III was blasted to death.
Dressed in a black cloak while walking her golden retriever, Susie, with a leather bag on her back, Audrey walked among the nobles looking refined. Her expression didn’t seem abnormal, but she hid some pain and guilt.
She had obtained the blood of an elderly mind dragon. After concocting the Manipulator potion, she placed it in the small bag Susie was carrying.
Susie was already a Sequence 6 Hypnotist. She believed that not many people present would notice her abnormality and snatch things from her.
The blood of the elderly mind dragon came from The Hermit Cattleya. Apparently, she had obtained it from Queen Mystic, and she had paid 3,000 pounds for it.
This was in line with her expectations, as she didn’t really want to obtain the ingredients from the Psychology Alchemists. After all, her direct superior, Hvin Rambis, had only died a few months ago. To collect the items needed for an advancement, it made it inevitable for people to suspect her. As for the other members of the Psychology Alchemists, they had the ability and intelligence to notice this point.
Besides, after becoming a demigod, one has to come into contact with the Psychology Alchemists’ councilors. According to Mr. World, there might be an angel from the mind domain hidden amongst them. I’ll continue making preparations. With a suitable opportunity and excuse, I’ll consider raising my position in the organization… I’ll hide my strength for now… The blonde Audrey lifted the ends of her skirt slightly and slowly walked towards her predetermined spot.
Along the way, many nobles extended their hands to her in a friendly manner, hoping to help this beautiful, noble, and weak young lady through the crowd. However, these were all blocked by Earl Hall.
He got his eldest son, Hibbert, to be in charge of his youngest daughter while he held his wife’s arm and walked ahead. From time to time, he would turn back to look at the most dazzling jewel of Backlund.
Not long after their family arrived at their destination, the Church of Evernight’s Bishop of the Backlund diocese, Saint Anthony Stevens, walked up to the high platform in his black robe with red patterns.
He looked around, raised his right hand, and tapped his chest four times in a clockwise fashion.
“Praise the Lady!”
When the believers below responded, this saint’s deep voice could be heard by everyone.
“Today is the celebration of the night, but the Goddess’s response is pity.
“‘She’ takes pity on every mother who has lost her child. ‘She’ takes pity on every lonely child. And ‘She’ takes pity on everyone who has suffered immense pain.
“‘She’ said that all of this will end. All the suffering will return to silence and repose.”
Chapter 1190 Resonance
As Anthony Steven Vincent’s words echoed in Memorial Square, it spread to other areas. The Loenese citizens who participated in the Mass were both moved and sad, feeling warmth in the midst of their depression.
In a different square, different choirs began to chant the hymns. The ethereal and holy voice seemed to echo deep in everyone’s heart:
“Full-faced above the land stood the crimson moon;
“And sweet it was to dream of themselves,
“Of child, and wife, and parents; but evermore[1]…”
Unknowingly, everyone felt their spirits being cleansed and their spirituality naturally released.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They seemed to have entered a dream and were strolling in a quiet darkness.
Their children were sleeping here. Their parents, their wives, their husbands, their friends, and the deceased were no longer suffering. They no longer had any pain, their expressions were peaceful and gentle.
“We look upward into the night sky,
“We tenderly say her name:
“‘Evernight Goddess!’
“…If ‘She’ heard us, ‘She’ would surely agree,
“Smiling with purity at the dead:
“Come, rest and sleep well, my children[2]!”
The people who were strolling in the dream felt awash with intense sorrow once again, as though they realized that they were really going to bid each other farewell.
Composite Start
Composite End
They recalled all the beautiful memories from the past. They recalled the scene of their family enjoying delicacies and having fun at the dining table. They recalled the people who looked at them warmly, and the pain of seeing them get hurt. When they learned of their passing, it was as if they could tear their souls apart. They recalled the dark clouds and separation that had been brought to this war.
They were sleeping peacefully in this serene nation, no longer having any worries. However, the people who survived had to suffer the days and nights, turning haggard and withered.
One teardrop after another flowed down. The people participating in Mass at Memorial Square could no longer suppress their emotions as they silently released the pain they had accumulated.
A huge wave of sadness filled the air, mixed with the chanting of the choir, as though it had a corporeal form.
“Cross your hands humbly,
“Over your breast!
“Make the silent prayer,
“And shout from the bottom of your heart:
“The only escape is tranquility[3]!”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The people who were sobbing silently with their eyes closed subconsciously followed the content of the hymns and made similar gestures. Then, they shouted in their hearts, infected with each other’s emotions:
“The only escape is tranquility!”
The grief reached an apex with more than ten thousand hearts resonating at Memorial Square.
At this moment, Audrey opened her eyes and bent down. She took out a bottle of potion from the leather pouch that her golden retriever, Susie, was carrying.
There were countless points of light floating in the potion, just like the manifestation of the sea of collective subconscious.
Audrey didn’t hesitate. Under such circumstances, she removed the bottle cap and gulped down the liquid inside.
Unlike in the past where she could experience the potion slush through her throat and into her stomach, she immediately felt abnormal.
She felt that she could no longer sense her body. Her entire being seemed to have condensed into an idea as she merged into the illusory sea around her.
This was her first time directly seeing the sea of collective subconscious without passing through a dream or mind island. As though she had returned to her mother’s embrace before she was born, she returned to the very beginning where the imprints left by human ancestors were washed away by the tides as they crumbled and were influenced.
Composite Start
Composite End
There was fear, madness, and all kinds of terrifying mental corruption. For a moment, Audrey found it difficult to resist. Her consciousness faded, and her “body” shook as though it was on the brink of melting away.
However, the “sea” nearby wasn’t serene. There was a certain degree of undulations, spreading the intense sorrow and pain around.
Under such influence, the self-aware Audrey, who was about to be assimilated by the sea of collective subconscious, also began to resonate, generating uncontrollable feelings of grief within her.
The grief spread from one thought to another. Soon, it filled the blob of “thoughts” that Audrey had mutated into. It pierced through her Soul Body and pierced her soul.
Audrey finally regained a little of her senses. She skillfully Placated herself, constantly giving cues to remove the corruption until she regained her senses.
The voice in her ears became clearer and clearer, louder and louder. Finally, it reverberated through the sea of collective subconscious.
“The only escape is tranquility!”
“The only escape is tranquility!”
The only escape is tranquility… Audrey repeated the prayer as her figure quickly turned clear.
With a mere thought, she split herself into many transparent and illusory bodies. She traveled through the sea of collective subconscious and reached the mind islands that represented different people and stepped onto them.
Composite Start
Composite End
In these “places,” she could clearly see the sadness coming from different people.
The bombshells that came from the sky, the airship that made up a fleet, the letters spelling bad news sent from the front lines, blood and flesh splattering in front of them, and the person who they loved suddenly collapsing in front of them, the pile of toys that no longer had an owner, the fit of coughs that came from the Great Smog…
“The only escape is tranquility.”
The golden retriever, Susie, also shut her eyes in Mass. She used the human language to recite those words in her heart, but she failed to notice any changes in her surroundings.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com
Suddenly, in her soul, in her Body of Heart and Mind, Audrey’s voice sounded:
“Susie, I succeeded…
“I’ve always been worried, worried that I’ll become more and more indifferent as my Sequence increases due to the potion’s effects; that I’ll become more and more like a Mythical Creature instead of a human.”
Susie raised her head in confusion and saw that although the blonde girl’s eyes were tightly shut, tears had unknowingly covered her face.
Then, she heard Audrey say in her heart:
“Thankfully, I can still feel their sorrow.
“How nice…”
In Susie’s eyes, teardrops fell from the corner of the blonde girl’s eyes. It was crystal clear.
At this moment, the sun’s final ray of light was swallowed. The night brought about tranquility.
Everyone opened their eyes and said in a calm voice, “The only escape is tranquility!”
…
After crying without restraint, the bright, cheerful Audrey’s mood became heavy. She became a little sensitive and a little sad. It made everyone who saw her feel a sense of love from the bottom of their hearts.
Under all kinds of protection, she returned to Empress Borough and returned to her room.
Only then did she have the chance to seriously examine herself and digest the knowledge and experience she gained from the sea of collective subconscious.
Others might not be able to tell, but Audrey knew very well that the tall, blonde, blue-eyed beauty in the mirror already possessed extraordinary strength and exaggerated dragon scale defenses. She could break through a block of steel with one punch.
Oh, I can still use “Dragon Transformation.” It’s equivalent to using an incomplete Mythical Creature form. However, I have to wait until I get used to the potion and keep stacking up the correct psychological cues. Otherwise, I can lose control… Every “Dragon Transformation” can’t exceed a certain amount of time. Otherwise, even if I have the means to treat my mind and soul, I’ll be contaminated by madness and confusion, causing me to lose control… My current limit is about a minute…
The core power of a Manipulator is “Manipulation.” I can allow a Body of Heart and Mind pass through the sea of collective subconscious and enter another person’s mind island. I can directly change their subconscious and read their thoughts, silently driving them to do all sorts of things…
Matching “Manipulation” is “Virtual Persona.” I can create many personas, allowing them to have a corresponding Body of Heart and Mind. This aspect can resist a lot of influence in the mind domain, and on the other hand, it can allow me to use “them” to silently invade the target’s island of consciousness without any signs of it…
I currently can have only 13 Virtual Personas…
A Manipulator can also create a terrifying “Mental Plague.” By using the sea of collective subconscious, I can spread all kinds of mental illnesses and extreme madness…
Yes, “Awe” has turned into “Mind Deprivation,” a huge area-of-effect version. It’s no longer just the single effect of “Awe”…
I can also transform my designated thoughts into a “Mind Storm” that will sweep the surroundings, affecting all my enemies…
Heh heh, as a Manipulator, it naturally comes with the ability to travel the sea of collective subconscious. It’s called “Consciousness Stroll.” Otherwise my target would’ve long left by the time I arrived at a location after a series of complicated manipulations… Audrey looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly revealed a faint smile.
Then, she puffed up her cheeks and opened her mouth as if she was about to spew something.
Since her Mythical Creature form was a mind dragon, it definitely had to have some form of dragon’s breath.
This was an attack that could directly stimulate and harm the target’s Body of Heart and Mind and Soul Body. It dealt damage in an area-of-effect manner, an upgraded version of “Psychic Piercing.”
Following that, Audrey’s green eyes turned slightly and she looked away. She sighed inwardly.
This is what it means to be a demigod. These powers make even me feel afraid… How powerful is Mr. World for him to be able to kill Hvin Rambis…
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
As the participants of the hunting operation made their preparations, they decided to organize a private gathering to discuss the details.
“A Manipulator is that terrifying?” The Magician Fors looked at Miss Justice beside her and blurted out in shock.
Just now, Audrey had briefly mentioned the changes she had undergone after becoming a demigod. Although she didn’t elaborate in detail to protect her trump cards, it still left The Magician, The Hermit, Judgment, and The Star in shock.
“Actually, it’s not that terrifying. Mr. World knows very well.” Audrey cast her gaze to the bottom of the long, mottled table.
The World Gehrman Sparrow didn’t nod as he tersely acknowledged.
“I also had powerful helpers before I could kill Hvin Rambis.”
He paused and said, “Before discussing the hunting operation, I would like to know how to make the Abraham family sense my friendliness?”
[1] Adapted from the Lotos-eaters by Tennyson.
[2] Adapted from The Cry of the Children by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
[3] Adapted from The Bridge of Sighs by Thomas Hood and Lotos-eaters by Tennyson.
Chapter 1191 Grasping One“s Mentality
Friendliness? Upon hearing The World Gehrman Sparrow’s question, Fors nearly doubted her ears.
The image of Mr. X’s head that was put together, leaving it covered in cracks, crevices, and blood surfaced in her mind.
Just as Fors was deliberating over her words, Audrey glanced at her and smiled at The World Gehrman Sparrow.
“To let the Abraham family sense your friendliness, it isn’t about what you do, but what Miss Magician writes in her letters.”
That’s right, unless I appear directly in front of Miss Magician’s teacher, his understanding of me will only be limited to the various rumors and things that Miss Magician tells him… As long as the story she tells is good enough, even if it doesn’t fit the actual situation, it doesn’t matter… Klein suddenly realized that he had been splitting hairs on the question.
“Ah?” Fors was somewhat enlightened by Miss Justice’s words, but she didn’t fully understand it.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After looking at The Hermit, The Star, and company, Justice Audrey said to Fors, “You need to convey Mr. World’s friendliness to your teacher. For this, you can fabricate some stories and not tell him the truth.”
“Then what should I say?” Fors asked for advice.
This wasn’t because she wasn’t good at making up stories. On the contrary, this was what she was most adept at. However, the problem was that writing a novel that was well-received was different from a story that could convince people. If she could get a senior psychologist’s advice on the latter, it would undoubtedly be easier.
Audrey had already thought of the details of the letter before she opened her mouth. She replied unhurriedly, “It’s obvious that your teacher has already noticed that you’ve rapidly advanced, and because of Mr. X’s death and all sorts of sensitive issues, he has a certain level of doubt and vigilance regarding the Beyonder circles that you’ve participated in.”
“Yes.” Fors nodded indiscernibly in agreement with Miss Audrey’s judgment.
If her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, was careless, he wouldn’t have been able to survive to this day. He would have long been caught by the Aurora Order or died in the hands of other powers who were interested in the Abraham family.
Audrey continued, “In such a situation, he will still maintain contact with you. He will teach you knowledge, give you formulas, and provide you with ingredients. This shows that, on the one hand, he acknowledges your character and morals, and on the other hand, he will also have a certain level of anticipation for you to obtain important information from the mysterious and dangerous Beyonder circle, as well as you becoming a Sequence 4 demigod.
“This is the mentality we want to exploit.”
Audrey originally wanted to use the more neutral term, “grasp,” instead of “exploit,” but after pausing for a moment, she chose to face herself directly and face the essence of the matter.
Composite Start
Composite End
With Fors listening attentively and Judgment, The Star, and The Hermit looking forward to what she had left to say, Audrey pursed her lips and said, “When you return, you can write to him and tell him that you have already become a Traveler. It will make him happy for your growth, and also be surprised by such an exaggerated advancement speed. Then, you can answer the question he asked previously, saying that the gentleman who was seeking to purchase the Worm of Star had mentioned something—that the ancient curse in the Abraham family seems to come from a secret existence known as Mr. Door.
“This is a question that your teacher has never told you about but is definitely concerned about.
“Without a doubt, he will feel fear towards the gentleman who seems to know that you’re related to the Abraham family. He will want to avoid you, but he will definitely yearn to know more. He will then try to find out what secret lies behind the curse that has plagued generations of Abrahams, one that he has no solution to.
“At the same time, a letter exchange isn’t a direct meeting. It will give him a certain sense of security. He might change his residence, change his identity, and use a more roundabout way to receive the letter, but there is a high chance that he will not sever the connection.
“Maintain this connection. Step by step, reveal something more valuable. You will awaken your teacher’s desire and use it to portray an image of Mr. World so that your teacher can experience some form of friendliness.”
At this point, Audrey stopped and looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow once again.
She could roughly tell that Mr. World’s goodwill towards the Abraham family was because he had a request, but as for the specific request, she wasn’t a clairvoyant, nor had she read Gehrman Sparrow’s mind. Naturally, she couldn’t guess it, nor could she continue explaining.
Klein nodded and said with a hoarse smile, “After we establish this kind of indirect connection, I might ask your teacher for a transaction and use the promise of breaking the curse to exchange for certain items of value.”
Through Demoness Trissy, he had already grasped the solution to the Abraham family’s curse. However, he didn’t plan on exchanging it for the Planeswalker potion formula or a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
On the one hand, the difference in value was too great, making him feel guilty. On the other hand, he didn’t want to bring a dangerous existence like Mr. Door back into the real world. It was being irresponsible to himself and the innocent.
He was thinking of another way to make the curse of the Abraham family disappear to a certain extent. In other words, it might still exist, but it wouldn’t affect the normal lives of the Abraham family and provide a certain range of improvements.
Is that so… Mid- to High-Sequence Beyonders in the mind domain are really impressive. She can make people follow her arrangements without realizing it… Compared to when we first met, Miss Justice has seemed to undergo a complete metamorphosis. It makes people fear and respect her… Fors glanced at Xio and seemed to read the same poignant thoughts from her eyes.
After some thought, she mustered her courage and said to The World Gehrman Sparrow, “What if my teacher rejects your request?”
Did you think I would murder for property? Klein lampooned in Chinese. He scoffed and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t harm him. I won’t use any methods that will force him.”
Phew… Although Mr. World is a little scary, he’s still a man of his word… Fors slowly nodded and said, “I’ll write a letter to my teacher according to Miss Justice’s suggestion.”
Klein nodded slightly and surveyed the area.
“You can begin discussing the hunt.”
Cattleya took control and said, “The biggest problem with this operation is finding the Saint of Secrets Botis.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors immediately recalled how she had encountered him and raised her hand.
“If I can borrow that powerful Sealed Artifact from my teacher, then I can bring it with me. I can often wander around Backlund and use the convergence of Beyonder characteristics to attract Botis to a nearby location.
“Uh, this might attract other demigods of the Apprentice pathway; or the leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul; or Blasphemer Amon…”
The more Fors spoke, the lower her voice became. She felt that this method was too dangerous.
She didn’t know what would happen to the other members who participated in the operation if Zaratul and Amon really appeared, but as bait, it was without a doubt that she would fail to escape.
Cattleya nodded and said thoughtfully, “If it’s only a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact of the Apprentice pathway, the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics shouldn’t be that attractive to neighboring pathways. The range will be limited to the demigods of the Apprentice pathway. And from what I know, there aren’t many of them. In fact, it can be said that there are very few of them. Most of them exist in the form of a characteristic or Sealed Artifact.”
I suddenly do not wish to become a Sequence 4… Fors’s eyelids twitched when she heard that.
Cattleya cast her gaze at The World Gehrman Sparrow.
“Let’s not discuss the problem of whether there are any Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts of the Apprentice pathway. If we want to let the Saint of Secrets and Miss Magician bump into each other, the prerequisite is that he is also in Backlund. He mustn’t be that cautious and often goes out.”
Upon hearing this, Leonard said from the angle of a professional official Beyonder, “It’s actually not difficult. As a demigod of the Apprentice pathway, Botis is definitely in charge of dealing with accidents among the upper echelons of the Aurora Order. He has sufficient mobility to aid the other members in different places. Heh heh, this is a term that appeared after the steam engine and the airship were invented.
Composite Start
Composite End
“As long as you can create some matters against the Aurora Order in Backlund, he has a high chance of showing up.”
As he spoke, Leonard glanced at Klein.
Based on what he knew, in the chaotic battle outside Bayam City caused by Gehrman Sparrow, the Saint of Secrets had appeared and picked up a glove.
“This is a solution…” Audrey and company nodded.
At this moment, The World suddenly said, “Let me remind you that the Aurora Order is an organization that worships a true god. Once you take action against them and secretly target their upper echelons, the True Creator might be able to foresee this and give them a warning.”
That can happen? Audrey’s eyes widened slightly as she observed Cattleya, Leonard, and company. She realized that they were equally astonished.
This was something that they had never considered before.
It wasn’t that they weren’t smart enough, but that they had never participated in such matters that involved high-level existences before. Or rather, even if they were involved, they weren’t aware of it.
“Then what should we do?” Fors couldn’t help but ask.
Klein replied in a suggestive tone, “By not targeting the Aurora Order directly, we can use a milder approach to fish out the Saint of Secrets Botis.”
Chapter 1192 Each Serving their Duty
A milder approach… The Hermit Cattleya, who lacked experience only on high-level matters, instantly had a new idea and probed, “Let Miss Magician participate in the various Beyonder gatherings in Backlund. ‘accidentally’ revealing that she’s related to the Abraham family, attracting the attention of the Aurora Order?”
Seeing no objection from The World Gehrman Sparrow, Cattleya thought as she looked to the other side.
“How we can make this matter appear reasonable without arousing suspicion, how to design the steps and procedures needed to ‘expose’ herself, and how to lay the foundations at each one of the gatherings—these might require your help, Miss Justice.”
From her point of view, only a Manipulator who could accurately grasp the various mentalities of the different people at the gathering could allow the scheme to appear natural and reasonable, without leaving a trace.
“Alright.” Audrey nodded solemnly, feeling somewhat excited.
She then added, “Although I’ve never done anything similar before, I will try my best to make everything seem reasonable.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…Why do I suddenly feel a little afraid… Why do I feel like we are all inexperienced people? Apart from Mr. World who can’t directly participate, uh, Ma’am Hermit might be very experienced in other aspects, but she shouldn’t have been involved in such hunting before… This isn’t a game, it’s a cruel act that can kill someone if we aren’t careful… Fors trembled when she heard this. She had a deep suspicion of the “experience” of most of the members. This included herself.
However, when she thought of how Miss Justice and Ma’am Hermit were already Sequence 4 demigods, and that she and The Star were at Sequence 5, she felt that this wasn’t too serious of a problem. After all, every powerhouse had accumulated their experiences over time from nothing. Furthermore, they still had The World Gehrman Sparrow, the strongest hunter over the Five Seas.
Reasonable… Scheme… Manipulation… Listening to the conversation between Ma’am Hermit and Miss Justice, Klein subconsciously extracted the keywords.
This reminded him of how he had used 0-08 and the experience of playing out situations that had been arranged by 0-08. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
It’s no wonder the Spectator’s Sequence 1 is called Author. This is indeed a very reasonable development, but it can change from a “guidance” to being “forced”…
“There’s no need to rush yourself to make the arrangements in detail. Go back and think it over carefully. Yes, at the same time, we need to combine the feedback from the scene to make adjustments.” Cattleya nodded in thought as she immediately had a new idea. “When Miss Magician participates in the Beyonder gatherings, it’s best you hide in the vicinity. Use your control of the sea of collective subconscious to monitor every participant’s thoughts and accurately grasp the feedback.”
Would 13 Virtual Personas be enough? There should be more than 13 members at a Beyonder gathering… Hmm, I can switch to using “Monitoring” to select a target to focus on… Audrey quickly analyzed the feasibility of the suggestion and tersely acknowledged.
“That wouldn’t be an issue.”
To her, this was also a form of training. At the same time, it was also a form of acting—she didn’t directly use her Beyonder powers to affect the target, but instead used her precise understanding of the target’s mental state to “manipulate” them by using words, behavior, actions, and a “script.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing that there was no problem on Miss Justice’s side, The Hermit Cattleya looked at The Magician.
“In order to prevent a surprise attack, and to better grasp your surroundings, I need to plant something on you.”
“What is it?” Fors asked warily.
Cattleya glanced at The World at the bottom end of the long, mottled table. After receiving the permission of Mr. Fool’s Blessed, she raised her hand and pressed it between her brows.
A pair of transparent eyes appeared in front of her, ones that were without eyelashes, looking cold and heartless.
“This is the Eye of Mystery Prying. After becoming a Mysticologist, I can place it on someone else’s body. Whatever it sees it will be what I see. Furthermore, once it enters a concealed state, it will be very difficult to be discovered through other means.” Cattleya gave a simple introduction.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein leaned back slightly and sighed inwardly.
When he first grasped Spirit Vision, he had seen something similar behind Old Neil.
If he had the mysticism knowledge he had now back then, he would’ve detected the problem earlier. Perhaps things would have developed differently.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If this strange eye were to be planted on me, wouldn’t I be watched by Ma’am Hermit when I go to the bathroom… Fors secretly drew a cold gasp as she hesitantly asked, “Can we ‘plant’ it before each gathering?”
“If we make frequent contact with each other, we’ll be easily discovered. Besides, the Saint of Secrets wouldn’t only appear at times you choose.” Cattleya nudged the heavy glasses on her nose bridge and explained. “Don’t worry, I won’t look at things I shouldn’t see.”
It was a lesson learned through blood.
Fors fell silent for a few seconds before she slowly exhaled.
“Alright then…”
Cattleya nodded slightly and continued, “After discovering clues to the Abraham family, the Aurora Order will definitely do a certain amount of investigation. And for safety, so as to prevent any accidents from happening, they will definitely send out someone with a certain level of confidence. Among them, the Saint of Secrets Botis is undoubtedly the person who is most interested in the matter regarding the Abraham family. In addition, Backlund isn’t suitable for a King of Angels’ main body to be active in, so the probability of him appearing is the highest.”
At this moment, The Star Leonard, who was leaning against the back of his chair, raised his hand and said, “Not necessarily.
“According to the information we have gathered, the Aurora Order has other high-ranking members in Backlund—Saint Tenebrous. After Mr. A disappeared, he came forward to organize certain matters.
“When the time comes, the person responsible for tracking the clues to the Abraham family might very well be him, not the Saint of Secrets. After all, this is his ‘diocese.'”
Composite Start
Composite End
The demigod I met when I assassinated Mr. X was Saint Tenebrous? Klein nodded in enlightenment without bringing any attention to himself.
Cattleya was already prepared for this. Without any hesitation, she said to The Star, “This might require your help. In the near future, you should investigate more cases involving the Aurora Order and strike at them more.
“This way, it will be inconvenient for them to move around. After discovering clues about the Abraham family, they might very likely seek reinforcements, getting—yes, the more mobile and more concealed Saint of Secrets to be responsible for it.”
Leonard thought of his recent mission list and nodded slightly.
“Sure.”
As the captain of a Red Gloves team, he had the right to do so.
“The only problem is, could this be predicted by the True Creator?” After Leonard agreed, he turned to look at Klein.
After some thought, Klein pointed out indirectly.
“You are similarly under the gaze of a deity.”
Leonard retracted his gaze as though he had gained some understanding. He said to The Hermit Cattleya, “I have no further questions.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The Hermit Cattleya raised her glasses and cast her gaze towards Judgment.
“We will try our best to limit the Beyonder circles that Miss Magician will be involved in to East Borough and the Backlund Bridge area. These should be places you are familiar with. You have to constantly be aware of any abnormalities. Inform me immediately about the surroundings of the gathering’s location.”
“Alright.” Although Xio was disappointed that she was involved in the periphery matters, she knew very well that with her strength, she could only do so much.
At that moment, Cattleya thought for a moment before saying, “You are a Judge. When the time comes, you might need to do some area-of-effect ‘Prohibition.’ This might not be effective against the Saint of Secrets, Botis, but it should be able to cause some interference. Don’t doubt it. As support, Mid-Sequence Beyonders can similarly influence a saint to a certain extent.”
All of this is under the premise of a demigod resisting a demigod while all I provide is support… The education Xio had received since she was young, and the addition of the knowledge she learned from MI9 now put an emphasis on cooperation. It was very easy to understand what Ma’am Hermit was saying.
At this point, the plan had just started taking form. The next step was to adjust it bit by bit through on-the-ground feedback.
Fors heaved a sigh of relief when she suddenly thought of something. She hurriedly said, “Previously, Mr. World mentioned that Botis might have a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. How should we deal with it?”
Frankly speaking, she didn’t have a direct impression of how terrifying a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was. This was because she had never encountered one before and had never seen anyone encounter it before. However, she had experienced the Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts that Gehrman Sparrow had borrowed from Mr. Fool. She knew how terrifying it was, and with a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact being one grade higher than a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, it was obvious how potent one was. In the rumors that Fors had heard, some Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts could even destroy Backlund, or even the world.
Cattleya said after a few seconds of silence, “On the one hand, through Miss Justice’s grasp of the minds of the people around you, she will be able to find traces of possible existences. On the other hand, with Miss Judgment’s understanding of the various anomalies in the region, and combining it with divination, we will be able to determine ahead of time if there are any Sealed Artifacts.
“If we can’t get any feedback from all of this, and if the Saint of Secrets has a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact with him, you don’t have to be too afraid. He won’t kill you immediately. He will definitely try to gain control of you and interrogate you at a safe place. We have enough time and opportunities to separate him from the Sealed Artifact. Remember, a Sealed Artifact that a Beyonder possesses isn’t completely a part of his strength.
“During this process, didn’t you ‘Record’ some high-level Beyonder powers? If the situation is critical, don’t hold back, and try your best to escape.”
Sounds like you’re not very confident either… Fors’s face suddenly turned pale as she forced a smile.
“I’ll try my best.”
At this moment, The World Gehrman Sparrow took the initiative to speak.
“In times of necessity, pray to Mr. Fool. I will also ask ‘Him’ to provide ‘His’ protection in advance and provide some revelations.”
As this operation wouldn’t pose a threat to Klein’s actual body regardless of the development, and it might involve a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, he could only gain some revelations from his initial control of Sefirah Castle.
That’s good… Fors, Xio, and company heaved a sigh of relief.
When the private gathering was coming to an end. Klein glanced at Cattleya and said, “It looks like there’s no way to end the operation before New Year. I’ll provide you with the advance payment.”
He then condensed some of mysticism knowledge he had never mentioned into a pale white brilliance and pushed it to The Hermit.
Chapter 1193 Heading Eas
Dark Angel Sasrir might very well be the negative personality that’s expelled from the ancient sun god… Mr. Door was once the most powerful King of Angels… The Abraham family also possesses at least two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts that’s at the level of an angel of the Apprentice pathway… The underlying rules of this world are chaos and madness… Pieces of mysticism knowledge resonated in Cattleya’s mind, causing her to feel weighed down in addition to her shock.
If it wasn’t for the Tarot Club, Mr. Fool’s protection, and The World Gehrman Sparrow’s help, she believed that it wouldn’t be easy for her to obtain such knowledge. She definitely had to take a tremendous risk in exchange. If she wasn’t careful, she would attract the attention of certain high-level existences, or be embroiled in madness and pain.
“Thank you for your advance payment. This will greatly help me digest the potion.” Cattleya opened her eyes and thanked him sincerely.
According to her original plan, she believed that she would be able to gain some mysticism knowledge after meeting Queen Mystic. With Gehrman Sparrow’s current advance payment, her Mysticologist potion would most likely be completely digested. Unfortunately, a few days before she arrived in Backlund, Queen Mystic Bernadette had left the city to trace a lead. This left Cattleya extremely disappointed.
Upon hearing Ma’am Hermit’s words, Klein, who was pretending to be The World, laughed hoarsely.
“A price is exacted for what’s bestowed.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As his voice echoed, he nodded at the two ladies—Justice and The Magician—indicating that he was also directing those words at them.
After the private gathering ended and the members left Sefirah Castle one by one, Klein stood up and walked back to the seat of honor from the bottom end of the long, mottled table, to the seat belonging to The Fool.
He leaned back into his chair and propped his elbow on the armrest as the void beside him rippled and formed halos.
These were prayer lights that came from puppets controlled by a historical projection that Klein had summoned. They had existed before the gathering, but the corresponding area had been hidden from the rest, so no one could sense it. It was only now restored to normal.
He cast his gaze at the rippling light and expanded his vision into the distance.
In the real world, a dark mountain stood erect. There was a mountain hole at the mountainside that extended downwards.
This was once a place that hid many humans who had survived the Cataclysm, but they were later turned into Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s marionettes.
During this period of time, Klein kept tracing the clues and found three spots where the Dark Demonic Wolff had hidden “Himself.” However, Klein didn’t gain much from them.
The reason was simple. Just like now, there was a rock in the cave. On it sat a young man wearing a classic black robe, a pointed hat, a broad forehead, and a thin face—Amon.
Composite Start
Composite End
This Angel of Time seemed to sense the gaze from Sefirah Castle as “He” raised “His” head and adjusted “His” crystal monocle. The corners of “His” mouth curled up slightly.
“…” Klein retracted his gaze, his facial muscles twitching slightly as he muttered, “What a haunting presence… It’s not like this fellow doesn’t understand the Dark Demonic Wolf’s past. Is there a need for him to destroy all the clues I need? Furthermore, ‘He’ only comes slightly earlier than me every single time…”
If it wasn’t because he wasn’t Amon’s match, he really wanted to hang “Him” up and beat “Him.”
Phew… Klein exhaled and immediately returned to the real world.
He wore a black top hat and carried a dim yellow lantern. He dispelled his maintaining of the historical projection and, without looking back, he left the mountain and ventured deep into the silent wilderness.
There was no hesitation in his footsteps, as he had already obtained detailed information about the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, from the Evernight Goddess. He was well aware of the character, styles, and habits of the God of Wishes.
The reason why he was still searching for the Dark Demonic Wolf’s past was mainly because he wanted to verify the information. After all, the East Continent had been in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for more than two thousand years. The Dark Demonic Wolf had escaped the Evernight Goddess’s attention for a sufficiently long period of time, so it was very likely that some abnormalities and changes in character would occur. If he made a plan following the intelligence provided by the Evernight Goddess, there was a small chance that he would make the mistake of launching a surgical strike using an outdated map.
Under the tremendous pressure from the True Creator and Amon, the chances of the Dark Demonic Wolf transforming isn’t low… Perhaps it has even turned abnormal or half-mad because of the excess stress… Klein couldn’t help but lampoon inwardly.
The words “Dark Demonic Wolf” could actually be switched to “Klein Moretti” or “Zhou Mingrui” ad verbatim. It just needed to be said in future tense.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The other reason for his persistence in pursuing the Dark Demonic Wolf’s past was that he was trying to fool Amon, making it difficult for “Him” to guess that he had already grasped the key information.
Of course, this might not be able to deceive the God of Deceit. His main goal was to obtain a victory of the mind, so as to adjust his mental state that was overly stressed. This allowed him to reduce the frequency at which he sought Miss Justice’s treatment.
Well, from the looks of it, the Dark Demonic Wolf still maintains its clarity and rationality in the late Second Epoch. It wasn’t as violent as when it first fused with other Beyonder characteristics, bloodthirsty, crazy… “His” most important personality appears to not have changed; ever so suspicious. “He” doesn’t even trust “His” own marionettes. Once “He” decides to migrate, “He” would leave all the marionettes that “He” had before and sever all connections… Also, the Dark Demonic Wolf seems to have migrated from the east over here… As he thought about it, Klein came to an abrupt stop. Under the darkness that was void of stars and the crimson moon, he cast his gaze in a particular direction by relying on his spiritual intuition.
His expression gradually turned solemn as he raised his right hand and pressed on his silk top hat.
Then, he adjusted the direction he was heading in and walked towards where his eyes were trained at.
That was the east.
In the endless darkness, the lantern in his hand cast a lonely shadow. His trench coat was almost the same color as the distant night as his footsteps quickened.
…
Backlund, Empress Borough, inside the Hall family’s luxurious mansion.
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey sat in front of the dressing table and began to seriously consider how to release the “bait” in a seemingly reasonable fashion.
During this process, she suddenly thought of something.
That was that, if she wanted to go near a Beyonder gathering and monitor the thoughts of the participants, there was a lack of quick and efficient methods.
As a Sequence 4 demigod, she neither could fly nor “Teleport.” She also couldn’t use the flames to “jump” secretly. It would be fine if it was late at night, but if she wanted to use dreams as a springboard, she could only rely on her feet during the day and evening.
Oh… Actually, my speed isn’t slow, but if I were to run faster than a steam train, I would definitely attract attention… There are so many powerhouses in Backlund, so there’s no lack of existences that can see through my “Psychological Invisibility”… Similarly, in my dragon form, I can fly, but that’s just too eye-catching… Currently, I can only let my consciousness and Spirit Body enter the sea of collective subconscious, while I’m unable to bring my body in… As she pondered about the matter, Audrey could only consider purchasing Sealed Artifacts or mystical items that had “Traveling” powers while deciding to travel through dreams if there were dreams. Otherwise, she could only rely on walking, carriages, or the metro.
What a simple demigod… Hmm, it’s no wonder the full name is half-human, half-god. Those terrifying Beyonder powers are the godly side of things, while these are the human side of things… Audrey gave a self-deprecating laugh and reined in her thoughts.
…
Backlund, Hillston Borough.
Sitting beside the fireplace, Fors opened a book that was propped on her thigh as a platform for her to write.
Holding a pen in her hand, she stared at the horizontal lines on the paper and the tarot cards that were scattered on the ground for a long time.
Composite Start
Composite End
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to lie to your teacher? No, everything you write will be the truth… You don’t want to set up your teacher?” Xio walked over, crouched down, and looked up into Fors’s eyes.
Fors shook her head.
“No, it’s not because of this.
“I do feel a little guilty, but I know that this is a good thing for the Abraham family.
“I’m just hesitating. I keep feeling that our destinies will change after writing this letter.”
“Ah?” Xio was a little stunned when she heard that. She didn’t quite understand what her good friend meant.
Fors let out a sigh and said, “The battles from the past and now were actually not that dangerous for us. We had the ability to avoid it and obtain the corresponding resources to continue our peaceful lives. Therefore, my feelings for them don’t run deep.
“We’re like people standing beside a torrent. We could have watched everything go by safely, but after writing this letter, we might perhaps be swept into the torrent.”
Xio listened quietly. She opened her mouth and pursed her lips.
“If not for this, do you think we can avoid the torrent of fate?”
As she spoke, she picked up a tarot card from the ground.
The surface of the card depicted an angel blowing a trumpet and the deceased.
Judgment card.
Fors looked at the deck of tarot cards for a while before closing her eyes. She pulled her hair back and smiled.
“I understand.
“This is an inevitable destiny.”
After praying to Mr. Fool and after obtaining The Magician card, it was an unavoidable destiny.
The fountain pen in Fors’s hand finally landed on the letter.
…
Pritz Harbor.
Dorian Gray Abraham, who had long left the fishermen’s association and changed his identity, tore open the letter sent by his student.
As he quickly browsed through it, his expression went from shock, joy, and confusion to horror.
Bang!
Dorian threw away the letter in his hand and knocked down the table in front of him. It was like a monster hiding on that piece of paper with a curse.
He retreated to another corner, pulled open the drawer, and took out some items. Then, he rushed to the door and prepared to leave.
When his right hand touched the brass doorknob, Dorian’s actions suddenly slowed down and finally stopped.
He slowly turned around and cast his gaze at the letter on the ground. There was a complicated look in his eyes.
After a few seconds, Dorian Gray Abraham slowly walked towards the letter. He walked with hesitation, feeling the dilemma and struggles, but he didn’t stop. It was as if he had been seduced by the devil.
Chapter 1194 A Lion“s Hunt of a Rabbi
Finally, Dorian stopped beside the letter.
He bent down and reached out his right hand. His fingers trembled as he grabbed the edge of the paper and picked it up.
This time, Dorian was very careful. He began reading each word, one after another from the very beginning. Sometimes he was enlightened, sometimes confused, sometimes puzzled, and sometimes in pain.
The letter Fors had sent wasn’t long. He only used three minutes to read it twice before he fell into a long silence.
The sunlight shined through the window and landed on the toppled table.
Dorian Gray Abraham’s lips suddenly quivered, but he ultimately didn’t make a sound.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Separated by a piece of paper, his right thumb and index finger quickly rubbed against each other and ignited the letter with a scarlet flame.
After doing all of this, Dorian packed his belongings, put on his disguise, changed his clothes, and left the rented apartment. Using the identity he had previously prepared, he went to another place.
After settling down, he sat beside the desk and stared at the brass ornament, seemingly deep in thought.
The area became darker and darker as the sunlight weakened. Dorian’s eyelids twitched as he slowly sighed.
He then unfolded the piece of paper and picked up the fountain pen. As he pondered, he wrote:
“…I’m very happy to see you digesting the Scribe potion in a few months. This means that you might really become a demigod…
“…These are the key points to take note of while acting as a Traveler, at least the ones that I know of. However, you have to remember that everyone’s personality is different. There will always be some differences in acting in real life, so you can’t copy blindly… This doesn’t mean that the acting principles of others are wrong, but that it might lead to a huge conflict in your heart, affecting your mental state… Sometimes, you can make appropriate adjustments to slow down the speed at which the potion is being digested, but it will only be beneficial to you. You have to remember: acting is a tool, not something to lord over you…
“I look forward to the day you completely digest the Traveler potion, I will prepare the corresponding ingredients and a present for you.
“…I’m very interested in the matter of the Abraham family’s curse mentioned by that gentleman… I think you should have noticed long ago that I have done a certain degree of research on such matters. Otherwise, you wouldn’t always ask me about such matters…
Composite Start
Composite End
“I hope you can continue to learn about this matter at a deeper level…”
After writing the reply, Dorian Gray Abraham closed his eyes and quickly folded the paper.
…
January 1351, Backlund’s new year was much bleaker than before.
In a basement in West Borough, there were a few candles flickering with yellow flames, illuminating the surrounding altars, chairs, and round tables.
At the edge of the light, in a place that was extremely dark, a figure appeared indistinct. At times, it would sway, sometimes stretching into a thin entity that didn’t have any thickness. It was like a shadow that came alive.
Suddenly, the figure said in a deep voice, “You arrived earlier than I expected.”
Beside the candle, a figure quickly appeared in the spot illuminated the greatest by the light.
It was a man dressed in a mysterious black robe. His brown hair was slightly curled, and his dark, deep eyes seemed to contain countless objects.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He was none other than one of the five saints of the Aurora Order, the Saint of Secrets, Botis.
Botis smiled and said, “To me, distance is not a problem.”
He pulled a chair and sat down before saying to the long and narrow shadow, “Have you investigated thoroughly? Did you find anything unusual?”
The shadow that nearly slinked into the shadows answered in a low voice, “There aren’t any problems.”
“Really?” At the confirmation of the question, Botis instinctively had doubts. “Kisma, could this be a trap?”
The Aurora Order’s Saint Tenebrous, Kisma, slowly shook his head and said, “The target is very careful. It’s definitely not a case of deliberate exposure.
“If she wasn’t seeking to purchase an ancient wraith’s cursed item, we wouldn’t have been able to sense that she might be related to the Abraham family.”
Saint of Secrets Botis seemed to be in thought as he said, “An ancient wraith’s cursed item. This is one of the main ingredients of Scribe. I remember that the Abraham family does have a spare Asmann’s brain… Heh, they aren’t willing to directly provide a Scribe Beyonder characteristic, hoping to carry out some tests. It’s indeed the style of the Abraham family. To put it simply, they don’t have enough trust in others.”
Saint Tenebrous Kisma didn’t echo Botis’s words as he continued, “Even if she was seeking to purchase the main ingredients of the Scribe potion, we wouldn’t have noticed any problems. After all, not every believer knows the corresponding mysticism knowledge, but she even mentioned some questions related to Apprentice and the Abrahams.
Composite Start
Composite End
“She was really cautious in this aspect. The circle of Beyonders from which she sought to purchase materials from and the one she asked questions weren’t the same. Different matters were left to different circles. Furthermore, at times, she would hire other participants to help her make requests.
“If it weren’t for the fact that we have our people in those few circles and were able to combine the intelligence, we wouldn’t have noticed her.”
Saint of Secrets Botis nodded slightly and asked, “Why didn’t you just take action? You even came to me?”
In the shadows, the darkness stirred and replied slowly, “The situation in Backlund is getting more and more tense. The Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind are carpet sweeping the area, one spot after another. We’re being watched very closely.
“If I were to handle this matter, it would be fine if there weren’t any accidents. However, if an accident were to happen, I might not be able to escape due to not having ‘Grazed’ a Secrets Sorcerer.
“Besides, aren’t you the one who is most interested in the Abraham family?”
Botis chuckled and said, “I’m not interested in them at all. I just want them to all die.
“To ensure my own safety, the most important thing is to nip revenge in the bud. This is the philosophy I abide by.”
As he spoke, the Saint of Secrets took out a crystal ball from his black robe’s pocket.
The crystal ball was neither clear nor translucent, as if it had been injected with the dark night.
Composite Start
Composite End
As he touched it with his palm, his lips quivered. This strange crystal ball suffused a resplendent glow.
They were like stars that slowly spun, forming a complicated scene.
“It’s still acceptable…” Botis looked at the crystal ball in his right hand and nodded gently.
He then looked at the “ghostly shadow.”
“Give me the details.”
When he learned that there would be a Beyonder gathering in a particular circle tonight, with the target possibly appearing, the Saint of Secrets Botis stood up and said to Saint Tenebrous Kisma, “I need to make some preparations.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his right hand opened and with a gentle lift, his fingers closed.
The region he was in immediately warped and vanished.
The candles, flames, round table, and chairs that were originally located here vanished, leaving behind only the tiles and ceiling.
After a while, the shadows moved and everything returned to normal.
Nothing happened to Saint of Secrets Botis, but Saint Tenebrous’s figure appeared out of the darkness.
He looked at Botis and said in a deep voice, “Your caution has exceeded the necessary limits.”
“But this isn’t a bad thing. I hope that I can resolve the problem without anyone noticing,” Botis replied with a smile. “You can follow me. You can hide in the shadows as my support. You will not directly appear, and you will leave immediately once you discover anything amiss.”
“…Alright.” Saint Tenebrous Kisma slowly walked out of the shadows.
He looked young and handsome with outstanding facial features, but his face seemed to be covered with a faint curtain of darkness.
After coming close to Botis, there were a series of illusory chewing sounds that came from nowhere. The chewing sounds and the sound of digesting could be heard, as well as undisguised evil and hunger.
This made the demigod shudder involuntarily.
Saint Tenebrous’s eyes froze for a second as he cast a shocked and surprised look at Botis’s face.
The corners of Botis’s mouth curled up as he revealed a rather cruel smile.
A few seconds later, one of them used “Teleportation,” and the other merged into the shadows and left the house.
…
In an apartment that had been in disrepair for years, in the area intersecting Backlund’s East Borough and the bridge area, there were a few rooms on the first floor of a cheap motel that had their rooms connected.
When Botis walked out from the spirit world, the Beyonder gathering was only to be held two to three hours later. No one had arrived yet.
He looked around and took in the long tables that were arranged messily.
After observing the environment, he walked to a corner with his right hand pulling the curtain.
The region was then enveloped by a shadow, distorting before vanishing.
This was because there wasn’t anything there to begin with. There was no objective measure, so no one would have discovered that there was a space missing. They would only feel that the distance between the walls and themselves was a little closer, but upon closer inspection, everything was normal.
This was the “Space Concealment” power of a Secrets Sorcerer!
They could use this ability to split a place into two and conceal part of it. One had to use a specific “door” to enter.
At that moment, in the area that had been divided and hidden, the room existed normally. There were floor tiles, a ceiling, and a cockroach crawling across the ground.
The cockroach rushed to the boundary and was blocked by the endless darkness.
After Saint of Secrets Botis surveyed the area, his gaze paused at a transparent vortex in midair.
This was the “door.”
Every hidden space would definitely have a “door.”
After some thought, Botis reached into the black robe’s pocket, took out a mirror, and inserted it into the “door.”
The mirror twisted and quickly reflected the scene in the outside world.
There were chairs and long tables randomly strewn around. The place was empty.
In this way, Botis used this mirror to monitor the Beyonder gathering’s venue.
Seconds changed to minutes as the Beyonders dressed in various disguises arrived.
One of the hooded figures habitually chose a corner near the window. She took out a palm-sized notebook and casually flipped through a few pages, as though she was revising the main points of her questions or checking if she was fully prepared.
And behind her to the side, there was an ordinary mirror embedded in the wall.
Chapter 1195 Grade 0
In the region that had been concealed, the Saint of Secrets, Botis, narrowed his eyes slightly as he recognized Leymano’s Travels.
This made him no longer have any doubts about the intel provided by Saint Tenebrous Kisma.
He recognized this notebook and knew that it was a mystical item that the Abraham family placed great importance on. It was one of the most powerful items below the High-Sequences, and the negative effects were negligible.
Heh, back when I was a Mid-Sequence Beyonder, I had yearned for this notebook so much. In the end, the Abraham family was wary of me and didn’t place any importance on my needs at all… Now, have they learned their lesson? This woman shouldn’t be a descendant of the Abraham family. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone around searching for the cursed item of an ancient wraith… Botis muttered inwardly as his expression gradually turned grim, showing hints of a cruel fervor.
After observing his surroundings for a while, he carefully reached into his black robe’s pocket.
The pocket seemed to contain a vast space as Saint of Secrets Botis dragged out a three-layered jewelry box from within.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This jewelry box wasn’t tiny, making it difficult to hold it with one hand. It was mainly silver-black in color, and its surface was covered with exquisite decorations. There were rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds embedded in it, making it look rather luxurious.
As he held the “jewelry box” in his hands, there was a hint of panic and fear in his expression. It was as if he was facing the Abyss or listening to an evil god’s ravings.
…
The gathering continued as usual. Fors put away Leymano’s Travels and focused on listening to the participants, as though she was seeking some answers.
During this process, she would occasionally ask questions, using gold pounds and spiritual materials as payment. However, she didn’t receive any effective answers.
Gradually, the Beyonder gathering came to an end. The host arranged for the different participants to leave from different exits.
Soon, only Fors and a few other Beyonders were left in the room.
After receiving the signal of the host, Fors stood up and resisted the urge to stretch herself as she walked towards the side door.
At this moment, she realized that her body had stiffened. Her head could barely turn, but it felt like she was a toy that had its torsion spring wound up.
Composite Start
Composite End
From the corner of her eye, she saw that the grayish-white walls had turned silvery-black in an instant. They were covered in granules, as though they were made of metal. The remaining participants and the host had their skin lose the luster that it should’ve possessed. Their eyes were dull, their movements mechanical, as though they were large dolls.
In the concealed area, Botis had opened the “jewelry box” at some point in time. The interior of its top layer wasn’t exquisite enough, but it had completely restored the scene of the room.
In the room, there were chairs and long tables scattered haphazardly. There were a few palm-sized puppets sitting or standing, as though they were trying to simulate reality.
Among these people, the person standing was wearing a hooded robe. The shape of her chin was beautiful and her lips were plump and red. It was none other than Fors.
She and the remaining Beyonders, together with the gathering’s host, had silently become toys. They had been taken into the highest layer of the “jewelry box”!
The room that connected in the external world was only left with grayish-white walls—nothing else.
The corners of Botis’s lips curled up bit by bit. With his right hand, he closed the lid of the jewelry box.
In just a single breath, he had magically controlled his target!
This silver-black, three-layered “jewelry box” was the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that he had snatched from the Abraham family.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As it had never been obtained by the orthodox Churches, nor was it ever deeply understood, it didn’t have a corresponding number.
According to what Botis knew, this “jewelry box” originated from an Abraham family angel from the Fourth Epoch. “He” enjoyed roaming the cosmos and heading to different places in the vast universe. However, once, when “He” returned to “His” family to rest, he died silently in his palace. His face was filled with fear, and his expression was twisted as if he had seen something extremely terrifying.
A true Mythical Creature, one that could be considered a subsidiary god in the Second Epoch had actually died silently without causing a stir. The death was extremely bizarre.
The Beyonder characteristic “He” left behind combined with “His” corpse, forming the “jewelry box” that was quite different from the other kind of Sealed Artifacts. And back then, Mr. Door, Bethel Abraham, not only didn’t attempt to shatter it and restore it to a pure Beyonder characteristic, “He” had even given it a rather strange name: “Box of the Great Old Ones.”
The first level of the Box of the Great Old Ones could turn the target’s location into toys and switch locations with its interior. Botis had used this trait to easily achieve his goal.
The second level of the Box of the Great Old Ones recorded different locations. Once it was released, the holder and the living beings within its effective range would head directly to the corresponding region. They would then wander around the cosmos like the angel from the Abraham family back then, exploring the universe.
As for what was on the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones, Botis knew about it but didn’t dare to think about it. It was just like how he usually didn’t dare come into contact with this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Smack. After closing the lid of the Box of the Great Old Ones, he grabbed the mirror that was embedded in the transparent vortex that was suspended in midair with his right hand.
Once a certain area was concealed, a Secrets Sorcerer had to use the corresponding “door” or directly remove the “concealment” to exit.
Composite Start
Composite End
Botis had chosen the latter method because it was the easiest and fastest method.
The shadows stirred, and the area that disappeared returned to the real world. The room was finally complete.
Botis didn’t stay any longer. Without even looking at his surroundings, he made his body rapidly fade away.
He held the many gemmed, silver-black Box of the Great Old Ones as the colors saturated and overlapped with each other. He traversed the spirit world which was filled with strange creatures towards his designated location. In a few seconds, he walked out of the void, attempting to enter the ruins of the battle of the gods by crossing the huge chasm that split the seas.
At this moment, the Botis stopped in midair.
His eyes narrowed and his eyes instantly turned dark, dotted with countless points of resplendence.
It was like the cosmos had been reflected in his eyes.
The “gravel” formed by the stars spun rapidly, causing the cracks at the bottom of the sea to rapidly turn incorporeal, causing everything in front of him to shrink and condense into a wavering orange flame.
This flame extended from the tip of a matchstick as it was extinguished.
Everything that Botis had experienced after removing the “concealed space” was an illusion. He remained rooted to the ground!
Composite Start
Composite End
And the source of this illusion was the burning matchstick.
The matchstick was held by a fair-skinned palm, and the owner of the hand was a woman wearing a purple-patterned black robe and a hood. She was sitting on a carriage that was half-way through the wall, formed from a gigantic pumpkin.
Pulling the carriage were a bunch of gray rats.
This was none other than Cattleya, but her appearance, image, and bearing had changed.
This was the power she gained from the magic of Cinderella!
The core Beyonder power of the Mystery Pryer pathway’s Sequence 4 Mysticologist was called “Mystical Re-enactment,” fully expressing the saying—”knowledge is power.”
To put it simply, a Mysticologist could draw power from different mysticism knowledge they grasped, and create all sorts of magic or witchcraft. As for the corresponding “mysticism knowledge,” the less that was known by others and the less it spread, the more powerful the spells became.
The contrary could also be established. Once some knowledge and legends were known to many and no longer mysterious, the magic or witchcraft created by drawing on its powers would become almost ineffective.
Cattleya had no idea why the Queen could create all kinds of magical powers that were rich in magical colors from the private fairy tales that Emperor Roselle had told her, but that didn’t hinder her learning and usage of them. After all, she had heard of those fairy tales from Queen Mystic.
The magic she had used it to temporarily transform and disguise herself was called “Cinderella.” The magic that threw Saint of Secrets Botis into an illusion was “The Little Match Girl.” With that, she had used it to stop the other party from “Teleporting” away, creating an opportunity for the battle that would follow.
Just as Botis had extricated himself from the hallucination, the “Cinderella” who was sitting in the pumpkin carriage placed her foot on the ground and spread out her arms, causing a huge cross to appear behind her.
As for Cattleya, she seemed to be carrying an illusory object.
In the empty room, candlelights lit up, one after another, illuminating a long table covered with flesh and blood.
Around the long table were three extremely blurry figures holding the globs of flesh as they constantly devoured the food.
As if sensing something, the three figures turned their heads at the same time and looked at Botis. This Saint of Secrets’s heart raced as he felt a chill rush out from deep within his soul.
He then heard illusory gnawing, chewing, and digesting sounds. He could feel the undisguised malice and hunger.
Botis’s eyelid twitched. He hurriedly lowered his head and cast his gaze at the Box of the Great Old Ones in his hand.
The silver-black box had opened itself without him realizing it at some point in time!
The magic that Cattleya used was called the “Feast of Betrayal.” It stemmed from the mysticism knowledge she learned of the ancient sun god’s death from the Tarot Club. Its purpose was to temporarily awaken or imbue the target with intelligence, allowing them to commit a “betrayal!”
Without a doubt, the effects of encountering a Sealed Artifact that was filled with malice towards the owner would be excellent.
However, if not for the fact that she had obtained the protection of Mr. Fool at every gathering they monitored, Cattleya wouldn’t have dared to use this magic.
Once the three main leads of the “betrayal feast” sensed it, she would definitely die for obscure reasons. She wouldn’t be able to resist her death and would die an abnormally horrifying death.
Therefore, Mysticologists were definitely individuals with high-risk. Their strength came from walking the edge of the Abyss, coming from things they shouldn’t have seen or heard.
In comparison, Queen Mystic who could create magic from her father’s private fairy tales was much safer than other Mysticologists at the same tier.
Chapter 1196 The Ugly Duckling
When opening the first level of the Box of the Great Old Ones, the long table, chairs, Fors, and the others were like dolls. They were either still or motionless. Otherwise, under the power of torsion springs, they made repeated simple movements.
Upon seeing this scene, Botis’s hair stood on end. For some baffling reason, he felt that he was about to join and become one of them.
He instinctively wanted to react to the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact in his hand, but he saw the hooded, purple-robed woman retract her right hand and hold it to her mouth, slightly clenched.
A dark color instantly formed in her palm. It was an ancient bugle with a charm that appeared very heavy and powerful.
The Horn of Magic, the Horn of Destruction!
Botis’s pupils dilated as he lacked the luxury of time to deal with the Box of the Great Old Ones. He grabbed forward with his right hand, as though he had raised an invisible screen that shielded the void.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The area he was in was distorted once again. He disappeared and was concealed.
Woo!
The horn in Cattleya’s hand let out a soft hum. It echoed in the room but didn’t extend out of its confines.
With the sound waves overlapping, the shadows shattered and the ground cracked. The space that had been concealed by the Saint of Secrets was like a thick piece of glass that had been struck by a sledgehammer. Countless cracks appeared and intertwined with each other.
Elsewhere, a towering knight in full black armor appeared out of the shadows. He held a long broadsword, and two dark red beams of light glimmered in his eye sockets—Saint Tenebrous Kisma.
Woo!
Once again, Cattleya blew the horn. Everything in the room seemed to freeze into a translucent amber.
Silently, the amber broke apart, and even the black-armored knight fell to the ground like a mirror, shattering into small shards.
The distorted region returned to the real world.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, Botis also managed to grab the gaps between the two horn blows as he created numerous illusory doors to appear around them.
Some of them were double doors that opened outwards, some were deep and recessed, some were covered in mysterious patterns, and some were hollow in the middle, allowing one to vaguely see the boundless darkness behind them…
The illusory doors were in bountiful numbers, densely packed, and overlapped together, almost enveloping the Saint of Secrets.
Without any time to think further, Botis immediately opened a grayish-blue door with seven brass locks, and he threw the Box of the Great Old Ones that was just about to have its second layer open inside.
This was a Secrets Sorcerer’s “Exile.” It could throw a target that he had gained initial control of into a corresponding chaotic space. As for the different illusory doors, they represented different scenes—ones where danger and opportunity coexisted.
This kind of “Exile” wasn’t permanent. At Botis’s Sequence level, he was only capable of isolating the Box of the Great Old Ones from reality for twenty seconds. Once that time was up, the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact would return to the spot beside him through the “illusory door” from before.
However, by then, the “betrayal” induced by the enemy’s Beyonder powers would definitely have disappeared.
As a demigod of the Apprentice pathway, he had traveled many places, witnessed many things, and recorded many kinds of powers, Botis made the most correct decision in that split instant.
At the same time, the Black Knight that had split into pieces quickly squirmed and reformed, becoming a thin rug that flowed with flesh and blood. It covered every corner of the room.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As a cult that could only survive in the shadows of reality, the Aurora Order might have many lunatics, but they were used to doing things to conceal themselves so as to prevent themselves from attracting the official Beyonders before their goals were met.
Of course, once the matter was in its final stages, they would definitely proclaim their existence openly.
In addition, Saint Tenebrous Kisma had done so in hopes of obstructing the possible enemies that were hiding outside to a certain extent. This allowed a separation of the battlefield.
When a layer of flesh grew out from the floor, walls, and ceiling, a twisted black shadow rose up from the corner.
This was one of the souls that Saint Tenebrous Kisma had “Grazed.”
It was a powerful vampire from the Forsaken Land of the Gods, a Sequence 4 Shaman King of the Moon pathway.
If the Shepherd’s Grazed target was a demigod, he could release it directly due to the existence of its corporeal Spirit Body. However, there only one could be released at any one point in time unless the corresponding Shepherd had already become a Sequence 3 Trinity Templar.
Seizing the opportunity that the horn in the female demigod’s hand was dissipating, the twisted Shaman King reached out and dug out one of his eyes—a bright-red, illusory eye.
The eye shimmered with a bright, crimson glow as it instantly illuminated the entire room, as though the crimson moon had descended.
Composite Start
Composite End
Its pupil reflected the woman wearing the purple-patterned black robe and a dark-colored hood.
Immediately following that, the Shaman King clasped the hand which was holding his eye, letting the crimson “moonlight” become completely devoured by darkness.
A deep darkness appeared around Cattleya as the solidified darkness bound her to the spot. It froze the scene.
Upon seeing this scene, Botis took a step forward, phasing behind his enemy instantaneously.
Performing one “Blink” followed by another as a total of eight figures dressed in black robes appeared around Cattleya!
These weren’t avatars he created, but afterimages he left behind due to his blazing “Blink.”
Some of them released “Lightning Storm,” while others condensed a blinding white spear. Some were covered in black armor as they slashed out a heavy broadsword that could appear capable of slicing through anything…
Different figures with different powers either attacked or created a form of control, but their target was one and the same—Cattleya.
There was almost no pause in between their actions. When Botis’s figure “Blinked” to another corner, he quickly turned transparent as he was on the brink of disappearing.
He had no intention of killing the enemy, as this was Backlund. Also, the commotion created from their battle couldn’t be suppressed any further. Once it affected the outside world, official angels might descend.
Composite Start
Composite End
The reason why he had first launched a series of counterattacks before “Teleporting” away was because he wanted to suppress the enemy and prevent her from interfering with his and Saint Tenebrous Kisma’s escape. This was a very reasonable strategy.
However, a few seconds ago, in a room on an upper level of the old apartment, Xio had learned of all the changes in the venue through Miss Justice’s “mind voice.”
Although she was worried and anxious, she didn’t panic at all. She followed the plan and jumped down from the window, somersaulting in midair as she pointed at the targeted area.
“Teleportation is prohibited here!”
After doing this, she immediately distanced herself from the apartment to prevent the friendly demigods from being distracted.
With this interference, the Saint of Secrets, Botis, failed to successfully enter the spirit world. A rusty, abnormally heavy door appeared in front of him as it tightly sealed the “path.”
To Botis, an illusory door of this level wasn’t able to stop him from leaving at all. He could “open” the door once he made some adjustments.
But at this moment, something anomalous had happened over at the female demigod in the purple-patterned black robe!
Silver light appeared in Cattleya’s eyes. They connected together like a mysterious giant snake.
This was “Brief Luck,” derived from the knowledge she had obtained when analyzing the blood of a Snake of Fate.
Regardless of the terrifying lightning, burning-white spear, or the slash of the Black Knight, none of them hit the target. Cattleya seemed to be standing at the eye of the storm. No matter how dangerous the surroundings were, she was unaffected.
Those attacks and the attempts at control either narrowly passed her by or were canceled out by “friendly” forces. They were unable to achieve the desired effect, and they even helped her weaken the “dark” shackles.
Instantly, Cattleya bowed her back slightly as white and illusory feathers grew out of them. They didn’t belong to an angel, but rather, a swan.
The ugly duckling had become a swan.
As for what a swan was, to a Sequence 4 demigod, the answer was obvious. It was an incomplete Mythical Creature form.
And the ugly duckling could also become a swan!
This was a powerful magic that could allow a Mysticologist to reveal their incomplete Mythical Creature form once a day, with each instance lasting ten seconds.
The surface of Cattleya’s body immediately cracked open as flesh and blood gathered inside, forming eyeballs with clear blacks and whites.
The countless eyeballs coldly scanned their surroundings, as though they were manifestations of multifarious knowledge. As such, the figure that bore their weight turned into a black blob that was even more abstract in a higher spatial dimension.
Upon seeing the densely packed eyeballs, Saint of Secrets Botis and Saint Tenebrous Kisma felt dizzy. A knowledge storm took form in their minds.
The layer of flesh and blood that enveloped the entire room began to tremble slightly. Some dripped down, while others squirmed intermittently.
At this moment, an unimaginable aura pierced through the barrier formed from flesh and blood, pouring into the first floor of the dilapidated apartment and enveloping every corner of the apartment.
At the same time, Saint of Secrets Botis and Saint Tenebrous Kisma were shocked. Their bodies, souls, and minds were in an uncontrollable state.
This was “Dragon Might” which had undergone a qualitative change—”Mind Deprivation!”
Seizing this opportunity, the “black blob” that was covered in cracks and eyes condensed a spear in front of it.
The spear appeared ancient in style; from the tip to the handle, it was dyed in blobs of blood-red splotches.
It emitted a mighty destructive aura and a bloody feeling, as though it had once hurt a mighty existence.
With a whoosh, the terrifying spear shot out, heading straight for the Botis who stood rooted to the ground.
In the entire room, all the voices and details vanished. Even the “Dragon Might” that filled the room suddenly disappeared, leaving behind only the bloody spear tip and Botis’s body, as well as the constantly shrinking distance between them.
Spear of Longinus!
Chapter 1197 Mind Storm
The blood-stained spear that seemed to come from an ancient time that couldn’t be traced had absorbed the entire room’s presence, stabbing straight into the body of Saint of Secrets Botis.
The brown-haired, firm-bodied Botis’s figure faded away, turning into a pair of black double doors.
At the same time, he appeared behind the “door,” placing himself in a separate world from the terrifying spear as he looked at it from afar.
In the next moment, the spear that was stained with red blood pierced through the black door and bore into the space where Botis was.
Botis’s figure kept retreating, constantly transforming into one illusory door after another. Some of them were made up of two winding stone golems, while others had a fist-sized hole by the gaps of the door. Some were embedded with silver nails, while others were covered in mysterious patterns. One after another, they were layered repeatedly, extending to an infinite number.
Without a sound, the Spear of Longinus tore through the illusory doors without stopping at all. It didn’t allow Saint of Secrets Botis to find a chance to escape.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In less than a second, the blood-stained spear that emitted a strong sense of destruction had shattered countless illusory doors. After it suffered a decline in its aura, it finally stabbed into its target’s chest.
Countless cracks instantly appeared on Botis’s body, as if he was a ceramic object that had fallen to the ground.
With a cracking sound, the Saint of Secrets turned pitch black as he disintegrated into pieces, scattering all over the ground.
This didn’t seem like his actual body, but more like his shadow.
This was the “Shadow Substitute” spell he had “Recorded” from a certain Sequence 3 saint under the True Creator.
Of course, without the layers of “doors” weakening the Spear of Longinus, he believed that it was very likely that his shadow together with his body would have shattered together.
After narrowly dodging this strike, Botis endured the dizziness and shock brought about by Cattleya’s incomplete Mythical Creature form as he made a gigantic, scaleless silver snake appear in his eyes.
This gigantic snake was so large that it filled Botis’s eyes. Its surface was filled with dense patterns and labels formed by one mystical wheel after another.
Its head connected to its tail as it merged with countless illusory rivers, turning into a blurred, surreal, and slowly spinning gear. Around the round gear were all sorts of symbols that represented different futures.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, the black fragments that had yet to disappear on the ground flew up one after another and reorganized themselves on the spot, restoring Botis.
The ground that was stained with dark red blood quickly retreated from the numerous illusory doors until it returned to the distorted black blob.
The strong, fearful atmosphere receded like the tide and left the room.
The “black blob” that was covered in cracks and eyeballs squirmed and restored itself, turning back into a purple-patterned black-robed woman with a hood.
Everything returned to the point before “The Ugly Duckling” magic was used.
Reboot of Fate!
This was one of the rewards given to Saint of Secrets Botis for crushing the Abraham family—he was allowed to “Record” the Sequence 1 Beyonder power from the Angel of Fate, Ouroboros.
Of course, there was definitely a huge gap from the original version. It could only reboot reality for three seconds, and it was limited to the space of a tiny room like this. It wasn’t even able to affect the entire first floor of the apartment.
The moment “Reboot” ended, the prepared Saint Tenebrous Kisma immediately took action.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Grazed twisted shadow that stemmed from a Sanguine Count spread open its arms and made a gesture of embracing the crimson moon.
The darkness around Cattleya surged, instantly forming illusory but firm black chains that bound her to her spot.
The flesh and blood that covered the ground, walls and ceiling gathered together rapidly, turning into a knight covered in black full-body armor. He held a heavy greatsword in his hand and looked extremely oppressive.
In the gap of the Black Knight’s visor, two dark red beams of light flickered and instantly locked onto the hooded woman beside the pumpkin carriage.
The shadow beneath Cattleya’s feet suddenly came alive as it grabbed her ankles. Like a water current that had its water level rising, it gripped her tightly.
Black Knight, Commandeering Shadows!
Then, the gigantic knight that was almost reaching the ceiling as though he came from mythical legends rushed to a spot not far from his target with a single step. He cleaved down with the heavy, long broadsword.
Elsewhere, a silver illusory book in the eyes of Saint of Secrets Botis flipped rapidly. It then stopped at a single page.
With that, Botis reached out his left hand and grabbed the pumpkin carriage across a distance of twenty to thirty meters. He then grabbed at the mysterious woman in a purple-patterned black robe.
Composite Start
Composite End
His arm suddenly grew longer, and its surface was black and sticky, as if it was flowing with an evil liquid.
Amidst the liquid, pale skulls and eyes with pronounced blood vessels grew out, including sharp teeth and tongues. All sorts of strange things grew out, causing extreme evil and extreme madness to spread rapidly through the area.
In the room, the ground instantly cracked and the few cockroaches that were still alive collapsed to the ground.
This was an attack from a particular state of Abomination Suah!
Back outside Bayam City, Saint of Secrets Botis had been attracted by Tinder. It appeared as though he only watched from the sidelines for a while before picking up the item and leaving immediately. But in fact, he had been desperately trying to “Record” the powers or states of the high-level existences.
After failing numerous times, due to the frequent blessings of fate, he eventually obtained what he wanted. Of course, during that battle, he only managed to “Record” one.
Under this evil and pitch-black arm, Cattleya’s consciousness was tainted with madness. For a moment, she was unable to respond effectively.
Together with the shackles of darkness restraining her shadow, she could only stand rooted to the ground as she watched Saint Tenebrous Kisma’s greatsword slash at her while Saint of Secrets Botis reached out his left hand to grab at her.
At this moment, the flesh and blood walls in the room that separated the interior from the exterior was gone. An invisible and abrupt wind stirred up.
The moment the wind appeared, it grew violent and swept towards the Saint of Secrets’s and Saint Tenebrous’s hearts.
Composite Start
Composite End
Manipulator, Mind Storm.
Not only was he not surprised or flustered by the chaotic thoughts, Botis even had the corners of his lips pull up as he smiled.
As the switch for the “Reboot,” he naturally remembered that the demigod riding the pumpkin carriage had a helper of the same level hiding outside the apartment somewhere.
The reason why he placed his focus on the enemy on the surface was to lure out the hidden demigod!
In between the two powers of “Reboot of Fate” and the Abomination state, Botis had secretly “hypnotized” himself, allowing himself to naturally divide the burden of Mind Deprivation and the knowledge torrent across most of his Worms of Star. He then left a small number to control his body so as to lock onto the “hidden” enemy.
Previously, the Dragon’s Might shock, and the fact that he was unable to discover his target, had convinced Botis that it was a demigod of the Spectator pathway.
While his mind was in a daze, the thing he branched out rapidly churned and helped Botis locate the source of the attack.
But at this moment, most of the thoughts that resonated among the Worms of Star wasn’t him being overloaded with meaningless information as he had imagined.
In his mind, there seemed to be a voice saying thousands of words in a second:
“At the bottom of an abandoned castle in Delaire Forest, there is a pair of bronze double doors. It seals with the corruptive forces underground. The higher the Sequence a Beyonder is when approaching, the easier it is to be affected…
“The cosmos is extremely dangerous. There are unknown existences watching…
“Dark Angel is suspected to be the negative personality dissociated from the ancient sun god…
“…”
What? Botis was taken aback. He felt that these thoughts were dangerous, but he couldn’t help but wish to understand more.
Just this moment of stupor made the enemy he had already found disappear once again, escaping his range of attention. As for the Abomination palm that was hurtling towards the pumpkin carriage and the female demigod, it also slowed down.
Similarly, Saint Tenebrous Kisma was also affected by the “Mind Storm” as his actions stiffened for a second.
By the time they recovered, Cattleya had already opened her mouth and spat out a pea.
The pea instantly grew, turning into thick green vines that dragged Cattleya out the door, allowing her to escape the shackles of darkness and regain some freedom of movement.
By the time Saint Tenebrous’s heavy greatsword and Saint of Secrets’s pitch-black arms landed on her, they only shattered a shadow and did not injure this Mysticologist.
They had shattered Cattleya’s “Emperor’s New Clothes” magic, something that didn’t exist at all, so she naturally wouldn’t be injured!
In the next second, the hooded lady in the purple-patterned black robe suddenly turned transparent and turned into a pile of foam.
The bubbles quickly scattered and burst one after another. Nothing was left behind. As for the green vines, they grew into midair and burst into flames, illuminating the surrounding streets.
Everything returned to normal. It was as if the short and intense demigod-level battle had never happened.
Saint of Secrets Botis and Saint Tenebrous Kisma exchanged glances. They weren’t surprised by such a development.
Clearly, after the sneak attack failed, the two demigod enemies were at a disadvantage and could no longer achieve their goals. Furthermore, this was Backlund. The longer they delayed, the more dangerous it would be. Hence, they took the opportunity to escape.
In addition, in order to interfere with the tracking, they had deliberately created a huge commotion to attract the authorities of Backlund.
As for the copy of Leymano’s Travels and a Sequence 7 or 6 Apprentice Beyonder, they were baits that could be abandoned.
After a slight nod, Saint of Secrets Botis took out a crystal ball from his black robe’s concealed pocket. It bloomed with light before it quickly shattered and merged into the void.
He was trying to prevent tracking via mysticism means.
Indeed, he didn’t dare to stay any longer. He planned on “Teleporting” away and returning to the Aurora Order headquarters. Then, he would “interrogate” the bait and figure out the truth before deciding what to do next.
A second later, Botis’s figure quickly turned transparent and disappeared. Kisma entered the shadows and rapidly left, wiping the traces behind him along the way.
Chapter 1198 Frenzy
The Saint of Secrets, Botis, began to traverse the spirit world the moment he entered, heading straight for the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea—the ruins of the battle of the gods.
At this moment, his thoughts blurred. His body turned and left the spirit world through another place.
By the time Botis received a warning from his spirituality and had regained control of his own thoughts while feeling tense, what he saw was a bare forest with nearly all its leaves scattered. There was no one around, and the crimson moon hung high in the sky.
As a former Traveler and Astrologer, he immediately identified his location and found that he was still in Backlund. However, he had moved from the city to a remote area in the suburbs.
At the same time, he also understood what had happened.
It was unknown when his mind world had been infiltrated with someone else’s consciousness. At the critical moment, it affected his thoughts and changed his destination!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
That Spectator pathway’s demigod! I didn’t realize it! Botis’s pupils dilated as a silvery-white illusory book appeared.
The book flipped to one of the pages.
Botis immediately raised his hand to grab at his glabella. He grabbed a ball of darkness from the island of consciousness and threw it into his shadow.
His shadow was separated from him as it twisted to a stand, revealing a female silhouette.
Black Knight, Shadow of Depravation!
This was an ability that Botis had “Recorded” from Saint Tenebrous Kisma. It could separate one’s depraved thoughts into a shadow and form an uncontrollable independent creature.
Botis used it to erase the consciousness that didn’t belong to him, and escape the influence of the Manipulator!
At the same time, this was also Botis’s counterattack. As long as the hidden Spectator pathway demigod couldn’t quickly resolve this “shadow,” the thoughts she had fractured would gradually become independent, turning her half-mad and even causing her to lose control.
Once he was done with the latent mental problems, Botis didn’t hesitate to escape the enemy’s predetermined battlefield and “Teleport” elsewhere.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, at this moment, his mind suddenly turned frantic. He felt that the entire environment was making things difficult for him, and his anger could no longer be contained.
As the silver book flipped in front of his eyes, the entire forest collapsed with a loud bang. The black “shadow” almost collapsed into a ball.
After his bout of mania, Botis’s mood dropped to a nadir. He couldn’t lift his spirits with regards to anything. He felt that he was useless, a burden to others and even the world.
Mental Plague! In the previous battle, Botis had already been infected by “Mental Plague,” and it had finally acted up!
The reason why Cattleya first used “The Little Match Girl” magic wasn’t only because she wanted to interfere with Botis’s “Teleportation,” but also because she was helping Miss Justice conceal any traces, allowing her Virtual Persona to infiltrate Botis’s mind world without triggering his spiritual intuition. A seed of “Mental Plague” was planted secretly without triggering it.
It was precisely because of this that when the sneak attack failed, Cattleya and Audrey dared to initiate the contingency plan. They retreated on their own accord, allowing Saint of Secrets Botis and Saint Tenebrous Kisma to separate from each other after they were out of danger.
Cattleya’s final igniting of the final green vine appeared to create a huge commotion to attract the attention of the official Beyonders, making the enemy abandon their pursuit, but in fact, it was to force the Saint of Secrets to leave as quickly as possible. This way, he didn’t have the time to carefully examine and check his condition at a deeper level.
Hence, at the critical moment of his “Teleportation,” he had his thoughts changed by Audrey’s Virtual Persona. He came directly to the outskirts of Backlund, an uninhabited kill box which the Tarot Club had chosen.
And once he finished off the Manipulator’s Virtual Persona, the eruption of “Mental Plague” came right on the heels of that.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In fact, if he had used “Reboot of Fate” earlier, he definitely would’ve been able to return to a state where there were no latent problems. However, he only decided to use this trump card when he was nearly killed by the Spear of Longinus. And by that time, his mind world had already been infiltrated for far more than three seconds!
He was dispirited and depressed, trying his best to resist his mental illness. It was at this moment that he saw a bunch of surreal yarn balls appear out of the void in front of him.
At the back of the yarn ball, the bright-colored yarn extended into an infinite distance.
Following this line, Cattleya, who was wearing a purple-patterned black robe and a dark-colored hood, walked over from the spirit world and appeared in front of the Saint of Secrets, Botis.
She was unable to track down enemies that had done some level of interference, but she could establish a connection with the predetermined battlefield. She could trace Justice Audrey’s Virtual Persona!
The moment she arrived, Cattleya closed her eyes and formed a phantom image that fell towards an invisible coffin.
The already depressed Botis instantly felt extremely exhausted. He couldn’t help but close his eyes, wanting to collapse.
Sleeping Beauty!
On the other side, Audrey’s “Virtual Persona” which hadn’t fully turned independent was like a dark shadow, bringing with it a sense of depravity. She raised her hand and pinched her forehead.
Composite Start
Composite End
Her pupils silently turned vertical; they were pale gold and cold.
Botis’s mind instantly exploded as bubbles of light appeared on the surface of his body. Within the bubbles, rays of starlight condensed into insects with their heads and tails fused into the void.
Psychiatrist, Frenzy!
This could completely trigger the target’s emotions and even cause him to lose control.
Botis had already been infected with “Mental Plague” and was in an extremely abnormal state. Following that, he was affected by “Sleeping Beauty” magic and was in an extremely dispirited mood. “Frenzy” now triggered everything, immediately making it difficult for him to control himself as he showed signs of losing control.
Seizing this opportunity, Cattleya opened her eyes, raised her right hand, and rapidly formed a handful of spinning star sand in her palm.
The forest beneath the night became even darker. The crimson moon disappeared from the sky as stars appeared one after another. They were densely packed and dazzling.
The stars scattered their rays of light, forming a magnificent pillar of light that enveloped the area around Saint of Secrets Botis and his surroundings.
In the midst of the shock, Botis became a little more awake. His figure rapidly turned into a blur as he kept “Blinking,” creating more than ten afterimages in the forest.
However, he could not escape the starlight’s envelopment, nor could he “Teleport” away.
Composite Start
Composite End
One by one, the starlight melted and dissipated the different Botis. Finally, there was only one person left genuflecting, propping up his body with one palm as he struggled.
Botis’s body was in shambles. His eyes were already dark red, and he appeared to be on the brink of insanity.
When the starlight was in its final moments, he “Blinked” and dodged the follow-up attack of Audrey’s Virtual Persona.
Then, he kept “Blinking” and created “doppelgangers” beside Cattleya and Audrey’s Virtual Persona.
One of his “doppelgangers” grabbed with his left hand, distorting the area where Audrey’s Virtual Persona was located. He concealed it in a bid to restrain the enemy.
As for his other “doppelganger,” he spread open his arms and summoned a thick pillar of light surrounded by holy flames, letting it blast down into the concealed space.
During this process, Botis’s other “doppelganger” had secretly removed the concealment of space.
Hence, as soon as the shadow corresponding to Audrey’s Virtual Persona was freed from the restriction, it was enveloped by a holy pillar of light, quickly melting away.
In his “Blinking” state, Botis could use Beyonder powers at a speed faster than normal, but he couldn’t sustain it for long. This was something that was achieved via using his numerous Worms of Star.
Elsewhere, the Saint of Secrets, Botis, was also attacking Cattleya. He had used various powers, and in the short span of a second or two, he had inundated his target with a barrage of attacks.
This forced Cattleya to constantly use “The Emperor’s New Clothes” magic to avoid it. She was momentarily unable to counter-attack and was in grave danger.
A few seconds later, Botis’s “Blinking” finally slowed down. The mania in his heart also eased.
At this moment, grayish-white and heavy scales suddenly appeared outside the forest. They were faintly discernible, as if they were forming an extremely oppressive behemoth.
In the dark night where the crimson moon was obscured, a nearly invisible stream of breath swept down from top to bottom, enveloping Botis and Cattleya.
The two demigods felt as though they were struck by lightning as their psyche was torn apart. Their Spirit Bodies seemed to be penetrated.
The breath of a mind dragon!
With his mental state already in a terrible state and having used a couple of his trump cards, Botis’s mind went blank. As the flashes flashed before his eyes, his body couldn’t help but tremble.
As for Cattleya, she was carrying the Moon Paper Figurine that she had obtained from Fors. This helped her bear the burden of “Psychic Piercing” once!
Although it was unable to completely eliminate the effects of “Mind Dragon Breath,” it could help Cattleya recover faster.
This meant an opportunity in a battle at the demigod level!
In just a second or two, Cattleya’s eyes returned to normal. As for Audrey who was in her dragon form and hiding in the darkness outside the forest, she cast another “Mind Deprivation” on Botis.
Without any hesitation, Cattleya raised her right hand and condensed the terrifying spear that was stained with fresh blood. She threw it at the Saint of Secrets, Botis.
This time, Botis could no longer dodge or resolve the situation. His chest was pierced through by the Spear of Longinus.
His body stiffened for a moment before it rapidly collapsed, turning into countless dazzling Worms of Star.
Some of these Worms of Star vanished directly, while others devoured each other. Some of them fused into a distant spot, forming a new Botis.
There was no longer any rationality left in his eyes. His body was continuously collapsing, revealing an incomplete and extremely weak Mythical Creature form.
At this moment, an illusory door appeared beside him. It was grayish-blue that had seven brass locks.
The illusory door quickly opened as it spat out a three-layered “jewelry box” embedded with various gems.
The Box of the Great Old Ones which had been exiled had returned.
With a crazed look in his eyes, Botis caught the box, revealing a cruel and bloodthirsty smile as he tried to open it.
The third level!
Chapter 1199 Inauspicious Box
Towards the return of Botis’s Grade 0 Sealed Artifact or the restoration of its normal condition, The Hermit Cattleya and Justice Audrey had made a preliminary plan. After all, they weren’t confident at killing a demigod in such a short period of time.
If not for the fact that Botis had fallen into a trap having suffered the lethal blows of “Mental Plague,””Sleeping Beauty,” and “Frenzy” and putting him into a crazy and incoherent state, he actually had many opportunities to “Teleport” away without being stopped.
In that case, Cattleya and Audrey could only wait for Botis to return to a “safe house” and release Fors. Once the Eye of Mystery Prying provided them feedback, they could remotely create an opportunity for Miss Magician to summon the Historical Void projection.
At this moment, facing Botis, who was on the path towards losing control with no way to reverse it and his crazy attempt to fully activate Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, Cattleya and Audrey—one right in the middle of the scene and the other hiding outside the forest—simultaneously took the same action. They took out a translucent dark charm and recited a word in Jotun:
“Star!”
This was a “Teleportation” charm. Following the patterns, labels, and symbols of the “Record” on the Leymano’s Travels, Klein had made a charm himself.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Since Sefirah Castle could mobilize the powers of the Marauder pathway, there was no reason not to respond to the pleas of the Apprentice domain!
As for the materials needed for the charms, be it Mysticologist Cattleya or Traveler Fors, the both of them had a certain level of understanding towards it. There was no need for Mr. Fool to teach them.
When the two of them “Teleported” away with the triggering of the charm—having plans to come back after a minute or two to confirm the situation—there was a cruel smile on Botis’s face. His eyes were filled with madness as his actions suddenly stiffened.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones!
It was extremely heavy, as though it was enveloped and suppressed by layers of forces. There was no way to activate it.
This made Botis feel like he was attempting to open a new world, not a box.
In an instant, he sensed something, and the madness in his eyes disappeared. Extreme astonishment and fear arose in him.
Tick tock. Tick tock. Wisps of light slid down from Botis’s body. When they touched the ground, they transformed into insects formed from resplendent starlight.
The insects’ bodies were bent into a semi-circle, forming a magical glow that resembled illusory doors.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, his incomplete Mythical Creature form suddenly collapsed and disintegrated in an irresistible manner.
The two eyeballs of his eyes landed on the ground and were stained with dust.
These two eyeballs were frozen with an indescribable look of horror. They were maintained perfectly, completely different from the other parts of his body.
A Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer died just like that.
Pa!
The Box of the Great Old Ones, which had a silver-black surface with many gems embedded in it, dropped beside Botis’s eyes, just like a jewelry box commonly seen in aristocratic families.
Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace, Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he lowered the Sea God Scepter in his hand in puzzlement.
He was just moments from activating the power of Sefirah Castle and using the level of an angel to conjure “Lightning Storm.” He wanted to prevent Botis from opening the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones, but the Saint of Secrets’s mutually destructive counterattack had failed to succeed. He encountered an unexpected failure from the very beginning.
After Xio left the first battlefield, she immediately followed the plan and prayed to Mr. Fool. With this, Klein found an opportunity to enter the world above the gray fog. Through the crimson star corresponding to The Hermit and Justice, he monitored the battle.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As she moved to the second battlefield, Audrey found an opportunity to pray, so that Klein could use her crimson star to directly interfere with the real world.
This was also the reason why Audrey had arrived at her destination later than The Hermit Cattleya.
According to what Arrodes said, the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones contains something very terrifying. I thought that the True Creator had given it to him in order to create a terrifying disaster at the critical moment, so as to showcase the true colors of an evil god. Who knew that it couldn’t be opened… Klein glanced at the crimson star representing The Magician and discovered that it was covered in a layer of black ash. It seemed to have coagulated, making it impossible for him to see the scene inside to confirm Miss Magician’s condition.
This was the first time he had encountered such a situation—evidence of how high a level and odd the Box of the Great Old Ones was.
As for “Sleeping Beauty” magic and the Spear of Longinus that he saw, he came up with some ideas.
After learning of the powers of Mystical Re-enactment at the private gathering, Klein overturned his speculations about the fairy tale magic that Bernadette had.
He had originally believed that the Emperor had specially created the stories for his daughter based on the fairy tales on Earth, or that after Bernadette’s father passed away, she had deliberately reenacted the fairy tales he had told her about as a way to express her grief. From the looks of it, the answer likely wasn’t this. Some of the fairy tales before the First Epoch might have been “mysterious.”
This meant that those fairy tales originated from mysterious incidents that had happened in real life. They were spread among the people and gradually became stories. They were recorded down by writers and further embellished.
This corresponds to the prophecy regarding the time when the stars are right. Mystery and has never left and has always been around. It was just that in the “Earth Era” before the First Epoch, they were suppressed by some kind of power or sealed…
Composite Start
Composite End
If that’s really the case, some of the legends and stories on Earth can be explained from another angle… It’s no wonder there’s a Spear of Longinus… I wonder if the Chinese fable of the ethereal utopia, Peach Blossom Spring, is involved in mystery. I’ll tell Ma’am Hermit later and see if she can create new magic according to this…
I wonder if Bernadette became a Mysticologist before the Emperor perished. If she did, it’s hard to say if these fairy tale magics were created by the Emperor, a Sequence 1 Beyonder of the Mystery Pryer pathway, or by Queen Mystic Bernadette… But no matter what, the Emperor should have discovered that these fairy tales are also mysterious in his later years, and also that he could draw power from them. Well, there’s no corresponding diary entry from Bernadette. I can’t see the Emperor’s reaction and his guesses…
One of the reasons he insisted on going to the moon is to verify certain things.
It’s a pity that most of the myths are fake. There’s no way to draw on their power. The novels of the Internet era are the same… Klein sighed slightly as he leaned back into his chair and continued paying attention to the battlefield.
In the collapsed forest, The Hermit Cattleya and Justice Audrey faced the abnormal changes suffered by Botis and tacitly gave up injecting their spirituality to use the charms.
Despite maintaining her “Dragon Transformation” state, Audrey was still hiding in the darkness outside the forest, wary of any accidents or official demigods who might have sensed the commotion and come to investigate.
As for The Hermit Cattleya, she was pushed to the spot where Botis had died by the wind. She carefully avoided the Box of the Great Old Ones.
Due to the fact that a Scribe could use many powers, a demigod-level Sealed Artifact would often have extremely negative effects. Apart from the Box of the Great Old Ones, Botis only left behind a black pocket which seemed to be part of his robe.
Also, there was also the gathered Beyonder characteristic, two eyeballs, and about ten Worms of Star. Most of the Worms of Star had been destroyed.
Considering the horror displayed by the Box of the Great Old Ones, as well as the fact that Botis was a high-ranking member of the Aurora Order and could be blessed by a god, Cattleya didn’t rashly pick up the items. She was afraid that an accident would happen, causing the situation to develop negatively.
Composite Start
Composite End
Previously, during the private gatherings, they had communicated with each other on how to handle such situations. That was, if they had the time and opportunity, they would first sacrifice the item to Mr. Fool and then distribute it above the gray fog. After all, many items might bring about unknown dangers if they were to come into contact with items with unknown negative effects. And there was a high probability that Botis had a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Sometimes, merely knowing the existence of a Sealed Artifact of this level was enough to cause a sudden death.
According to what The Star Leonard had said, it was best not to come into contact with such Sealed Artifacts. It was best not to ask, describe, or pry into it. Only a true high-level existence could suppress them.
Without any hesitation, Cattleya took out silver candles and other ritual items from the various hidden pockets of her purple-patterned black robe. She then set up a simple sacrificial ritual.
During this process, she pinched her lips, whistled, and created an invisible servant helper. It took about ten seconds to set up the altar.
After quickly reciting Mr. Fool’s honorific name and using spiritual materials to open the Door of Sacrifice and Bestowment, Cattleya heaved a sigh of relief. She got the invisible servant to move the Box of the Great Old Ones, the black pocket, two eyeballs, the gathered Beyonder characteristic, and the nine Worms of Star over to the altar.
With a whoosh, the items flew up and passed through the illusory door.
When Cattleya saw this, she immediately pinched her lower lip with her thumb and index finger, preparing to whistle once again to dispel the invisible servant.
But amidst the whistling, the “servant” remained motionless, as though it had nothing to do with Cattleya.
The Hermit Cattleya’s eyelids twitched as she clenched her right hand into a fist and pushed it to her mouth, preparing to use the Horn of Magic.
At that moment, a blazing silvery-white appeared out of nowhere at the altar. Layers of bolts of lightning formed a destructive storm that enveloped the invisible servant in the middle.
All of this quickly calmed down as the mutated servant was completely destroyed.
Cattleya exhaled and lowered her head, sincerely thanking Mr. Fool.
Then, she followed the ritual’s ending procedure and packed her belongings. She used the “Snow White” magic, which was closer to a prophecy technique, to clear the scene of its traces.
And at this moment, Audrey had already used the Teleportation charm from before and left the scene.
Cattleya looked around, and considering that Mr. Fool might need something more ritualistic, she took out a card from her pocket and threw it in the middle of the collapsing forest.
The card was half inserted into the soil, revealing the image of an old man holding a glass lamp and staff as he explored alone: The Hermit of the tarot cards.
Chapter 1200 Randomness
After a while, the space in the collapsed forest suddenly tore apart, revealing an illusory yet mysterious door.
The door opened silently, and a handsome man with black hair and golden eyes walked out. He was dressed in a well-ironed suit, looking mature and elegant.
Before he could examine the scene, he heard a loud boom. He could feel a violent storm blowing towards him, and he saw a middle-aged man with an imposing aura appear in front of him.
The middle-aged man had rather obvious large earlobes. His hair was dark blue and thick, and there seemed to be countless bolts of lightning hidden in his eyes.
He was the cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms, archbishop of the Backlund diocese, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus.
The clergyman in the black robe that was embroidered with storm symbols looked around and cast his gaze at the golden-eyed man. He asked in a thunderous voice, “Celt, what happened here?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Celt, the golden-eyed man, shook his head.
“I just arrived too.”
Just as he said that, a mountain-like nearly transparent Spirit Body appeared in the void and placed a figure in midair.
The figure was dressed in a long black, red-patterned bishop robe. His eyes were deep and he didn’t have a beard. He was the person in charge of the Backlund diocese of the Church of Evernight, Anthony Stevenson.
After the gigantic Spirit Body completed its mission, it immediately shrunk and entered Saint Anthony’s mouth. At the same time, black long hair covered his face, and a translucent, drifting spirit appeared behind Anthony. It held onto his shoulder, preventing him from falling.
In the next second, a turbulent flow of air rushed over from the Backlund city and pushed a figure towards this area at high speeds.
Soon, the figure came to a stop. It was an old man dressed in a white priest robe and a clergyman’s cap. He had a kind and gentle face.
The air that was spewed out from the elder’s back vanished as the black tube that was shimmering with metallic light retreated back into his body.
This was the archbishop of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery’s Backlund diocese. He was a member of the Divine Council, Horamick Haydn.
Composite Start
Composite End
He strangely stopped in midair and looked around.
“Although the battle here isn’t too intense, it’s definitely at the saint level.
“Also, the remnant polluted aura is simply… simply…”
As they spoke, the four demigods looked down at the middle of the collapsed forest.
There was a tarot card depicting an old man holding a staff and a glass lamp.
The Hermit card!
Randall Valentinus, Celt, Anthony, and Horamick instantly fell silent as no one spoke for a moment.
…
Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace, Klein was frowning as he looked at the Box of the Great Old Ones in front of him.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The moment this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was sacrificed, the entire Sefirah Castle began to stir, as if it had been brought to boiling point.
A massive amount of power was automatically activated, forming a torrent that appeared like steam as it completely drowned out the Box of the Great Old Ones and wrapped around it tightly.
At this moment, the silver-black jewelry box that was embedded with gems seemed to become an insect in amber. There was no room for any movement.
Previously, Sefirah Castle was triggered when I spied on the true gods or Kings of Angels and when I was injured… This is the first time it has experienced such changes due to an item from external sources… Klein couldn’t help but raise his right hand to wipe away the nonexistent sweat.
Frankly speaking, he was still a little afraid. He felt that he had been a little carried away after gaining initial control of Sefirah Castle.
In the past, he didn’t dare let a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact enter this place. And this time, because it didn’t involve a Uniqueness, and with how he had improved compared to the past, this gave him the thought of making an attempt.
Thankfully, it’s under control… In the future, I’ll have to tell Ma’am Hermit and the others that they can’t pick up anything and sacrifice it to me. I’m not a rag-and-bone man… After muttering a few words, he began inspecting the Box of the Great Old Ones.
He remembered that Miss Magician was still inside the Sealed Artifact, so he planned on figuring out the situation of the Box of the Great Old Ones as soon as possible so as to prevent the bait from dying due to wasting time.
This Sealed Artifact’s level is very high. Arrodes’s understanding of it is rather limited. I’ll still have to do it myself… From the looks of it, as long as I don’t attempt to divine what the third level is or attempt to seek out the source of the power, the danger is acceptable or even nonexistent… Klein made a preliminary assessment based on his spiritual intuition.
Composite Start
Composite End
Immediately following that, he conjured a pen and paper and began doing a “divination.”
After an unknown period of time, he finally opened his eyes and muttered silently, The first level can allow the interior space to switch locations with the target’s area and miniaturize the corresponding scene, turning objects into toys… This is an ability that can barely be made use of…
The living beings that have been turned into toys must be released within 24 hours. Otherwise, they will be permanently converted. Even their Spirit Bodies will never enjoy an eternal rest…
It’s very easy to release them. As long as a specific region is chosen—one so small that it’s almost devoid of any living creatures—swapping it with the interior space will do…
There is a limit to the scope of this ability. It reaches its limit with a city the size of Backlund… Why did I use Backlund as an example…
The second level records different scenes. There are the Abyss, cosmos, and all sorts of places. It allows the wielder and the living beings within a certain range to directly move to the target area…
This problem is it’s random. A small portion can be designated by the wielder, thus releasing the corresponding location. Most of the time, the chosen location will change, and the destination of the final destination will be unpredictable… As for when the designated location will be effective and when an anomaly happens, there’s no way to know…
Besides, this seems to be something that can’t be affected by good luck. Or perhaps, good luck cannot affect those below Sequence 0…
This means that I can’t use this Box of the Great Old Ones’s Beyonder power to directly transfer the City of Silver out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Sigh, if I can, my Miracle Invoker ritual will be very simple… Uh, I’ll try and see if making them into toys will work later…
The third level is very dangerous, very, very dangerous. I won’t take the risk to pry into its secrets. No, this should be called courting death…
Composite Start
Composite End
The negative effects of the Box of the Great Old Ones are very simple. It’s just that the wielder will randomly vanish, suddenly die, or mutate. If there are no holders, the living beings in the surrounding areas will encounter terrifying matters one after another depending on their distance from it and their sizes. The maximum range is the same as the first level… These Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts can destroy cities wantonly, killing hundreds of thousands or even millions. It’s no wonder they are given the highest sealing. One is not to ask, describe, or pry into them.
Where did the entities that vanished go? This seems to have something to do with the scene of the second level…
The reason why the Saint of Secrets dares to move around with this Sealed Artifact is because he had the blessings of the Angel of Fate Ouroboros. He can reduce the negative effects to a minimum, but even so, he didn’t dare to hold on to it for too long because the blessings would wear off… It looks like the reason he didn’t manage to recover his lucidity ahead of time and find a chance to teleport away had to do with his luck turning bad… It’s really hard to kill saints that are valued by a huge organization…
I must say that Ma’am Hermit is considered experienced and clear-headed. She didn’t make any rash contact with it. Instead, she created an invisible servant to hold it. Furthermore, she sacrificed this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact to me in the shortest time possible…
In theory, I can summon a Historical Void projection to hold this item. After all, it doesn’t matter if it dies, vanishes, or mutates. However, the usage time cannot be guaranteed, unless I get Will Auceptin’s blessing…
The way to seal it is to put it into the spirit world, and that’s not enough. It has to be a space that has been distorted and hidden in the spirit world. Then, ordinary water has to be poured into it regularly, allowing the Box of the Great Old Ones to play with microbes every day… With so many living beings, it can last for a very long period of time… With this train of thought, there are still many methods to seal it…
After roughly figuring out the exact situation of the Box of the Great Old Ones, Klein looked at the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact and felt that the third level no longer seemed as dangerous and impossible to open as before.
He vaguely believed that as long as he extended his hand and removed the seal placed onto it by Sefirah Castle, he could easily open the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones.
…What a strong temptation… Klein retracted his gaze and waved his hand, causing the Box of the Great Old Ones to fly towards the junk pile in the corner.
Regardless of whether it was a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact or not, head over there to be quarantined and get a hold of yourself!
As a terrifying Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, one has to have a number to show its importance. Unfortunately, I don’t know how many Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts the seven Churches have obtained. It shouldn’t exceed 50, right? Yes, the Box of the Great Old Ones can be temporarily named 0-61. I’ll adjust it according to the situation in the future…
If Ma’am Hermit isn’t able to create a sealed environment, she can place 0-61 above the gray fog. Once she needs it, she can apply for it. Of course, she must pray to Will in advance for “His” blessings… I wonder what stage I’ll have to be before the “King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck” can be genuine in name. There’s a portion in Miracle Invoker, and there should be a portion in Attendant of Mysteries… Klein amused himself with his thoughts and finally picked up the Beyonder characteristic left behind by Saint of Secrets Botis.
It looked like a crystal with countless rays of light refracted within it, forming illusory and resplendent doors.
After staring at it for a few seconds, he suddenly threw the Beyonder characteristic into the air.
The power of Sefirah Castle boiled once again. Under the control of Klein, it formed a corporeal semi-translucent wave and struck the crystal hard.
The crystal instantly shattered, splitting into countless tiny dots of light. A pitch-black gas emerged from within before it rapidly melted away, twisting and dispersing inside Sefirah Castle.
Under the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics, those tiny dots of light slowly gathered together, and in nearly a minute, they reformed into the magnificent and dreamy crystal-like appearance from before, and landed in the palm of Klein’s hand.
The contamination inside was cleared.
Inside Sefirah Castle, Klein was equivalent to a Sequence 2 angel. However, he mostly had the power, but not the corresponding level’s Beyonder powers. He needed the right supporting item to help him.
After putting down the Secrets Sorcerer’s Beyonder characteristic, he cast his gaze at Botis’s remaining two eyeballs.
Chapter 1201 Professional
The pupils of Botis’s eyes had already turned deep black, and they were frozen in a look of indescribable fear. It made Klein’s heart palpitate when he saw it, as though he could feel the intense changes in Botis’s emotions before his death.
After a series of inspections, together with “divination,” he confirmed that these two eyeballs didn’t contain any Beyonder characteristics, but they contained a strong corruptive force and a power that came from an unknown source. It could be used as a medium for curses, and it could directly affect the target. It was a rather dangerous spiritual material with an extremely long “expiry date.”
I can’t bring it with me for extended periods of time. Otherwise, I might be weakened mentally, have nightmares every day, and suffer a physical mutation… Klein casually summoned a square metal box and placed Botis’s two eyeballs into it.
He didn’t attempt to purify it, because once the item was shattered and purified, there would be nothing left. It would be too wasteful.
Due to the fact that there was nothing wrong with the Worms of Star and that it was also a material that Klein understood the most, he quickly turned his attention to the black pocket.
The results of “divination” surprised him because it was a so-called “interspatial” object.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The pocket only had the size of an adult man’s palm. But in actual fact, it had the size of the two-bedroom apartment that the Moretti family had rented in Tingen in the very beginning. It was big enough to hold many things.
This was made by Botis using the powers of a Secrets Sorcerer. In essence, the pocket wasn’t an object but an entrance.
…First, a region in the spirit world is distorted and isolated using “Space Concealment”; then, use the chaos created when the spirit world overlaps with reality. As long as there are proper coordinates, one can directly reach their destination, opening the “door” to that hidden area and entering this pocket space…
This is very similar to the method needed for sealing the Box of the Great Old Ones. However, one door is in the spirit world, while the other is in the real world. This results in a Sealed Artifact or mystical item inside the Interspatial Pocket to also affect the wielder…
From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem to be of much use, as it can’t eliminate the negative effects… Besides, I’m in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and can’t connect to the spirit world. There’s no use to having such a pocket…
Also, I have to reinforce the power of “Space Concealment” from time to time. Otherwise, it will gradually lose its effectiveness… It’s only suitable for demigods of the Apprentice pathway, or an organization that has demigods of the Apprentice pathway or Sealed Artifacts that provide the relevant support…
The name “Interspatial Pocket” is too lame. I wonder how Botis named this item… Let’s call it “Traveler’s Bag”… After confirming the degree of danger, Klein conjured a fake hand and placed it into the black pocket.
Pitter-patter! A bunch of gems poured out as the fake hand was retracted and landed on the long, mottled table. The crystal-clear red, blue, green, white, black, and translucent colors instantly filled his eyes.
…I should’ve predicted this… The corresponding materials of the Apprentice pathway are gems—all the gems… The expression on Klein’s face turned spirited as he sighed with a smile. He reached out with his other hand and picked up a few gems to feel the weight and texture.
Composite Start
Composite End
Apart from these, there were also quite a number of spiritual materials in the Traveler’s Bag. Some were commonly used, while others were relatively rare.
The Box of the Great Old Ones, the Secrets Sorcerer’s Beyonder characteristic, nine Worms of Star, Botis’s eyeballs, Traveler’s Bag, and large amounts of gems and materials… This operation can be considered quite a harvest, enough for everyone to split it fairly…
Unfortunately, Botis had the ability to “Record” Beyonder powers and certain states. There’s no need for him to bring too many Sealed Artifacts and mystical items with him. That would result in many negative effects… As a demigod, he should have a few good Sealed Artifacts. I wonder if they’re hidden somewhere in the spirit world or at the Aurora Order headquarters… It’s a pity that Botis’s soul had just collapsed as well, preventing me from using spirit channeling on it… Klein shook his head and immediately returned to the real world. He found a hidden spot, put down the lantern, and set up a bestowment ritual.
He wanted to see if he could bring 0-61—the Box of the Great Old Ones—to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
If he could, he could attempt transforming the entire City of Silver into toys and placing them on the first level of the Sealed Artifact. He could directly send it to the outside world through the sacrificial and bestowment rituals. This way, he could bypass the Giant King’s Court and Dark Angel Sasrir, and could ingeniously complete the Miracle Invoker ritual.
After performing a series of tasks, Klein was done with his preparations as he reached out his right hand. He pulled out another himself before his actual body leaped into the fog of history and hid in the void of a time before the First Epoch.
He was worried that the Box of the Great Old Ones would cause a random death the moment it passed through the sacrificial and bestowment door.
In the fragments of light deep in the grayish-white fog, Klein took four steps counterclockwise and returned above the gray fog, responding to his own prayers.
After the mysterious ancient door of sacrifice and bestowment took form, he slowly opened it. He waved his hand, summoning the Box of the Great Old Ones that was enveloped by layers of forcers, throwing it into the gap behind the illusory door, towards the boundless darkness behind the door.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, the void’s darkness suddenly became corporeal, as though it formed an invisible barrier that blocked the door that had just opened. It floated in midair, unable to move forward.
Klein frowned slightly as he watched this scene. He tried to stir the powers of Sefirah Castle and use the power at the level of an angel to push it forward, but he was unable to get the Box of the Great Old Ones to break the barrier.
…Indeed, the Forsaken Land of the Gods is sealed. It’s just that I’m closely related to Sefirah Castle, so I could use it to respond. However, this cannot exceed a certain limit. Klein nodded slightly. He retrieved the Box of the Great Old Ones and threw it onto the junk pile.
Then, he conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and got the fake person to give the detailed information of the Box of the Great Old Ones to Ma’am Hermit and Miss Justice.
This was to remind them to bring the Box of the Great Old Ones back to the real world within 24 hours, and to release The Magician Fors.
While doing so, Klein had informed Miss Justice to sacrifice some top-grade ice-cream to the Snake of Fate’s Blessed before praying for the bestowment of the Box of the Great Old Ones. As for The Hermit Cattleya, she didn’t need to make any external requests due to her having “Brief Luck.” However, she needed to complete everything within a few minutes and sacrifice the Box of the Great Old Ones above the gray fog once more.
…
Backlund, in the border between East Borough and the bridge area, in an apartment that had been in disrepair for years.
Leonard, who was wearing red gloves and a black coat, was leading his team members to check the scene.
Composite Start
Composite End
As the reserve force of the Church of Evernight, they were undoubtedly filled with energy at nearly ten at night.
“Captain, there’s a serious crack on the walls here. Some of the walls have even been shattered. This apartment might not hold after the hurricane season next summer.” The wine-red-haired Cindy came over and reported to Leonard.
Leonard scanned his surroundings with his green eyes and nodded slightly.
“Thankfully, this place is dangerous to begin with, and it has been abandoned for a long period of time. However, it’s very strange that even tramps don’t live here.”
Cindy thought for a moment and said, “Captain, do you mean that there are Beyonders using this apartment, so they’re secretly chasing away the tramps who sleep here?”
Another Red Glove, Bob, happened to be checking the bottom of the wall and casually added, “And then, they had an internal strife that developed into a battle. Something was then ignited?”
“That possibility can’t be ruled out,” Leonard answered in a professional manner. “But have you noticed? Every place in this room has signs of corrosion, and there’s a lack of the remnants left behind by tables and chairs that should exist. It looks too empty… This doesn’t look like something a Low- or Mid-Sequence Beyonder can create. I suspect that it might involve a higher level of power.”
After a series of inspections and discovering many abnormalities, the Red Gloves team under Leonard failed to find any further clues. They could only return to Saint Samuel Cathedral first.
Just as they arrived underground, a bishop came to look for Leonard, asking him to bring two members upstairs for a meeting.
Leonard nodded thoughtfully. Without asking anything, he led Bob and Cindy through a secret passage into Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following that, they followed the spiral staircase and under the illumination of the crimson moonlight, they arrived in a room with many people. It was equipped with a blackboard.
With just one glance, Leonard realized that there were quite a number of people who had worked with him before. They were from the Mandated Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind, and MI9.
Then, he noticed the three demigods, Horamick Haydn, Randall Valentinus, and Anthony Stevenson, as well as a black-haired, golden-eyed man who was clearly at the same level as them.
Without waiting for Leonard’s greeting, Saint Anthony stood up in his red-patterned black robe and said in a deep voice, “There was a high-level battle in the outskirts of Backlund. There was a terrifying contamination present, as well as a tarot card—The Hermit.
“I noticed that you’ve done some investigations regarding the large number of incidents involving tarot cards. You had also raised a corresponding theory. Now, please give everyone here a detailed introduction.”
“…The Hermit card?” Leonard expressed his true astonishment, but this was mostly because he was tasked with such a mission.
Ahem. He cleared his throat, walked to the blackboard, and turned to face the demigods and Beyonders of the three Churches and the military. He drew a crimson moon on his chest.
After organizing his words, this Red Glove Captain said solemnly, “In the past two to three years, the incident involving tarot cards that really caught our attention was because of Lanevus’s death. He was embroiled in a conspiracy that attempted to allow the True Creator’s descent, and his body was covered with tarot cards.
“After that, the tarot cards appeared on the Capim case again. However, this time, there was a change in the arrangement of the tarot cards. It emphasized Judgment and The Emperor…
“…Back then, I linked these matters to an organization that suddenly believed in The Fool in Backlund. As you know, The Fool is the starting card of the tarot cards.”
This bold guess made several demigods and many other Beyonders nod slightly. They felt that this might indeed be related to some level of mysticism.
Leonard paused before continuing, “And below The Fool, this organization might have quite a number of official members. They use tarot cards as code names, such as Judgment, The Emperor, or The Hermit of this incident…”
As he spoke, Leonard picked up a deck of cards that he used as a demonstration and randomly picked one.
He glanced at it and chuckled.
“Such as… The Star.”
Chapter 1202 The Tarot Club
The demigods and Beyonders present nodded at Leonard’s demonstration, indicating that they understood what the Red Glove captain meant.
One of the Mandated Punishers raised his arm and took the opportunity to ask a question:
“In other words, whoever left a tarot card behind is the member executing the mission?”
“That should be the case.” Leonard did not give a definite answer.
The same Mandated Punisher continued asking, “What do the tarot cards that were scattered all over Lanevus’s corpse mean then? There’s no specific direction.”
Leonard immediately picked up a white chalk and wrote the name Lanevus on the blackboard behind him. Then, he drew a circle.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ve just said that in the past two to three years, the matter involving tarot cards have really caught our attention because of the Lanevus case. This is very likely the beginning of everything.
“Therefore, without a specific direction, the casually scattered tarot cards might be referring to the whole. This means that the organization that uses the tarot cards as code names has officially stepped onto the stage of history. Heh heh, please forgive me for using poetic words.”
“That makes a lot of sense.” The few Mandated Punishers were convinced by Leonard.
Leonard looked around and continued, “Let me use the Aurora Order, which everyone is familiar with, as a comparison. We all know that there are twenty-two Oracles in the Aurora Order. Each of them will be in charge of a region’s affairs. It’s very possible that the organization with the tarot card code names is the same. The members of the likes of Judgment, The Emperor, and The Hermit should have their own factions. They will exert their influence in a particular region.”
Upon hearing this, a member of the Machinery Hivemind pondered and said, “However, the three members corresponding to Judgment, The Emperor, and The Hermit have appeared consecutively in Backlund. According to what you just said, does this mean that the organization that uses tarot cards as code names are still lacking in scale, and that the members are all gathered in Loen, or perhaps just in the Backlund region? After all, Backlund’s person-in-charge for the Aurora Order is only an Oracle. As for Saint Tenebrous, he’s in charge of the entire Loen.”
Leonard slowly nodded, indicating that he understood what he meant.
He organized his words and said, “This possibility cannot be ruled out. After all, this is an organization that has only appeared in the past two to three years.
“Of course, there might be other reasons. This organization might not be divided based on location demarcation. Instead, they are determined by whether or not they can handle an area alone. They will also work together depending on overlapping situations, such as the Capim case.”
Seeing that the Beyonders of the three Churches and MI9 didn’t raise any further questions, Leonard deliberated for a few seconds before saying, “Next up will be all my personal guesses. There are also some problems with it. This might be a direction of investigation for the future.
Composite Start
Composite End
“The first question, what is the purpose of this organization?
“If they are like the Aurora Order, with the goal to spread the faith of an evil god, then why haven’t we discovered people who believe in The Fool? Even if there are, they’re all people who are scamming others in the name of The Fool.
“Second question, what do they have in common in the few operations? I haven’t been able to find it yet.
“The third question I have is that high-level members who use tarot cards as their code names are not of low Sequences and have their own factions. However, they aren’t famous in the Beyonder world at all. This is very abnormal. After all, although the twenty-two Oracles of the Aurora Order hide their identities, they have more or less crossed paths with us. They rose up from Low-Sequence Beyonders to Middle-Sequence Beyonders under our ‘watch,’ eventually taking over the spot as Oracle when their predecessor dies or advances. They are all already on our lists.”
Having said that, Leonard paused and said, “If the organization that uses the tarot cards as its code name is really an organization that believes in The Fool, then there is someone who can answer my third question.
“He’s the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow. Rumor has it that he believes in The Fool.”
This name made all the Beyonders from the three Churches and MI9 fall into silence, as though they were quickly recalling the relevant information.
They had long heard that Gehrman Sparrow had a mysterious background. He believed in The Fool, and they had obtained quite a bit of information from him. However, they hadn’t made any connections like Leonard to string everything together.
A few seconds later, the archbishop of the Church of Evernight, Saint Anthony, said in a deep voice, “…Gehrman Sparrow seems to be in close contact with the original Death Consul of Balam. That’s an angel who’s still active over the land.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This gave the Beyonders who weren’t demigods a fright as they instinctively sat up straight.
They all knew about Admiral Hell, but due to the confidential restrictions, they didn’t know that the Death Consul represented a Grounded Angel.
“…That Death Consul doesn’t seem to belong to any faction of the Numinous Episcopate,” said a Beyonder from MI9 hesitantly.
Leonard nodded solemnly.
“Perhaps ‘He’ is a member of the secret organization that uses the tarot cards as a code name.
“Death card!”
There was another round of silence. All the demigods had to admit that this was possible.
The level of the secret organization that was represented by tarot cards suddenly rose, reaching a level that was equal to the Aurora Order.
“In short, Gehrman Sparrow is a clue.” Leonard took a deep breath and slowly said, “Your Graces, ladies and gentlemen, I’m done.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Saint Anthony nodded slightly and stood up. He looked around and said, “Up to now, this secret organization that uses tarot cards as their code names hasn’t targeted us yet. It has shown a certain level of friendliness. Now that the war situation is tense, we are severely lacking in manpower, so it’s difficult for us to take any major actions. Therefore, I suggest that we try our best to avoid conflict with them and not attempt to eradicate them for the time being.
“Of course, we have to do what we need to do. A secret organization with the existence of a Grounded Angel itself represents danger. If we don’t understand it or grasp enough information about it, we won’t be able to react in time and stop any possible conspiracies.”
Horamick and the other demigods thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Anthony Stevens looked around, his gaze landing on Leonard’s face.
“This investigation will be led by you. Coordinate it well.”
“…” Leonard agreed solemnly.
At this moment, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus spoke to Leonard impatiently, “Give them a name. We can’t keep saying ‘secret organization that uses tarot cards as a code name.’ It’s quite a mouthful.
“What suggestions do you have?”
Leonard considered carefully before saying, “Tarot Club?”
“That works.” Randall stood up and said with a thunderous voice, “Let’s call it the ‘Tarot Club’!”
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Late at night, in Empress Borough, in the Hall family’s villa.
The exclusive dessert chef, Tim, suddenly woke up from his dream and stared at the ceiling in the darkness.
He had just dreamed that he was enjoying an ice-cream and had just eaten it when he woke up.
The more he thought about it, the more intense his cravings became. In the end, he overcame his feelings that it was trouble and got out of bed. Putting on a thick sleeping robe, he walked out of the room and came to a pantry not far away.
As a slightly famous dessert chef in the aristocratic circles, Tim was given special privileges by Earl Hall. He could enter the pantry at any time and use the ingredients here to test his new ideas.
Meanwhile, Tim had repeatedly returned Earl Hall’s trust with high-quality desserts.
Of course, he often appeared in the pantry due to mid-night cravings for food, just like now.
After some serious and hard work, Tim used the remains and prepared ingredients to make a few cups of ice-cream and ate half of it.
Then, he patted his stomach, washed the cutlery, and left the pantry in satisfaction.
The remaining few cups of ice-cream were left in the corner, as if they had been completely forgotten.
…
In Cherwood Borough, by the Tussock River, in an uninhabited shallow flat.
Wearing a dark-colored cloak, Audrey first made use of Dream Traversal to arrive nearby before walking over on foot.
She skillfully set up the ritual and prayed to Mr. Fool.
Soon, a silver-black accessory box embedded with many gems tore through the illusory door and landed in front of Audrey.
Audrey tucked a wisp of blonde hair behind her ear and picked up the Box of the Great Old Ones, 0-61, without any delay. She aimed at a few rocks and pulled open the first layer.
Silently, numerous long tables and chairs appeared messily in the area. Several Beyonders that had used various means to conceal their faces appeared. One of them was the hooded Fors.
Their skin quickly changed from that of a toy’s to that of a human’s, and their eyes began to move.
Fors, who had the highest Sequence, recovered the fastest. Looking around, she was extremely surprised to find that she had unknowingly come to a flat by the side of the river from that apartment.
Furthermore, this change was only limited to her overall area. The situation around her was no different from before.
Where am I… What happened… Fors’s gaze landed on the empty altar. After pondering for a second, she seemed to understand something as she asked in surprise, “Has the matter ended?”
“Yes,” replied Audrey, who was using her Psychological Invisibility.
It’s ended… It’s ended… Fors followed up with a confused and dazed question.
“How’s the target?”
“He’s dead.” Audrey was multitasking as she controlled the other six Beyonders. Her answer was very simple.
He’s dead… Saint of Secrets Botis has died… I didn’t participate in the battle. I didn’t summon Gehrman Sparrow’s Historical Void projection… Fors’s mouth gaped slightly as she felt like she was dreaming.
She only felt that she had been terrified for a second and was in a daze for a moment, and the mission had already been completed…
At this moment, she saw the surrounding Beyonders come to “life,” but they didn’t show any surprise towards the change in environment. It was as if the gathering had been held here.
They skillfully destroyed the chairs and long tables and threw them into the Tussock River. Then, they left the flats one after another and returned home under the illumination of the street lamps.
…This is a Manipulator… How terrifying… Fors jumped in fright and completely snapped awake.
“Return first.” Audrey didn’t have time to explain. She turned around and used the altar from before, preparing to sacrifice the Box of the Great Old Ones above the gray fog.
Fors shot a look over, but she didn’t ask or say anything. She made her body turn transparent as she vanished from where she was.
Author’s Note: The title of this chapter originally should have been “Official Debut,” but it was just not serious enough.
Chapter 1203 Harves
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Dark red starlight shot up, forming several figures.
Leonard did a casual glance, and his gaze suddenly froze on the silver-black jewelry box placed on the long mottled table.
If he recalled correctly, this was likely a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, the Box of the Great Old Ones that The World Klein Moretti had specially emphasized during the prior private gathering.
The Saint of Secrets was really in control of this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact? And he even used it? Yet, Ma’am Hermit and Miss Justice succeeded? Leonard’s pupils dilated slightly as he nearly couldn’t believe his eyes.
As an official Beyonder, a Red Glove captain of the Church of Evernight, he knew Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts very well. He knew that these items could easily destroy a city, causing people to suddenly die without putting up any resistance. When facing them, not only was contact with them impossible, but even understanding them was something that should be reduced if possible.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard originally believed that Ma’am Hermit and Miss Justice would leave the battlefield according to the plan after encountering a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. They would then think of a way to rescue Miss Magician. To his surprise, they had succeeded, and had even retrieved the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact!
Ma’am Hermit’s Mystical Re-enactment has reached such a high level? Did the “Feast of Betrayal” she mentioned really make the Sealed Artifact rebel? Or could it be that Mr. Fool had provided some help? Leonard muttered silently as he glanced at The World Klein Moretti who was seated at the bottom end of the long bronze table. He discovered that his former colleague was rather calm.
Klein surveyed the area and said, “Congratulations, everyone. The hunt this time was very successful.
“All the spoils of war are here.”
As he spoke, he raised his right hand, condensing various bits of mysterious knowledge into a pale white luster. He also included a small number of legends that came from the East, such as Peach Blossom Spring, and Lanke’s Go Match. He wanted Ma’am Hermit to test if they were mystical or not, and whether there was any real source.
“Ma’am, this is your reward.” The World Klein made the pale white light fly towards The Hermit Cattleya. Then, he pointed at the Box of the Great Old Ones, the Secrets Sorcerer’s Beyonder characteristic, the Traveler’s Luggage, Botis’s eyeballs, nine Worms of Star, large amounts of gems and materials on the table. “In addition, you have the right to choose first.”
After the battle at the demigod level with the Saint of Secrets, Cattleya finally found the bearing and confidence of a saint. She first received the pale white glow and closed her eyes to digest the mysterious knowledge contained within.
In the Second Epoch, the ancient gods believed that the original Creator, The Oldest One, left some objects behind. Perhaps it was a “kingdom” formed from a portion of “His” body or something that “He” created…
There are nine of these that contain the various sefirot. They are the Chaos Sea, Sefirah Castle, River of Eternal Darkness, Knowledge Moor, Tenebrous World, Brood Hive, Nation of Disorder, City of Calamity, and the Key of Light…
Composite Start
Composite End
The ancient sun god came from a place known as Chernobyl…
The Marauder pathway’s Sequence 0 is called Error…
Emperor Roselle’s fairytales might have originated from something that happened before…
…
As the mysticism knowledge resonated in her, Cattleya couldn’t help but open her eyes and look at The World Gehrman Sparrow.
There were too many things inside that shocked her, making her realize that she had opened the door to a whole new world!
I never thought of Mr. Fool’s origins in the past. Now, I can vaguely grasp it… A thought flashed through Cattleya’s mind as she had a guess.
She immediately controlled herself. She didn’t want to think too much, nor did she dare to think too deeply about it.
She was afraid that she would come up with an answer that was enough to make her lose control.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This is one of the nine sefirot. Mr. Fool’s goal is to gather all the sefirot and attempt to recover…
Raising her right hand, she nudged her heavy glasses on her nose bridge. Cattleya forced herself to focus her attention on the small “tales” and decided to return to the real world to completely digest the potion before she attempted to create magic with them, allowing her to draw on their power using Mystical Re-enactment.
Of course, she also believed that not every one of them would succeed. She believed that a portion of those stories were purely fabricated. After all, this was a gift from Mr. World. There was no guarantee that they would be effective. After all, out of the many fairytales and ancient legends that Emperor Roselle recounted to Queen Mystic back then, only a few of them truly produced magic.
She took a few seconds to compose herself and cast her gaze to the middle of the long mottled table, preparing to choose her spoil of war.
Without a doubt, the most eye-catching item was the Box of the Great Old Ones labeled “0-61.” The silver-black jewelry box embedded with many gems completely overshadowed all the other items.
Cattleya wasn’t too unfamiliar with Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, because Queen Mystic had more than one. It was also because of this reason that the Queen’s Element Dawn was able to compete with the ancient organization, Moses Ascetic Order, that had been born in the early Fourth Epoch.
The gap between an angel and a saint was not something the magic of a powerful fairy tale could make up for.
To become a truly powerful figure, one had to advance to Sequence 2 or possess a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. It wasn’t that Cattleya didn’t have any desire for the Box of the Great Old Ones, but when she thought of the hint that The World Gehrman Sparrow had received from Mr. Fool, the terrifying negative effects, the third level’s extreme danger, and most of the Beyonder powers that she couldn’t control, she felt a sense of horror.
Although she had “Brief Luck,” she still lacked the ability to seal the Box of the Great Old Ones so far.
Composite Start
Composite End
After a series of intense struggles, The Hermit Cattleya pointed at the dreamy crystal and said, “I want the Secrets Sorcerer’s Beyonder characteristic.”
If they could find a suitable High-Sequence Artisan, it could be transformed into a rather good Sealed Artifact, one that had barely acceptable negative effects. Queen Mystic Bernadette happened to have the resources to do so, but the commission might not necessarily succeed.
In the end, even if there’s only “Teleportation,” that will be enough. However, it’s obvious that a Secrets Sorcerer wouldn’t only be able to grasp Teleportation… Even if the negative effects are excessive, I can get Queen Mystic to shatter and try again, or I could sell it to Miss Magician… Yes, she said that her teacher would prepare the ingredients for her… Following that, Cattleya nodded at The World Gehrman Sparrow to confirm her choice.
Choosing the Secrets Sorcerer’s Beyonder characteristic? Upon hearing Ma’am Hermit’s reply, a scene appeared in Klein’s mind.
Wearing a purple-patterned black robe, the lady wearing a dark-colored hood relied on “Blink” to leave behind many doppelgangers. Then, they would all ignite a match at the same time.
…The Little Match Girl will turn into countless witches selling matchsticks… This is a horrifying fairytale… The World Klein couldn’t help but twitch the corners of his mouth as he tersely acknowledged.
“Alright, it’s your right.”
He then cast his gaze at Miss Magician.
“It’s your turn to choose.”
“I-I didn’t do anything…” Fors said guiltily.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein scoffed and said, “You successfully acted as bait.”
“…” Fors didn’t know what expression she should use to respond, but she heard Mr. Star seemingly laugh.
She slowly took a deep breath and cast her gaze at the spoils of war on the long bronze table.
Frankly speaking, she wanted to choose the Box of the Great Old Ones because it was an item that her teacher’s family had snatched away.
She didn’t want to use it herself; she wanted to return it to her teacher directly.
However, considering that she was only bait, Fors felt that she was not qualified to take an item of this level.
Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts were extremely rare, precious, and dangerous. She had already gained a deep impression of them with Mr. Star’s introduction. She knew that the value of the Box of the Great Old Ones was definitely not something a saint’s Beyonder characteristic could compare with.
With this in mind, she chose under The World Gehrman Sparrow’s watch. Fors finally gave up the impulse and pointed at the pair of eyeballs.
“I’ll take them.”
She wanted to bring the pair of eyes to her teacher and tell him that Botis was dead. It was an end to all the hatred.
In addition to such a value of the item, Botis’s eye could be made into a powerful hex item or be used as a medium for a curse. It was considered a pretty good item.
Klein nodded slightly and did not persuade her. He only pointed at the gems, materials, and the Worms of Star and said calmly, “You also paid the price of a Moon Paper Figurine, you can choose something to make up for it.”
“Alright.” Fors reflexively agreed.
As the Apprentice pathway needed gems for several charms and rituals and could still be appreciated normally, Fors took a portion of the gems and waited for the bestowment ceremony to obtain them.
With that, Klein shifted his gaze and said to Miss Judgment, “It’s your turn.”
Xio also knew that she had not contributed much, and she knew that she had no ability to withstand the negative effects of the Box of the Great Old Ones, so she didn’t even take a look at 0-61 and pointed to the black pocket.
“I’ll choose Traveler’s Bag.”
This way, she could carry heavy weapons with her and might even be able to pull out a cannon at a critical moment.
As for the problem of strengthening the hidden space after a period of time, she had also considered it. After all, she could still use it for about a year for the time being. In the future, she could rent a Sealed Artifact from Ma’am Hermit to maintain it. Furthermore, at that time, Fors might have already become a Secrets Sorcerer.
The World Klein nodded and looked at The Star Leonard.
“It’s your turn.”
Leonard did not stand on ceremony. He scanned the area and tapped a few times.
“Three Worms of Star, twenty gems, and those ingredients.”
This feels like I’m paying “protection fees” to the official organizations… After lampooning his dear poet, Klein turned to Miss Justice and said, “The mission was very successful and I’m very satisfied. Although you have already received your payment, you can still choose a little more.”
Audrey could decipher the sincerity of Mr. World’s words. Without any excuses, she chose a Worm of Star and a third of the spiritual materials.
At this point, as the mission’s commissioner, The World Gehrman Sparrow had obtained five Worms of Star, a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, a third of the spiritual materials, and nearly thirty high-quality gems.
He smiled and looked at Fors.
“Remember to tell your teacher about this. Just say that this is a gesture of my goodwill. And I want to make a deal with him.”
Chapter 1204 Putting Life and Death Aside
Fors wasn’t surprised by Mr. World’s request. She nervously replied, “Al-alright.
“What kind of deal is it exactly?”
During this period of time, she had communicated with her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, several times. Under Miss Justice’s guidance, she had laid quite a lot of foundation for the impending request.
The World Klein laughed hoarsely.
“You don’t have to tell him what I want for now. Just lay out my chips for him and see if he’s interested.”
“Your bargaining chip is still the promise to break the Abraham family’s curse?” Fors cautiously sought confirmation.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein nodded and pointed at 0-61 on the long mottled table.
“It can also be this Box of the Great Old Ones.”
An item used to exchange for a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact can’t be simple… Be it Justice Audrey or The Hermit Cattleya, both of them suddenly had such a realization.
However, Fors paid more attention to the promise of breaking the curse. This was because she had experienced it herself and knew how tragic her teacher’s family was.
She replied solemnly without hesitation, “Alright.”
…
Backlund, West Borough, in the basement of a house.
Saint Tenebrous, who was hidden in the shadows, suddenly grew out of the darkness.
He turned his head as if he was listening to something. The muscles on his cheeks began to twitch. It wasn’t just one chunk of flesh, but bits. Not only were they not connected to each other, but they were also interfering with each other. It looked extremely odd.
Composite Start
Composite End
In seconds, Kisma wore an extremely painful expression as his skin tore apart, as flesh and blood beneath squirmed, mixed with a deep black.
With a thud, he fell to the ground and prostrated himself before the altar, vomiting out large amounts of organs and shimmering light.
Saint Tenebrous’s head was pressed tightly against the ground as he muttered crazily, “Botis actually died…
“A Secrets Sorcerer who wields a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact died just like that…
“There’s a tarot card, The Hermit…
“The two enemies that attacked were saints. One was a Mysticologist, while the other was a Manipulator…
“The organization that believes in The Fool and uses tarot cards as their codenames…
“Gehrman Sparrow… Azik Eggers…
“…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After an uncontrollable murmur, Saint Tenebrous Kisma cried, feeling both vexed and pained.
“I repent, I repent, I repent…”
…
A few days later, in an apartment’s room in Pritz Harbor.
The disguised Dorian Gray Abraham had received a letter from Fors through many hands.
He examined it carefully and confirmed that there were no issues. After confirming that there were no abnormal signs, he took out the letter with the help of a letter knife.
The beginning of the letter was the usual greeting. Following that, Fors directly wrote:
“…We have already killed Saint of Secrets Botis, and obtained the items on his person…”
“…” Dorian had originally planned on scanning through the letter quickly, but he ended up stuck on this sentence. He read it a few times and forgot to continue reading.
Composite Start
Composite End
Dorian knew how strong and powerful Botis was. He also knew very well how terrifying a Secrets Sorcerer was.
But now, the new student he had been teaching for over a year had told him in a very calm tone that Botis had already been taken care of.
In an instant, the only things that echoed in Dorian’s mind were thoughts of: “impossible,” “a lie,” and “a conspiracy.” He suspected that Fors had already been controlled by the Aurora Order.
In any major faction, Sequence 4 Beyonders were the absolute upper echelons and extremely important members. How could they be so easily killed!
Dorian’s throat bobbed up and down as he forcefully focused and continued reading the contents of the letter.
“…We have obtained the Box of the Great Old Ones. I believe you aren’t unfamiliar with it…”
After reading another line, Dorian’s eyelids twitched a few times. He felt that the letter in his hand was as heavy as a boulder.
Of course, he wasn’t unfamiliar with the Box of the Great Old Ones. This was a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact of the Abraham family, proof that they had once been glorious.
…The one that was killed was Botis who possessed the Box of the Great Old Ones… Dorian’s shock kept rising. He felt that things had gone beyond his imagination. On the other hand, he felt that there was a possibility that it wasn’t impossible. Perhaps the one who really killed Botis was actually the Box of the Great Old Ones.
He knew very well how dangerous that Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was!
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, he finally noticed a word: “We.”
This was the first time Fors had indicated that she had companions and partners.
Of course, Dorian had already guessed it, but he hadn’t called her out.
Indeed… Dorian sighed and eagerly read the rest.
“…I have a friend who wants to show you his goodwill by pushing for this operation against Botis. He said that he wants to make a deal with you, and is willing to use the Box of the Great Old Ones or a promise to remove the Abraham family’s curse in exchange. He wonders if you are interested. He doesn’t know where you are, and I won’t tell him. You can totally refuse…”
A promise to remove the curse? Dorian skipped over the Box of the Great Old Ones and ruminated on the extremely important part of the sentence.
After the first few letters, he had fully understood the true nature of the family’s curse. It was both a sorrowful and helpless matter—a glimmer of hope that was brewed out of the pain.
Before this, who would have thought that the person who caused the descendants of the Abraham family to lose control would be their ancestor’s cry for help?
This was like a cruel joke from fate.
Dorian didn’t know if Mr. Door knew the consequences of “His” actions, nor did he know how to describe his complicated feelings. However, he couldn’t help but start searching for a way to make Mr. Door return and completely remove the family curse.
This was a path with very slim hope, but for the Abraham family, it was enough, because a light had finally appeared in the darkness.
After an unknown period of time, Dorian folded the letter and smiled bitterly to himself.
“Goodwill… Such goodwill is frightening…”
After he muttered to himself, he fell into silence again. His expression was gloomy and his heart seemed to be struggling.
Gong!
The sound of the wall clock rang punctually, snapping Dorian out of his daze.
His expression gradually became solemn, and he finally made a decision.
After making up his mind, Dorian felt much more relaxed. He even smiled.
He first burned Fors’s letter before packing his bag and heading out to the steam locomotive station in Pritz Harbor.
He was going to Southville, but not to hide, but to make some preparations.
He planned on handing all his family’s items and potion formulas to one of the family members who was staying there before returning to Pritz Harbor. With his identity as Dorian Gray, he would head to Backlund to meet his student, Fors, and the powerhouse who had shown his goodwill.
When the time came, he would consume a type of medicine in advance to allow himself to suffer a powerful curse that rooted itself in his Spirit Body. He would have to regularly consume another type of medicine to maintain his life. This way, even if he was controlled and unable to commit suicide, he would quickly die because he had no chance to take the medicine. With his Spirit Body dissipating, he wouldn’t leak any key information.
For this “journey,” Dorian had put life and death aside.
He was willing to sacrifice his life for that slim hope.
…
North Borough in Backlund, beneath Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Leonard, who had just had a discussion with the members of the Mandated Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind, and MI9, returned to his office and sat down.
At that moment, the slightly-aged voice of Pallez Zoroast resounded in his mind:
“They’ve finally found the exact location of the Jacob family’s treasure trove and are about to enter.”
“Ah?” Leonard was momentarily stunned, unable to react.
Previously, at the gathering of the Hermits of Fate, he had sold the news of the Jacob family’s treasure trove. As no one knew what was inside, no one was willing to offer a high price. And Leonard’s main goal was not to trade, so he had only exchanged it for some rare spirits.
He immediately lowered his voice and said, “Old Man, how do you know that?”
“Heh, it’s a given that I sent out my avatar to monitor the area,” Pallez Zoroast replied unhappily. “Are you underestimating an angel from the Marauder pathway?”
Leonard laughed dryly.
“Old Man, you’ve recovered quite well. You even have excess characteristics for an avatar.”
“I’m already at the level of a Sequence 2.” Pallez Zoroast scoffed. “Next, don’t go out. Just stay inside the cathedral to prevent any accidents from happening.”
“Are you worried that a trap lies within the treasure?” Leonard asked thoughtfully.
“How can a treasure left behind by a Marauder angel not have a trap?” Pallez Zoroast said with a scoff. “I can’t predict what will happen, but staying underground in the cathedral is definitely safe.”
Leonard nodded and suppressed his voice.
“Let’s hope everything goes smoothly. Old Man, you promised me that if you can successfully obtain a Sequence 2 Beyonder characteristic, you will steal a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact from the items they obtained for me.”
It wasn’t that he was concerned about whether he reaped anything out of it, but rather, it was to ease his sudden anxiety.
“Weren’t you against ‘stealing’?” After a mocking remark, Pallez fell silent, as if “He” was focused on monitoring the situation at the Jacob family’s treasure trove.
About an hour later, “He” heaved a sigh of relief in Leonard’s mind.
“Although there were many traps and accidents, they eventually reached the predetermined target. Heh heh, I only took that characteristic and a Sealed Artifact. The rest will be their payment.
“Don’t be in a hurry to leave this place. Wait until I absorb that characteristic before leaving. When that happens, there won’t be any problems.”
Leonard immediately relaxed and leaned back, crossing his legs as he read the newspaper leisurely.
In the evening, Pallez Zoroast finally spoke again.
“It’s done.”
“His” voice contained plenty of emotions, but because it was too complicated, Leonard was unable to tell.
Seeing that nothing had happened and that Old Man might still need to digest, Leonard stood up and rubbed his temples. He left Saint Samuel Cathedral and returned to 7 Pinster Street.
As he passed through the porch, he suddenly saw a person sitting on the sofa.
The man was wearing a classic black robe and a pointed hat. He placed his right leg over his left and was leisurely reading a newspaper.
As if sensing Leonard’s arrival, that person raised his head and adjusted the monocle on his right eye, revealing a teasing smile.
Chapter 1205 A Thousand-Year-Old Trap
Amon!
Blasphemer Amon!
Leonard was no stranger to the person in front of him. Not only had he faced his avatar, but he had also heard of “His” various deeds and nasty character from Old Man Pallez Zoroast.
At that moment, Leonard’s thoughts nearly froze as his mind went blank. Only a small number of thoughts could spin.
Amon’s lips suddenly quivered as “He” muttered a raving that was completely at the level of a deity.
One voice after another echoed in Leonard’s mind as though it came from the countless number of Amons:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Are you pleasantly surprised? Are you shocked?”
“After realizing that I won’t be able to get Sefirah Castle any time soon, I shifted my focus to Backlund…”
“If it wasn’t to fool all of you, why would I have played such a simple cat-and-mouse game with him?”
“I think you two should be in contact…”
“He must’ve told you that I’m still tracking him and sabotaging his operations, that I even set a trap for him at his destinations…”
“That’s just an avatar that’s close to Sequence 1…”
“Ah, right. Pallez, I forgot to tell you that in the later years of the Fourth Epoch, I pretended to be the ancestor of the Jacob family. I had long swallowed ‘Him’ in secret. Then, I watched ‘His’ descendants panic. Then, I thought of a way to add another secret treasure trove to the place where Tudor became Blood Emperor…”
“I didn’t finish off these fellows, because I had a premonition that this treasure trove would be very useful. I had an avatar that had been sleeping there for more than a thousand years, patiently waiting for someone to open the treasure trove. As for the other avatars, I didn’t synchronize this information to ‘Them.’ That way, I might be able to create a ruse at some point in time…”
“Yes, this kind of ‘synchronization’ is something I invented. Pallez, you’re quite behind the times…”
Composite Start
Composite End
“In order to confirm your whereabouts, I watched that bunch of fellows destroy the traps and take the items away. I watched your avatar steal the characteristic and Sealed Artifact from their hands. I watched ‘Him’ carefully devour and digest it. Now, my patience has finally paid off…”
“I guess you must be thinking of how to stall for time and wait for a deity’s descent…”
These voices overlapped each other, tearing through Leonard’s thoughts and hurting his soul. It made his head swell and contract, causing a bunch of short black hair to grow on his face. It made his ribs and waist bulge as though it was about to form a new body.
With just the ravings alone, Leonard was close to losing control. He was in extreme pain and had no means of resisting.
This was the son of the Creator, a King of Angels.
At the same time, 7 Pinster Street changed. At some point in time, pitch-black stone pillars were erected around them, propping up a majestic cathedral.
Each column of the cathedral was embedded with the bones of different races. They were densely packed as they used different eye sockets to stare at the puny Leonard who stood in the middle as though they were conducting a trial.
Amon stood in front of the cross that was more than a hundred meters tall in the depths of the church, smiling as “He” looked at Leonard’s grimacing face.
“This corpse cathedral is pretty good, isn’t it?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I just ‘stole’ it not long ago.
“This way, if ‘They’ wish to discover any abnormalities here and do a deity’s descent, it can stall for at least thirty seconds. That’s enough.”
As “He” spoke, Amon raised “His” hand to pinch the crystal monocle that had a beaming face underneath it.
Leonard suddenly heard a “gong.” It was ethereal, as though it came from an infinite distance away.
This caused the ear-piercing ravings that tainted Leonard’s Spirit Body to come to an abrupt stop as everything around him turned silent.
In Leonard’s eyes, beams of light shot out from his body, condensing into a pure and pure figure that was like a wingless angel.
The figure was also a hundred meters tall, and its body constantly coruscated with a faint glow, as though it was announcing the passage of time.
With that, Leonard’s body was pushed by an invisible force as he flew towards the door of the corpse cathedral.
On the door, transparent and distorted faces appeared. They sealed the inside from the outside, isolating it from the spirit world and the astral world.
Composite Start
Composite End
Gong!
Another bell rang. The transparent faces filled with pain froze.
Leonard’s figure was no longer obstructed. In this short span of time, he passed through the main door of the “corpse cathedral” without feeling anything.
Everything he saw instantly returned to normal. There was still a bit of light high up in the sky. The gas lamps by the side of the streets were already emitting light, illuminating 7 Pinster Street.
From the outside, the building was silent, quiet, and dark. There was nobody around.
Old Man… It was only at this moment that Leonard finally found his train of thought. His heart tightened as he strode forward and returned to the house.
However, the door to 7 Pinster Street was so heavy that he couldn’t open it any time soon.
With this obstruction, Leonard finally regained some of his senses. He hurriedly retreated as he quickly thought of what he could do to save Old Man.
After a few steps, he stopped and lowered his head with a solemn expression. He quickly chanted in Jotun, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
Leonard already knew that the one inside was Amon’s true body. And to deal with Amon’s true body, he could only seek help from a god!
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Walking through the darkness with the lantern in hand, Klein entered the historical fog immediately. Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.
After listening to Leonard’s prayer, the puzzled and nonchalant-looking Klein instantly sobered up. It was as if he had just woken up from hibernation and had just climbed out of bed when he was splashed with a basin of cold water.
Amon’s true body has gone to Backlund… Amon’s true body has found Leonard and Pallez… Amon stole the corpse cathedral from “His” brother and used it to delay a divine descent… So it turns out that when “He” suggested that we play the game of “who will be the first to find Black Demonic Wolf Kotar,” “He” had never thought of deciding on a winner. “He” didn’t care what the stakes were either. “His” goal was to draw my attention and believe that “He” is still pursuing me and trying to steal Sefirah Castle from me… The trap hidden in the Jacob family’s treasure trove was planted by Amon for one to two thousand years. It has finally come into play… Many thoughts flashed through Klein’s mind as he raised his right hand and summoned an item from the junk pile.
0-61, Box of the Great Old Ones!
This was a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, and it was also from the Apprentice pathway. It could better utilize the power of Sefirah Castle and produce better results!
In the face of Amon’s true body, this might bring Pallez some hope.
At the same time, through the prayer light, Klein confirmed that Leonard hadn’t been possessed by Amon. He immediately instructed in the tone of Mr. Fool, “Leave the scene and go to an Evernight cathedral.
“Also, pray to Evernight.”
A pinnacle Sequence battle beneath deities was definitely not something that a Beyonder at Leonard’s level could participate in. Even though Klein had gained some initial control of Sefirah Castle and held 0-61, he didn’t have much confidence. He only hoped that he could stall for time until a deity’s descent happened.
Outside 7 Pinster Street, Leonard heard Mr. Fool’s words echoing in his ears.
He was stunned for a moment before he looked up at the tightly shut door. Then, he turned around and used his right knuckle to ruthlessly knock on a certain tooth.
A series of illusory mud surged out and sprayed onto the top of Leonard’s head, enveloping him from top to bottom.
Suddenly, Leonard seemed to transform into a mud doll as he kept sinking to the ground and fusing into the earth.
This was a rare natural spirit he had exchanged from the Hermit of Fate. It didn’t contain any Beyonder characteristics, and its powers mainly came from the spirit world.
It allowed Leonard to quickly traverse the soil at a speed far faster than the steam metro.
As Leonard left the battlefield, Klein had picked up the gem-embedded Box of the Great Old Ones. He stirred the power of Sefirah Castle and cast his gaze at the pitch-black church that overlapped with the embedded bones.
The cathedral isolated his “true vision,” preventing him from seeing the situation inside. He could only determine that the battle had yet to end through the flashes of light that the stained glass let through.
Use 0-61’s first level’s powers to swap its interior space with the corpse cathedral? No, isn’t this equivalent to letting Amon enter Sefirah Castle? Just the first level of the Box of the Great Old Ones cannot imprison “Him”…
Activate the second level and move the entire 7 Pinster Street somewhere else? No, it won’t work either. Once we leave Backlund, there won’t be a timely divine descent. It will be even more dangerous for Pallez Zoroast…
Third level? Opening it might lead to a switch in owners of Sefirah Castle…
“…”
As his thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein came up with an idea. He wanted to narrow the target area to a tiny point and exert pressure on it to crack it!
He wanted to exchange the corpse cathedral’s door and the space in the first level of the Box of the Great Old Ones using Sefirah Castle, so that the seal that isolated the spirit world and the astral world would be ineffective.
If that was the case, the deities would realize the situation and accelerate the speed of a deity’s descent!
At the end of the long, mottled table, Klein sat in his high-back chair and aimed at the crimson star representing Leonard as he opened the first level of the Box of the Great Old Ones.
The surging power in Sefirah Castle suddenly calmed down, returning to its usual concealment as it silently pierced through the crimson star.
In the real world at 7 Pinster Street, the door of the corpse cathedral that overlapped with ordinary buildings lost its luster. Following that, it became a light pool with gravel and cobblestone.
The situation inside and outside suddenly cleared up, and it was reflected in Klein’s eyes.
In front of the cross that was a hundred meters tall, the black-robed, pointed hat, and a monocled Amon, slowly turned around to the “opened” door.
“He” held a crystal pillar formed from light and shadows in “His” hands. There were many twelve-ringed Worms of Time swimming rapidly inside. Everything around them seemed to stop.
Amon raised “His” head and looked up into the sky as the corners of “His” mouth curled up.
Chapter 1206 Sly Old Foxes, Everyone of Them
Too late? After Klein’s heart sank, he suddenly felt the Box of the Great Old Ones in his hand shake violently.
He hurriedly looked down and saw that the surface of the corpse cathedral’s door, which had shrunken into a toy, emitted rays of light. Every twisted face on the white skull seemed to come alive.
Adam’s corpse cathedral has such a high level? It can withstand the first level of 0-61 with just one door? Without any hesitation, Klein used the crimson star representing Leonard and locked onto a gas lamp on 7 Pinster Street.
Suddenly, the door with white bones protruding out with a distorted face returned to the real world. And on the first level of the Box of the Great Old Ones, there was an additional toy street lamp.
Right on the heels of that, Klein aimed at the Amon inside the corpse cathedral as he swiped his right hand, opening the second level of 0-61.
At that moment, Pallez Zoroast was no longer present on the battlefield. Without any qualms, Klein could move Amon elsewhere.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He had designated the destination to be the astral world, hoping that the seven deities would show “Him” “Their” love, but it was unknown if there would be a random anomaly.
At this moment, the door returned to the corpse cathedral. Then, the majestic building that overlapped with 7 Pinster Street quickly disintegrated.
The process of the collapse was very organized. First, it began from the dome, followed by the arches and the walls. It finally ended with the pitch-black stone pillars.
The item that fell didn’t hit the ground and instead disappeared in midair.
Standing in front of the cross, Amon also began to dissipate along with the collapse of the entire corpse cathedral. It was as though “He” had also been “envisioned,” an entity that could be removed at any time.
Of course, Klein knew very well that this was only Amon exploiting a loophole to use the expiration of the “imagined” corpse cathedral, so as to also become a figment of imagination to leave Backlund.
Boom!
At some point in time, a thick dark cloud appeared in midair. A ball of lightning the size of a house dragged a silvery-white stream of light as it ruthlessly smashed onto the corpse cathedral and Amon’s body that had not completely disintegrated.
A fine crack appeared on Amon’s crystal monocle as the pointed hat on “His” head collapsed.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, this Angel of Time didn’t panic. When “His” face twitched uncontrollably, “He” maintained “His” smile and held the crystal pillar formed from light and shadows. Like an illusion, “He” completely disintegrated as the sea of light that filled the corpse cathedral vanished.
In the next second, the pitch-black and bone-embedded towering cathedral returned to the realm of fantasy.
The house on 7 Pinster Street remained, but there were exaggerated marks on the living room’s floor.
The mark was like a person lying there, having turned to ashes.
This was left behind by the countless avatars of Amon after they were smitten apart. However, Klein knew that Amon’s true body had successfully escaped and had achieved “His” desired goal.
When “He” recovered, this King of Angels was just short of a ritual to reach the divine throne and become the embodiment of all that was erroneous in the world.
After I swapped the main door of the corpse cathedral, the first one to notice and react with “His” powers was the Lord of Storms… The Goddess really has no way of performing a divine descent. “She” can only use various mediums to interfere with reality, making it difficult for “Her” to affect “Him” when “He” is prepared…
…I was still feeling happy for myself that I managed to escape from Amon. I was satisfied that I had repeatedly avoided “Him” and didn’t fall into “His” traps, but in the end, “He” ended up pulling off such a huge stunt without any prior warning…
…When did “He” transfer “His” focus to Backlund? Hmm, it should be after I deceived the laws to resurrect elsewhere. “He” caught a hint of Pallez Zoroast, as well as the fact that there’s a connection between him and me. He began to target the last Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic so as to become a true god…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…Back then, Leonard didn’t explain in detail when he was praying. He only mentioned that there was a problem with the treasure trove of the Jacob family… For a Sequence 1 angel who’s so familiar with Amon to not notice anything amiss and fall into the trap, Amon must have done something incredible again…
Phew, although I’ve rapidly grown in my battle of wits with Amon and completed a transformation, I’m still far from being a top swindler like “Him.” I’m still too tender…
Once Amon becomes a Sequence 0 Error and can even traverse the land, it will be tough for me…
No, I have to figure out the Marauder pathway’s ritual to become a god. I need to think of a way to do some damage. I can’t let Amon easily ascend to the divine throne…
But can this be what Amon wants? “He” will deliberately hold a ritual and wait for me to knock on “His” doorstep? As his thoughts raced, Klein let out a long sigh.
Then, he sent a message to Leonard in the tone of The Fool.
“There’s no need to pray.”
…
In Saint Samuel Cathedral, Leonard had just emerged from the soil in the garden. He was trying to rush into the prayer hall when he heard Mr. Fool’s words.
Composite Start
Composite End
There’s no need to pray… Leonard slowed down as he repeated the sentence in a daze.
He slowed down and finally stopped beside a stone pillar. He lowered his head and raised his hands to cover his face.
At this moment, a slightly-aged voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
“What are you sad about? I haven’t died yet!”
“Ah?” Leonard released his hands and said in a daze and pleasant surprise, “Old Man, you haven’t died yet?”
His eyes were already slightly red.
“Look at you, what are you saying!” Pallez Zoroast’s voice was clearly weak. “Ahem, to put it simply, I’ve died once, but not entirely yet.”
Leonard finally heaved a sigh of relief and looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he lowered his voice and said, “Did you successfully deceive Amon?”
“I can’t really call it deceiving.” Pallez Zoroast sighed and said, “All these years, the thing I’ve thought about the most is what I should do if Amon’s true body finds me. After repeated experiments, I’ve also ‘created’ a technique. After my true body dies, I can revive in my avatar. However, I will lose the Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic and passively lower my level. Heh, I haven’t been left behind by the times either.”
“In other words, Amon killed you once and obtained your Sequence 1 characteristic while you resurrected at the Sequence 2 level?” Leonard had a rough idea of what was going on as he asked in confirmation.
Composite Start
Composite End
Pallez Zoroast sighed and replied, “Something like that. Actually, it’s not like Amon didn’t notice it. ‘He’ didn’t do anything to stop it when I pushed you out of the corpse cathedral. ‘He’ just wanted to leave some hope for me, and make me lose my will to fight to the death in the upcoming battle. Sigh, if not for that, I wouldn’t have been finished by ‘Him’ so quickly. After all, I’d basically recovered after absorbing the treasure trove’s Beyonder characteristic…
Leonard blurted out in surprise, “Old Man, you pushed me out of the corpse cathedral because I have your avatar in me?”
Pallez immediately scoffed.
“What do you think? Do you really think I’m treating you like a grandson?”
“…Don’t you have other avatars?” Leonard muttered.
Pallez grunted and sighed.
“Amon actually lied to ‘His’ avatar. I must admit that ‘He’ pulled a fast one on me.”
If it wasn’t for the fact that “He” learned that the Angel of Time didn’t know the exact situation of the Jacob family’s treasure trove back when “He” absorbed Amon’s avatars, “He” definitely would’ve taken more caution on the matter, and would’ve made more adequate preparations for Amon’s appearance.
This was the most important reason. As for the other matters regarding the Jacob family’s ancestor or Klein Moretti playing hide-and-seek with Amon’s true body in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, none of them were key in “Him” making up “His” mind.
Leonard thought for a moment and consoled, “Old Man, you would’ve fallen for this most fatal of traps in the treasure trove regardless, so it isn’t bad for you to have survived it.”
“That’s not it,” Pallez immediately refuted. “If I had a premonition that something dangerous would happen, I would’ve directly taken up the faith of a true god and become ‘Their’ Grounded Angel. With ‘Their’ protection, I would head to Jacob family’s treasure trove. Sigh, after I absorbed the characteristic and regained the strength of a Sequence 1, I was considering this problem. Should I join the Church of Evernight, or work with The Fool of yours, or remove the Parasitizing and hide from Amon like before.”
Upon saying this, “His” emotions became very complicated again.
…Old Man really has quite a plan… Why are you so familiar with seeking refuge from a deity… Leonard sighed inwardly as he focused his attention on the most important matter.
“Old man, after Amon obtained your Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic, will ‘He’ be preparing the apotheosis ritual?”
“Yes.” Pallez replied in a deep voice, “This means that, for a very long period of time, your former colleague and ourselves would, at most, be harassed by Amon’s lower-level avatars, or nothing at all.”
“What is the requirement of ‘His’ apotheosis ritual?” Leonard pressed.
Pallez fell silent for a second before saying, “To replace someone during ‘Their’ apotheosis ritual.”
At this point, Pallez laughed self-deprecatingly.
“Amon’s next focus will definitely be the apotheosis ritual. This will be our last moments of peace and quiet.
“Once ‘He’ becomes a god, ‘He’ will definitely come to you to deal with The Fool through you.
“Although I can abandon you and run ahead of time, I have to worry that ‘He’ has the intention of retrieving all the characteristics at the angel level.
“Gain control of those rare spirits as soon as possible, digest the potion, and become a demigod. Wield a Holy Artifact, and obtain the favor of Evernight.”
Leonard’s expression turned serious as he slowly nodded.
He immediately found a quiet spot and informed Mr. Fool through a prayer of the key information.
…
Someone else’s apotheosis ritual? The only one who seems to be able to become a god anytime soon is Adam… It’s good if the two brothers end up fighting… The final period of peace… I hope that the avatars that Amon leaves behind to interfere with me won’t be too strong. I hope that I can find traces of the Dark Demonic Wolf as soon as possible. I hope that Dorian will agree to the deal… Klein sighed and returned to the real world. He continued walking in the dark with his lantern raised.
Chapter 1207 Dorian“s Decision
Backlund, Cherwood Borough. 22 Hope Street, Hat Trick Inn.
With broad shoulders and thick arms, Dorian Gray Abraham unknowingly paced back and forth in the room, waiting for his student, Fors, to visit.
No matter how composed and mentally prepared he was, he couldn’t help but feel nervous and uneasy when he eventually needed to face the answer.
After an unknown period of time, there was a series of knocks on the door.
Dorian listened to the rhythm for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. He walked to the door, twisted the handle, and pulled it back.
Outside the door was the brown-haired, curly-haired Fors, who was wearing a dark-colored long dress and a pair of tinted glasses.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Dorian habitually looked behind Fors, and after confirming that no one was looking in their direction, he made way for his student to pass.
At the same time, he glanced at Fors’s hands and realized that his student wasn’t carrying any luggage.
Dorian retracted his gaze and walked to the middle of the room. He found a seat and sat down before pointing to the sofa opposite him.
“Have a seat.”
Fors cautiously lifted the ends of her skirt slightly, sat down, and greeted, “Good morning, Teacher.”
Dorian didn’t go straight to the point. After some thought, he said, “Did the lot of you really kill Botis?”
“Yes.” Fors took out an exquisite, long cigar case from her pocket and opened it to show Dorian its interior.
It was a pair of dark-black eyes that were frozen with indescribable horror, as though they had seen something extremely terrifying before they died.
Dorian had originally been mentally prepared. It was just like receiving the terrifying head that would cause nightmares the previous time, one that was put together one bloody fragment at a time. He never expected his student to not carry any luggage and to only take out a ladies’ cigar case.
Composite Start
Composite End
This made him believe that it was a relic that could prove Botis’s identity, but the truth was beyond his expectations once again.
This was still Botis’s corpse, but there was even less than what Lewis Wien left behind!
Only a pair of eyes are left… The spiritual intuition of an Astrologer convinced Dorian that the eyeball belonged to Botis.
Seeing that the teacher had fallen silent, Fors subconsciously explained, “His body has completely collapsed and dissipated. Only this pair of eyeballs is still intact.”
She paused for a moment before saying, “These eyeballs contain the remnants of the terror and contamination of the Box of the Great Old Ones before Botis’s passing. It’s a very strong cursed item, so I didn’t send it directly to you. It would cause terrible things to happen to the postman, and he might even die unknowingly.”
The corruption of the Box of the Great Old Ones… Dorian nodded in enlightenment and sighed with a smile.
“Did he eventually die under the hands of the Box of the Great Old Ones?
“This is really fate…”
The first item that Botis had stolen after his betrayal from leading the Aurora Order over was the Box of the Great Old Ones.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors had heard Ma’am Hermit’s and Miss Justice’s description of the general situation at the private gathering where they distributed the spoils of war. She learned how gorgeous and dangerous the battle she had missed was. She thought for a moment and said, “You could say that…
“However, before he was contaminated by the Box of the Great Old Ones, he had already begun losing control.”
Dorian wasn’t surprised as he said to his student, “Keep it. This is a spoil of war you deserve.”
After Fors closed the cigar case and placed it back into her pocket, Dorian leaned forward, clasped his hands, and touched his nose.
“Botis was one of the most talented Apprentices I have ever seen. Who knew that he would end up like this…”
Having said that, Dorian let out a long sigh as though he was recalling and confessing something.
Fors didn’t know much about the details of what had happened back then, so she didn’t dare to speak recklessly. She could only remain silent and wait for her teacher to recover from his mixed emotions.
Ten seconds later, Dorian straightened his body and asked, “How did you digest the Scribe potion?”
This wasn’t only to show concern for his student, but also to accumulate experience to provide some guidance to the other members of the family.
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors’s expression immediately turned complicated as though she was recalling something she didn’t wish to recall.
“It’s mainly because someone had provided me with help. On the one hand, I ‘Recorded’ a lot of unique or high-level abilities. On the other hand, I was brought to many places in the past few months where I ‘Recorded’ different cultures and beautiful scenery…”
Dorian fell silent for a moment before nodding.
“This isn’t easy to imitate…”
He then asked, “Gehrman Sparrow?”
“Yes.” Fors gave an affirmative response.
Dorian fell silent again. A few seconds later, he said, “What kind of deal does he want to make?
“Or rather, what does he want?”
Fors focused her attention and answered in an embarrassed manner, “He wants the potion formula of a Planeswalker, and he plans on using the Box of the Great Old Ones to exchange for one of the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in your family’s hands.”
This price was definitely a generous offer. Fors had originally thought that Mr. World was going to use a promise to exchange for the Planeswalker potion formula and a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, but she never expected him to throw in the Box of the Great Old Ones.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, it was definitely of value to allow the Abraham family to be free of the curse. However, a promise was forever a promise that might not be fulfilled.
Dorian wasn’t surprised by Gehrman Sparrow’s request for a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. He had long been mentally prepared, and instead, he felt that the conditions were beyond his imagination. After all, the Abraham family didn’t have many things that a demigod could covet at this point in time.
He frowned slightly and said, “Why does he want the potion formula of a Planeswalker?”
“I don’t know,” Fors answered frankly.
Dorian stood up and started pacing.
Suddenly, he stopped and looked at Fors.
“I need to meet him and have a chat before I can make a decision.”
“Alright.” Fors agreed without any hesitation.
Dorian heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to send his student away before quickly taking out the medicine for his consumption.
He had arranged to meet at this time because he had taken into consideration that his curse would happen at any moment. If anything were to happen, the enemy wouldn’t be able to channel his spirit in time.
However, after Fors got up, she didn’t walk to the door. She stood on the spot and grabbed at the void.
Her arm suddenly sank, and she quickly pulled out a figure wearing a black trench coat and silk top hat.
This figure had black hair and brown eyes. His facial features were cut and cold. It was none other than Gehrman Sparrow.
Gehrman Sparrow’s eyes moved slightly as he quickly recovered from his sluggish look and became no different from a real person.
“Teacher, he’s here.” Fors introduced seriously, “He’s Gehrman Sparrow.”
This action left Dorian Gray Abraham slightly agape. He forgot to close his mouth and didn’t respond for a moment.
Although he came from an ancient family clan and knew many secrets, there were many things he couldn’t imagine even if he read the description due to him being only a Sequence 7.
After moving his consciousness over, Klein reached into his clothes and took out a golden pocket watch.
Pa! He opened his pocket watch and took a look. Without any emotions, he said to Dorian, “You have three minutes.”
…It’s exactly as the rumors say. He’s cold, arrogant, and crazy… Dorian didn’t dare to waste any time and directly said, “Give me a reason to believe in your promise.”
As he closed his pocket watch, Klein placed it back into his inner pocket and said, “In truth, I’m already aware of the ritual that allows Mr. Door to return.”
Dorian’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to ask, he heard Gehrman Sparrow calmly add, “But I don’t plan to do that.”
“Why?” Dorian and Fors were puzzled, but one dared to ask while the other didn’t.
Klein looked out the window and said, “Do you know about the corruption from the cosmos?”
When it came to understanding the cosmos, the Abraham family was definitely ranked first outside the true deities and angels. Klein believed that they must’ve left behind some hints and hidden records.
Dorian nodded solemnly and said, “Yes.”
“I suspect that Mr. Door has been corrupted by the cosmos,” Klein explained simply. “As for my promise, it can be fulfilled right away. However, you might not be willing to do so. Furthermore, it doesn’t completely resolve the curse.”
“What’s the solution?” Dorian asked as he controlled his surging emotions.
Klein’s expression immediately turned serious.
“You and your family members will change their faith to my Lord. That way, when the full moon or Blood Moon happens, you will be blessed and no longer suffer from the curse.”
After completely digesting the Scholar of Yore potion, there was no need for him to pull a person above the gray fog to avoid Mr. Door’s ravings. He could directly use “Angel’s Embrace” to resolve the problem. The only thing he needed to worry about now was that there might be too many members of the Abraham family. It might overwhelm him, or he might not have enough spirituality.
“…Who is your Lord?” Dorian asked after a moment of silence.
Klein suppressed his shame and said solemnly, “The great Mr. Fool.”
“The Fool… Are you from the Antigonus family?” Dorian suddenly made some connections.
Klein shook his head and rejected his guess.
Dorian fell silent again, but considering that there were only three minutes left, he hurriedly asked, “If we believe in that entity, we can avoid the troubles brought about by the curse?”
As an ancient family member, he knew very well how dangerous it was to believe in an unknown existence. He was afraid that he would resolve Mr. Door’s ravings, but bring about another curse.
Klein answered frankly, “This is just a temporary solution. I will find a better solution for you.”
Dorian nodded and quickly said, “I will try to believe in your Lord and give you the potion formula of Planeswalker. If the curse can really be resolved temporarily, we will complete the transaction of the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.”
He planned on using himself as an experiment to see if the method worked. Furthermore, he didn’t plan on telling the other family members. He wanted to get them to wait for Gehrman Sparrow’s supposedly better solution until they couldn’t wait any longer.
“Alright.” Klein took out a pen and paper from his pocket and scribbled the honorific name of The Fool.
As for Dorian, he also began to use a crystal ball to aid in his memories, recording down the potion formula of Planeswalker.
After the exchange, Klein cast his gaze towards the supplementary ingredients and ritual.
“Supplementary ingredients: One Worm of Star, one Worm of Time, one Worm of Spirit.
“Advancement ritual: Leave legends in nine places outside this planet.”
Chapter 1208 The Long-Awaited Serenity
Leave legends in nine places other than this planet… Isn’t this the cosmos? Looking at the potion formula in his hand, Klein nearly frowned.
He felt that this was more dangerous than the advancement ritual of a Miracle Invoker.
Although the Box of the Great Old Ones and the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts of the Abraham family, as well as a number of Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, had the ability to send people into the cosmos, making the ritual appear simple, he clearly remembered that the Church of Evernight’s ascetic leader, Arianna, had once warned him that the cosmos contained extremely terrifying corruption. It was dangerous to even understand it before becoming an angel.
One will be corrupted by the cosmos if they aren’t a Planeswalker, and to become a Planeswalker, one has to travel the cosmos… This has become an impasse. There’s no way to resolve it… Perhaps, the Abraham family has records of relatively safe locations in the cosmos. I can’t be too pessimistic… Also, I have to use divination to verify the authenticity of this formula when I’m back… Dorian not lying to me doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be lied to… Klein retracted his gaze and looked at Dorian Gray Abraham opposite him.
“Where are all the Planeswalker Beyonder characteristics?”
Having memorized The Fool’s honorific name, Dorian thought for two seconds before saying, “Two of them are in the form of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in our family. One is in the form of the Box of the Great Old Ones. One is said to be in the hands of the Demoness Sect, while another is with the Church of the God of Combat. There is one more, but no one has found it since the Second Epoch.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If I could use the Box of the Great Old Ones to exchange for one of the two relatively normal Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts of the Abraham family, I wouldn’t have to worry about obtaining the Planeswalker Beyonder characteristic. However, that advancement ritual is truly a problem… Besides, the essence of this ritual is clearly to leave a mark in the cosmos. No matter how many changes are made, I won’t be able to bypass the cosmos… Klein controlled his expression and nodded at Dorian.
“I hope you can find the answer when the crimson moon becomes full.”
With that said, his figure rapidly turned faint, having reached Fors’s limit.
Upon seeing Gehrman Sparrow “leave” like that, Dorian subconsciously looked down at the piece of paper with the honorific name of The Fool in his hand. He realized that it had also turned illusory and disappeared.
“…” Dorian was unable to find the correct answer from the various Beyonder powers recorded by his family. He turned to look at Fors, opened his mouth, intending to ask her.
At that moment, he felt a sudden pain in his heart as his pupils rapidly dilated.
Oh no! The curse is about to act up! Dorian hurriedly reached into his pocket to retrieve a small metal bottle. He opened the lid and gulped it down.
Clang!
His actions were so hurried that the lid of the metal bottle fell to the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors watched as her teacher’s face turned pale. She watched as he clutched his chest, unable to react to what had happened.
As a former surgeon, she quickly came to a conclusion and hurriedly said, “Teacher, are you having a heart attack?
“Do you have any special medicine?”
After asking the last question, Fors realized that she had been overly anxious and concerned, making her appear a little silly.
The bottle that the teacher drank was definitely the special medicine!
“Do you need any help? I have the ‘Recorded’ a Doctor’s powers,” Fors asked when she saw that her teacher had recovered based on his expression.
Dorian shook his head, indicating that he was fine.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly.
It’s because you didn’t do as I planned and had directly summoned Gehrman Sparrow into this room, causing me to not have time to drink the medicine.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Sonia Sea, the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, the City of Generosity, Bayam.
The Blue Avenger docked at the port in the evening.
During that period of time, the damage brought to the sea traffic around Sonia Island by the Church of the Lord of Storms had finally attracted the actions of the Feysac Empire’s demigods. Many “captains” had died in the line of duty, and their fleet had suffered a severe blow.
Alger Wilson and his crew avoided this attack while hiding in the primitive forest of the island while waiting for an opportunity to attack the port. After the Church of the Lord of Storms and the Loen naval army declared their goal for this battle had been achieved, they returned to Pasu Island to rest since it was over.
After that, Alger deliberately engaged in battle. He appeared pious, passionate, and fervent. He was praised by the cardinals as a result.
This was because he was familiar with the area around the Rorsted Archipelago. Without a doubt, he had been sent here to strengthen the naval forces of the important colony.
Of course, in order to avoid conflict with his past identity, he also made preparations for other matters in the future. Alger and his crew arrived in Bayam in the name of recruiting pirates.
In this war, many pirates were recruited, effectively making up for the losses of the navies of the various countries, just like the recruitment of mercenaries during the early- and mid-stages of the Fourth Epoch.
Composite Start
Composite End
Taking advantage of the fact that there was still some light in the sky, Alger got off the boat and headed straight for Sea King Jahn Kottman’s Cathedral of Waves.
As a Sequence 5 Ocean Songster, he had the right to directly meet the Church of the Lord of Storms’s cardinal, a high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers.
As he walked, Alger suddenly saw a familiar face.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a formal suit, a bow tie, and glasses. He looked rather refined, but Alger knew very well that he was a believer of Sea God Kalvetua. He had once been a pirate, and now he was a merchant that did business with both the authorities and the underworld.
“Long time no see, Ralph.” Alger greeted the illegitimate child that had Loen, Feysac, and Rorsted mixed blood.
Ralph was stunned for a moment, as if he couldn’t recognize the captain of the Blue Avenger.
“Alger? Our captain of the ghost ship?” After a few seconds, he asked in surprise.
Alger smiled and said, “Did I change a lot?”
Ralph frowned and replied, “Your temperament has changed a lot. It’s even more like the ocean and dark clouds before a storm.”
Quite a keen eye… However, this is an act I’m deliberately showing… After consuming the Ocean Songster potion, if there wasn’t such a change, I wouldn’t seem like someone from the Church of the Lord of Storms… Alger sighed and said, “Because there are too many things to worry about.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Now, it’s all good; I’ve already been hired by the Church of the Lord of Storms.”
Ralph narrowed his eyes as a sense of vigilance rose in his heart. He laughed and said, “This is indeed a good thing—if there was no war.”
Alger glanced at the spot where Ralph had just come out and asked, “When did a new… school appear here?”
He could see at a glance that there were four-story buildings, a cement field, a garden lawn, and many children happily playing.
The children had dark skin, but some of them didn’t have bronze skin like the locals. Their hair was only slightly curled, and it wasn’t too obvious.
Without a doubt, this group consisted of mixed-blood children.
Ralph looked back and sighed with a smile.
“Didn’t you donate money to my charity foundation?
“Under God’s guidance, I established a few schools in several large cities on the island, specially providing education, three meals, and accommodation for these discriminated children.
“Our childhood was gloomy, and I don’t want them to be the same.”
At the same time Ralph responded, Alger kept staring at the school. When Ralph was done speaking, Alger looked away and said, “I thought you would’ve taken at least half of it.”
Ralph broke out into laughter.
“Seems like I left a terrible impression on you.
“How is it? What opinions do you have about this school?”
Alger sized him up and said, “Do you think I’ve been to school before?”
He paused for a moment before saying, “Which street is your charity foundation on? I might come to you for something in the future.”
Thinking that the other party had been hired by the Church of the Lord of Storms, Ralph didn’t dare to expose his connection to the Resistance. He chuckled and said, “It’s fine to donate, but you don’t have to come for anything else.”
After giving the location of the charity foundation, Ralph returned home. He went up to the second floor and knocked on the door of a room.
“Lord Danitz, I have something to report.”
In the room, a deep and dignified voice replied, “Come in.”
…
Backlund, Cherwood Borough.
Dorian, who lived in a rented apartment, walked to the window. As the sun set, the sky gradually darkened.
The crimson moon would be full tonight, and the curse of the Abraham family would descend once again.
It had been a while since he had shaved his beard. Around his mouth, on both sides of his cheeks and lower jaw, there was a white mustache growing. It appeared out-of-place with his middle-aged man’s appearance.
After looking for a while, Dorian bowed his head and recited in Jotun, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
After ending his prayer, he returned to his room and found a sofa to sit down. He waited for the crimson moon to rise and for the period when the spirituality was the strongest to arrive.
At that moment, in the ancient palace above the gray fog, Klein had already taken his seat that belonged to The Fool. He beckoned for a paper figurine.
The paper figurine was surrounded by the power of Sefirah Castle as it passed through Dorian’s prayer light and landed on him.
During this process, Klein deliberately didn’t show any effects, allowing the “angel” to silently embrace Dorian.
He felt that if Mr. Fool were to appear too bombastic, it would scare this ancient family’s member, so he chose to keep a low profile.
The waiting process was always torturous. From time to time, Dorian would take out his pocket watch, click it open, and take a look. He wanted to know how long more before the full moon possessed its highest spirituality—this was something that could be inferred through the mysticism knowledge.
Finally, when it was almost dawn, Dorian instinctively bent down to reduce the pain brought by the curse.
However, as time passed, all he heard was complete silence. There were no buzzing ravings.
The crimson moonlight passed through the window and shone on Dorian. He looked up in a daze and felt that the surroundings were serene, calm, and indifferent. Nothing abnormal happened.
Dorian looked out of the window and saw the crimson moon. It was pure, dignified, gentle, and dreamy, as though it was hanging on his heart.
After a moment of silence, Dorian lowered his head and took out his pocket watch.
“…” He raised his right hand and rubbed his eyes. He covered his face and didn’t loosen his grip for a long time.
The white mustache on his face gradually became messy, stained with tears and snot.
Chapter 1209 Two Choices
Inside the room, the crimson glow was like water that soaked every corner.
Dorian slowly lifted his head and looked at the full moon outside the oriel window. He didn’t look away for a long time, as if he was admiring a beautiful scenery for the first time.
Phew… He let out a breath, stood up, and entered the bathroom. He turned on the tap, held up a mouthful of biting-cold water, and splashed it hard on his face.
After washing up, Dorian wiped his face with a towel and returned to the living room to sit on the sofa. He lowered his head and muttered piously, “Praise be to Mr. Fool!”
After completing his prayer, he walked into the study, took out a pen and paper, and wrote to Fors:
“…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Please tell Mr. Gehrman Sparrow that I have confirmed his promise. I hope he can find a better way to resolve the curse…
“I will gather the other members of my family to discuss if I should use one of the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in exchange for the Box of the Great Old Ones…
“Here, let me introduce the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts so that Mr. Gehrman Sparrow will have sufficient time to consider which one he wants.
“One of them is called ‘Scroll of God.’ It looks like an ordinary oil painting in a brass frame, but the content on it will change at random.
“When it shows different locations, the wielder can change the surroundings of the target, allowing the corresponding scene to descend.
“When it shows different figures, the wielder can allow those people to attack their targets with one target per figure.
“When it presents an abstract image that cannot be understood, different real effects will happen, and the only thing we know about the corresponding relationship is a very small portion;
“When it depicts doors, opening different ‘doors’ will move one to different places. There’s no way to predict where the destination will be. It can be used to exile its target;
“When it shows the dark underground or deep cosmos, it will be extremely dangerous. It has to be sealed!
Composite Start
Composite End
“If no one looks at it or takes in the marvel of the oil painting, then the person inside will come to life. They will reach out their hands from the oil painting, and slowly enter the real world. One must pay attention to this when sealing it!
“Once upon a time, when one of my family’s branches were in charge of the Scroll of God, there was a mistake. No one appreciated it for a full minute. And at that moment, it presented an image of an angel revolving around a deity. Then, the deity came alive and walked out of the oil painting.
“That branch of my family was destroyed just like that. There were only a few members remaining who had lost their minds, while that deity had gone somewhere unknown, but the painting was left behind.
“We had been worried for quite some time, afraid that the deity would destroy the world. Fortunately, ‘He’ never appeared again. Perhaps ‘He’ had already been noticed by the seven deities and was dealt with.
“Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that this is a story made up by those who have lost their minds. However, for most of the members to have died overnight, with a small number going mad, that in itself implies enough.
“The other Grade 0 Sealed Artifact is called ‘Staff of the Stars.’ Its appearance is a black cane with embedded gems.
“While holding onto it, using corresponding scenes in your mind, one that truly exists and is still in existence, the staff will transport you directly to the destination, but you must be careful. The scene depicted must be absolutely correct. Every detail must be accurate. There cannot be any differences with the original. Otherwise, you will never know where your destination is;
“Similarly, while holding onto the Staff of the Stars, if some Beyonder powers or figures appear in your mind, this cane will reenact the corresponding powers and person. The latter will be a single attack. To achieve such an effect, one has to have sufficient understanding of the powers and figures. Otherwise, you have no idea what kind of anomaly will happen. Once, someone used the Staff of the Stars to release ‘Lightning Storm,’ but he ended up turning himself into a frog. Recovery was only possible once the method to remove the curse was found;
“The Staff of the Stars is sufficiently hard and can be used to attack. A person struck by it will randomly mutate or suffer strange effects. Previously, I used the Staff of the Stars to hit a Beyonder from the Aurora Order. The left side of his body was moved outside a door, and his right side remained where it was. His organs splattered out as a result;
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The Staff of the Stars will randomly move about. If it isn’t properly sealed, it might disappear at some point in time and escape your control.
“When holding it, one’s head has to be empty most of the time. This is because once an image appears, it can trigger the effects I described in the beginning;
“If there’s no one holding onto it, all sorts of abnormalities will happen around the Staff of the Stars. It’s hard to predict what will happen. It has to be sealed…
“Burn upon reading…”
After writing the letter, Dorian read it several times to make sure that there was no mistake before stuffing it into an envelope and pasting a stamp on it.
At that moment, in the ancient palace above the gray fog.
Through the prayer point of light, Klein had watched Dorian’s entire process of writing the letter.
I seem to have forgotten to tell him that he can pass the corresponding information to Gehrman Sparrow through Mr. Fool… That’s good too. I’ll just treat this as a benefit of being a formal member of the Tarot Club. If every believer were to do this, I wouldn’t be able to cope if I didn’t leave any Worms of Spirit in Sefirah Castle… Yes, this can also effectively maintain Mr. Fool’s prestige. It will ensure that the Abrahams won’t dare to belittle Mr. Fool… Klein mumbled before turning his attention onto the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts.
He once again confirmed that Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts had severe negative effects and couldn’t be used as common items.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, their powers had extremely terrifying and potent effects. They were worthy of the grade “0.”
In comparison, the Staff of the Stars is more suitable for me…
I can get Miss Justice to hypnotize me in advance so that my subconscious thoughts won’t appear in the form of an image or scene. Only by consciously willing it in my mind will I be able to form the outline of a scene…
I wonder if the residents of the City of Silver will be able to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods with the Staff of the Stars in their hands by just outlining the scene of Backlund’s streets in their minds…
But there’s no way to hypnotize them before this. They haven’t really seen Backlund. Even if they restore the corresponding scene, it’s difficult for them to accurately outline the details…
Anyway, it’s very troublesome, but I can give it a try and choose a volunteer who isn’t afraid of death…
If I can exchange for the Staff of the Stars, there’s no need to rush to shatter it and turn it back into a characteristic. Who knows when it might come in handy. After all, the advancement ritual might not be completed…
With the Staff of the Stars, I can deal with the Dark Demonic Wolf and escape the Forsaken Land of the Gods right under the Dark Angel’s nose. This will give me a little more confidence… Klein sighed as he made his decision.
At this moment, he discovered another truth.
That was if some of the members of the Abraham family followed Dorian and switched faiths to Mr. Fool, then even if he returned the Box of the Great Old Ones to them, it wouldn’t be difficult to borrow it in the future.
Composite Start
Composite End
In other words, out of the three Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, the Staff of the Stars, the Scroll of God, and the Box of the Great Old Ones, he would gain the right to use two of them and have ownership over one.
It’s still very useful to develop believers… When the time comes, wouldn’t the Abraham family become a subordinate faction of the Tarot Club? However, Dorian definitely won’t spread the faith of The Fool so quickly unless some members are already on the brink of losing control, without the ability to resist the curse of the next full moon. For some reason, he felt that the power of the Tarot Club was expanding.
He thought about it seriously and felt sad that he would have to respond to his believers twenty-four hours a day in the future.
Only by becoming an angel and truly gaining ownership of Sefirah Castle did he dare leave a few Worms of Spirit behind so as to resolve this problem.
If that really doesn’t work, I’ll get Arrodes to be my artificial intelligence customer service… Klein rubbed his temples and left the gray fog before returning to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
…
Late at night, in the waters of the Rorsted Archipelago.
A huge sea monster quickly swam to its destination.
This was the “helper” that Alger had requested from Sea God Kalvetua. At the level of an Ocean Songster, he was still unable to control a creature of such size.
In truth, he could totally swim from Bayam, but that would be too tiring, and he wouldn’t be able to resist any accidents.
A few seconds later, the sea monster opened its mouth. Alger swam out and approached a beautiful coral thicket.
After circling a few obstacles, a dark blue glow suddenly appeared in Alger’s eyes.
Through this “dark blueness,” he saw a beautiful coral palace.
It was so real, but no one could see it unless there was a specific medium.
Alger stared at it for a while before swimming forward. He came to the front of the palace and pushed open the door.
The churning water came to a halt as Alger passed through the barrier and landed on the ground thanks to the wind.
He looked around and saw that there were murals on both sides.
The contents of these murals weren’t surprising. The people with elven faces mainly focused on resisting the storm.
However, Alger noticed that the ships weren’t out at sea, but in the midst of a thick, nearly indestructible “blackness.”
This made Alger think of a phrase: Abyss.
This is somewhat similar to the Abyss as spoken in legends, but it’s just a little similar, and there aren’t any Devils either… They seem to be coming from underground… These murals record the history of the elves? But they don’t match the corresponding myths… The World said that each elvish word corresponds to a first-generation elf… As Alger pondered, he walked towards the nine steps ahead.
As he drew closer, he saw two thrones and a dark blue crystalline coral.
On the coral branches, silver bolts of lightning flashed, illuminating the surroundings.
Alger held his breath as he slowed down his pace and went up the stairs to the throne.
He extended his right hand solemnly and picked up the coral.
With a splashing sound, the seawater outside the palace suddenly churned. As for the coral, under the cover of a “dark blueness,” it gradually turned illusory and merged into Alger’s body.
Lightning bolts bloomed one after another like flower petals.
Chapter 1210 Moon City
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, at night when the frequency of lightning was very low.
A few humanoid creatures cautiously approached a meatball with six legs and more than ten eyes.
They were wrapped in animal skins or clothes with materials that couldn’t be identified. With the help of a few lanterns, they passed through the endless darkness with heavy expressions.
On their faces, there were about ten to twenty tumors. Some of their eyes were nearly squeezed together, while others didn’t have a nose, with only a black hole in that place.
After a series of intense battles, they managed to successfully finish off the monster and split into two groups. One group guarded the surroundings. and another group reaped the spoils of war.
During this process, the man with many meat tumors on his face dissected the monster’s corpse. When he was searching for edible parts, he suddenly stopped.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“A’dal, what’s the matter?” the woman without a nose asked curiously.
The man named A’dal slowly retracted his right hand and revealed an item he had found from the monster.
It was a stone-carved amulet covered with marks of corrosion.
“This is…” The man, whose eyes were nearly squeezed together, seemed to understand the reason and hesitated to finish his sentence.
A’dal surveyed the area and said, “Xin, Rus, this was given to my father when I was young.
“On the day I became an adult, he felt that he could no longer control himself. He chose to leave the city and enter the depths of the darkness…”
When Xin and Rus heard that, they fell silent for a moment. They could understand A’dal’s feelings.
This was a common occurrence in Moon City.
As there was no safe edible food, they could only pick the mutated plant fruits and collect the flesh of monsters to maintain their survival.
Composite Start
Composite End
This resulted in the accumulation of toxins and madness in the body. After a decline in their physical conditions, they would either die quickly or gradually lose control.
In order to not cause any damage to the surroundings and city, those who were part of the latter would often arrange everything after sensing that their conditions weren’t right. With a torch and a small amount of food, they would leave the defensive perimeter and wander into the eternal darkness alone, never to return.
The residents of Moon City could imagine what would happen to them. They would either be killed by monsters or become monsters. There was no other possibility.
After seven to eight seconds of silence, the woman without a nose hesitantly said, “Perhaps, this is the monster that killed your father.”
“It has a belt made of animal skin wrapped around it…” A’dal’s voice gradually lowered. He picked up the dagger made of bone and forcefully inserted it, cutting out a relatively normal piece of flesh.
Amidst the silence, the members of the hunting team completed their harvest skillfully until Rus, whose eyes were nearly squeezed together, suddenly said in a deep voice, “There are more and more deformities amongst the newborn…”
The price of accumulating toxins and madness for generations wasn’t as simple as reducing their average life expectancy. The people who still had normal physical conditions were gradually experiencing some mutations, just like A’dal who had many tumors on his face.
Similarly, the toxins and madness could also be passed down to their descendants, causing mutations to appear. Rus and Xin from the hunting team were examples.
Their lives would be even shorter, making it easier for them to lose control and mutate.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The more abnormalities there were, the more obvious the implications were. The hunting teams present knew very well that it might not take more than two to three generations before the residents of Moon City would lose control before they fully grew up or have children.
When that happened, even if there was no external attack, Moon City would quickly be destroyed, leaving behind only stone buildings and murals to prove their existence.
“I hope the High Priest and the others can find a new direction…” A’dal stood up with a lantern in hand as he answered weakly.
In the past two to three thousand years, it wasn’t as if Moon City hadn’t found a way to escape their current predicament. They had sent out teams of exploration teams that headed deep into the darkness. Some returned after suffering serious setbacks, with nothing to show for their efforts. Some disappeared into the boundless darkness, and nothing was heard from them ever again.
In addition, at a distance away, to the east of Moon City, was a grayish-white fog that blotted out the sky and land.
They were like invisible barriers that not only blocked one’s vision, but also prevented any living beings from passing through.
The residents of Moon City once believed that this was a place of hope. They believed that the area covered by the grayish-white fog was a normal country. They believed that the other side of the gray fog was a land that wasn’t cursed.
They attempted to enter the grayish-white fog again and again, but all their attempts failed.
They had dug a long passageway, hoping to pass through the invisible barrier by going underground. However, the region deep underground was also covered in grayish-white fog.
Composite Start
Composite End
They tried ways to obtain the ability of flight before attempting to cross the barrier at high altitudes, but they didn’t manage to see the top of the grayish-white fog before they were struck by lightning.
They mobilized the powers of all the demigods and Sealed Artifacts, attacking the target again and again. Over the past two to three thousand years, the cumulative attacks they performed failed to disperse the invisible barrier at all…
Upon hearing Captain A’dal’s words, the members of the hunting team felt hopeless and sad. It was as though they were sliding down the edge of the abyss, but were unable to save themselves.
The deformed ones were people who found it difficult to control their emotions. At that moment, they more or less felt like they were suppressing something in their hearts, eager to unleash it.
In Moon City, a deformed person wasn’t allowed to become a Beyonder or join the hunting teams two to three hundred years ago. They could only do harvesting work. However, as their manpower dwindled, the High Priest and the rest of the higher-ups relaxed the restrictions.
“Let’s go. This bit of food isn’t enough.” A’dal looked around, carrying lanterns as he walked deeper into the darkness.
They didn’t take the risk of extinguishing the fire, causing monsters to surge out in the darkness, as they might not be able to deal with them.
In such a quiet and suffocating environment, the members of the Moon City’s hunting team couldn’t help but have the feeling that they were enveloped in an endless darkness.
It was as though it was impossible to find hope regarding the present situation of Moon City, and the amount of time the lanterns in their hands could burn was decreasing.
When the last trace of light dissipated, they would be silently devoured by the darkness.
Composite Start
Composite End
As they walked, a faint yellow light suddenly appeared in A’dal’s eyes.
It was a glow that didn’t belong to the hunting team!
This bit of light immediately shone into the eyes of all the members of the hunting team, filling their pupils.
A’dal, Xin, Rus, and company couldn’t help but widen their eyes as they felt a deep sense of shock.
During their lifetime, there had never been any fires that came from external sources in the history of Moon City after the Cataclysm!
Indeed, many monsters possessed the powers of fire or the Sun domain, but before attacking, they were all hidden in the darkness without revealing any hint of light.
And now, a fiery glow appeared deep in the darkness!
A’dal, Xin, and Rus trembled slightly as they thought for a long time but couldn’t think of an answer.
They quickly recalled the hunting arrangements and confirmed that it was impossible for residents of Moon City to be nearby.
Since the fiery glow didn’t belong to Moon City, where did it come from?
The entire hunting team slowed down. They were shocked, surprised, curious, fearful, worried, and terrified.
They had also discovered some destroyed cities and knew that any abnormalities in the darkness could be fatal.
“…Be alert!” A’dal finally snapped out of his daze and gave the order.
The hunting team immediately took up a battle formation, waiting for the faint yellow light to approach.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Every second was slow. Finally, after the fiery glow grew bigger, a figure appeared.
A figure… There’s only one person… The members of the Moon City hunting team held their breaths.
It seemed like, maybe, perhaps, they might have a chance of seeing an outsider!
Two to three thousand years had passed, and finally, someone else had stepped foot on this land.
They were not the only ones left in this abandoned world.
As for who could travel through endless darkness and reach this place, A’dal and company lacked experience, so they had no way of guessing.
As the fiery glow became bigger and more obvious, the hunting team members gradually saw the figure.
It was a slim young man. He had black hair and brown eyes, and his expression was cold. He was neither a deformed person nor had he any abnormal changes.
He wore a strange hat and strange clothes. He held a lantern made of special materials as he walked over from the darkness.
The light of his lantern was even brighter than the combined light of the hunting team. It made the surrounding darkness fade rapidly.
It didn’t take long before the light shone on the bodies of the likes of A’dal, Xin, and Rus.
The figure stopped and looked at the Moon City hunting team. He asked in a low voice, “Where are you from?”
He spoke Jotun… His eyes are clear, and he can communicate… A’dal opened his mouth, stopping his subconscious urge to reply.
He asked in return, “Who are you?”
The figure with the glass lantern replied calmly, “Gehrman Sparrow.”
After half a year of traveling and overcoming one difficult obstacle after another, Klein’s spiritual intuition finally told him that he was finally reaching his destination.
And he had also encountered the first batch of living people in his trip across the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
“Where did you come from?” A’dal kept his guard up and pressed.
Klein swept his gaze across their faces and said without a change in tone, “I came from the City of Silver.
“And also from a land beyond the cursed lands.”
Upon hearing this answer, all the members of the hunting team were in a daze. They suspected whether they were expecting too much, causing them to hallucinate.
…
In the autumn of 1351, Backlund, in the midst of the war.
Ever since Feynapotter declared war on Loen, the war that had been going on for some time had finally lost its balance. Loen and its allies—Lenburg, Masin, and Segar—had lost a large amount of territory, leaving only the last few lines of defense that they defended with great difficulty. They were on the brink of being overrun.
When she saw the long line of people at the food distribution center through the carriage window, Audrey slowly retracted her gaze and said to her personal maidservant, Annie, “Turn towards Saint Samuel Cathedral…”
Chapter 1211 Unimaginable
As the carriage drove slowly along the road, Audrey’s gaze subconsciously looked out the window.
Many passers-by stood by the roadside, staring at the horse that was pulling the carriage. Their eyes seemed to be emitting a greedy glint as they, the lucky ones, successfully collected their food. They ran through the streets surreptitiously and headed for home.
A team of policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms were patrolling the streets. They had revolvers by their waists and batons in their hands—means to deter anyone from wanting to take risks.
“Recently, we don’t even dare to go on the streets alone…” the personal maidservant, Annie, whispered to her.
Audrey nodded slightly but didn’t respond.
After a while, the carriage arrived at Phelps Street and stopped at the square in front of Saint Samuel Cathedral.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The flock of pigeons that were usually here was nowhere to be seen.
The Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, as well as the subsequent establishment of the Loen Poverty Relief Foundation and the Loen Medical Charity Foundation, had all moved from 22 Phelps Street to a few small rooms in the cathedral. This was because the buildings that they were originally housed in had collapsed due to the previous airstrike.
To the staff of these three foundations, it was a harrowing memory. If they hadn’t left 22 Phelps Street in advance due to different reasons, they would’ve long been killed.
After alighting from the carriage and walking through the main door, Audrey saw a black-haired, brown-eyed girl with a rather thin face approach.
Before the other party could speak, she said, “Melissa, is there any more food that can be distributed?”
Melissa shook her head solemnly.
“Even those injured soldiers who we provided relief for can’t receive enough food…”
Audrey’s green eyes dimmed. She didn’t show her helplessness or weakness as she nodded slightly.
“I will think of a way.”
Composite Start
Composite End
…
“From the City of Silver…
“From a land beyond the cursed lands.”
Gehrman Sparrow’s words echoed in the ears of the Moon City hunting team members—A’dal, Xin, and Rus. It made them feel like they were in a dream, unable to regain their senses for a long time.
Just as A’dal gradually regained his senses and was thinking about what to say when Xin, who was born without a nose, inundated Klein with a series of questions.
“Where is the City of Silver? What does it look like? How far is it from here?
“How many normal people are there outside the cursed area?”
Klein glanced at her and replied in an emotionless voice, “The City of Silver is located on the other side of the cursed lands. They discovered a type of plant that can be eaten normally called ‘Black-Faced Grass.’ This has allowed them to maintain their kind’s stability and effectively explore the depths of the darkness in a bid to find a way to leave.
“They recently found some mushrooms. These mushrooms can use monsters as nutrients, forming all kinds of fruits that do not contain toxins and madness.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The City of Silver has gone one step further in escaping the madness. Once the newborns become adults, they wouldn’t easily lose control even at old age…”
These words made A’dal, Xin and company feel lost, as though their own persistent efforts had no meaning.
The City of Silver described by Gehrman Sparrow was the most beautiful scene they could imagine; yet, it was something so easily possessed by others.
“…Are there any deformed newborns?” Xin asked in a dreamy tone.
Klein shook his head.
“Almost none.”
“Will their parents walk into the depths of the darkness by themselves when their physical condition deteriorates—no, when they become old?” A’dal subconsciously pressed.
Wearing a black trench coat, a top hat, and holding a lantern, Klein replied, “No.
“Because they are burdened with the curse of killing their own kin. If a life cannot be ended by the hands of a blood relative, they will turn into a terrifying evil spirit or monster.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The members of the hunting team in Moon City finally found a sense of reality. Their hearts felt like they were slowly rising in warm water as bubbles slowly emerged.
These bubbles were weak, empty, and easily pricked. There was nothing inside, but they shimmered with something called hope and light.
Rus, whose eyes were nearly squeezed together, couldn’t help but repeat the question:
“How many normal people are there outside the cursed area?”
Klein looked at them with a complicated expression.
“They are basically normal. They do not need to be constantly worried about monsters attacking them. They don’t have to be afraid of being in the darkness. They don’t go crazy after growing old. They aren’t burdened by all kinds of curses. They see sunlight every day when they wake up, with sufficiently normal food. Every night, the crimson moon rises…”
However, all of this is being destroyed now… Klein silently added in his heart.
This time, A’dal, Xin, and Rus were somewhat at a loss. This was because they found Gehrman Sparrow’s description as something imaginable, but also seemingly unimaginable. It was just like when they were reading the few ancient books remaining. They could get the spirit of the matter but found it hard to truly understand certain contexts.
They had no idea what the sun and what the crimson moon were.
However, to have normal food every day without the burden of various curses, the worry of monster attacks or darkness, and the lack of going crazy in old age was a beautiful dream they yearned for day and night.
Composite Start
Composite End
There’s such a place in this world? Is this what Heaven, as recorded in the ancient books, is? Was this land really cursed? The members of the Moon City hunting team fell silent once again.
One of them opened their mouth but was at a loss as to what to ask. Someone wanted to bring Gehrman Sparrow back to Moon City and inform the High Priest of the news, wanting to inform everyone, but he was afraid of attracting danger.
During this process, they didn’t let down their guard or vigilance.
Klein wasn’t the least bit surprised with their attitude. Instead, he felt that this was the reaction a civilization that could last to this day in the Forsaken Land of the Gods ought to have.
With the lantern in hand, he took a step to the left, attempting to walk around the humans who were dressed in strange materials or animal skins, and he continued heading east.
Regardless of what story these people had, whether it was worth helping them in passing, he planned to wait until he began his investigations before listening and considering things. This was because his spiritual intuition told him that his destination wasn’t far, and that the legendary West Continent was just two to three hours away on foot.
The moment he took a step forward, A’dal and company immediately bent their backs, bracing themselves to defend and attack. However, they didn’t manage to see Gehrman Sparrow approach them. They watched as he walked more than ten meters to the left and continue heading forward.
Seeing this young man dressed in strange black clothes and a strange black hat, with a strange and transparent lantern gradually distancing himself from them, the dim yellow light grew weaker and weaker. A’dal’s face which was covered in tumors changed. He shouted loudly, “Who exactly are you?”
Klein didn’t turn around. Instead, he held the lantern that emitted a faint yellow light and walked deeper into the darkness. He said in a regular tone, “A missionary.
“A person to spread my Lord’s brilliance.”
A’dal, Xin, and company looked at each other, their expressions filled with confusion.
They hesitated for a long while, but when there was only a small trace of the dim yellow light left, they instinctively took a step forward and followed behind Klein.
They didn’t dare to approach him, nor did they want to have him leave their sight. They carried the food they had procured, as though they were monitoring and chasing him in a defensive manner. As for Klein, he walked at an adequate speed—not waiting for them or attempting to shake them off.
Just like that, both sides walked in silence under the sparse lightning. At some point in time, Rus and another hunting team had left the main group. They held the animal hide lantern and the food they had obtained and turned around, silently disappearing into the endless darkness.
Seconds changed to minutes before Klein finally stopped.
Using the lightning that streaked across the sky, he saw a grayish-white fog a few hundred meters away.
The mist was connected to the land and extended all the way into the sky, as though it didn’t have an apex.
At the same time, the fog extended to the two sides without any end.
Klein looked at it intently for a long time. Even though there were partitions of darkness, he slowly raised his head. After the second bolt of lightning calmed down, he looked away.
Behind the fog or inside it is the disappeared Western Continent? As he thought with a heavy heart, he couldn’t help but slow down his breathing.
He carried the lantern and continued forward until the dim yellow light emitted a solidified mist.
There was no need for him to make any other attempts. From his intuition as a Seer, he could tell that the grayish-white fog was an invisible barrier that couldn’t be passed through by conventional means.
He thought for a moment and stretched out his right hand to scratch at the darkness in front of him again and again.
After doing it four to five consecutive times, Klein pulled out a black cane with many gems embedded in it.
This was the Staff of the Stars, a terrifying Sealed Artifact known as 0-62 that had been swapped using the Box of the Great Old Ones!
Of course, all he did was summon the historical projection of the Staff of the Stars.
This way, even if there were unnecessary scenes that appeared in his mind, he could use the removal of the Historical Void projection to stop any corresponding dangers that appeared in a timely manner.
To a Scholar of Yore, this was the best way to regularly use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. However, this limited the effects and was something that couldn’t exceed three minutes at the moment. Furthermore, there was a certain difference with the original version when it came to their effects. Using a marionette to hold the Staff of the Stars wasn’t the best way to avoid any negative effects. This was because a marionette needed to be controlled, and any control had a high chance of transmitting scenes.
Of course, if he engaged in a battle he was prepared for, Klein wouldn’t have done so. This was because it would occupy one of his three precious summoning spots. Furthermore, although the Staff of the Stars belonged to him, it was only in a state of forced ownership, and it remained in a sealed state. Furthermore, the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact had a rather high level. It was impossible for Klein to successfully summon it at once, so it usually took him three to six attempts. In a fierce battle, it would require plenty of chances—nothing simple.
And it was precisely because of this that when he was prepared to “perform,” he would hypnotize himself in advance. By using the Staff of the Stars in a special state, he would preserve the ability to summon Historical Void images like Miss Messenger, Mr. Azik, Ma’am Arianna, Will Auceptin, and other familiar angels.
Holding the black staff that was embedded with various gems, a scene of the door slowly opening appeared in Klein’s mind.
The gems on the staff flashed with a faint glow as the grayish-white fog quickly outlined a door that wasn’t sufficiently real.
The door opened silently, and behind it was still a gray fog.
Door Opening doesn’t work… Although he wasn’t surprised by the outcome, he was still a little disappointed.
He thought for a moment and decided to switch tactics.
However, just as he was thinking about it, the Staff of the Stars automatically activated as the corresponding scene appeared.
Chapter 1212 Spreading Radiance
Just now, as Klein was thinking of a solution, an image naturally came to mind.
The clouds in the two mountains began to “boil” rapidly as they spread out to the left and right, revealing a crack whose bottom couldn’t be seen. The orange-red rays of the sunset filled it and formed a corporeal path.
This was a scene created when Blasphemer Amon entered the projection of the Giant King’s Court.
And just as he felt that he didn’t know enough about the corresponding powers and planned on switching to another method. The red, green, blue, and transparent gems on the Staff of the Stars had already begun to emit a faint glow as they automatically activated.
The solidified grayish-white fog was similarly “boiling,” but it wasn’t that intense.
They were churning backward as they parted, but the area right in front of him remained an endless grayish-white mass. There was no end to it.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein sighed in his heart. As he focused on controlling his thoughts, he made other attempts.
In the past three minutes, he had tried hard at least ten times. Seven times were of his own will, while three times were him venting out, but he was ultimately unable to open the invisible barrier.
…Indeed, normal methods don’t work… With a flick of his wrist, he allowed the historical projection of 0-62, which was close to its limit, to disappear from the real world.
He stared at the silent grayish-white fog and didn’t move for about a minute. It was as if he had turned into a statue.
Finally, Klein closed his eyes and looked away. Holding the lantern in his hand, he walked towards the nearby humans who were watching.
He didn’t plan on making blind attempts, because there was a high chance that he wouldn’t succeed. He planned on asking the people who had stood guard in the vicinity for two to three thousand years. It was obvious that these ancient survivors had explored the grayish-white fog. He wanted to see if he could find inspiration from their years of experience.
Based on Klein’s assumption, the humans would definitely react excessively towards him, so he had already prepared the corresponding powers to allow them to speak to him calmly. However, when he looked at the light of dusk on both sides of the lantern, he realized that the ugly or deformed humans were staring at him with their mouths agape. They looked confused and shocked, as if they had temporarily lost their ability to think.
Klein frowned slightly. In the darkness, he walked unhurriedly to the ancient survivors and stopped about two to three meters away.
“What do you know about this fog?” Klein asked in Jotun with a deep voice.
Composite Start
Composite End
The language that could stir the powers of nature didn’t have any differences because of geography. There was only a slight difference in the accent, but it wasn’t much. If the original version was modified, there was a chance its effects in ritualistic magic would be lost.
It was only when Gehrman Sparrow raised the question that A’dal seemed to snap out of his daze. His lips quivered as he answered in an ambiguous tone, “We… We have never caused the fog to change before…”
Just now, Gehrman Sparrow had caused the fog to boil like water and part to the sides. This scene had really frightened them, as though they were witnessing a miracle.
The two to three thousand years of hard work from numerous generations of Moon City inhabitants were inferior to a person holding a staff with an attempt that didn’t last more than two hundred heartbeats!
This was also the main reason why they had given up on resisting when Gehrman Sparrow approached them.
They instinctively believed that, no matter how they avoided him, it would be to no avail.
After two seconds of silence, Klein continued asking, “Do you have any corresponding records?”
At this moment, A’dal understood what Gehrman Sparrow meant. He hesitated for a moment and slowly nodded.
“Yes… However, only the High Priest and the others would frequently look through it.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Wearing a black trench coat and half top hat, Klein thought for a moment and suddenly reached out to pull out an item from the void.
It was a cross covered in bronze, with several sharp spikes protruding out from it.
It was the historical image of the ancient sun god’s Unshadowed Crucifix!
With the cross in hand, Klein raised it a little higher and aimed it at the ancient survivors.
Pure, bright, and warm light bloomed, dispersing the darkness around them and illuminating them.
Their combat experience made them instinctively attempt to defend themselves, but their actions stopped midway through the process.
The brightness and warmth wasn’t something a bonfire could compare with!
This made the remaining members of the Moon City hunting team recall the deities described by the ancient books and the High Priest. “They” were deities who emitted boundless light and brought boundless warmth.
Under the illumination of the bright, pure light, a distorted, struggling illusionary black gas that seemed to have a life of its own began to boil from the bodies of A’dal, Xin, and company, quickly rising and dissipating.
Composite Start
Composite End
The members of the Moon City hunting team felt their bodies become more relaxed, and the pressure within their souls disappeared.
After purging the cumulative corruption and ailments of their bodies, Klein shook his wrist slightly, causing the Unshadowed Crucifix to disappear in front of him.
Right on the heels of that, he grabbed another cane that looked an ordinary wooden color.
This was the former City of Silver’s Sealed Artifact, Life’s Cane!
Although he had already sacrificed it to the Evernight Goddess, as long as it was once owned by a Scholar of Yore, it would only accompany them in a different way.
With Life’s Cane in hand, Klein took a few steps forward and used the end of the cane to tap the leader of Moon City’s hunting team.
The experience from before made A’dal unable to dodge. The tumors on his face began to crack as pus flowed, faded, and disappeared. In the end, there wasn’t even a single scar left.
From the looks of his team members, A’dal knew that he had undergone a change. He hesitantly raised his right hand and touched his face. From top to bottom and back up again, he kept repeating it.
During this process, he realized that he was in an unprecedented healthy state, one that was better than when he first became an adult.
Klein didn’t look at him. He took a step diagonally and used Life’s Cane to treat the rest of the ancient survivors.
Composite Start
Composite End
With A’dal as an example, Xin and the others were on their guard and alert as they accepted contact with the cane, and they felt that they had obtained a new lease of life.
Amongst them, the two deformed beings who were easily emotional couldn’t help but tear up.
Unfortunately, I can’t treat natural defects… Mental illnesses can be treated, but some crazy tendencies can’t be treated… Klein retracted his right hand and let the historical projection of Life’s Cane disappear.
He walked to his original spot and turned around. He looked at the ancient survivors and said, “I’m not here to destroy, but to spread the radiance of my Lord, bringing light and warmth.
“Go back and tell your leader that I’m here. If he’s willing, he can come over.”
He didn’t attempt to find out where the gathering point of these ancient survivors was, nor did he plan on going there directly. This would trigger the strongest form of resistance and vigilance.
Hence, giving them the choice was the most suitable solution.
At that moment, A’dal, Xin, and the others were already shocked by Gehrman Sparrow’s constant pulling out of mystical items. They felt that they were walking into a miracle and had already been cleansed by the divine light, allowing their physical condition to recover to its optimum state. It even exceeded their peak.
“…Alright.” A few seconds later, A’dal responded.
Just as they turned around and prepared to return to Moon City, flames lit up from the depths of the darkness as they rapidly approached.
The leader was an old man wearing a dark brown beast hide. His hair was gray and unkempt, and his face was full of real cracks.
“High Priest…” After recognizing the other party, Xin blurted out.
It was none other than Moon City’s High Priest, Nim.
Behind Nim followed Rus and the other members of the hunting team who had returned to the city ahead of time, as well as several other High-Sequence Beyonders.
Nim nodded at A’dal, Xin, and the rest before walking to the front of the group. Looking at the man who claimed to be a missionary, Gehrman Sparrow, he crossed his arms and bowed.
“Honorable guest, I am Moon City’s High Priest, Nim.
“Moon City once belonged to vampires, but that civilization had been destroyed in ancient times.
“Afterwards, we accepted the orders of the great sun god, the Lord who created everything, and we moved here to watch the grayish-white fog and make the corresponding attempts. That continued on even though the land was cursed and the Lord didn’t respond to us.
“To date, 3,722 years have passed.”
Chapter 1213 The Eternally Imperturbable Fog
3,722 years… Indeed, they were sent here when the ancient sun god was still alive… With the City of Silver’s continued survival in the darkness for more than two thousand years as a reference, Klein easily confirmed the words of Moon City’s High Priest.
He nodded slightly and asked, “Are you guarding this fog to prevent any anomalies from happening to it?”
The High Priest of Moon City, who was wrapped in dark brown beast hide, Nim, shook his head.
“The revelation that the Lord gave us was to guard the area all day. We needed to know if anyone walks out of the fog.”
Walks out of the fog… The ancient sun god had a premonition that a person would walk out of this fog? If the other side of the fog is really the Western Continent, does this mean that there might still be life and civilization in it? When Klein heard this, an indescribable palpitation struck his heart, but he deeply realized a certain reality:
Amon’s father—the second Creator—was actually unable to open this grayish-white fog, and even needed to send people here to watch over it!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Is there a specific method needed to pass through this invisible barrier? Uh, Mr. Hanged Man mentioned before that the Queen of Calamity, Cohinem, said that an incantation or command might be needed. Also, the premise is that the Western Continent has already resurfaced… As Klein looked at the High Priest with deep lines on his face, he said without batting an eyelid, “I believe they have already introduced me to you. I’m a missionary. I have come to this land to spread the light of the Lord.”
The High Priest of Moon City, Nim, maintained his composure and used his gray eyes that were the same color as his long hair to look at Klein.
“Your Excellency, which existence do you believe in?”
Klein instinctively wanted to answer directly, but considering his identity as a missionary that he had set for himself previously, he held back his shame. With the ability of a Clown, he controlled his facial muscles and revealed a slightly fanatical expression.
“Please permit me to introduce you to my Lord, the savior of this land, the great Mr. Fool…”
The Fool… Moon City’s High Priest, Nim, and the others didn’t expect to hear such a word. For a moment, they found it strange, but for some reason, they felt that there was an infinite philosophy hidden within.
Finally, their attention was focused on the description:
“The savior of this land.”
Nim couldn’t help but turn his head to look at A’dal and the rest, observing their radiant faces.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a Sequence 4 demigod, he knew very well that this was a result of the cleansing of the toxin and corruption accumulated within their bodies. Furthermore, the members of the hunting team had also been given excellent treatment. If he hadn’t seen this group of young people grow up and remembered how they looked before the changes, he definitely wouldn’t dare to confirm that they were residents of Moon City.
Seeing the High Priest look over, A’dal immediately said excitedly, “His Excellency Sparrow prayed for a deity’s blessing to save us.”
“Yes, we saw light! We felt warmth!” Xin, who was without a nose, added.
After the catharsis, she had unknowingly developed a certain belief towards the Lord that Gehrman Sparrow mentioned.
Compared to the Creator who had never responded to prayers and ignored the suffering that Moon City faced, this existence was more like a deity!
Rus and another member of the hunting team that went back to Moon City to inform the High Priest looked covetously at their former companions. They were both envious and had a yearning for the new life they had obtained.
The High Priest, Nim, retracted his gaze and looked at Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing strange clothes and a strange hat.
“Is the great Mr. Fool a deity in this world—no, from outside this cursed land?”
Klein nodded solemnly and slowly.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes.”
“Then… what about the great sun god who created everything?” Nim hesitated for a moment before asking the question he desired answers to the most.
Klein changed his tone to that of a charlatan and said, “The Kings betrayed that existence. Blood, anger, foulness, and shadows began to flow across this land, triggering a huge calamity.”
Nim’s pupils dilated slightly, as if he wanted to absorb more light to see the world in front of him.
With great difficulty, he tried his best to suppress something and asked, “Are you saying that the Lord perished because of this?”
“Not only did ‘He’ perish, but ‘His’ flesh and blood were also eaten by the traitors. This piece of land was cursed as a result.” Taking advantage of the fact that he was in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein boldly said this.
He didn’t deliberately distinguish the Amon brothers from the other six Kings of Angels. He planned on making the residents of Moon City believe that all the Kings of Angels were traitors. This way, they wouldn’t be fooled by Amon in the future.
Over the past half a year of traveling and the various experiments he undertook, he was convinced that the Forsaken Land of the Gods really was sealed. Or rather, it was isolated from the outside world. The only point of contact was either the exit of the Giant King’s Court, or something at the level of Sefirah Castle. Therefore, using the Staff of the Stars here allowed him to move within the confines of the cursed land. He was unable to head to the scenes in the outside world as outlined in his mind.
In addition, the Box of the Great Old Ones was even suppressed and isolated for its historical projection. The moment the summoning succeeded, the projection would immediately be devoured by the environment. It was completely useless.
Composite Start
Composite End
This made him suspect that even the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones was a little dangerous for true deities such as the True Creator.
Upon hearing Gehrman Sparrow’s words, the body of the High Priest of Moon City, Nim, trembled slightly as his pockmarked face instantly turned ashen.
The faces of the Beyonders behind him changed as well. It was as if they had suffered an extremely serious blow. One even showed signs of losing control.
Seeing this, Klein reached out his hand again and pulled out Life’s Cane from the void, allowing it to fly through the air and accurately tap the target.
The signs of the Beyonder’s losing control immediately vanished. His forehead was covered in sweat as if he had just overcome a major illness.
Following the removal of the historical projection, Life’s Cane quickly faded away. As for the Beyonders of Moon City, they finally managed to break free from the grievous news. Some of them were filled with suspicion and disbelief, and others were whimpering softly. Some looked at Gehrman Sparrow with a lost look, as though he was their final hope.
At some point in time, Nim’s eyes had already closed. Two or three seconds later, he opened them again and looked at Gehrman Sparrow.
“What else do you have to ask?”
In less than a minute, he looked like he had aged considerably. His body was beginning to show signs of decay and depression. However, it wasn’t completely without hope. It was as if the trees were rotting away, but they were beginning to give birth to new lives.
Klein half-turned and pointed at the coagulated gray fog with the lantern in his hand.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Since when did you begin attempting to open this screen? What did you achieve?”
Nim said frankly, “In the beginning, it was the Lord’s revelation. While ‘He’ wanted us to watch over it, ‘He’ also wanted us to think of a way to pass through the fog.
“After the land was cursed, we used this to mainly guide us so as to seek hope. However, we ultimately didn’t achieve anything concrete. No matter what method we used, the solidified mist didn’t react…”
Upon saying that, he hesitated and said, “It’s not that there’s no reaction, but it wasn’t the reaction we wanted.”
Klein instantly saw hope and maintained his normal speaking pace as he asked, “What was the reaction?”
Seeing that the High Priest was somewhat hesitant and not answering immediately, Xin took the initiative to say, “High Priest, His Excellency Sparrow has already parted a portion of the fog, a depth deeper than what we managed over the past two to three thousand years!”
Nim couldn’t help but look deeply at Gehrman Sparrow before saying, “More than 1,730 years ago, the High Priest back then was inspired by the cruel fact that Moon City had failed to achieve anything in the past 2,000 years.
“He felt that we couldn’t treat this fog as a seal that needed to be broken through. Instead, it was to be treated as a great existence.
“He designed the honorific name, prayer stanza, and the corresponding symbols for this fog. He held repeated rituals here, attempting communication, and praying.”
…This is a train of thought that no normal person would’ve thought of… I didn’t think of it just now… Indeed, after all these years, there must have been many people with strange ideas in Moon City… Three thousand years of time isn’t for nothing… Klein sighed inwardly as he nodded slightly.
“Was there any feedback after that?”
With a nasal grunt as confirmation, Nim replied, “There was at one point when the High Priest changed the first sentence of the honorific name to ‘The Eternally Imperturbable Fog’… Then, during the subsequent ritual, he vaguely heard a series of voices coming from deep within the fog. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hear it clearly no matter how hard he tried, making it impossible to interpret it.
“From then on, the rituals we held were uncountable. We realized that a response wasn’t always guaranteed. Even if there was a response, it might not be a timely one. We needed to wait patiently.”
As the thoughts raced through his mind, Klein asked, “How many times does it roughly take to succeed?”
“There are no patterns. Sometimes, we succeed at once. Sometimes, we might not receive any feedback after a month,” Nim said with a sigh. “We have made many alterations, but they were all useless.”
“Did you hear what those voices said afterward?” Klein asked.
“No, maybe our Sequence isn’t high enough or we are still lacking in strength.” Nim shook his head.
If that’s the reason, I can give it a try… After hesitating for a few seconds, he politely asked, “May you hold the correct ritual again? I would like to hear those voices.”
This kind of politeness was something Nim couldn’t refuse, nor did he dare to refuse.
He hesitated for a moment and said, “Sure, but many of the materials are in Moon City. You need to wait for some time.”
After some thought, Klein asked, “Have you used those materials before?”
“Yes,” Nimu answered in confusion.
Klein nodded indifferently.
“Let’s just hold it now. Tell me when was the last time you used those materials and where they were nearby.”
Chapter 1214 Voice
After hearing the High Priest’s reply, Klein held his lantern and walked twenty to thirty steps to the right, parallel to the grayish-white fog.
Then, he half-closed his eyes as though he was sensing something. This made the Moon City Beyonders behind him not dare to make a sound, afraid of disturbing the oracle.
After four to five seconds, Klein stretched out his right hand and slowly grabbed the air ahead.
An altar made of stone dropped into the real world. On it were three candles made of oil and seven to eight spiritual materials.
As a Sequence 4 demigod, Nim was taken aback. He found it difficult to believe his eyes.
Previously, he had seen Gehrman Sparrow take out his cane to treat his companion. He had only believed that Gehrman Sparrow possessed the powers of space or had received the favor of Mr. Fool. But now, his judgment had been completely overturned. This was because he found the altar, the few candles, and the spiritual materials very familiar.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They were all used by him once!
He actually managed to create something that I’ve used before? Is this a power that comes from history, a power that comes from time? Nim recalled the content of the remnant tomes in Moon City, and his understanding of demigods as he came to a preliminary guess.
At that moment, Klein turned around and looked at the High Priest.
“You may begin.”
Nim quietly drew a deep breath. Under the watchful eyes of the likes of the A’dal, Xin, and Rus, he walked to the altar and created a wall of spirituality.
After taking a look at the symbols, labels, and patterns engraved on the altar and confirming that there were no problems, he followed the process that had been engraved into his memories, and he began the ritual with great familiarity.
In the end, he bowed his head and chanted in a low voice:
“The Eternally Imperturbable Fog;
“A Barrier frozen in Space-Time;
Composite Start
Composite End
“The Existence that contains Everything…”
Before the prayer ended, Klein had already placed his attention on the grayish-white fog, hoping to hear sounds coming from deep within.
For this, he had secretly controlled the large number of monster marionettes that walked in the surrounding darkness to separate. He spaced them out at a certain distance, hoping that he wouldn’t miss any suspicious traces.
However, he didn’t notice anything unusual until the ritual was completed.
After waiting for a while more, Klein cast his gaze at the High Priest of Moon City, Nim, and said calmly, “One more time.”
…
Backlund, Empress Borough, in the Hall family’s study.
After receiving permission, Audrey pushed open the door and walked in. Her father, Earl Hall, and her brother, Hibbert, were discussing some matters.
“Oh, baby, you don’t look too well?” Earl Hall cast his gaze towards the door.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey didn’t act as she forced a smile and said, “There’s a huge lack of food at the Poverty Relief Foundation. I would like to collect more. I visited many nobles today, but they told me that there’s no more food left. It’s the same even if I offered to buy it with gold pounds.”
When these words were said, the nobles were either in a parlor or at a spot specially used for high tea. In front of them were high-quality black tea and many exquisite desserts. From time to time, they would invite Audrey to evaluate their dessert chef’s culinary skills.
Their servants had rosy cheeks, and they took very light footsteps. They didn’t make a sound to prevent disturbing their guests.
“The current situation…” Earl Hall sighed when he heard that.
Audrey thought for a moment and said seriously, “Father, I remember that there should be quite a lot of food at home. Can I buy some of that with money?”
“Audrey, you’ve already done too much. There’s no need for you to do more,” Hibbert Hall said with a frown. As for Audrey, she only looked at her father and didn’t respond to her elder brother’s words.
Earl Hall’s expression that had relaxed after seeing his daughter became serious again.
“Audrey, the prerequisite for charity is not to affect your and your family’s life. This is a principle I wish for you to remember.”
Audrey, who was wearing a long, golden-white dress, relaxed her eyebrows and said sincerely, “Father, the amount of food we have stored at home is enough to last everyone in this house for an entire year, or even more. Besides, there’s also a lot of food over in East Chester County.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As Winter County hadn’t completely fallen, the Feysac army that had invaded Midseashire didn’t attack East Chester County. As for the Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter fleet, they were suppressed by the few ironclad warship fleets of Loen. They could only barely deal with the situation and protect the supply line at sea.
Seeing his daughter’s emerald-green eyes for a few seconds, he suddenly sighed and smiled.
“Audrey, you have really grown up. You have your own ideas and pretty commendable determination.
“However, we don’t know how long this war will last. We don’t know what the outcome will be. We have to leave a lot of food to deal with this.
“I can accept us having two less delicacies for every meal to help those who are in trouble, but I don’t want my dining table to become like what the newspaper says about the middle class. This will completely make us lose our dignity as nobles. This is something that we abide with every generation.
“Do you understand what I mean? I was just making an analogy. The essence of this is that I value the continuation and the future of the family line more. I value our status and standing. Only when it doesn’t affect them will I express my love and kindness.
“Audrey, what I said may be cruel, but you have already grown up. It’s time to hear this. Everyone is selfish, but at varying levels. In my heart, the entire Hall family is more important than me and your mother, yourself, Hibbert, and Alfred. Apart from these, it will first be faith and good friends. Next, it’s people we are acquainted with. Finally, it would be all of Backlund, those who are in need of help.
“If it doesn’t affect the ones first listed, I don’t mind helping them. Unfortunately, I have to consider even more things now.”
At this point, Earl Hall shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.
“I’m sorry to let you know that your father is such a selfish person.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As Audrey listened to her father’s words, her expression changed slightly at first, but then it disappeared. Until the end, there were no additional emotions.
At that moment, she was silent for a moment before asking again, “…But we’ve already obtained a lot more than what we need. Can’t we even share a portion of it?”
Hibbert Hall interrupted angrily, “Why are you giving away the things we painstakingly obtained to others?
“This is produced from our land, farmland, and forests. This is what we bought with money. And these funds and assets were passed down the family. It was earned by Father’s acumen and powerful charisma. It was accumulated over generations.
“By doing charity to help others, it’s an additional display of love, not something that we have to do, do you understand?”
Earl Hall nodded.
“What Hibbert said is generally right. I share his thoughts as well.”
Audrey pursed her lips and slowly nodded.
“I understand…”
Earl Hall retracted his gaze and said to Hibbert, “We have to keep the food stored properly. If the outcome of the war cannot be reversed, try contacting the fellows from Intis and show them some of our sincerity.
“The battle has been going on for so long. Quite a number of people have died as well. Many fields have been abandoned, and the prices in the cities have soared. There must be a very high demand for food, cattle, and land. In addition, I have shares in the Intis Suchit Bank, as well as the shares in the Varvat Bank and Backlund Bank. I should be able to bribe them. Heh heh, in such times, only by satisfying these aspects can we talk about familial relationships.”
Intis and Loen often had marriage alliances. Many nobles were relatives, especially the believers of the God of Steam.
“Father, are you considering surrendering?” Hibbert asked in surprise.
Earl Hall nodded slightly and sighed again.
“How can I not consider it in light of the current situation?
“When the time comes, you will be the new Earl Hall.”
Hibbert’s heart palpitated when he heard that, but he was also puzzled.
“What about you, Father?”
Earl Hall replied with a bitter smile, “Both your mother and I are devout believers. We have a certain status in the Church. When Loen falls and the Church is destroyed, the outcome will not be good if we’re still unwilling to step down.”
At this point, he comforted his eldest son.
“As long as the Hall family is still around and the aristocratic title is still there, we won’t lose much of our core assets. We won’t be in such a miserable state for our advanced years. Remember to prepare a secret prayer room for us at home after you convert your faith to the God of Steam.”
As the two of them conversed, Audrey, who was wearing a long, golden-white dress, watched quietly from the door. She was listening quietly, her green eyes shimmering like gems.
…
After repeated attempts, the projection of the altar vanished. The High Priest of Moon City, Nim, said to Gehrman Sparrow, who was holding the strange lantern, in deliberation, “It looks like it won’t work today. We can try it tomorrow. It won’t last more than two months.”
At that moment, all Klein could think of was another question:
Could it be that the ritual was unsuccessful since it appears too perfunctory using Historical Void projections?
He reflected on himself deeply and decided to listen to the High Priest. They could try again tomorrow. When the time came, he would definitely get him to bring the real materials.
He was about to nod when he heard a faint voice.
The voice sounded from deep within the grayish-white fog. It was layered and indistinct.
It’s effective? This ritual really does have an effect, but the delay is too great… Klein was delighted as he immediately raised his right hand and pressed down slightly, gesturing for the Beyonders of Moon City to be silent.
He immediately held his breath and focused on listening.
The voice that echoed within the grayish-white fog seemed to come from many different sources. They intertwined with each other, occasionally overlapping with each other in destructive interference and creating a resonance when in constructive interference.
Gradually, the voice became clearer in Klein’s ears, especially when it resonated.
It seemed to be a language he was familiar with. It seemed like countless people were chanting a name together.
The name was:
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Chapter 1215 Not Time Ye
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
When he heard the voices deep in the grayish-white mist, Klein trembled slightly as the back of his head turned numb.
This feeling quickly spread to every part of his body, causing tiny goosebumps to protrude on his skin.
This was the second time he had heard the name “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings” in the real world. And the first time, it was said by Amon after “He” stole his thoughts. In fact, Amon didn’t know the exact meaning behind it, nor did “He” truly grasp the incantation.
Therefore, in essence, this was the first time.
At the borders of the legendary Western Continent, outside his hometown that had vanished, this was the first time that he heard the incantation that caused him to transmigrate into the real world. He heard one of the most important secrets hidden at the bottom of his heart and heard the oriental honorific name that was pointed at an unknown existence.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He stood there, his mind almost blank. His ears echoed with occasional sounds of chanting and shouting.
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…”
When the voices became softer and softer until they almost disappeared, Klein finally recovered his train of thought.
As a fake god that had done a lot of “guilty matters,” his first reaction was:
By changing ‘The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings’ to the ‘King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck,’ will I suffer divine punishment?
Back when he had set up the three-stanza honorific name of The Fool, the first stanza described his experience and state. Back then, he had thought that it was a transmigration, and he was afraid of exposing the problem. He had changed “The Fool from an alternate world” to “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era”, but in the end, it pointed to his true nature. The second stanza was to bind the gray fog to him, making the direction clearer.
And in order to completely limit and not cause any ambiguity, Klein directly translated the last line of the incantation which was, “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He originally thought that it was nothing, but later on, he suspected that his “transmigration” was a result of the former owner of the strange door of light in Sefirah Castle—The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. Or rather, it was a certain existence hiding “Their” true identity. Of course, it was also possible that the “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings” was the actual incarnation before creating another identity that suited the present world. As for what the identity was, Klein wasn’t sure.
This was because he had never heard the honorific name of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings elsewhere in the real world. Therefore, although there was suspicion and fear present, he didn’t actually pay too much attention to it. It seemed like he was already used to it.
However, at that moment, the words “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings” were like salvos that kept blasting at his heart, bombarding his mind, causing all the concerns and fear that he had accumulated in his subconscious to surge out.
After regaining his composure, he began to force himself to use his rationality to think about his current situation:
Is this chanting hidden in the grayish-white fog, or is it from the vanished Western Continent?
I already thought that this fog’s color and state is very close to the one below Sefirah Castle… Its power comes from “history”? One has to have the correct powers over “time” to open it?
Queen of Calamity Cohinem once said that the Western Continent would definitely reappear at the dawn of the apocalypse… In other words, only by pushing “time” towards that temporal node would the grayish-white fog come alive. Only then would it be possible to use the corresponding incantation to open it?
The person who made the Western Continent vanish, seal it, or create a protective quarantine… is The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, the existence suspected to be the previous owner of Sefirah Castle?
According to all the clues, Sefirah Castle and the rest were left behind by the original Creator. They were created by the various parts of “His” body, or something that “He” personally created… The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings is equivalent to the former owner of Sefirah Castle, and also equivalent to the original Creator? However, Sefirah Castle existed only after the original Creator split. Furthermore, the chants of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings only point to Sefirah Castle and don’t affect places like the Chaos Sea…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Also, the disappearance of the Western Continent is definitely something from before the Second Epoch. As an ancient god, even Elf King Soniathrym was unable to return to “His” hometown…
In other words, in the chaotic and crazy First Epoch or even before then, the original Creator—the Oldest One—had split into objects like Chaos Sea and Sefirah Castle. More things happened before the ancient gods were born? These matters caused the Western Continent to vanish, and the former owner of Sefirah Castle to disappear?
The prophecy of the ancient sun god—the City of Silver’s Creator—is also very interesting. It says that someone will walk out of this grayish-white fog, so “He” sent people to stay in Moon City and guard this place. Strictly speaking, I actually come from the Western continent or this grayish-white fog. However, I left the Western Continent to enter Sefirah Castle in a time long before the ancient sun god’s prediction. The year I left the grayish-white fog was 1349 and found myself in Loen…
Yes, after going around in circles, I came here again and met with the people from Moon City… The ancient sun god’s prophecy really has come true. It’s just that the process is a little twisted and complicated, but the way it was achieved is rather unexpected…
As he pondered, his mood gradually improved. This was because the situation at the scene and his spiritual intuition had told him that there were still civilizations in the Western Continent that were isolated by the grayish-white fog. Many people were still alive.
This method of making the Western Continent vanish reminds me of the ritual for Miracle Invoker, as well as using the power of space-time. They are mainly from the Apprentice and Marauder pathways… So, the previous owner of Sefirah Castle, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, corresponds to these three neighboring pathways? Klein reined in his thoughts as he took two steps forward.
He then turned around and said to Nim and the rest, “I heard the voice clearly.”
“…What are they saying?” Nim’s grayish-white eyes suddenly widened, his deeply pockmarked face filled with excitement.
A’dal, Xin, Rus, and company had similar reactions, ones that were even more intense.
Composite Start
Composite End
Even their bodies began to tremble.
This was a problem that had troubled the residents of Moon City for more than a thousand years. Resolving this problem was a symbol of escaping their current predicament!
Klein took a deep breath and said in the tone of a charlatan, “They are praying to my Lord.”
This was definitely not a lie. After all, as The Fool, he had already gained initial mastery of Sefirah Castle. The last sentence of his honorific name was the “King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck,” which was equivalent to “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Nim and company fell silent. When they looked back at Klein, their eyes were filled with obvious respect and fear.
Together with the “miracles” Klein had displayed, they gradually viewed Mr. Fool as their savior.
Klein surveyed the area and said, “Retreat at least a hundred meters.”
“Alright, Your Excellency.” The High Priest, Nim, agreed without hesitation.
After the Moon City’s Beyonders had retreated to a sufficient distance, Klein reached into the void with his right hand and quickly dragged out another projection of himself as his actual body disappeared.
Right on the heels of that, the Historical Void projection of Klein walked to the front of the solidified grayish-white fog. He extended his right hand and pressed it down.
Composite Start
Composite End
It was as if there was an invisible barrier that was slightly cold, blocking everything.
After staring at it for two seconds, Klein opened his mouth, suppressed his voice, and recited in Chinese, “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
As his voice echoed out, the grayish-white fog in front of him didn’t react at all. It remained still and frozen.
He waited for nearly a minute. After some thought, he took a deep breath and muttered again:
“The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;
“The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;
“The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
This was the complete incantation of the luck enhancement ritual.
As the last word was said, Klein’s right hand that was pressing on the invisible barrier suddenly felt an obvious tremble.
The gray fog began to shake as though a boulder had been thrown into a lake.
The ripples quickly spread, overlapping each other as they formed a “door” in front of him.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the scene. Not far away, the pupils of the Moon City Beyonders widened as they were unable to shift their eyes away.
Amongst them, the ones who arrived later felt their hearts waver after witnessing such a scene. They found it impossible to contain themselves.
To them, this was undoubtedly a miracle!
Klein held his breath as he waited for the door to take shape. However, the ripples finally calmed down. They were only a step away from success.
“…” After a moment of silence, Klein repeated the incantations again. However, even if the ripples in the grayish-white fog didn’t disappear, they were unable to truly outline the door.
For a moment, he wanted to attempt with the complete ritual procedure. In other words, he would place four portions of food and recite the incantations while taking four steps counterclockwise. But very quickly, he was amused by his idea.
Because by doing this, he would enter Sefirah Castle without opening the invisible barrier here.
After exhaling, Klein took out a gold coin from the void and used divination to confirm that the effects of the complete ritual would be as he imagined.
It really isn’t time yet because the apocalypse hasn’t dawned on us? Klein looked at the grayish-white fog in front of him for a few minutes without any movement.
When a bolt of lightning tore through the sky and illuminated his face, he turned around and walked in front of the Moon City High Priest, Nim, with the lantern in hand. He said calmly, “It hasn’t reached the correct point in time to open it, as spoken in the revelation. There’s more than a decade of waiting left.”
Without waiting for any response from the likes of Nim, A’dal, and the rest, Klein pointed to the nearby darkness with his empty right hand.
“I will be meditating here for some time. If you want to experience the radiance of the Lord and listen to ‘His’ teachings, you can come here anytime whenever the lightning frequency is high.
“I’ll do a single purification and treatment session every day, at a time when the lightning is most frequent.”
He didn’t attempt to get the residents of Moon City to convert their faiths, nor did he plan on heading directly to the city or ask about any specific information. He wanted to give them some time to take things in.
Nim secretly heaved a sigh of relief and replied with increasingly great respect, “I will pass on your words to everyone.”
Chapter 1216 Patience Will Ultimately Pay Off
City of Silver, at the top of the spire, in the Chief’s room.
With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad looked out of the window at the deep darkness. It was only when a silvery-white light suddenly burst out from afar, bringing a few seconds of light, that he retracted his gaze and nodded slightly.
Chirmont has succeeded in advancing…
His gaze landed on the two-meter-tall youth standing in the middle of the room.
“Derrick, do you know why I kept delaying the subsequent plans and didn’t implement them after the first exploration of the Giant King’s Court, despite already becoming a Sequence 3 Silver Knight?”
Derrick thought for a moment and said, “Your Excellency, on the one hand, you wish to see if there are any other paths you can take to the seaside. On the other hand, you are waiting for the other Elders of the six-member council to advance to Sequence 3.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And now, both matters were completed.
Nearly five months ago, an expedition team of the City of Silver discovered a hidden path. From there, they circled around the mountain where the Giant King’s Court was located, and they arrived at the sea. However, the sea was illusory, and there was no way to pass through it. Forcefully entering the water only caused bodies to gradually crumble.
Now, another demigod of the six-member council, Waite Chirmont, had finally advanced, becoming a Sequence 3 Silver Knight. He could have an honorific name and receive the prayers of the other residents of the City of Silver within a certain range.
Colin Iliad sighed and said, “Very good. You have a very well-rounded understanding of the situation.
“If I had a choice, I truly do not wish to bring you to the Giant King’s Court again and attempt to open the palace where Dark Angel lays in slumber…”
At this point, Demon Hunter Colin paused for a moment before continuing, “I do not know what danger such an expedition will bring. I can only make ample preparations in advance. Now, Chirmont has finally succeeded. Even if an accident happens later and we are unable to return, he and the other Elders will be able to support the City of Silver, allowing everything to continue on as we await the next opportunity.”
He sized up Derrick for a few seconds before nodding in acknowledgment.
“Your growth is even better than I expected. If not for the fact that the Giant King’s Court matter originated because of you, I’d really want to keep you in the City of Silver and be an understudy Elder of the six-member council.”
Upon hearing this, Derrick Berg replied without hesitation, “Even if you wish to keep me here in the City of Silver, I would still apply to go.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a glimmer of hope that he had seen. This was an opportunity in his heart that could save the City of Silver. He was willing to sacrifice everything for it.
Colin Iliad gave a rare smile.
“You are still too young. After you experience many things like me, you will understand that compared to drawing your sword and sacrificing your blood in a zealous fervor, enduring humiliation and helplessness, and persisting in the darkness is even more difficult and painful.
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Chirmont later. Ask him if he is willing to lead an expedition team to the Giant King’s Court, or stay in the City of Silver.”
Derrick fell into silence, his mouth agape, but not a single word came out of it.
Colin Iliad didn’t continue on this topic and instead asked, “Have you completely digested the Priest of Light potion?”
“I digested it completely last week,” Derrick replied frankly.
Colin Iliad nodded and said, “Have you gathered all the supplementary ingredients?”
Derrick acknowledged tersely.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ve gathered all of them. I’m just short of preparing the ritual.”
His ritual required him to extract the strongest emotions that he was unwilling to abandon, before injecting them again after consuming the potion.
After a few gatherings with the Tarot Club, as well as Miss Justice’s private attempts, they had already come up with a well-formulated plan.
He was to complete it by relying on this Sequence 4 Manipulator’s control of the psyche domain, and Mr. Fool’s Angel’s Embrace.
Demon Hunter Colin didn’t rush him as he calmly said, “Don’t be anxious. The second exploration of the Giant King’s Court will still take some time.”
“Until I become an Unshadowed?” Derrick asked.
Colin Iliad didn’t deny it as he nodded slightly.
“I’m also waiting for Lovia to become a Black Knight. Her ingredients and ritual have been prepared.”
Upon hearing this, Derrick immediately felt pressured.
Composite Start
Composite End
…
At the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam. At the top of the bell tower of the City of Generosity.
The cardinal of the Church of Storms, the high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman, stood behind the railing, looking at the sea which was no longer that blue. There was wreckage floating above it, burning with the remains of ships.
“Humph, in my territory at sea, even a War Bishop has to bow his head…” The muscular demigod with a chiseled face retracted his gaze as he muttered.
He had a head of dark blue hair and a pair of deep blue eyes that were as thick as a worm. He controlled the weather and sea around the Rorsted Archipelago.
Alger Wilson, who was standing beside the Sea King, didn’t show any signs of frustration. He patiently waited until Jahn Kottman turned his attention onto him.
Aside from most of the Beyonders of the Sailor pathway being bad-tempered, they often trembled in submission when facing High-Sequence Beyonders of the same pathway. This was a characteristic of a “Tyrant.”
After muttering to himself, Sea King Jahn Kottman finally cast his gaze at Alger, who was leading a “pirate” fleet. He said without any expression, “Your performance this time was remarkable. The Council of Cardinals has passed your review and has decided that I will preside over your advancement ritual.”
After receiving the item left behind by Queen of Calamity Cohinem, Alger found an opportunity to report the matter to Sea King Jahn Kottman.
Apart from two details that he modified, he had given an honest account of the exploration of the elven ruins from the time he arrived in the primitive forest of Sonia Island.
Composite Start
Composite End
Firstly, he claimed that he had headed for the elven ruins as part of him taking the initiative to ambush the Feysacian troops. They had specially looked for a suitable venue, and there were many sailors present to verify it.
The second was to lessen the autonomy of the subsequent actions. He only claimed that he dreamed of a female high elf on the night of his exploration of the ruins. Nothing abnormal happened after he drank a glass of wine from her, so he hadn’t paid too much attention to it. When he came to the Rorsted Archipelago and woke up one night from his sleep, he suddenly realized that he had entered a magnificent palace at the bottom of the sea, and had picked up a sparking coral.
Although many aspects of the evidence and physical evidence had indicated that Alger’s description was real, Sea King Jahn Kottman didn’t fully believe it. He was sent back to Pasu Island to be investigated by the pontiff, Gaard II.
With the help of “Angel’s Embrace,” Alger looked like he was trembling in front of the Tyrant’s aura. Without holding back, he explained that he had developed a certain degree of ambition after meeting the female high elf in his dreams. For this, he had taken the initiative to head to the Rorsted Archipelago in hopes of receiving her inheritance, but in reality, he had covered up the core secrets and the most serious problem.
He had used the method of confessing his “ambition” to pass the investigation. As for the female high elf, whether it was a result of him having some elven blood that a fortuitous encounter was given to him, or if she had any hidden motives, he claimed that he was unsure. He hoped that the pontiff could figure out the answer to lessen his worries.
Alger displayed his fear of the unknown, making the cardinals believe that this was the main reason why he had reported the fortuitous encounter.
This proposal was designed by Alger himself, but with Miss Justice’s suggestions, it was tweaked to be more in line with human nature.
Of course, as expected, Alger didn’t receive the advancement ritual. Instead, he entered an inspection period.
The pontiff of the Church of Storms, the Grounded Angel, had reinforced the seal in Alger’s body, preventing the Cataclysmic Interrer characteristic from seeping out for two years and affecting him.
In the past half a year, Alger had led the pirate fleet that had been assigned to him. He had worked hard to harass the ships of Feysac and Feynapotter. He had even participated in sea battles, taking great risks and making numerous contributions. This fully expressed his devotion to the Lord of Storms, as well as his submission to the orders given by the Church.
Finally, after this Rorsted sea battle, the situation had escalated. His patience paid off as the Council of Cardinals acknowledged him.
Alger took a deep breath and struck his right fist to his left breast, shouting loudly, “Holy Lord of Storms!”
His agitation was half an act, while the other half came from the bottom of his heart. This was because in the past half-year, he had suffered quite a bit of pressure.
Ma’am Hermit had already finished digesting the Mysticologist potion and was preparing to advance to Sequence 3, Clairvoyant;
Although Miss Justice had yet to fully digest the Manipulator potion, she had made significant progress. Furthermore, she was a complete rookie when she first joined the Tarot Club. Now, she had become a true demigod. She wasn’t just a Sequence higher than Alger, but a whole tier;
Before long, The Sun could advance to Sequence 4, Unshadowed, and obtain godhood;
The Star had also finished digesting the Sequence 5 potion and had accumulated a significant amount of contributions. He was just waiting for the higher-ups to give him a chance;
Miss Magician wasn’t far from digesting her potion after “Traveling” time and time again. Furthermore, her teacher had prepared the corresponding Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer ingredients for her;
There was no need to mention The World Gehrman Sparrow. Even if he were to suddenly inform them that he was an angel, Alger wouldn’t find it surprising;
Miss Judgment was currently a Sequence 5 Disciplinary Paladin. She was digesting the potion and was trying her best to keep up with everyone’s progress;
The Moon, who didn’t like to work hard, became anxious as a result and was seeking to become a Sanguine Earl.
Faced with such a situation, as one of the most senior members of the Tarot Club, Alger naturally didn’t wish to be left behind. He desperately wished to advance to Sequence 4 and become a demigod.
So many days had gone by; yet, he suppressed his anxiety and patiently waited. There were two instances where he showed signs of losing control which required him to hire Miss Justice to treat him.
And now, he finally got the answer he wanted the most:
He had passed the assessment and was to prepare for the ritual!
Chapter 1217 The Five Mush and Two Rooms
Moon City.
Many humans walked out of buildings which stood unusually sturdily despite having mottled surfaces. Some of them were obviously deformed, while others had already developed some abnormalities.
The humans looked at each other and noticed some confusion on each other’s faces.
There were still two to three months before the Sun Sacrifice. Why was the High Priest summoning everyone to the square?
Could something have happened? The residents of Moon City were filled with anxiety, fear, and confusion as they entered the only square from every street.
At this moment, the high platform was empty. The person who had convened them appeared to have not arrived.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The residents of Moon City gathered together in a very orderly manner according to their respective zones, and they discussed amongst each other in whispers.
“Why isn’t the High Priest here yet?”
“Doesn’t he like to wait and not want others to wait for him?”
“What happened exactly? Why did he suddenly gather all the city’s residents aside from the guards?”
…
Amidst the voices, at the top of a tower near the square, High Priest Nim leaned against the wall and looked at the square from behind the crystal glass with a twisted expression as he endured something.
His grayish-white hair flared up as a bunch of short black hair grew on his face. His ribs and waist were squirming, forming a swollen patch.
These abnormal changes would disappear and occasionally appear. It was as if he was suffering from relapses again and again. His entire being was sinister and terrifying.
After about a minute, he finally calmed down. He let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just now, he had been resisting the madness that had accumulated in his body.
In fact, no matter which Beyonder pathway it was, the higher the Sequence, the greater the insanity and inhuman inclinations one had. This gradually exceeded one’s own humanity. One had to rely on external anchors to maintain a balance.
Normally, such situations weren’t obvious at Sequence 4 and Sequence 3. And at the level of an angel, even if there were enough anchors to stabilize them, they would fall into darkness from time to time. In the negative and abnormal states, one had to endure and resist on their own, waiting for them to ease up.
They were like a sacred and solemn existence who might appear unproblematic normally. They could respond to prayers, chat normally, and even joke. However, at times, they could only hide in dark rooms and in the shadows. They tore off the surface of their skin, revealing a sinister side that showed signs of madness.
As Nim often ate monster flesh, he had accumulated a lot of toxins, corruption, and madness. This forced him to endure such pain despite being a Sequence 4.
Of course, those who didn’t know the acting method and relied on time or luck to advance to Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 would also share the same fate.
After composing himself, he turned and left the room. With the help of an illusory door, he appeared on the high platform in the middle of the square.
After the discussions died down, the residents of Moon City cast doubtful and uneasy gazes at the High Priest.
Nim looked around and directly said, “The hunting team led by A’dal met an outsider.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
An outsider! The eyes of the residents of Moon City suddenly widened as though it was a bolt from out of the blue.
This was the first time in two thousand years for Moon City to encounter an outsider! Of course, this was referring to human interaction and not monsters.
Nim took a deep breath and continued, “He claims to be a missionary who’s here to spread the light of a deity. He caused the grayish-white fog to undergo obvious changes. He cleansed A’dal and the others of the corruption and toxins accumulated within them. Also, he treated their physical mutations.”
As he spoke, he nodded to the side of the platform, and A’dal and Xin, who were hiding in the shadows, immediately passed through the row of torches and walked to his side, using their own conditions to prove what the High Priest had just said.
“Oh my…”
“God!”
“Is that A’dal and Xin?”
“They really, really…”
Exclamations sounded out as surprise and shock mixed together into something almost physical.
Composite Start
Composite End
A’dal and Xin exchanged looks, took two steps forward, and recounted what their hunting team encountered.
The crowd heard about the tiny flame that appeared in the darkness, the cross that emitted a bright light, the cane that could cure any mutations and ailments, the parting of the grayish-white fog, as well as the appearance of the door. Upon hearing the hunting team’s delightful description of their excellent condition, the residents of Moon City gradually fell silent.
Some of them had already unknowingly teared up—a result of the extreme fatigue and repression. Finally, they saw a ray of light.
The tears carried a mild and salty feeling as they flowed past their faces, slipping across the corner of their lips and dripping onto the ground.
In addition, a person who was still rational and clear-headed raised his arm to express his opinion.
“Could that missionary be a special monster from deep within the darkness?”
“Are A’dal and Xin acting like this because they’ve already been controlled and influenced?”
After the wave of doubt calmed down, Nim said in a deep and clear voice, “I’ve checked them and have also used the Sealed Artifacts. I haven’t found anything unusual for the time being.
“I will let them remain in the black tower and undergo at least fifteen days of quarantine.”
After making the promise, he paused and said, “That missionary named Gehrman Sparrow will be meditating in the vicinity of the grayish-white fog for some time. He has permitted us to experience the glory of the god he believes in, and listen to the corresponding teachings. And every day, at the time when the lightning frequency is highest, he will provide cleansing and treatment.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Everyone can make their own decision on heading over there, but they have to report their decision in advance and follow instructions. No one is to act on their own accord and affect the city’s defenses. After they return, they will be quarantined for fifteen days like A’dal and Xin.”
The residents of Moon City fell silent. They looked at each other, unable to make up their minds.
At this moment, Rus and another member of the hunting team, who had previously missed the cleansing and treatment because of their choice to return to inform the High Priest, stepped forward.
“High Priest, I’m going!”
“Alright, I’ll lead this… team tomorrow.” Nim nodded and agreed.
He had originally planned to give this team a name, but he failed to come up with a good description. He could only stammer and skip it.
In his heart, there was actually a name, but he didn’t dare say it out loud. It was: Pilgrimage.
With Rus and company leading the way, several Moon City residents stood forward, indicating that they were willing to take the risk.
When the frequency of lightning increased, it was the dawn of a brand new day. A group of seven to eight Moon City residents carried animal hide lanterns and began to traverse the darkness, heading towards the periphery of the grayish-white fog.
After darkness and light exchanged countless times, Rus and company’s eyes suddenly lit up.
It was a bonfire that was slowly burning. Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing strange clothes and a strange hat, was sitting around it. He held an iron-black long skewer and was roasting something.
There were corpses of monsters lying around the bonfire. On these corpses, there were all sorts of strange objects. Some of them were white and full, as if they would spew out liquids the moment they were poked. Some of them were black, embedded with blood-colored lines and marbling. Some were covered with golden spots, while the tops were the size of a palm…
These items were densely packed, covering the different parts of the monster’s corpse. They had a strange and alluring beauty to them.
After taking a few steps forward, High Priest Nim noticed that Gehrman Sparrow was roasting one of the strange objects. Drops of oil dripped down and produced sizzling sounds in the fire, brightening the light and allowing an alluring fragrance to spread.
Gulp. The residents of Moon City swallowed their saliva instinctively as they developed an irresistible urge to eat.
Every cell of theirs was screaming crazily:
I wish to eat it!
I want to eat it!
Give it to me!
Sitting on a rock, Klein raised his head and pointed at the colorful objects growing on the corpses of the monsters around him. He said in a deep voice, “These are called mushrooms. They’re divided into different types. If you’re willing, you can pick and eat them yourself, but do not touch the black ones. Furthermore, they have to be thoroughly cooked before you can eat them. Otherwise, you will encounter a terrifying curse.”
The High Priest of Moon City thought for a moment and replied on behalf of the others, “We would like to first listen to your Lord’s teachings and experience ‘His’ radiance.”
With a slight nod, Klein said as he rotated the long barbecue skewer that he had summoned from the Historical Void, “You may sit down and listen.”
When the eight Moon City residents sat opposite the bonfire, he said with a solemn expression, “I came from the Giant King’s Court.”
This was a term that all the residents of Moon City were familiar with. Their spirits were instantly lifted as they cast their attention away from the items above the burning fire and cast it at Gehrman Sparrow.
Following that, Klein described the situation outside the City of Silver and the situation beyond the cursed land. He also shared with them his sightings of city ruins along the way.
The residents of Moon City sighed when they heard this. Sometimes, they looked forward to it, but sometimes they found it hard to believe. At times, they could empathize with it and be filled with sorrow.
Halfway through his sentence, Klein suddenly stopped. He retracted the black long metal skewer, brought it to his mouth, and bit down on a mushroom.
Thick meat juices seeped out and, with a slightly scorching feeling, cleansed his mouth.
After spending half a year in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein had already overcome his disgust towards mushrooms. After all, Danitz was often tasked by him with things to do. He was unable to meticulously prepare food and sacrifice things to him. During this period, he could only rely on mushrooms for sustenance.
He closed his eyes in satisfaction and handed over the long, black skewer. He smiled and said, “You can try some.”
High Priest Nim was still hesitant when Rus reached out his hand. As he expressed his gratitude, he got a mushroom and put it into his mouth.
He ate too quickly, so much so that his mouth was scalded. However, after his expression twisted, it suddenly froze.
Following that, his expression slowly relaxed as he gradually revealed a sense of intoxication, pleasure, and yearning.
In the end, Rus’s tears flowed out unknowingly as he muttered in a deep, choking voice, “This is the best and most superb food I’ve ever eaten…”
Even though their taste for food had changed after generations, humans couldn’t adapt to food with toxins and madness. They still yearned for sugar and fat.
At that moment, all the residents of Moon City could tell that Rus was moved.
Chapter 1218 Clue
“Give it a try too.” Klein handed the iron-black long skewer to the other residents of Moon City.
Their throats bobbed up and down as they couldn’t help but swallow another mouthful of saliva. However, they didn’t immediately respond. All of them cast their gazes at the High Priest, waiting for him to nod.
In his animal hide clothes, Nim took out an item. It looked like a magnifying glass with a handle.
At a glance, Klein almost imagined that he had seen a monocle. This fright made his heart skip a beat. Thankfully, he managed to control himself in time to confirm the details.
Holding the metallic handle, he placed the glass object in front of his right eye and observed Rus for a few seconds through the lens.
After a brief silence, he put down the item and nodded at the other Moon City residents.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
People other than Rus finally reached out their hands and carefully removed a mushroom from the iron-black long skewer and stuffed it into their mouths.
The item that was void of nauseous smells and foulness made them instantly become intoxicated. Without caring about the scorching feeling in their oral cavities, they swallowed the mushrooms into their stomachs and instinctively reached out for another one.
However, all the mushrooms on the iron-black long skewer had already been distributed.
Nim retracted his gaze from the iron-black long skewer and waited for Gehrman Sparrow to continue explaining his experiences and The Fool’s teachings.
Klein looked around and repeated the words he had previously said:
“The surrounding mushrooms can be taken at any time, apart from the pure black ones. In addition, they have to be fully cooked before they can be eaten. Otherwise, you will be cursed.”
The residents of Moon City no longer hesitated. They immediately stood up and chose the mushrooms that they had been longing for.
With a glance, Klein added, “When the white mushrooms are cooked, they easily split open and have liquids flow out. You need to prepare some containers or drink them once that happens.”
Without waiting for Rus and company to respond, he continued the topic that he had previously stopped mid-explanation. He went on until he mentioned how he heard the voices in the grayish-white fog chant Mr. Fool’s honorific name.
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing that High Priest Nim so absorbed by his tales, to the point of being a little moved, Klein deliberated and said, “There are still many ways to make the grayish-white fog react, but they are all related to my Lord.”
This was a reasonable guess. This was because not only was there one hanging person, but there wasn’t only one way to enter the world above the gray fog. If Emperor Roselle had brought the mysterious silver plate that he had replicated here, there was a high chance that the invisible barrier would produce an anomaly. Of course, the prerequisite was that the Emperor belonged to one of the three pathways of Seer, Apprentice, or Marauder.
Seeing that there were no doubts from the others, Klein said warmly, “According to my observations, there isn’t only one Beyonder pathway in Moon City.”
The grizzled Nim didn’t hide it from him and simply replied, “Yes, when we were selected to come to Moon City, the Oracle had intentionally ensured that there was a comprehensive record of Beyonder pathways. Unfortunately, after all these years and the repeated disasters, many of the potion formulas and Beyonder ingredients of the various pathways have been lost.”
“Which pathway are you from?” Klein asked casually as he looked at the residents of Moon City using monster bones to roast the mushrooms.
“I’m a Nightwatcher,” Nim said frankly.
Sequence 4 Nightwatcher of the Evernight pathway? Klein nodded slightly and asked, “Did anything unusual happen near this grayish-white fog?”
After pondering for about ten seconds, Nim with his pockmarked face said, “Yes.”
Klein’s heart stirred as he calmly asked, “What kind of abnormality was it?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Nim glanced at the mushrooms that emitted fragrant smells, and he deliberated over his words.
“A small hill suddenly disappeared, leaving only a deep crater in the ground.
“There were no signs of an explosion in that area, nor was there any soil scattered around.”
What’s going on? That’s a little bizarre… As he threw the mushroom’s roots into the fire to turn them into fuel for the flames, Klein asked without any change in expression, “Did you investigate further?”
“Yes.” The High Priest of Moon City nodded and said, “An investigation team encountered a demonic wolf there. It wasn’t a demonic wolf that has already rotted or mutated, but the kind of demonic wolf from a long time ago.”
Demonic wolf? Klein didn’t expect to hear such information. His pupils changed slightly as he asked, “What did that demonic wolf look like?”
Nim unconsciously took a deep breath and said, “It’s the same as the demonic wolves described in ancient literature, but it’s even bigger. Even though it’s eight legs are on the ground, it’s still as tall as two or three people combined.
“Its fur wasn’t pure black. It exuded a dark and deep feeling. Its eyes were very strange. The pupils—black pupils—took up a large part of the eyes. Also, there was a tuft of gray short hair on its head…”
This… Isn’t that the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar? It actually came to the far east of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and was involved in an anomaly? If the power of the Western Continent’s disappearance really comes from Sefirah Castle, it would still be quite normal for it to attract the Mythical Creatures that corresponded to Miracle Invoker… Klein frowned slightly and said, “It didn’t attack your investigation team?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein had deliberately used “it” instead of “He” to prevent frightening the residents of Moon City.
In his opinion, it was very easy for the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, to wipe out an investigation team. It didn’t even need to pay a huge price to turn the city into “His” marionette kingdom. Yet, this Mythical Creature had apparently spared Moon City.
If not for the Spirit Body Threads that he had seen in advance and that he confirmed their conditions, Klein would’ve suspected that he was only talking to a few marionettes.
“No, it left in a hurry,” Nim replied.
This doesn’t match the suspicious and cautious nature of the Dark Demonic Wolf… What frightened “Him” so much that he fled in such a hurry? “He” didn’t even have the time to silence the people who saw “Him”… Or rather, there’s something special about the people guarding Moon City under the ancient sun god’s revelation, and unless it’s necessary, the Dark Demonic Wolf wouldn’t attack them? Klein continued without any change in his tone, “Did it leave any tracks?”
“No.” Nim firmly shook his head. “Other than the hill turning into a deep crater, we didn’t discover anything unusual.”
As his thoughts raced, Klein tried to ask from another angle.
“When did this happen?”
The more he understood an object from the past, the more he could make contact with it in the fog of history.
After some thought, Nim said, “Two years ago, two months, and ten days ago.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He immediately explained, “There are too few things worth recording. It left a deep impression on me.”
Two years ago, two months and ten days ago… Currently, it’s 8th September 1351, and subtracting that time, it would be 28th June 1349… This… Klein’s right hand suddenly trembled slightly.
His pupils and his expression were normal, but this was a result of using his Clown powers to control them.
He remembered very clearly that on 28th June 1349, he had “transmigrated.” It was the day he became Klein Moretti, it was the day he repeated the luck enhancement ritual and entered Sefirah Castle!
The abnormality here, the appearance of the Dark Demonic Wolf, and the hasty departure of this Mythical Creature were all related to me? A huge wave of emotions surged through his heart.
For a moment, he couldn’t find an explanation and pretended that nothing had happened. He thought for a moment and asked, “Did something similar happen in the past two to three thousand years?”
“No.” Nim gave a clear answer.
“What about two hundred and eight years ago? Did anything special happen?” Klein asked.
That was the time when Emperor Roselle “transmigrated” to this world.
After hesitating for two seconds, Nim said, “I can’t tell you the answer. I need to go back and read the corresponding records.
“Thankfully, the information and documents in the past three centuries haven’t been damaged.”
At this point, he added, “My limited impression tells me that there shouldn’t be anything special.”
If that’s the case, then the cause of this anomaly was because I entered the world above the gray fog and bound Sefirah Castle to myself? Klein nodded slightly and didn’t ask further. He simply said, “Tell me where the crater is.”
By the time the High Priest, Nim, gave an answer, the mushrooms that the residents of Moon City had grilled could be eaten. Some of them took a small bite of the white mushrooms and were scalded by the milk inside. They couldn’t bear to spit it out. Some chewed repeatedly, reminiscing over the faint sweetness. Some of them couldn’t stop eating at all.
Nim was taken aback by what he saw, as though he couldn’t believe that these people were from Moon City.
Every one of them was showing the conflicted looks of having cravings and being satisfied. Their expressions looked twisted, but they were brimming with pure joy.
“High Priest, try it as well.” Rus, whose eyes were very close to each other, handed a mushroom covered in golden spots that emitted a unique and sweet fragrance to Nim.
After hesitating for a moment, Nim carefully used the ” magnifying glass” to take a look before taking the mushroom and stuffing it into his mouth.
In the next second, his expression changed slightly as he slowly closed his eyes.
He had a taste of something similar from some mutated tree roots, but it wasn’t as pure or memorable.
After an unknown period of time, he looked at the indifferent Gehrman Sparrow and said with an abnormally sincere tone, “Your Excellency, we would like to listen to Mr. Fool’s teachings.”
I haven’t had the time to make it up yet… However, as I’m getting closer and closer to being an angel, the corresponding matters should be prioritized… The anchors need to be prepared in advance… As his thoughts raced, Klein recalled what he had said when he had tricked—no, come up with to reform the believers of Sea God.
His expression quickly turned solemn as he raised his right hand and grabbed at the void. He pulled out a cross covered in bronze and sharp spikes.
Following that, he pressed his right thumb onto a thorn, letting the blood enter the Unshadowed Crucifix.
The bronze-green surface of the Unshadowed Crucifix quickly peeled off, revealing a body made of pure sunlight.
“God said…” Klein opened his mouth and said in a low voice as he raised the resplendent cross in his hand a lot higher.
Warm and bright light surged out like a tidal wave, instantly filling the surrounding area.
The darkness and discomfort accumulated in the bodies of Nim, Rus, and company began to rapidly melt away; It was as if their bodies were being cleansed.
They were in a daze when they heard the oracle, who was holding the resplendent cross and covered in holy radiance, solemnly say, “God said…
“First Commandment: Thou shalt not sacrifice unto me living human sacrifices.”
“Second Commandment: Thou shalt not use my name in vain.
Chapter 1219 Changing the Goal
In the Fog Sea, which hadn’t been engulfed by war, the Future slowly began to sail towards the Berserk Sea amidst a convoy of ships.
Admiral of Stars Cattleya hadn’t had much to do recently. All she had to do was wait for the Moses Ascetic Order to respond to her request. As she strolled the deck, she enjoyed the sunlight that shone through the thin mist.
With a sweep of her gaze, she saw Frank Lee.
This first mate of the Future, the second most important person of the Star Pirates, was wearing light blue pants and a white shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, revealing thick brown chest hair. He was like a humanoid giant bear.
He stood at the bow of the boat, looking into the distance. It was unknown what he was thinking, but he looked rather down.
Cattleya involuntarily slowed down a little as she turned to enter the cabin.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Captain!” Frank noticed her and looked over with anticipation, as though he was waiting for this Admiral of Stars to answer his questions.
Cattleya’s figure paused as she adjusted the heavy glasses on her nose and asked in a seemingly casual manner, “What are you stumped with?”
Frank thought about how to phrase his question and replied in a serious manner, “I’m reevaluating the inventions and creations I’ve created over the years.”
“…What are your thoughts?” Cattleya asked cooperatively.
Frank nodded and said in distress, “There are too many matters I need to reflect on.
“The most important thing is that the things I’ve created are still missing the most important thing.”
Cattleya was puzzled, but she didn’t wish to ask further. In the end, she still held onto the thought of taking responsibility for all the crew members on the Future. She deliberated and said, “What is it?”
Frank’s expression instantly turned solemn.
“They all lack souls!”
Composite Start
Composite End
“It’s a good thing that malt, grapes, and mushrooms don’t have souls…” Cattleya subconsciously advised before saying, “This isn’t something you can dabble in right now. You’re only a Sequence 5 Druid.”
Frank’s eyes lit up when he heard that as he blurted out, “I’ve got it!”
Cattleya frowned indiscernibly.
“What… did you get?”
Frank was no longer depressed.
“I understand the problem. That is, the creations I want have exceeded the limits of a Druid’s abilities.
“Therefore, Captain, I’m not going to be a Druid anymore. I want to become a Classical Alchemist!”
This was Sequence 4 of the Planter pathway, the starting point of a demigod.
Cattleya’s expression froze for a few seconds before she took on the posture of a captain and a demigod. She nodded gently and said, “Having a goal is a good thing, but you have to understand how difficult it is.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Underlying those words, she wanted him to not hold any hopes and not to take this goal seriously.
Frank Lee nodded heavily after receiving her “encouragement.”
“I will do my best!”
To prevent Frank Lee from acting rashly, Cattleya decided to take the progress of the matter into her own hands.
“I will help you too.”
When the time came, even if she had any progress, she could inform Frank Lee that she had tried to no avail.
Frank was very happy as he thanked his captain from the bottom of his heart before continuing, “I’ll also write to Gehrman Sparrow and ask him for help.
“He’s my good friend!”
What Frank didn’t know was that the letters he had written for the past half a year had gone through a rather convoluted process:
Composite Start
Composite End
The letter went to the messenger before being delivered to Fors. Fors would then transfer it to Gehrman Sparrow or request Mr. Fool’s help at the Tarot Gathering.
Cattleya nudged her thick glasses again and, without another word, turned and entered the cabin.
She returned to the captain’s cabin. Before she could think about what had just happened, she saw a letter on the desk with the brass sextant.
Cattleya was delighted. Ignoring the use of her Beyonder powers, she quickly walked over, picked up the letter, and opened it.
It was from Bernadette. After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, she wrote:
“If you are free anytime, you can come to La Cha incognito.”
La Cha was a rather hidden island in the Fog Sea. It hid Queen Mystic’s palace, also known as “Emerald City.”
Cattleya repeated the sentence a few times before the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.
…
Backlund, West Borough, within the Odora family’s villa.
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn White once again met the middle-aged, gentlemanly Sanguine Baron, Cosmi Odora.
“What did Lord Nibbs say?” Emlyn controlled his emotions, trying his best to appear less eager.
Cosmi looked at Emlyn’s bright red eyes and said, “He only wanted me to tell you that the entire Sanguine race doesn’t have any excess Earl Beyonder characteristics. You can only wait for the present Earls to die of old age or accidents, leaving behind their inheritance.”
Compared to humans, the Sanguine had a long lifespan. Even without a noble title, ordinary ones could live about three hundred years old. Under such circumstances, they could slowly accumulate and occupy every level, preventing any excess in Beyonder characteristics.
Therefore, it wasn’t easy for ordinary ones to advance to Baron or become a Viscount. They either waited for the existing nobles to die, or they would obtain it from external sources. Otherwise, they would have to make sufficient contributions and receive the precious inheritance.
Compared to the first two Sequences, it was even more difficult for a Viscount to become an Earl. This was because being a Sanguine Earl meant being a demigod, and he could easily live for more than a thousand years. Those Viscounts’ descendants had to pass generations before they could wait for a chance of an Earl’s passing.
And it was precisely because of this that, as long as there was a vacancy in the Earl position, it would immediately be distributed and not “in stock.”
For Baron and Viscount characteristics, they existed in the Sanguine’s treasury in the form of Beyonder ingredients and Sealed Artifacts, but the numbers were few and far between. Every bestowment had to be strictly administered. There really weren’t any spare Earl characteristics.
This answer was within Emlyn’s expectations. He looked at Baron Cosmi and nodded slightly.
“In other words, as long as any Count passes away, it will be my turn?”
“No.” Cosmi shook his head. “Although you have contributed plenty, you haven’t reached first place on the waiting list yet.”
“What’s my ranking?” Emlyn first frowned before relaxing his brows to prevent his eagerness from showing.
Cosmi coughed and cleared his throat.
“Twelfth.”
…This might not even happen when the apocalypse arrives… Since the Ancestor has given me the important task of saving the race, why didn’t “She” arrange all these matters? My Scarlet Scholar potion has been digested for months… Could it be that another test? Emlyn thought to himself silently for a few seconds before asking thoughtfully, “If I obtain an Earl’s characteristic from external sources, will the race help me prepare the ritual?”
Cosmi exhaled and said, “Of course!”
Emlyn didn’t stay any longer. He left Odora’s villa and took a carriage back to his residence.
Ever since Feynapotter declared war on Loen, he had never been to the Harvest Church. He had only heard from The Star that the door had been smashed and many things had been stolen. It had become a place for the homeless.
As for Father Utravsky, he spent half a month in a cell behind Chanis Gate. The rest of the month was spent in a room on the upper level of Saint Samuel Cathedral, with the archbishop of Backlund next door. This arrangement was repeated over and over again.
This was because they were worried that if Father Utravsky were to stay behind Chanis Gate for an extended period of time, he would suffer irreversible damage. Under such a tense situation, the Church of Evernight wished to leave some buffer time so that they could use this opportunity to express their goodwill and begin negotiations.
Although Emlyn wasn’t a believer in Evernight, and he even somewhat detested the cathedral, he went to Saint Samuel Cathedral twice a month to visit Father Utravsky.
Where can I obtain an Earl’s characteristic… Emlyn, who felt that he had fallen behind and might not be able to bear the responsibility of saving his race, looked at the bleak streets while seriously considering every possibility.
He quickly had some ideas.
Ma’am Hermit had mentioned before that the Aurora Order’s Saint, Saint Tenebrous, had Grazed a Shaman King. This corresponded to the Earl characteristic. If I could hunt this demigod of the Shepherd pathway like the Saint of Secrets, the problem would be resolved…
However, after the previous lesson, Saint Tenebrous probably wouldn’t fall into a trap so easily…
There’s also a possibility of directly attracting a King of Angels…
This was something everyone had discussed in the Tarot Club. The conclusion was that they had been attacking the Aurora Order for the past year, so it was best not to provoke them further.
Apart from Saint Tenebrous having a Sequence 4 Shaman King characteristic, Emlyn White could only think of one other option:
The Rose School of Thought!
Be it the Life School of Thought’s Artificial Vampires or the Primordial Moon worshipers that originally existed in the Southern Continent, they were now part of the Rose School of Thought.
Of course, there were definitely some people who sought freedom. They hadn’t joined any organizations yet, but either they were not at high Sequences, or they didn’t have enough information to leak out.
Upon thinking of the Rose School of Thought, Emlyn instantly recalled a person.
Maric!
Maric represented the temperance faction of the Rose School of Thought. It was a faction that resisted the Mother Tree of Desire.
They also appear like they want to obtain something from the Rose School of Thought. Perhaps I can cooperate with them… Emlyn nodded slightly.
…
A number of residents in Moon City anxiously gathered at the entrance, casting their sights east from time to time.
They were the relatives of the people who had previously been led by the High Priest. They were also the representatives of most people in Moon City.
Finally, as the flames flickered, High Priest Nim, brought Rus and company closer to Moon City.
A man went forward and looked at his sister. He noticed that there were still traces of tears on her face.
This Moon City resident, who wasn’t deformed, could sense her brother’s gaze. She couldn’t help but open her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
“God, God is here to save us…” She started to cry. It was such a sad and free cry as she let out her emotions.
Chapter 1220 A “Curtain“
“God, God is here to save us…”
The words spoken in a sob-filled voice echoed at the entrance of Moon City, causing the residents who were waiting to fall into a trance.
…
At the edges of the grayish-white fog, a fire quietly burned.
After eating another batch of mushrooms, Klein dispelled the iron-black skewer in his hand and looked up at the crater described by Moon City’s High Priest, Nim.
He then reached out with his right hand and gently pulled, dragging “himself” out from fifteen minutes ago.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After exchanging looks, Klein’s true form rapidly vanished and entered the fog of history. He ran all the way to a time before the First Epoch, and he sat in the old stacked cities.
His historical projection stood up and snapped his fingers repeatedly, flashing through the crimson flames as he headed for his destination.
When the crater that was once a hill was almost right in front of him, he stopped. He cautiously extended his right palm and pulled Qonas Kilgor out of the void.
The burly Earl of The Fallen’s facial muscles twitched as he quickly transformed into another Gehrman Sparrow.
He took out a lantern from the fog of history with one hand and rubbed his temples with the other as he muttered softly, “Why does a marionette have to change its appearance?
“There’s no one else here…
“I can’t develop OCD…”
A few seconds later, the marionette’s projection carried a lantern that emitted faint yellow light as it walked towards the crater not far away.
As the light flickered, Klein saw his target location and realized that it wasn’t too deep. The difference between the bottom and the ground wasn’t more than two meters. Of course, compared to the original hill, this change was indeed huge.
Composite Start
Composite End
Inside the “crater,” the soil was smooth, and there were a few rocks in it. There were many twisted, mutated plants around it whose species were difficult to distinguish. It looked no different from other places.
After observing for a while, Klein, who had stealthily activated Spirit Body Threads and Spirit Body Threads vision, slowly entered the crater, planning on following his preplanned route and reassessing everything worth paying attention to.
As he walked, he frowned slightly and let out an exclamation.
He realized that his thoughts had turned sluggish, but it didn’t affect his thinking!
It was as if he had slept too much and had just woken up—having a heavy head with insufficiently active thoughts.
This was a situation that a person would occasionally experience. Beyonders of the other pathways might not be able to detect it, but as a demigod of the Seer pathway, Klein could clearly sense something amiss.
If it were any deeper, it would be close to the effect when a Marionettist controls Spirit Body Threads… The influence left behind by Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar? That’s not right. If “He” didn’t mean to leave it behind, it means that “He” showed “His” complete Mythical Creature form back then. That would’ve resulted in Moon City’s investigation team in breaking down and losing control… If “He” had intentionally left it behind, what would be the purpose? Telling others that “He” was here? Klein circled the area in puzzlement, but he didn’t discover any anomalies.
After some thought, he let his main body that was hiding in the Historical Void in a time before the First Epoch take four steps counterclockwise as he recited the incantation and went above the gray fog.
He wanted to do a divination!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With the exact time and location, Nim’s description, and a real-world survey of the area, as well as lighting up some of the historical fragments, he believed that the prerequisite for making a “divination” had basically been met.
This didn’t mean it was enough, but that he could barely give it a try. Besides, if the hill turning into a crater incident had something to do with Sefirah Castle and him, then the chances of a successful divination would greatly increase. The revelation would be very clear and not be interfered with.
Without any further thought, he sat on The Fool’s high-back chair. He conjured a dark red fountain pen and yellow parchment and wrote:
“28th June of June 1349 of the Fifth Epoch. The anomaly that happened here.”
He put down the fountain pen and grabbed with his left hand. He pulled out a handful of crater soil from the fog of history to use it as a medium for divination.
With one hand holding the soil and the other holding the parchment, he leaned back in his chair and recited the divination statement seven times. Then, with the help of Cogitation, he fell asleep.
In the hazy dream world, Klein saw the grayish-white solidified fog. He saw the hill that was tens of meters high, and the twisted vegetation around it.
A few seconds later, the fog began to churn and rapidly “vomited” a black shadow.
The black shadow was like a huge velvet curtain, madly absorbing all the light around it.
Composite Start
Composite End
Its translucency increased as it completely enveloped the hill.
Following that, the hill vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a crater.
The strange plants at the edge of the crater were also suddenly covered and had black illusory Spirit Body Threads that extended towards different parts of the black “curtain.”
The “curtain” became more and more transparent and illusory until it reached a point where one couldn’t see it with the naked eye. If not for the fact that he had Spirit Body Threads vision to observe the reality of the scene, Klein wouldn’t have been able to discover that the “curtain” had covered the crater’s surface.
The scene flashed, and the dreamscape twisted to reveal a new scene.
Moon City’s 5-man patrol team approached and discovered that a crater had replaced the hill that had vanished.
They stopped in their tracks and left the area without hesitation. They didn’t rashly investigate.
After an unknown period of time, a gigantic figure suddenly appeared in another direction.
It was a demonic wolf covered in dark fur with eight legs. It was about four to five meters tall.
The demonic wolf had a tuft of short, grayish-white fur on its forehead. Its pure black pupils covered at least three-quarters of the space of its eyes. It was none other than the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Dark Demonic Wolf raised “His” head and opened “His” mouth, as though “He” was screaming, but nothing happened.
In the next second, a figure appeared in front of “Him.” It was another “Him.”
The Dark Demonic Wolf’s historical projection did a simple step with “His” eight legs and “He” instantly arrived beside the crater.
After “He” surveyed the area, “He” carefully lowered “His” head and picked up the completely transparent “curtain” that had made the entire hill disappear.
The “curtain” suddenly came alive as it rapidly contracted and spun. It wrapped around the black demonic wolf as if it was adding half a black translucent piece of clothing to “Him.”
The Dark Demonic Wolf trembled slightly, as if it had become a “clothed” marionette in two to three seconds.
However, this was only a Historical Void projection. The next breath didn’t happen as the main body stopped maintaining the projection.
The “curtain” lost its support as it instantly collapsed and lay spread out on the ground.
Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar didn’t give up. “He” occasionally transformed the monsters around “Him” into marionettes or summoned historical projections, allowing them to go forward again and again, experiencing all kinds of failures. However, in the end, “His” newest batch of marionettes still managed to pick up and control the “curtain.”
The entire process was silent, as though it was a mime act.
Following that, the gigantic demonic wolf made the marionettes bring the “curtain” to “Him.”
At that moment, the grayish-white fog around “Him” churned again, forming a vortex that was comparable to a hill.
The vortex emitted an invisible suction force, causing the strange “curtain” and Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar to be thrown towards it at the same time!
Such a scene caused a substantial ripple to appear in the dreamscape. Countless points of light appeared, making it difficult for him to see the specific details.
When everything returned to normal, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar draped the transparent “curtain” around “Him” and rapidly flew away from the solidified fog.
And at that moment, the Moon City investigation team arrived and saw the ancient subsidiary god leave.
Kotar glanced at them, but “He” didn’t stop, vanishing into the darkness.
At this point, the scene shattered and the dream ended. Klein woke up.
He sat up straight and tapped the edge of the long mottled table with his fingers as he silently muttered, It’s not that there weren’t any anomalies before I arrived. More likely it is that the guards from Moon City didn’t discover it. After all, the fog extends outwards to an unknown limit…
What’s that “curtain” that was spat out by the grayish-white fog? It can cover a hill when it’s large, turning it into a crater, as though by magic. When it’s small, it can be used as “clothes” by the demonic wolf, turning “Him” into a marionette… It’s a little like a high Sequence item of the Seer pathway…
It was spat out because I entered the world above the gray fog and completed the binding with Sefirah Castle?
It seems to be able to turn the surrounding vegetation into its marionettes… This gives me a familiar feeling…
Yes, there was something wrong with the food laid out in the rooms of the foggy town back then. Spirit Body Threads were growing out of them, reaching out towards the core of the cathedral. Once they’ve been eaten, one will instantly evaporate and vanish. Yes, they end up hanging in the cathedral and becoming a marionette…
In other words, once one reaches the level of Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries, one can make plants or objects with spirituality grow Spirit Body Threads, so as to turn them into marionettes?
…Is that “curtain” the Beyonder characteristics of a Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries?
Judging from the Dark Demonic Wolf’s performance, it might very well be the latter…
This is the reason why one Attendant of Mysteries characteristic has been missing for a long period of time. There were only clues, but no one could find it?
Before Sefirah Castle had an “owner,” the grayish-white fog unconsciously attracted the high Sequence characteristics of the three pathways across space and accommodated them? What is it trying to do?
That suction force is really very strong. It frightened even Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar. “He” didn’t even stop, only having thoughts of escaping…
What was “He” suspecting? What was “He” afraid of?
After some analysis, there was a look of excitement on his face.
If he could successfully hunt down an angel like the Dark Demonic Wolf, it would be an unparalleled harvest!
Of course, the Dark Demonic Wolf, who now had the “curtain,” was much harder to deal with than before. This matter had greatly reduced his confidence in succeeding.
As his thoughts raced, he suddenly recalled something:
From the timing of these sequence of events, the Dark Demonic Wolf clearly had the “curtain” by the time he arrived in the northern city ruins, Nois…
“He” turned the entire city into marionettes and created a marionette city. It wasn’t to settle down, nor was it to accumulate helpers. It was to prepare the ritual for Attendant of Mysteries?
Chapter 1221 Leaving a Message
If the Dark Demonic Wolf really is preparing the Attendant of Mysteries ritual, then “His” whereabouts won’t lack traces… Klein nodded slowly. He already had some vague ideas on his mind, but he was still unable to truly sort them out.
He instinctively wanted to divine the location of the “curtain” by using the soil that had been tainted by the “curtain,” so as to lock onto the location of the Dark Demonic Wolf. However, considering how the latter was an angel, such a method would most likely alarm “Him,” alerting “Him” and causing “Him” to take precautionary measures. Therefore, Klein rationally gave up on this idea and returned to the real world. He thought hard about formulating a plan.
The next day, when there was a high frequency of lightning, another batch of Moon City residents came to Gehrman Sparrow’s bonfire under the leadership of a priest named Duke. They listened to his teachings, enjoyed the mushrooms, and waited to be cleansed.
After the residents of Moon City experienced the cleansing, with tears streaming down their faces, Klein looked around and casually asked, “The sun god told you to guard this land and to take note of anyone walking out of the fog?”
Duke, who had been cured of his bloated ailment, knew that the High Priest had mentioned this matter to the oracle before him. He answered rather calmly, “Yes.”
Klein nodded slightly and continued on the topic.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“If you really discover someone walking out of the fog, what will you need to do?”
Duke said without hesitation, “Recite the honorific name of the great sun god immediately and… report this matter to ‘Him’…”
As he spoke, his tone became very depressed. In the end, he was unable to formulate his words. This was because the sun god—the Creator—hadn’t given any response for more than two thousand years. Even though Moon City had held the most complete rituals and repeatedly chanted the honorific name, there had been no response.
“Anything else?” Klein pressed as he sharply noticed something.
This was a revelation from his spiritual intuition, and also a result of a certain degree of deduction. It was obvious that the ancient sun god and the City of Silver Creator would have considered this problem. One possibility was that the person who walked out of the grayish-white fog was extremely careful. He was very cautious and didn’t enjoy being watched or monitored. After discovering the patrol team in Moon City, he would be inclined to use his Beyonder powers to affect their minds, making them forget that they had seen him or reciting the honorific name.
In this situation, the ancient sun god should’ve made certain arrangements.
Of course, this wasn’t absolute. If Amon’s father could accurately predict that the person walking out of the grayish-white fog was a rookie, then there was no need to say too much in the revelation.
However, considering how the ancient sun god—the City of Silver’s Creator—had made an error in predicting where he would come out from the grayish-white fog, Klein was doubtful of the aforementioned possibility.
Duke thought for a moment and hesitated before saying, “To welcome that person and tell him a single word.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein’s spirits were immediately lifted as he asked without batting an eyelid, “What word?”
Duke’s lips quivered as though he was mimicking the pronunciation. Then, he said in a strange tone, “Chernobyl.”
“…” Klein’s mind froze for a second before he let out a silent sigh.
…
The Loen Kingdom, East Chester County, in a forest.
The nearby villagers gathered here and plucked strange mushrooms that were covered in roots, deadwood, and shrubs.
According to the kingdom’s laws, everything that grew in this forest belonged to its owner, Miss Audrey Hall. However, with the war escalating, the demand of food, and the high taxes, these factors made it so that the farmers could no longer care about breaking the law. It was something that needed to be considered only if they survived. Furthermore, with more people participating, they naturally became emboldened.
They formed small teams and very efficiently plucked the mushrooms that were covered in golden stars or marbling streaks. They were divided into two parts, and a small portion was reserved for consumption. Most of them were prepared to be sold to grain merchants waiting outside the forest to exchange for gold pounds, for salt, fabric and other essential items.
These farmers didn’t go overboard. Other than the mushrooms, they only took a portion of the fruits on the trees. They left behind what was sufficient for the rangers of the forest to submit to their masters.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In just two or three hours, the farmers sold large amounts of mushrooms and fruits. With the gold pounds in hand, they returned to their hamlets with beaming smiles.
To them, everything that happened today was what they wanted to do and they had also achieved their predetermined goals.
The grain merchant who had a full beard was equally happy because this was an unexpected harvest. With the present situation, he could earn a lot of money.
He led the workers with him to move large amounts of mushrooms and fruits to the processing point outside the city. After making the necessary arrangements, he placed them all into the warehouse.
As a meticulous businessman, he checked the warehouse again after sending the workers away. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he closed the door and locked it.
At this moment, he saw a thick wad of cash on the ground. They were all ten-pound notes.
When did I drop so much money? The grain merchant bent down in joy and picked up the stack of notes.
As he counted, he suddenly recalled the origins of the money.
They were the profits from selling the mushroom powder, dried mushroom, and dried fruits!
Composite Start
Composite End
How generous! The bearded businessman sighed in satisfaction and turned to leave the warehouse.
Inside the warehouse, Audrey, who was wearing a light blue dress, removed her Psychological Invisibility and took out a black pocket.
This was the Traveler’s Bag that she had rented from Xio.
Following that, the blonde, simple-looking Audrey easily threw bags of food into the black pocket.
After doing all of this, she took out a hard-covered bronze notebook and flipped to a page with “Teleportation.”
This was from Fors—Leymano’s Travels.
And what had conspired here was secretly manipulated by Audrey.
She first gave the fast-growing mushrooms provided by Ma’am Hermit to the animals in the woods. With their help, she “planted” them at suitable spots. Following that, she “influenced” the farmers in the surrounding hamlets, strengthening their inner desires, and making them overcome their fear of the law. And that grain merchant “happened” to pass by and discovered this.
This sort of manipulation of a person’s heart was intoxicating, like a master of all beings. However, Audrey didn’t smile at all. Instead, she sighed softly.
It’s still not enough… I’m still lacking plenty. Lots…
Composite Start
Composite End
The mushrooms she had obtained wasn’t the type that Little Sun said could absorb the flesh and blood of monsters to flourish. They needed sufficient nutrients to rapidly grow. Therefore, there was no way to plant a second batch of mushrooms in this forest in a short time; otherwise, it was very likely to become a desert.
Staring at the empty cloth bags that had been emptied out, Audrey’s green eyes flashed. She couldn’t help but think, A large amount of food is concentrated at the Church, the royal family, the military, the government, the nobles, and the businessmen…
There are also some from Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter, but who knows how many times I’ll have to move them with only Traveler’s Bag…
Manipulating the nobles, businessmen, and military personnel is very dangerous. I might be discovered if I’m not careful…
If the situation hadn’t deteriorated to such a state, I might have never known that some people would have such a side to them…
When the environment and circumstances are different, the masks that everyone wears are different. I have to take note of this in the future…
As her thoughts raced, Audrey, who lacked experience in handling such matters, decided to seek Mr. World’s advice to see if he had any suggestions.
As The World Gehrman Sparrow had been walking alone in the uninhabited Forsaken Land of the Gods, he was surrounded by darkness and despair. Audrey suggested that he should seek her out regularly for psychological counseling. This might not necessarily imply any treatment. A casual chat could effectively relieve the pressure, loneliness, and misery.
Gehrman Sparrow followed his doctor’s advice, and from their chats, Audrey knew that, apart from asking her for medical advice, this powerful adventurer would also gossip with Mr. Star above the gray fog from time to time, maintaining a rather good state of mind.
With this decision, Audrey immediately activated her “Traveling” ability and returned to Backlund.
But on second thought, she felt a little depressed.
This was because she knew that, even if she gathered a large amount of food, she could only quell the residents of Backlund for some time. If the war didn’t end, the situation would still worsen.
War… Audrey closed her eyes. She had no idea how she could stop it.
She had heard from Ma’am Hermit that the nature of this war was very likely to be a battle of gods. And the prelude to a battle of gods had always been very consistent; it was to spend a certain amount of time and strength to shake the anchors of “Their” opponents.
After some thought, Audrey pursed her lips and decided to start with what she could do.
As the notebook emitted a misty glow, her figure quickly turned transparent and disappeared.
…
Beside the quietly burning bonfire, Klein, who had just sent away the “guests” from Moon City, couldn’t help but recall the words Blasphemer Amon had said before.
“He” said that there were many clues and things in the past that “He” wanted to explore that were buried deep within Chernobyl.
The ancient sun god had also specially emphasized “Chernobyl”… Amidst his thoughts, he suddenly had the urge to explore Chernobyl.
This wasn’t considered rash. It was something he had always wanted to do. However, he didn’t dare to do so because of Amon.
I’ve been heading east for more than half a year. Who would’ve thought that I would suddenly arrive at Chernobyl… Amon has obtained the last Worm of Time Beyonder characteristic and is preparing the ritual. It’s impossible for “His” true body to still be in Chernobyl… Yes, “He” is a very patient King of Angels. Perhaps, “His” avatars have been waiting in Chernobyl all this time… After analyzing the present situation, Klein decided to let a projection from the Historical Void make an attempt.
In any case, he would never head there directly with his actual body!
After making up his mind, Klein went above the gray fog to do a divination. Then, he returned to the real world and reached out his hand to grab into the void, dragging his past self from five minutes ago.
As his main body disappeared, his projection gained consciousness. Following that, he grabbed a few times and took out the black staff embedded with many gems.
The Staff of the Stars!
He wanted to use the power of the Staff of the Stars to directly “Teleport” to Chernobyl!
Chapter 1222 “Research Facility“
When he held the Staff of the Stars, Klein pulled out a gold coin out of thin air with his other hand and flicked it.
As the gold coin tumbled, a revelation from his “divination” appeared in his mind.
It was an extremely deep ravine. At the bottom of it was a thick and vast building that was covered in layers of “grayish-white.”
Every detail was restored to the Chernobyl that Klein had seen at the beginning. However, it didn’t originate from the spirit world, but from his own subconscious.
Using the technique of dream divination, he reproduced the images he had seen in his mind.
And the moment this scene was completed, the gems embedded in the Staff of the Stars emitted a faint glow. It instantly vanished along with Klein’s Historical Void projection and appeared above the grayish-white building.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In just a second, Klein returned from the easternmost front of the Forsaken Land of the Gods to Chernobyl!
This was one of the main powers of the Staff of the Stars: if the corresponding scene that surfaced in the mind of the wielder still existed in the real world, then the Staff of the Stars could allow them to cross all obstacles and distances, directly descending to their desired destination.
Of course, the prerequisite was that the outlined scene had to be absolutely correct and not visually be any different from the original.
The reason why he chose the deep ravine where Chernobyl was located, and not the grayish-yellow fog, was because he knew that the Giant King’s youngest son, the God of Glory, Bladel, had perished after being freed from the curse. The area would definitely experience major changes, and the only thing that wasn’t affected was the mysterious Chernobyl, which was valued by the ancient sun god and Amon.
This also didn’t mean that the deep ravine and grayish-white building wouldn’t have any visible changes. In fact, Klein had already prepared himself for the failure of his “Teleportation” attempt. After all, the person performing it was fake, and the item in his hand was also fake. It wouldn’t be a pity if he lost it.
In midair, Klein, with the Staff of the Stars in his hand, didn’t even have time to examine his surroundings when his entire body suddenly sank and plummeted downwards.
He didn’t wear Creeping Hunger, nor did he transform into an avian creature. He was currently unable to fly.
Therefore, even though the demigods of the Seer pathway were bizarre and terrifying, they actually had a human side to them.
As his thoughts raced, a Beyonder power appeared in his mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following that, the Staff of the Stars lit up with different colors, causing the surroundings to be filled with violent winds.
The wind swirled around him, causing his black trench coat to flap and his body to slowly descend.
During this process, Klein’s right hand trembled, allowing the Staff of the Stars’s historical projection to return to its normal location, doing so to prevent accidents from happening to him because of him imagining certain scenes.
Right on the heels of that, his left hand pressed down on the half top hat on his head. Just as the lightning in the sky was about to pass, he pulled out a lantern from the void.
Under the dim yellow light of the lantern, Klein stepped firmly onto the ground beneath the deep ravine with his buckle-less leather shoes. The endless darkness around him seemed to contain monsters.
He was standing in front of the “grayish-white” Chernobyl which was formed in layers.
Under the synchronized effects of the lightning and the lantern in his hand, Klein quickly discovered a situation.
There was no door to this thick and vast grayish-white building!
Hmm, every place is sealed… I remember that the ancient sun god had opened an illusory crack on the grayish-white wall before coming out… As if in thought, Klein found the spot in his memories and began chanting the honorific name of The Fool.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At the easternmost front of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, by the solidified fog near Moon City, Klein, who was hiding in the Historical Void, immediately entered Sefirah Castle. With the help of the prayer light, he used his “true vision” to scan the situation at Chernobyl.
In the deep ravine and desolate plains with remnant grayish-yellow fog, there wasn’t a single Amon present.
As for Chernobyl itself, even with the “true vision” provided by Sefirah Castle, it wasn’t enough for him to clearly see what was going on inside.
Underneath the layers and layers of “grayish-white,” there appeared to be absolute nothingness, a space without any color.
Indeed it’s not simple… As expected of the place where the ancient sun god—the City of Silver’s Creator—walked out of… After sighing inwardly, he quickly left Sefirah Castle and returned to the historical fragment from before the First Epoch.
Klein, who was standing outside of Chernobyl, regained consciousness. He reached out his hand and took out Leymano’s Travels.
He quickly flipped to one of the pages and prepared to use the “Door Opening” power of an Apprentice.
Such an action was actually a little rash for him, but considering that this was just a projection in the Historical Void, he felt that there weren’t any problems with that.
The Beyonders of the Seer pathway are indeed both cautious and reckless at the same time. They’re careful when making preparations, but reckless after making preparations. They show traits of caution and recklessness at the same time… As he lampooned himself, Klein silently passed through the obstacle and entered Chernobyl’s interior.
Composite Start
Composite End
After “Door Opening” repeatedly, he finally left the “grayish-white” buildings. He saw an ajar heavy metal door in front of him.
The metal door wasn’t very tall, only about 2.5 meters tall. It was obviously prepared for humans.
In front of it, there were two pitch-black marks and two machine guns that were more sci-fi than any weapon belonging to this era.
These two machine guns looked a little similar to the ones he had seen when he was flipping through some magazines in his previous life. However, he wasn’t a fan of such things, so he couldn’t be sure.
Klein didn’t pick them up or attempt to study them. His spiritual intuition told him that the two firearm-like weapons had completely corroded. Any contact with them would instantly cause them to disintegrate.
After taking a few looks, he dispelled Leymano’s Travels. With the lantern in hand, he passed through two pitch-black marks and arrived behind the metal door.
There was a wide aisle here, and on both sides were rooms of different sizes. The tables and chairs inside were toppled, some were fine and others were broken in half. The walls were covered with black streaks.
It looks like a research facility… Klein set off from the remnants and overall layout, coming to a preliminary conclusion.
There was no need for him to deliberately search for anything. He quickly found a room with a destroyed machine. There were a few pieces of paper on the table that had a yellow tint to it.
It seemed like someone had casually placed it there after collecting it.
Composite Start
Composite End
The ancient sun god or Amon? After hesitating for two seconds, he finally stepped into the room.
The dim yellow light dispersed the darkness inside as he picked up the few pieces of paper and quickly scanned them.
Ten seconds later, Klein put down the piece of paper and the corner of his mouth twitched.
He didn’t recognize any of the words on those pages!
In my previous life, I only barely passed English, let alone other languages? Klein suddenly felt the feelings of the other Beyonders in this world when they read Roselle’s diary.
He slowly exhaled as he extended his hand into the void and took out an item.
This was a translating device that Zhou Mingrui had bought before going on a trip overseas which he had saved up for. When the luck enhancement ritual was held, it was inside a computer bag by his side.
To him, the greatest advantage of this translating device was that it could do offline translations—as long as it didn’t exceed the internally stored database.
After fiddling with it, he finally understood what the few pages wrote:
…Research of the appearance of oil in a dried-up oil field… Why would they need to build a research facility in such an unimaginable place for such matters?
…God, what did they discover deep in the oil field…
…This is some amazing material…
…What exactly happened? The doctor turned into a puddle of black oil in front of me!
…More and more people have turned into oil. This research facility has been sealed from the outside… No one can leave. No one can leave…
…Mad, they’ve all gone mad. We’re still normal, but our food is almost running out…
…I seem to be hearing things. There seems to be sounds coming from underground. It’s summoning me. “He” is summoning me!
These lines of simple words sent a chill down Klein’s spine. He felt as though he was walking towards madness and death.
At the same time, a thought naturally came to his mind:
The corruption that stems from underground.
The cause of all this was the unnecessary experiments involved after the discovery of some strange material in a dried-up oil field? Then, the world was destroyed? But if it was a disaster caused by such a coincidence, then there’s no reason for me, Emperor Roselle, and the others to obtain items to help us “transmigrate” ahead of time… Perhaps, there are chances amidst inevitability, and in chance, there is inevitability? The underground corruption has always been influencing the human world in an unobvious manner. It can intermittently bring about certain mysterious events. Only when the research facility probed deeper was “He” fully awakened? Klein subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
With the lantern in hand, he left the room and headed towards the depths of the research facility. He also paid close attention to anything that was worth paying attention to.
After walking for nearly a minute, his vision suddenly darkened.
More than half of the dim yellow light’s radiance was consumed by the area ahead!
When he took a closer look, he realized that there was a cliff two steps away from him.
That portion of the research facility had collapsed into the ground. It was dark and empty, with no end to it.
Faintly, he seemed to hear a silent cry. It sounded in his mind from deep underground.
This feeling was something Klein had experienced before—from behind the bronze door in the Hall of Truth.
He frowned slightly and took a few steps back, prepared to dispel the Historical Void projection at any moment.
At this moment, a palm that was so dry that it only had skin and bones stuck out from the darkness, grabbing onto the edge of the cliff.
Then, a figure leaped out and landed in front of him.
He was wearing a pointed hat and a classic black robe. He had a monocle on his right eye. It was none other than Angel of Time, Amon.
However, this Amon’s condition was very abnormal. It was like a skeleton covered in a skin membrane.
Klein subconsciously took a few steps back and saw the flesh and blood of the man before him rapidly fill up.
“He” adjusted “His” monocle said with a smile, “Ah, a visitor. I wasn’t expecting that.
“And you are?”
Chapter 1223 That Level
Who am I? Just as Klein was about to remove the Historical Void projection, he was taken aback by Amon’s question.
He controlled himself and didn’t frown. Instead of answering, he asked, “You aren’t Amon’s true body?”
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Amon took a step forward and smiled.
“Of course not.
“You seem to know my true body or my other avatars?”
Although the Amon in front of him didn’t take any action, the step “He” took still gave Klein an indescribable pressure. It wasn’t easy for him to keep still without retreating, which would betray his cowardice.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He grunted and replied in a low voice, “That’s why I’m curious as to why you don’t know me.”
“Are you very famous?” said the Amon who had crawled out of the darkness. “He” then raised “His” hand and adjusted “His” crystal monocle on “His” right eye.
This action lasted for a few seconds before it came to an end. As though in thought, Amon muttered, “There are no other ‘me’s nearby… Are there really none, or has the connection been completely severed?”
What kind of accident caused this Amon to be independent? No way, I can’t believe this fellow’s acts. “He” is a top-notch swindler… Klein’s heart stirred at first before he suppressed his corresponding thoughts and asked, “Why did you crawl out from underground?”
Amon’s expression returned to normal as “He” chuckled.
“Guess.”
Be it “His” actual body or “His” avatars, the fact that he has a terrible personality doesn’t change… Klein thought to himself and tried to probe with an answer, “You are exploring the secret that lays underground.”
Amon nodded slightly and said, “Isn’t that obvious?”
“He” then half-turned “His” body and pointed at the darkness beyond the cliff that the light failed to light up.
Composite Start
Composite End
“My father crawled out of here just like I did.
“Ah, right. It has a name. You should have heard of it—Chaos Sea.”
Chaos Sea? The Chaos Sea, one of the nine sefirots… It is indeed hidden deep underground… Is the corruption behind the bronze door really brought about by it? Previously, I was made aware of this mysticism knowledge through my casual chats with Amon… The ancient sun god was originally a member of this research facility. Then, he fell into the deep depths of the Chaos Sea, only to awaken in the Second Epoch and crawl out? As he was only an ordinary person back then, based on the law that proximity to the underground increases in danger with higher Sequences, he wasn’t affected too much? Klein’s mind raced as he recalled many matters and came up with various guesses.
Three seconds later, he said in response, “So you took the risk and jumped in to search for the truth of the buried history and the world?”
“Something like that.” Amon man pinched the edge of his monocle and said in a self-deprecating tone, “But I didn’t do it willingly.”
“Ah?” Klein used a terse exclamation to express his doubts.
Amon smiled and said, “Every single one of me knows that it’s very dangerous deep underground. We don’t want to go down alone. We have tried many detours, including creating a marionette to replace us. However, we failed to succeed and failed to obtain any feedback.
“In the end, under the true body’s watch, we held a fair vote. Unfortunately, I was chosen.”
…It’s a miracle that Amon hasn’t completely gone mad yet… As expected of the God of Mischief… Internal decisions have to be done in such a way… Klein resisted the urge to lampoon.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“And then, you jumped down yourself?”
“What else? Let ‘Them’ throw me down?” Amon said as “He” spread “His” hands.
Having said that, “He” seemed to finally understand something as “He” muttered to “Himself,” “The Chaos Sea made ‘me’ sever ties with my main body and the surrounding avatars?
“Am I independent?”
Independent… Previously, in front of the bronze door of the Hall of Truth, I felt that every cell and every Worm of Spirit were giving birth to a new consciousness, generating a different form of self… It’s very normal for there to be similar changes in Amon’s avatar after directly entering the Chaos Sea… An independent Amon avatar should be able to effectively trick Amon’s true body… No, I can’t trust “Him”… Klein validated Amon’s words using his own experience, but he quickly reminded himself not to trust the God of Deceit.
He smiled and said, “I suspect you’re bluffing.”
Amon held up the crystal monocle and sized up Klein for a few seconds.
“It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. Even if I want to find a partner, it wouldn’t be someone as weak as you.”
In the era of the eight Kings of Angels, were you very close to Red Angel Medici… Having made up his mind not to trust the independence of the Amon in front of him, Klein tried asking, “What did you discover in the Chaos Sea?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Plenty of things. Guess what they are,” Amon said with a smile.
“You didn’t discover anything,” Klein said deliberately.
Amon shook “His” head.
“The other ‘me’s probably think so too. Besides, I haven’t been out for a very long time, and I didn’t respond. It’s logical to believe that I had already been corroded and was digested by Chaos Sea.”
Without waiting for Klein’s response, Amon continued, “Chaos Sea is very large. It almost fills the core, and goes to a further layer. It’s also the only sefirah that merges the real and the illusory and has an entrance in the real world. The others are either completely illusory and hidden somewhere unknown, or they’re definitely real while existing in the real world.
“I found something very interesting inside. The first Blasphemy slate was likely born there, but it was later attracted by some power and left the ground before it was complete.
“My father might’ve browsed through that Blasphemy Slate in the beginning, which is why ‘His’ condensed into the second Blasphemy Slate when ‘He’ perished.”
This is the origins of the two Blasphemy Slates? It’s no wonder the ancient sun god was so powerful in the late stages of the Second Epoch… Klein vaguely understood something and subconsciously asked, “What’s so different about the two Blasphemy Slates?”
Amon adjusted the crystal monocle and said, “The second Blasphemy Slate changed some of the Sequence names and added content.
“Those contents contain secrets about transcending Sequences.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Transcending Sequences?” Klein’s pupils widened slightly. He felt that his long-term guess had been confirmed. “Become the Creator?”
Amon smiled and said, “More or less, but this description isn’t accurate enough.
“I like to refer to that level as ‘Above the Sequences.’ There are also a number of true deities who name it in other ways. Some call it ‘Great Old Ones,’ others refer to it as ‘Outer Deities’ or ‘Cosmos.'”
Cosmos… The moment Klein heard this term, his spiritual intuition began to give crazy warnings.
He remembered very clearly that the ascetic leader of the Church of Evernight, Arianna, had told him before that unless he became an angel, he shouldn’t attempt to understand the cosmos. Otherwise, just having knowledge of it would bring him great danger!
Without any hesitation, Klein, who had been hiding in the Historical Void’s in a time before the First Epoch, gave up maintaining the projection. He stood up from the stacked cities of old, and he took four steps counterclockwise.
Almost at the same time, the violent lightning that streaked across the sky of the Forsaken Land of the Gods calmed down. The endless darkness vanished as well.
A gigantic crimson moon covered half the sky.
The light on the surface of the crimson moon stretched out as if it was alive.
Outside this world, the moon that was revolving around the Earth had a crimson sea flowing. It drowned everything, as though it was digesting this huge natural satellite.
The blood-colored sea boiled when Klein learned about the news of “Great Old Ones,” “Outer Deities,” and “Cosmos.”
They quickly gathered towards the middle, constantly piling together until they formed an indiscernible, blood-red phantom image.
This phantom image was many times bigger than the moon. It had countless eyes, and “it” looked down at the blue planet. It cast its gaze at Klein’s main body through the connection that was established the moment he learned about these matters!
As the crimson sea “receded,” many craters appeared on the surface of the moon.
From the ground, the moon no longer crimson. It was bright and clear. It had remained the same despite the hundreds of millions of years.
Further out in space, the Brown Star, Orange Star, Scarlet Planet, Gold Planet, and Blue Planet twinkled like the blinking of eyes.
In the fog of history, boils began to emerge from the surface of Klein’s body. Each boil had a mutated Worm of Spirit. They wore the faces of Zhou Mingrui, Klein Moretti, Gehrman Sparrow, and Dwayne Dantès. They were trying their best to drill out of his body.
Klein’s thoughts quickly turned chaotic. His entire Spirit Body seemed to be torn apart by an invisible blade, but he still forced himself to finish reciting the last sentence of the incantation.
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
Silently, Klein’s Spirit Body tore through the gray fog and entered Sefirah Castle. The power of the entire space began to boil as it surged forward and enveloped him, melting away wisps of black gas, streams of red light, and boils, severing the invisible connection.
Nearly ten seconds later, the struggling Klein finally regained consciousness. He stood up using the high-back chair as support.
Inside Chernobyl, Amon, who was standing at the edge of the cliff, said to “Himself” in a low voice as “He” adjusted the crystal monocle on “His” right eye, “Quite a fast reaction…”
If Klein had been a second slower and was embroiled in that chaotic state, Amon could deceive the connection between the projection and the actual body before Klein could remove the maintenance of the historical projection. “He” could then appear inside the corresponding historical fragment.
Above the gray fog, Klein sat down and rubbed his temples.
That Amon was indeed lying…
“He” should be the avatar that stayed behind to guard Chernobyl. When “He” discovered that I had come, “He” hid somewhere between the cliff and the Chaos Sea, pretending that “He” had just crawled out. “He” was unable to deal with my main body by bypassing the historical projection. Furthermore, “He” might not have the strength of a Sequence 2 angel. Therefore, “He” pretended to be an independent avatar so as to carry out the deceit…
On the surface, “He” attempted to make me believe that “He” was an independent avatar and could be cooperated with. “He” made me focus on this aspect, but in fact, “He” concealed the danger in “His” words…
Even in a normal conversation with the God of Deceit, one can still be scammed…
However, in order to achieve “His” goals, “He” had also given a sufficient amount of secrets…
Chapter 1224 Guesses About the Apocalypse
Loen Kingdom, Backlund.
Fors, who was still sleeping soundly, suddenly woke up from her dream. She subconsciously cast her gaze out the window.
She didn’t lack similar experiences. Before she became a member of the Tarot Club, she often woke up in the middle of the night due to the curse of the full moon. But today, she didn’t feel any familiar pain, but her heart throbbed for some unknown reason.
As the curtain had blocked the window, Fors was unable to determine what time it was from the weak light. She subconsciously got out of bed, walked to the window, and drew the curtains.
The sunlight that penetrated the thin fog shone into the room, dispersing the accumulated darkness. Fors stood by the window and looked up into the sky with an obvious look of confusion.
The sun has already risen, and the crimson moon had long set. Why do I still feel the sensation I have during the curse of the full moon?
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Furthermore, there were still many days to the full moon!
…
The Intis Republic capital, Trier.
One by one, the astronomers, who had woken up early, as well as mysticism enthusiasts, as well as the covert Beyonders, cast their gazes high into the sky.
The layers of evening clouds disappeared, and the huge and bright moon outshone the light of the stars.
The moon’s color was no longer the usual crimson color. It was white and unusually bright.
All who saw it were stunned. This was a moon that they had never seen before.
Be it the normal textbooks of human society or books related to mysticism, none of them recorded similar phenomena!
Apart from the common new moon, full moon, and the occasional Blood Moon, the moon had never experienced such changes. At least for the past 1300 years since the beginning of the Fifth Epoch, there had been absolutely no such change!
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, the onlookers realized that, other than the crimson and blood-red states, the moon had another color.
…
The Forsaken Land of the Gods, the City of Silver.
As it was in the afternoon when the frequency of lightning was high, Derrick and company noticed the abnormality in the sky.
They were used to the familiar lightning and darkness. In just a few seconds, all of that completely disappeared without a trace. The blood-colored circular glow that blotted out half the sky was so obvious. It’s massive size illuminated everything to great visibility.
The people of the City of Silver who had relatively agile thoughts immediately thought of the description and the corresponding picture of the moon in the general knowledge book. They suddenly had a thought that came to them:
“Could this be the moon?”
“The crimson moon?”
“We actually saw the crimson moon…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Soon, the blood-red colors of the crimson moon in front of them drained inch by inch, revealing its bright and clear body.
The City of Silver residents were increasingly at a loss, unsure of what had happened.
Having heard Mr. Hanged Man, Miss Justice, and the other members of the Tarot Club talk about the outside world, Derrick Berg was even more shocked and surprised than them. This was because there was no such natural phenomenon outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
A few seconds later, the moon disappeared and the darkness once again engulfed everything. The frequent flashes of lightning became the main source of light.
“What happened just now?”
“Did you see that red circle?”
“Moon! That’s the moon!”
“That’s the crimson moon!”
“Is this a sign that we are about to escape our current situation?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Our second exploration of the Giant King’s Court will go very smoothly and we will open the door that leads to the outside world?”
Amidst the confusion, most of the residents of the City of Silver subconsciously treated this phenomenon as a good thing, treating it as an auspicious sign from mysticism. Only the Chief, Colin Iliad, and the Elders of the six-member council like Lovia had serious looks on their faces as they frowned.
…
Above the grayish-white fog, inside the ancient palace.
Having gained a general understanding of Amon’s scam, Klein instinctively turned his attention back to the “secret” he had learned.
He previously had some guesses about the corresponding content, but when it was truly revealed, he realized that it was even more terrifying and exaggerated than he had imagined. It made him even more hopeless.
To be able to successfully attract the attention of the Cosmos, this means that most of the secrets that Amon revealed are true…
There really is another level above Sequence 0. This should be the level which the ancient sun god was at. However, “His” condition didn’t seem too right. “He” ended up being stabbed in the back, perished, and divided up.
…According to what Amon said, using the Creator to describe this level isn’t accurate enough. “He” named it as “Above the Sequences”… There are also existences who use the term “Transcending Sequences” to describe that level, indicating that they have escaped the restrictions of the Beyonder pathway?
…Deities refer to this level as “Great Old Ones,” “Outer Deities,” “Cosmos”… From this, one can tell that there are two matters. One is the vast universe outside this world. In the boundless cosmos, there are “Great Old Ones” and “Outer Deities,” who are existences at the Creator’s level. For example, the one who controls the moon…
Composite Start
Composite End
… From the looks of it, the brown star and orange star were the original planets. They have changed, making Emperor Roselle unable to recognize them… This is because there are Great Old Ones or Outer Deities entrenched in them, watching our world?
…The Box of the Great Old Ones mutated after being corrupted by the cosmos…
…Yes, there are most likely more than one Great Old One or Outer Deity… Why are “They” all surrounding this planet? What are “They” spying on?
…”They” didn’t directly invade because there’s a power that temporarily keeps them out?
…Thanks to the seven deities?
…Connecting this to the prophecy of the apocalypse in 1368, the seven deities might not be playing a crucial role in this. “They” have yet to transcend the Sequences… When the true barrier disappears in 1368, the Great Old Ones and the Outer Deities will no longer be obstructed. Then, the apocalypse will descend upon us?
Upon thinking of this, the questions that he had accumulated in his mind suddenly flashed through his mind.
Why did the Evernight Goddess take the risk of bringing about a battle of gods to seize the Uniqueness of the Death pathway?
Why did the seven deities tacitly acquiesce to having a Black Emperor?
Why did Adam, Amon, and the other Kings of Angels, after being silent for so many years, step out from behind the scenes in this era?
Why were the legacies of the ancient gods from the Second Epoch appearing one after another?
Why was there only one transmigrator released from Sefirah Castle in the first four epochs, but two in the Fifth Epoch, a period spanning slightly more than a thousand years?
Phew, be “They” good or bad, everyone is working hard to improve themselves to usher in the apocalypse… The Goddess, who is so good at setting things into motion, chose such a risky method because “She” wanted to transcend the Sequences and become a Great Old One? There’s only a decade or so left. Time waits for no man… Did “She” provide me help in secret because “She” had similar hopes? Adam didn’t take action even though “He” could finish me off twice. Apart from “Him” and me not having any significant grudges, this plays a role in everything? Klein gently rapped the edge of the long, mottled table as he muttered softly, “The key to becoming a Great Old One or Outer Deity is one of the nine sefirot?”
Looking around the empty Sefirah Castle, Klein sighed and muttered to himself, “As for the exact situation, I have to look at the second Blasphemy Slate to know. Unfortunately, I don’t know when I’ll have a chance…”
He then focused his attention on something else.
I’m not sure if the ancient sun god had completely transcended the Sequences… If a native Great Old One were to be born, humanity might still have a sliver of hope when the apocalypse happens… “His” death is even more complicated than I imagined…
It’s no wonder Emperor Roselle said that only a Sequence 0 could preserve “Themselves” and protect the people “They” value…
I wonder if those Great Old Ones or Outer Deities have infiltrated the Earth with their powers?
Yes, according to how the seven orthodox deities and the other evil gods like the True Creator view the Primordial Moon and the Mother Tree of Desire with animosity, the latter might be Great Old Ones or Outer Deities…
It’s no wonder the Mother Tree of Desire could directly mislead my divination above the gray fog. “She” is the most dangerous existence in my books!
I understand what those Great Old Ones and Outer Deities are gathered around this world for…
They likely want to obtain the nine sefirot; destroying the world is just something done in passing…
As he thought of this, Klein suddenly recalled the phrase the Mother Tree of Desire had said through Cynthia:
“Admiral, I want to have a child with you.”
He couldn’t help but shudder as he seriously considered his safety after returning to the real world.
He already had a certain level of understanding of the cosmos. As long as he subconsciously thought of something related, he would directly establish a connection with the Great Old Ones and the Outer Deities, and be corrupted!
If not for the fact that Sefirah Castle had cut off all contact from before, I wouldn’t dare return to reality… After some thought, Klein decided to invite his psychiatrist, Miss Justice, to help hypnotize him and seal the corresponding information deep within his subconscious. Only when he saw a preset reminder would he recall it.
He originally wanted to directly summon the projection of “Justice” from the Historical Void to do this, but considering that this was an intricate task, it was very likely a mistake or oversight might happen if the person didn’t have a deep understanding of the mind. And once there was a slip-up, the Great Old Ones and Outer Deities would cast “Their” eyes on him.
Phew, I need to remember to get Miss Justice to hypnotize herself to forget this matter… After some deliberation, Klein turned the corresponding request into a stream of light and threw it into the crimson star representing Justice.
Not long after, just after breakfast, Audrey, who had yet to leave home, arrived above the gray fog.
The long bronze table had vanished. There was a desk and two chairs placed in the ancient palace.
“Mr. World, what is the matter that you wish to forget this time?” Audrey looked at Gehrman Sparrow who was sitting opposite her and raised the most important question.
Klein rubbed his temples and used a deep voice to describe the secrets of the Cosmos, Great Old Ones, and Outer Deities.
Upon hearing this, Audrey’s eyes widened bit by bit as if she had been possessed by an evil god.
After he was done, she fell silent for a few seconds before saying with the same deep and slightly confused voice, “This is the truth of the apocalypse?
“Even the seven deities are unable to save us?”
Without waiting for Klein’s reply, Audrey laughed self-deprecatingly.
“I thought what I’ve been doing recently was very meaningful…
“I thought the worst news I could think of was the defeat of Loen and the annihilation of the Church…
“But compared to the secrets you told me, all of this is so insignificant.”
Chapter 1225 Counseling
When he heard Miss Justice’s slightly bleak and confused words, Klein could empathize with her. This was because he had previously had similar thoughts.
After recalling snippets from self-help books, he deliberated and said, “A father’s death is so insignificant to the entirety of Loen. One or more cases might happen every day, but to his child’s family, it is something that can change their fate.
“Similarly, if we don’t reach the level of an angel, everyone’s outcome will be sealed—death and be buried. But this doesn’t mean that the time from when we were born to the time we die is meaningless.”
Audrey nodded slightly when she heard that. She once again said in a self-deprecating tone, “I understand all of this. However, the secrets you mentioned had a huge impact on me, and I couldn’t control my emotions.
“As a Psychiatrist, I actually needed someone else to counsel me…”
Klein smiled and said, “Isn’t this very normal? Many times, we can tell if someone else’s condition is normal, but we can’t clearly see our own problems. Didn’t you mention that you and Susie counsel each other from time to time?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Due to the fact that Dwayne Dantès had seen Susie, the golden retriever, Audrey didn’t hide anything related to her during their chats.
Audrey nodded gently and said, “Yes… that’s right.
“I’ve already straightened my thoughts out. I should do what I can and not leave any regrets.”
She gradually adjusted her mental state.
Klein then said, “It’s not just a matter of not leaving any regrets; we might be able to add to the forces that resist against the apocalypse.
“Compared to the whole, this might be trivial, but even the vastest desert is made up of grains of sand. The boundless ocean is also formed by droplets of water. As long as everyone sends out as much light as the heat inside them[1], it might bring some hope.”
“Sends out as much light as the heat inside them…” Audrey repeated the keywords in Gehrman Sparrow’s words softly.
“Don’t quote me,” Klein added with a smile.
The corners of Audrey’s mouth curled up as she replied with a faint smile, “Could it be something Emperor Roselle said?”
Composite Start
Composite End
That I don’t know… I have to endure a strong sense of shame when flipping through his quotations. I hadn’t finished reading it all this time… Klein didn’t give an affirmative answer, nor did he deny it. Instead, he said, “Start hypnotizing me. Let me forget things related to the cosmos, and only remember the corresponding reminder.”
“A little while longer. I would like your advice on something.” Audrey openly made a request. She took this opportunity to recount what she had been doing recently, as well as the difficulties and perplexities she had encountered. “…Mr. World, what suggestions do you have? What should I do to lessen the suffering of the people of Backlund before the war ends?”
As for stopping the war, although she wanted to, she knew that she didn’t have the ability to do so.
At the same time, she also understood that even Mr. World wouldn’t be able to do it. Even if Mr. Fool personally intervened, he would at most be able to turn the situation around. There was no way to stop the war. After all, this world war was essentially a battle between deities.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Klein calmly said, “Although the Spectator pathway tries to act behind the scenes as much as possible, and although I always keep the words ‘caution’ and ‘carefulness’ in my mind for everything I do, and try not to put myself in a dangerous situation…”
When he said this, Audrey subconsciously thought to herself, From the various rumors at sea, the descriptions of Fors and the others, and the demigod battle I witnessed, I really can’t see the “caution” and “carefulness.” There’s only “dominance” and “radicalism”… Hmm, to be able to do those things and survive on strength alone is indeed not enough…
Seeing that Miss Justice was listening seriously with her green eyes filled with attentiveness, he continued, “In this world, nothing can be easily resolved without taking risks.
“Sometimes, I do something with the thought that ‘death is a possibility.'”
The muttering in Audrey’s heart stopped. She fell silent for a while before slowly saying, “I understand what you mean.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“There are many times when you can’t do what you want while ensuring absolute safety. You can only choose one of them.”
Klein nodded and decided to let Miss Justice understand the reality of this world better, so as to prevent her from being overly idealistic when she did things.
“The method you mentioned just now is the most feasible, with the least risks. The people who can help the people of Backlund are the nobles, Churches, businessmen, and the royal family.
“Why don’t we rob Feysac, Intis, and the Feynapotter army of their food?” Audrey subconsciously asked.
Klein calmly said, “This is because the three armies have already entered the Loen Kingdom’s borders. Even if you can escape a demigod’s notice and successfully snatch the food, they will not collapse. They will definitely snatch the food from the surrounding people for sustenance. The effects will not be significant in the short term. As for the long term, we might not have the luxury of time to wait that long.”
When that happened, it was obvious to Audrey who would be the true victims.
This was the difference between a war between deities and an ordinary war.
“Besides, I’m unable to do that. The capacity of Traveler’s Bag is limited. It’s the same for the “Teleportation” recorded in Leymano’s Travels.” Justice Audrey began to counsel herself as she asked thoughtfully, “If I were to really obtain food from the nobles, businessmen, and royal family, what reaction would the Church have when they discover traces of my interference?”
Klein maintained his previous tone and said, “A tacit acquiesce.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…” Audrey vaguely felt that this was the answer, but she couldn’t figure out the reason.
Klein continued, “Believers are the anchors of the deities. One believer is an anchor point. In this aspect, there is no difference between a noble and a poor person. In essence, no one is nobler or lowlier.
“Under normal circumstances, nobles and merchants can use their status, power, wealth, and influence to help the Church maintain its system and spread its faith. Therefore, they are more important. But in this situation, who is more important—thousands of anchors, or millions of anchors?
“This is a simple problem in mathematics.”
Faced with the truth of the veil that had been ripped off, Audrey was momentarily speechless.
Seeing this, Klein added, “From this point of view, whatever you want to do on a wider level has its meaning.
“You will help the Evernight Goddess and the Lord of Storms stabilize their anchors. In the future, this might be critical to resisting the apocalypse.”
Audrey pursed her lips bit by bit, holding them pursed for a long time before relaxing them. She chuckled and said, “Only now do I realize that I’m actually a little proud of my status as a noble.”
“Nobility is in your character, not status.” Klein helped her finish her sentence.
Audrey slowly exhaled and calmed her chaotic inner thoughts. She didn’t make up her mind as a result.
Composite Start
Composite End
She casually said, “Our Tarot Club and the Church… Uh, the relationship with the Church of Evernight seems pretty good.
“Mr. Fool and the Evernight Goddess are allies?”
This question stumps me… I do wish to become allies with the Goddess, but “She” might not be interested… After lampooning a few times, Klein said in a serious tone, “You can think of ‘Them’ as allies at the moment.”
He deliberately emphasized that it was only now, so as to prevent himself from being slapped in the face by reality in the future.
At the same time, he muttered the real answer in his heart:
Based on the current situation, the Goddess was an angel investor of the Tarot Club, the major shareholder…
Audrey nodded slowly and suddenly smiled.
“I was just thinking about what you could be mumbling inwardly when you answered ‘allies at the moment.’ It must be interesting, just like when we were exploring Liveseyd.”
…Lady, a Psychiatrist isn’t suited to joking with a patient on such matters… Is it because we’ve been chatting for too long in the past half year and have become much more familiar with each other that you’ve revealed your true nature? Please show some respect to this adventurer in front of you who is famous for being cold and crazy… Yes, I have to say, the Spectator pathway’s ability to adjust their own emotions is indeed impressive… It was all Leonard’s fault that time… Klein was first taken aback before he pretended that nothing had happened as he leaned back into his chair.
“Let’s begin.”
Audrey immediately reined in her emotions and began to seriously and carefully attempt to hypnotize him.
After everything was over, Klein confirmed that Miss Justice wasn’t under the notice of the Great Old Ones through the crimson star after she returned to the real world.
Of course, he had already forgotten anything regarding the Great Old Ones or Outer Deities. He was just able to confirm that nothing abnormal had happened from Miss Justice’s condition.
Phew… Klein heaved a sigh of relief. He threw the piece of paper that could awaken his memories into the junk pile and told himself to wait until he became an angel.
…
Backlund, Bridge area, in an apartment.
Emlyn White looked at Maric, who had suddenly appeared in front of him. The former took off his hat and bowed in an extremely gentlemanly manner.
“What’s the matter?” Maric sat on the sofa and leaned forward, his hands clasped.
Emlyn pulled a chair and sat down. He smiled and asked, “Do you still wish to deal with the important figures of the Rose School of Thought’s indulgence faction?”
“Do you have any leads?” Maric asked indifferently.
Emlyn was definitely prepared before he paid the “visit,” so he said unhurriedly, “I do not have any clues regarding the person-in-charge of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.
“However, after the war escalated, the Southern Continent’s East and West Balam, Star Highlands, Paz Valley, and Haagenti Plains have been thrown into chaos. Many of the Rose School of Thought demigods have emerged and walked onto the stage. They are no longer so difficult to lock onto.”
Maric looked at the red-eyed and thin-lipped Emlyn and said, “Which duke or marquis of the Sanguine are you representing?”
“Am I not allowed to represent myself?” Emlyn raised his chin slightly and asked with a smile.
Maric shook his head seriously and said, “You are only a Sequence 5; you aren’t qualified enough.”
He had said it so directly that Emlyn was momentarily at a loss for words.
[1] Quote from a leading figure of modern Chinese literature, Lu Xun
Chapter 1226 Handing Out Mushrooms
Emlyn maintained his smile and calmed himself down before responding, “I can find helpers of a sufficient level.”
He didn’t wish to borrow the forces of the Sanguine too much on this matter, because if that happened, he would undoubtedly end up as a liaison, a bystander, and a messenger. He would not have any say in the eventual distribution of the spoils of war.
As for the Sanguine Dukes and Marquises, they had no lack of direct descendants who wished to advance to become a demigod and become an Earl.
At the very beginning, Emlyn believed in his identity as the Sanguine’s savior. He believed that the important figures would treat every single member fairly. However, as The Hanged Man analyzed the various high-level Sanguine orders from Marquis Nibbs and the other high-level Sanguine, Emlyn gradually became wary of them.
He frowned slightly and said, “Sherlock Moretti?”
Emlyn was puzzled as he shifted in his seat.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why do you think it’s him?”
If it was in the past, he would have directly said, “Why are you mentioning Sherlock Moretti? He has been away from Backlund for nearly two years.” But now, he could acutely grasp that there was some hidden information in Maric’s words. He subconsciously adjusted his question.
In the eyes of this Wraith, Sherlock Moretti isn’t simple? Yes, indeed, he isn’t simple… As he spoke, Emlyn made a guess.
Upon hearing Emlyn’s question, Maric’s expression immediately turned odd, as though it was his first time meeting this Sanguine Viscount.
He quickly restrained the abnormality on the surface and said without emotion, “We need to consider it.
“I hope you can come up with a more convincing plan the next time we meet.”
“No problem.” Emlyn secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
He immediately stood up and bowed gentlemanly.
After deciding on the means of communication, he put on his silk hat and walked out of the room.
Composite Start
Composite End
As he returned to his residence, Emlyn couldn’t help but run through his initial plan.
As long as I complete a cooperative agreement with the demigod of the Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction, I can use it to apply for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact from the Marquises and Dukes of the race…
Using the reason that it’s under the cooperating partner’s behest that they object to having demigods of the race be involved, I can stop them from directly interfering…
Yes, in order to make an agreement, I have to show enough strength to convince Maric and the others… I can only commission the mission at the Tarot Club to see if Ma’am Hermit, Miss Justice, and Mr. Hanged Man are willing to accept the commission. Miss Magician can also be considered. She can summon the projection of Gehrman Sparrow…
The biggest problem now is that I can’t provide enough compensation…
I can only try to make an advance or a promise. Once I become an Earl, I’ll return the payment one by one…
With this in mind, Emlyn suddenly felt thankful that he had joined the Tarot Club.
This was the only organization he knew that could use a future promise to exchange for current material goods.
And within the Sanguine, or in the orthodox Churches, one had to accumulate enough contributions until one reached the end of the line where the characteristics and advancement ritual was awarded. Sometimes, a Beyonder might not be able to accumulate enough contributions in their entire lives.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This is like a credit loan underwritten by Mr. Fool. It can be used to issue missions, and when the advancement succeeds, it can be paid in installments… Emlyn habitually leaned towards the things he was familiar with.
Although he had never borrowed money from the bank, some of the Sanguine had rich experience in such areas and would often talk within their own circles.
Most of them had a fixed, expensive hobby. The precious items might not be liquidated easily at times, so they had no choice but to borrow money from close friends or the bank to ensure the necessary cash flow.
Emlyn remembered that there was a Sanguine who wasn’t good at wealth management. He relied solely on his profession as a doctor to earn money. When he took a fancy to a precious piece of art, he bought it using a loan from the Backlund Bank.
After that, he couldn’t bear to pledge his property up for the mortgage. Exploiting his long life, he spent two hundred years repaying the debt. Of course, in name, his father had died, and the son took over the debt. When the son died, the grandson took over the debt.
Emlyn’s evaluation of this was: very honest.
…
North Borough in Backlund. Outside Saint Samuel Cathedral.
The citizens lined up in rows as they received the grilled bread, dried mushrooms, preserved fruits, and other food from the workers of the Loen Poverty Relief Foundation.
Composite Start
Composite End
Their lines extended from the main entrance of the cathedral all the way to the square and circled it several times. At a glance, it was densely packed with people.
Audrey stood on the steps behind Melissa and took in everything.
She saw the pale faces of the citizens, their eyes filled with longing. Seeing a mother holding a baby in her arms, she anxiously coaxed the child while eagerly observing the line in front of her that didn’t seem to shorten. She saw many people dressed in bright clothes, formal suits, and long skirts. Some of them pressed down their hats and wore veils, as if they didn’t want the people around them to recognize them.
At times, some people didn’t want to keep order and were dragged out by the priests and policemen who were helping to maintain the order. They were thrown to the back of the lines.
As food was delivered, the cloth bags piled behind the long table slowly dwindled until there was none.
Finally, all the food had been distributed, but the long line had only been reduced by half.
The citizens who were unable to receive the help couldn’t resist revealing their disappointment, frustration, and reluctance. However, they didn’t make a scene or argue. They moved their feet mechanically towards other handout points.
They had experienced this many times in the past one or two months. They had long known that unnecessary emotions would only waste the energy they had little of. It would hamper their quick movements to other relief points or fair-price food outlets.
At this moment, their expressions were numb, their eyes vacant as they left the square like a bunch of zombies.
During this process, a woman carrying a child had her legs give way as she fell to the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
Her child started wailing loudly, his voice laced with pain.
As he cried, the child sobbed and said, “Mommy, I’m so hungry…”
“There’ll be food soon. There’ll be food soon. There’s food at Memorial Square…” The woman carried the child and patted his back. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.
Upon seeing this scene, Audrey was just about to say something when she saw Melissa take out a plate of food from a wooden crate under a long table and run towards the mother and son.
“I didn’t see it just now. There’s still one more…” Melissa crouched down and handed the bread, dried mushrooms, and preserved fruit over. Then, she explained in a soft voice, afraid that it would cause a dispute among the citizens.
The rest of the food was actually prepared for the foundation staff who had been busy all this while. The portion that Melissa had given them was hers.
The woman took the food and handed it to the child as she said repeatedly, “Thank you, thank you…”
The child hugged the food tightly and mimicked his mother in his nascent voice, “Thank you, thank you…”
Audrey subconsciously looked around and noticed that the Church’s priests, most of the police, as well as the “Nighthawks” who were mixed among the people to secretly prevent any accidents, were all showing sympathy, pity, and sadness.
After the citizens had left, Audrey picked up her own set of food and handed it to Melissa.
“You deserve it.”
Melissa looked at Miss Hall before her and shook her head.
“I gave my own share.
“Miss Hall, don’t worry. I’ll have food when I get home. My brother is a civil servant…”
With a faint smile, Audrey stuffed the grilled bread, dried mushrooms, and preserved fruits into Melissa’s hands.
“You don’t have to worry about me. My family has prepared snacks for me when I’m out busying myself.”
As she spoke, she took a wooden box from her personal maidservant, Annie, and opened it for Melissa to see.
The wooden box contained exquisite cucumber sandwiches, cream muffins, and a small carrot cake.
A look of astonishment appeared on Melissa’s face. She stared at the snacks for a few seconds before looking up at Miss Audrey Hall.
She immediately lowered her head and, without saying a word, she ate the grilled bread and water that Saint Samuel Cathedral had prepared.
As if “petrified” by her gaze, Audrey held the wooden box and stood rooted to the ground. For a few seconds, she didn’t move and only pursed her lips tightly.
…
After the fifth batch of residents from Moon City received cleansing and treatment and enjoyed the magical mushrooms, this ancient city became a believer of The Fool without any resistance. It welcomed the saint and oracle, Gehrman Sparrow, into the city.
With that, Klein held a large Mass and used the Unshadowed Crucifix and the Life’s Cane to heal the remaining Moon City residents.
High Priest Nim, who had finished his quarantine, came out and respectfully asked at the end of the Mass, “Oracle, what is the complete honorific name of the mighty Lord?”
Klein looked around and said solemnly with his face tightened, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
After giving out the honorific name, he specially emphasized, “Don’t chant the complete honorific name in normal times. Do so only when important matters arise.”
Otherwise, as Mr. Fool, he would suffer a mental breakdown from all the “phone calls from work.”
Nim wasn’t surprised at all, because the ancient sun god was the same.
After some thought, he asked, “What are the requirements for the ritual of the Lord?”
Klein said confidently like a charlatan, “God says: Eighth Commandment: Serve me with your heart, not with your offerings.
“The most important thing for a ritual is to be pious. There are no other requirements. It can be very simple.”
After all, the Lord does not care[1]… After saying that, Klein silently added in his heart.
After explaining this, he raised his right hand and pointed at the pile of mushrooms in front of him.
“The Lord has bestowed these mushrooms to you because he wants you to enjoy a bumper harvest.
“These mushrooms are nourished by the flesh and blood of monsters. They can rapidly grow and accumulate all the toxins, corruption, and madness into those pure black mushrooms. This can be used as a medium for curses or to smear the heads of arrows…”
The Moon City residents listened in excitement as they clasped their hands and bowed their heads, shouting, “Praise be to The Fool!”
At that moment, it was as if Klein could hear countless illusory voices coming from the air. They were mixed with the real praises, circling him and anchoring him.
[1] Quote from The Dark Forest of the Three Body Problem trilogy.
Chapter 1227 Summoning Ritual
After Mass, Klein followed the newly appointed Priest of The Fool, Nim, into the black tower.
With no reservations, Nim gave a detailed description of how many demigods and Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts there were in Moon City.
Three demigods… Five Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts… Moon City isn’t weak at all… As expected of a power that can directly receive a revelation and guard the border… Furthermore, they had people relatively well-distributed across the twenty-two Beyonder pathways in the beginning. They could work together effectively so that some rituals didn’t need any requests for external help or become restricted by the environment… Yes, compared to the City of Silver in how their surroundings is worse and how they do not have Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts to support them, it’s already extraordinary for them to survive to this day… If it wasn’t because they couldn’t find suitable food, they should be able to survive in the darkness for centuries… Klein felt wistful after hearing the introduction.
At this moment, Nim said respectfully, “Oracle, we are willing to sacrifice all the Sealed Artifacts and Beyonder characteristics to the Lord. I wonder which one of them will be more pleasing to him?”
This High Priest had previously mentioned that apart from him, a Nightwatcher, Moon City also had an Iron-blooded Knight and an Imperative Mage. They were respectively the Lightning Priest and Night Priest.
As for the five Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, one of them belonged to the Monster pathway. It seemed to be a portion of Misfortune Mage characteristic mixed with a little of a Chaoswalker’s characteristic. One of them came from Puppet from the Mutant pathway, and the other was bestowed by Red Angel Medici. It allowed everyone to gather all their powers together. One of them was suspected to be the amalgamation of a Bizarro Sorcerer’s characteristic, and there was one of an unknown pathway. It had extremely strong discernment abilities, but it was rather dangerous due to an unknown corruption.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hearing that, Klein’s eyelids twitched as he smiled.
“Serve the Lord with your heart, not with your offerings.
“The Lord accommodates the entire world and doesn’t care about these things.”
Having said that, he paused and said, “Of course, if you don’t mind, you can bring me around for a tour to broaden my horizons.”
“No problem!” Nim answered without hesitation.
He originally imagined that Gehrman Sparrow would take away a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact while taking the tour, but to his surprise, the Oracle only wanted to get a better understanding of the specific situation and had no intention of reaping any benefits. He picked up every Sealed Artifact to take a look but put them back in the end.
After the tour ended, Klein said to the three demigod priests, “The opportunity to leave this cursed land isn’t here yet. You need to hold on for a while longer.
“And I will continue my journey to find other survivors and spread the light of the Lord.”
“Yes, Oracle,” Nim and the other priests replied without any hesitation.
Composite Start
Composite End
With those mushrooms, they would be spared from annihilation for at least another three generations.
After settling the matters in Moon City, Klein walked out into the darkness in his trench coat and top hat.
What he was going to do next was very clear:
Find Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar and hunt for this God of Wishes!
My wish is to obtain the Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic and that “curtain.” I wonder if “He” will be able to help me achieve it… As Klein walked, he made a mockery in his heart.
With him out of sight of Moon City’s residents, he pulled another “him” out of the fog of history.
His main body entered the Historical Void, causing his consciousness to shift to the projection.
This projection also summoned the historical projection of the Staff of the Stars. With its Beyonder powers, he descended directly into the place in his mind:
The completely destroyed northern ancient city, Nois!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After successfully reaching his destination, the projection quickly disappeared, and Klein’s body returned to the wilderness outside Moon City.
Following that, he summoned the Staff of the Stars’s projection and repeated the process, allowing him to instantly reach the Nois ruins.
The main purpose of the Historical Void’s projection was to scout ahead and ensure that the scenes that surfaced in his mind were identical to the real world, without having any discrepancies. This prevented the Staff of the Stars from creating its random effects.
This was the cautiousness of a Scholar of Yore.
…
In the middle of the quiet and dark training grounds of the City of Silver.
Colin Iliad, who was carrying two swords on his back, stood by the side. He watched as Derrick Berg set up the ritual and prayed to Mr. Fool, asking him to send a holy spirit down upon him to provide him with help.
This was different from a normal summoning ritual. The corresponding incantation was more complicated:
“The Great Fool;
Composite Start
Composite End
“You are the ruler above the gray fog;
“You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.”
“I pray for your loving grace.
“I pray for your notice.
“I pray for the power of concealment and change.
“I!
“I summon in the name of the great Fool:
“The Holy Spirit that sees through Everything, the Loving Grace of the King of Yellow and Black, the Traveler from the Dream and Mind.”
As the Jotun words echoed at the altar, the flames at the tip of the candles suddenly expanded, forming an illusory door covered in mysterious patterns.
The door slowly opened and a woman wearing a pure white dress and silver mask walked out. She stepped out of the void and walked across the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
Her hair was red and her eyes were golden. They were limpid and deep, as if they could see through everyone’s hearts.
This was Justice Audrey. She had used Lie to change her height, and a mask to conceal her main features.
She came to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the City of Silver in the form of a Spirit Body.
In fact, the summoning ritual wasn’t complicated at all. Klein had pulled Audrey’s spirit above the gray fog ahead of time. He waited for the Door of Summoning to be established before helping her open it, allowing her to pass through and settle the entire matter.
That also meant that the description of “Holy Spirit that sees through Everything” could equally have changed to “Sleeping Princess, the Holder of the Golden Apple, the Previous Owner of the Crystal Slippers,” and Justice Audrey would still be able to descend. This was dependent on who Klein allowed to pass through the Door of Summoning. After all, the key point of the ritual was to use The Fool’s name for the summoning and using the power of Sefirah Castle to communicate with the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
The silver-masked Audrey secretly surveyed her surroundings. She sized up the lightning-lit sky, the darkness that spelled lurking danger, and the City of Silver’s Chief, Colin Iliad.
She then looked away and nodded at Little Sun.
“We can begin.”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but sigh at his height.
Although this could be seen during the Tarot Gathering, it was still something that left her in a daze when she met him in real life.
She remembered very clearly that The Sun was a few years younger than her. According to Loen’s standards, he was definitely still underage. To her surprise, he was more than two meters tall. This made Audrey, who had used Lie to deliberately increase her height, still have to look up.
Without any hesitation, Derrick relaxed his mind and cast his gaze at the golden potion placed on the altar.
Gradually, he felt a little dazed as scenes involuntarily flashed across his mind.
Scenes of his parents who remained alive inside the coffin;
The silver sword that stabbed down, hard. The blood that splattered and blinded his eyes momentarily.
It was the heartwarming scenes of his family in the past;
It was the City of Silver that was on the verge of collapse in the darkness.
They were teammates who supported each other and watched each others’ backs;
It was the Elders standing in front of everyone, blocking the storm.
It was the repeated curses, the hope he saw in the lightning amidst the darkness;
It was a dream that had existed for more than two thousand years. It was something that generations of people yearned for daily.
The emotions that Derrick was most unwilling to give up were very complicated. It contained his anger towards reality, the fondness of the past, the pain of his circumstances, the repression of history, and the desire to save the City of Silver.
Audrey slowly separated these emotions as though she had experienced the despair and sadness of the City of Silver, experiencing their unity and sacrifices.
Her golden eyes sometimes turned gloomy and heavy, while there were glints at other times, as if she had grabbed something and taken it in; yet, she still remained lost.
After a while, she saw the twelve-white-winged angel of light. This was another response from Mr. Fool to The Sun.
Audrey seized the opportunity and attached all the intense feelings onto the angel phantom, preventing them from disappearing or undergoing a resurgence for a short period of time. By doing so, they didn’t stay completely separate from Derrick’s body.
It’s done. She didn’t open her mouth, but instead, allowed her voice to echo in his heart.
At this moment, Derrick’s eyes became abnormally cold, as if he no longer knew what joy, sadness, pain, and depression were.
He picked up the golden potion in front of him and poured it into his mouth.
This was a demigod potion obtained from shattering the Unshadowed Crucifix.
The Sealed Artifact that originated from the ancient sun god no longer existed. Of course, for Klein, anything he once possessed remained as enduring as the universe.
A hot, violent liquid gushed down Derrick’s throat, instantly filling his entire body and occupying his soul.
Rays of bright sunlight burst out from his body, washing away the remnants of his body’s corruption and the heaviness of his soul.
Derrick’s body became purer and clearer, like a holy spirit formed from pure light.
His self-awareness and emotions were being purified and repelled. It wouldn’t take long for him to only have the instinct to praise the Sun.
At this moment, Audrey no longer let the strong emotions that she had stripped from him remain attached to the angel projection. She guided them back towards Little Sun.
One scene after another surfaced in Derrick’s mind, causing him to experience abnormally complicated emotions.
He once again experienced the pain of personally killing his parents, the despair brought about by the circumstances of the City of Silver, and the joy of receiving Mr. Fool’s loving grace.
This drilled deep into him, becoming a foundation of his mind world. It was very sturdy and very reliable, allowing him to withstand the last few rounds of the potion’s cleansing forces.
Finally, Derrick opened his eyes—it was pure white.
When he saw a ray of light in front of him, he instinctively extended his right hand in an attempt to grab it.
However, the light quickly dimmed and extinguished.
Derrick was stunned for a moment before he clenched his right hand tightly.
Beams of light rose up and enveloped the entire City of Silver.
The legendary noon descended for a brief moment.
All the residents of the City of Silver were stunned by what they saw. This was even more shocking than any of the previous demigods’ advancement.
Sunlight.
It was sunlight that illuminated the entire city.
…
After ending the summoning, Audrey returned above the gray fog.
At that moment, Mr. Fool was no longer around. The ancient palace only had The World Gehrman Sparrow, who had planned on observing the ritual.
“You don’t seem to be in a good state?” asked Klein.
Audrey sat down and smiled.
“I’m just a little edgy, hesitant, and confused.”
“That’s very normal. Before truly making up one’s mind, everyone would behave like this. There are countless people who retreat and regret their decision,” Klein calmly said.
Audrey didn’t directly answer the topic at hand and instead said with a faint smile, “Ever since I became a Spectator, I’ve always displayed what would be the most acceptable side to them in front of others, taking care of their most delicate emotions. This isn’t a bad thing, but this way, I won’t be able to know what I really look like in the eyes of others. I won’t be able to unveil the gorgeous clothes and see the rotting flesh beneath me. I won’t be able to figure out the problem.
“Recently, I’ve been trying to show my true state in some details. I want to see how the people around me will react under such a situation. I want to see if they still think that I’m the kind, amiable, and virtuous young lady.”
At this point, she suddenly fell silent. A few seconds later, she sighed and said, “The gap…”
Chapter 1228 Wishes
Without waiting for The World Gehrman Sparrow to respond, Audrey, who was maintaining her posture, slowly said a few words:
“Heaviness…
“Pain…
“Shame…”
Klein listened silently without commenting on what Miss Justice said. Instead, he asked in a gentle tone that was closer to the image of Dwayne Dantès, “Why do you suddenly want to do such a test?”
“It’s not a test.” Audrey shook her head. “It’s just to reveal the details that I usually hide and avoid. I want to see what I really look like in the eyes of others.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After pausing for a moment, she moved her lips without a smile.
“After our previous conversation, I really am trying to come up with a plan. I plan to secretly do some manipulating, so that the nobles, businessmen, royal family, and the Church can release enough food from their stockpiles.
“Theoretically, this is a simple matter, but when actually trying to put it into action, I realize that I can’t be as determined and decisive as I thought.
“Some of them are my uncles and aunts, some of them are my cousins. Some of them are friends I’ve known since I was young, while others are elders who have been very protective of me. Some of them I often meet with during various charity events and are rather friendly. They formed my childhood and gave me too much. It was a part of my growth, a part of the beautiful memories of my past…
“Besides, the food they accumulated wasn’t stolen. Their explanation is actually reasonable.
“I really can’t do it—to make them my target in an attempt to rob them of a portion of their wealth. At least, it’s like this now.”
As she spoke, Audrey’s voice unknowingly escalated into a crescendo, as if she was arguing with someone.
She then realized that she had lost her composure, and remained silent for two seconds before continuing, “That’s why I want to know more about myself. I want to strip away the false image from our past relationships. Under different circumstances, I want to ask myself what I really want, whether my thoughts in the past were impulsive, hypocritical, and naive, or strong beliefs from my heart.”
At this point, Audrey suddenly smiled.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Although I haven’t come to any conclusions, the attempt has already brought some added benefits.
“I used to think that I had strictly abided by the principle of ‘you’re only acting,’ but now I realize that I’m almost addicted to acting.
“Other pathways require different identities and occupations. The Spectator pathway’s acting is completely consistent with one’s daily life. Sometimes, it’s hard to clearly differentiate between them.
“The simplest example: Who wouldn’t want to be loved by everyone? Hence, when facing different people, I would wear a different mask and use the powers of the Spectator pathway to create an image that suits the other party’s expectations the best. When there are more and more of such things, when you face everyone, you would actually be obsessed with ‘acting.’ You would almost lose yourself.”
Klein nodded slightly and said, “That’s a good lesson.”
He didn’t comment on Miss Justice’s prior words.
After a moment of silence, Audrey slowly said, “During this period of time, I’ve read the East Borough investigation report that my father hired someone to do. I’ve experienced many different things.
“Before the war, many of the poor people, workers, and farmers have lived lives that are as difficult as the lives today. They’ve been in constant hunger and pain. The changes to the Poor Law, and the strict laws about the working hours and environment, has indeed brought about some improvement to the management of the pollution in the air, but just a little…
“After the war ends, and if—if we overcome the apocalypse, will such things happen again?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As she spoke, Audrey pursed her lips tightly and fell into silence.
Klein could sense Miss Justice’s confusion and perplexity. After some deliberation, he didn’t say the answer in his heart. He said in a deep voice, “These questions of yours, including what you said about your true thoughts, require you to find the answers yourself. No one can replace you.
“I can only give you some advice. Go to the fields and take a look at the hardworking farmers. Go to the factories and take a look at the diligent workers. Go to the East district and experience them. Go to the library and read through the past newspapers and other related works.”
Audrey listened attentively and nodded seriously.
“I will try.”
She immediately stood up and bowed towards the end of the long, mottled table. Although Mr. Fool had left, she believed that “He” was watching.
Just as she was waiting for Mr. Fool to send her back to the real world, The World suddenly said, “Hold on.”
“Oh?” Audrey expressed her curiosity with a nasal grunt.
Klein looked at her and conjured a piece of paper.
Composite Start
Composite End
“This is the description of a Mythical Creature’s character and behaviors. I hope you can provide me with some help. Based on this analysis, determine what kind of reactions ‘He’ will carry out in different situations.”
“Alright.” Audrey did not refuse and agreed.
After she took the piece of paper and finished reading the content, Klein deliberated and said, “Regarding what you just said, I have another suggestion:
“There are two types of questions that you have. Some of them are indeed very pressing, while the others are not. You can wait for things to calm down and do a deeper investigation. Well, once a person is anxious, they will easily make mistakes. It’s best you be clear about the differences.”
Audrey thought for a moment and nodded solemnly.
“I understand.”
After responding, she suddenly laughed.
“I thought you called me at the last moment to give me your blessings, hoping that I will still love this world after seeing the world as it is.”
Klein was first taken aback before he asked with a smile, “You seem to have read a lot of Emperor Roselle’s novels?”
“He’s an outstanding novelist and also a very complicated and contradictory person,” Audrey said with a faint smile.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein nodded indiscernibly and spoke slowly, “If I wanted to give you my blessings, I wouldn’t have said that.
“I would have said, I hope that you will still love your family and friends after seeing them as they are.”
Audrey was taken aback as her lips quivered, as though she was repeating the words.
After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and said with a slightly hoarse voice, “Thank you…”
…
Sonia Sea, in the waters of the Rorsted Archipelago.
The Blue Avenger led a pirate fleet through the battlefield that was ravaged by war.
Suddenly, a huge fireball flew over from nowhere. Intertwined silver beams split apart the surface of the sea, creating a passageway that didn’t originally exist. Surrounded by the massive waves on both sides, it pointed straight at the Blue Avenger.
Alger Wilson, who was standing at the bow, raised his right hand without a change in expression when he saw this scene.
A violent hurricane suddenly appeared, sweeping up the azure-blue seawater and curling up the silver rays, like a long snake that shot into the sky, colliding with the huge fireball.
Boom!
The water splashed down like rain.
Alger immediately locked onto a battleship, opened his mouth, and let out an angry roar.
With a boom, the boat was suddenly lifted into the air by a ferocious wave.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Blue Avenger’s cannons automatically fired as a series of salvos echoed continuously.
Realizing that the Beyonder on the other party’s warship was trying to use the force of the fireball’s detonation to allow the ship to drift sideways, Alger suddenly pulled down his right hand.
A thick bolt of silver lightning struck down, charring the Beyonder’s body as he constantly convulsed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As artillery shells hit their target, the ship disintegrated in midair.
At that instant, Alger felt a little dazed. He couldn’t help but look down at his right hand.
This is the power of a Cataclysmic Interrer. Is this how it feels to be a demigod? He sighed in his heart in a somewhat intoxicated manner before quickly snapping back to his senses. He got the Blue Avenger to pursue the enemy.
An hour later, the intense sea battle was over. Loen’s side had once again secured the Rorsted Archipelago.
Alger was in a rather good mood. After returning to the port on the Blue Avenger, he called the sailors down and headed for one of the few bars that still remained open for business.
Loen had already issued an alcohol ban during wartime as a way to add to the food rationing efforts. But to sailors, alcohol was indispensable. Therefore, in the area controlled by the Church of the Lord of Storms, the restrictions in this area weren’t too strict. Furthermore, the Rorsted Archipelago had plenty of produce and there weren’t too many people. The shipping lines were under control, so their food supply hadn’t been disrupted.
After walking for a distance, Alger’s gaze suddenly froze.
The street in front of him had been hit, and many houses had already collapsed. One of them had a huge crater in a concrete field, while the four-story building beside it was left in ruins.
The smile on Alger’s face gradually disappeared.
…
On Monday afternoon, 3:00 p.m. Backlund time.
Dark red beams of light shot up from both sides of the long bronze table, coagulating into blurry figures.
After all the members bowed to Mr. Fool, the gathering’s transaction segment began since there weren’t any more Roselle diary pages or accumulated questions.
Emlyn immediately sat up straight and surveyed the area.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have a commission.”
“Which Shaman King do you wish to hunt?” Cattleya asked according to her understanding of Mr. Moon.
“…” Emlyn took two seconds to digest her question. He maintained his elegant smile and said, “You guessed correctly.”
Cattleya nodded slightly and said, “What kind of payment can you provide?”
Emlyn was once again at a loss for words, a little embarrassed to say what he had prepared to say.
At this moment, The World at the bottom end of the long bronze table suddenly said, “You found someone from the Rose School of Thought temperance faction to cooperate with?”
Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief.
“That’s right.”
“Then I can take on this commission.” As this was related to Miss Messenger, Miss Sharron, and Maric, Klein controlled The World to take the initiative to accept the mission. “Of course, this requires a certain medium.”
Without waiting for Emlyn to respond, he made Gehrman Sparrow look at Miss Magician.
“Make some preparations in advance.”
??? Fors, who had been watching the entire thing play out like a performance, wore a blank look on her face.
Chapter 1229 Collective Wisdom
Seeing that Miss Magician had yet to react, Klein made The World add, “You don’t need to be there. Just summon my historical projection in advance.”
“…Alright!” Fors nodded hurriedly.
At that moment, because Gehrman Sparrow had accepted his mission, Emlyn clearly relaxed.
From what he knew, this meant that the success rate of the matter had skyrocketed.
In the next second, The World looked at him and hoarsely asked, “What kind of payment can you provide?”
Emlyn fell silent for two seconds before saying with his eyes darting upwards slightly, “Once I become a Shaman King, I’ll provide a free promise on similar matters.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, I only want the Shaman King’s Beyonder characteristic. The members of the Rose School of Thought temperance faction should have a clear goal. The rest will be yours.”
Mr. Moon isn’t very stolid. He doesn’t have much confidence… Through his actions and words, Audrey came to a conclusion.
This fellow, Emlyn, has learned how to use “consumption loans”… Klein secretly laughed and made The World indifferently reply:
“It looks like you can only afford a demigod like me.”
If Mr. Moon can provide a large amount of food, I don’t mind participating… Justice Audrey mumbled inwardly.
However, she didn’t need to say anything to know what Mr. Moon would say.
Why would we Sanguine be hoarding so many snacks?
To the Sanguine, their staple was the blood of humans with abundant spirituality. Bread and meat products were all non-essentials.
Seeing that The World Gehrman Sparrow didn’t reject his offer, Emlyn secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
Composite Start
Composite End
“What other requests do you have? I’ll try my best to fulfill them.”
Gehrman Sparrow thought for a moment before saying, “Give me a mystical item or a Sealed Artifact that can greatly increase the wielder’s spirituality for a short period of time.”
This was for Miss Magician, allowing her to maintain the Historical Void projection for a few more minutes. And there was no doubt that the Moon domain had such Beyonder powers. For example, the Scarlet Scholar could create a full moon state, allowing their spirituality to be enhanced.
Phew… Emlyn quickly nodded.
“Alright, no problem.”
Seeing that the human and vampire had come to an agreement, Fors hurriedly raised her hand and said, “No Full Moon.”
That way, ignoring the enhancement of her spirituality, she would be considered lucky if she didn’t die on the spot. After all, the higher the Sequence, the clearer one could hear Mr. Door’s ravings. Fors had long since advanced from Sequence 6 Scribe to Sequence 5 Traveler.
Emlyn also knew about Miss Magician’s “full moon curse,” so he had no questions about it. He acknowledged tersely, indicating that he had taken note.
At this moment, Alger, who was listening to the completed transaction beside him, said in thought, “Although the Beyonders of the Rose School of Thought are easily controlled by their emotions and instincts, this didn’t mean that their brains had already disappeared along with their zombification. Even if they’re gone, they still have members of the Moon domain.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Since their demigods were directly involved in the Southern Continent’s war and have exposed their locations, they wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of an attack from the Sanguine and temperance faction. I believe there’s a high chance of them laying a trap.”
“That’s right.” Leonard echoed, “Many dossiers indicate that, although the Beyonders of the Rose School of Thought are well known for indulging themselves in bloodshed, cruelty, and desires, they still act very meticulously. Their actions show certain cunningness and sinisterness.”
Xio glanced at her friend and said, “I encountered a supernatural incident involving the Rose School of Thought two months ago. The target was obviously deceived and fell into a trap.”
The World Gehrman Sparrow listened attentively before scoffing. He then said to Emlyn, “Which Shaman King is your target?”
Emlyn didn’t hide anything.
“The Shaman King who led the natives from East Balam’s North Olite County to attack the Loen’s main colonial city.”
Upon hearing this, a thought flashed across Klein’s mind:
The Mother Tree of Desire doesn’t seem to want the Goddess to control the Uniqueness of the Death pathway. “She” was driving the natives and using the war to waver the fundamental faith of the Church of Evernight in the Southern Continent.
As this thought flashed through his mind, he made The World Gehrman Sparrow look at Emlyn and chuckle.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Then my target will be another Shaman King. This has nothing to do with your operation.”
There was no need for him to be too direct. Emlyn, Cattleya, and company quickly understood his plan.
This was a simple plan:
Gehrman Sparrow hunted another Shaman King and took the initiative to step into a trap to attract the hidden forces of the Rose School of Thought. And at that moment, the Moon and the Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction would take the opportunity to attack the real target.
“Isn’t this too dangerous?” Emlyn subconsciously replied.
The danger was of course directed to Gehrman Sparrow who would be walking into a trap.
The World Gehrman Sparrow replied very calmly, “It will just be a historical projection.”
If he dies, so be it…
Upon hearing such an answer, Emlyn, Leonard, and the other members of the Tarot Club were at a loss as to what expression to show as a response. It was unknown if they should reflect on the fact that Sequence 3 demigods were different, or be envious that Scholars of Yore had such Beyonder powers.
Klein continued to let The World speak, “If the Rose School of Thought has any doubts about my sudden attack, and only divert a portion of their strength to stop me so as to still maintain a relatively complete trap, then I will try to hunt that Shaman King seriously and turn the false target into the true target. After all, all you want is the corresponding items. You don’t care who the original owner is.”
Composite Start
Composite End
A simple but effective plan… The key point is that Gehrman Sparrow has to have a strength that exceeds his limits, one that can put up resistance even when facing an angel… Audrey learned from him seriously and evaluated this inwardly.
Emlyn no longer had any doubts. After some thought, he said, “Before the official operation, I need to meet with the members of the Rose School of Thought temperance faction to finalize the details.”
The World Gehrman Sparrow nodded and said, “Make arrangements for it.”
After the exchange, Klein made The World conjure a paper stack and distributed it to the members of the Tarot Club.
“Some existences and I will be dealing with a Mythical Creature. You can raise your opinion and share your thoughts.”
The piece of paper was written with the character and actions of the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, as well as the various analysis Miss Justice had made.
He hoped that he could find inspiration through different people with their different personalities and knowledge.
Mythical Creature… The World has set his sights on Mythical Creatures? Alger, who had been much quieter than usual, couldn’t help but look at the bottom end of the long bronze table.
Although he was already mentally prepared for this, he felt that he wouldn’t be surprised even if The World Gehrman Sparrow suddenly called himself an angel. However, when he realized that the other party was really targeting a Mythical Creature, he couldn’t help but feel a little shocked and perturbed.
Cattleya had similar feelings as well, but she immediately recalled the Snake of Fate, the Death Consul, and the Ancient Bane.
This matched the Gehrman Sparrow’s words of “some existences.”
It was very normal for three angels and a Sequence 3 Blessed to hunt a Mythical Creature!
One by one, they retracted their gazes from the bottom end of the long, mottled table, and they began reading the information in their hands seriously.
At this moment, as they weren’t involved in the commission or involved in a transaction, nor were they sharing information; yet, the members of the Tarot Club had a baffling feeling of working together for one common goal. They felt like they were starting to feel like an organization.
After reading the contents, Alger was the first to speak.
“According to Miss Justice’s analysis, no bait will trap that paranoid Mythical Creature. It will only push ‘Him’ to escape further.
“Under the situation of ‘Him’ suspected to wield a Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic, ‘He’ really doesn’t need to chase after other things. Advancing ‘Himself’ is the most important thing at hand. If you want to deal with ‘Him,’ we can only consider it from this point of view.”
Upon hearing this, Xio said from a professional point of view, “But this Mythical creature is very cautious. ‘He’ doesn’t leave any clues behind. And according to the intel, the location ‘He’ can use to prepare for the Sequence 1 ritual isn’t actually restricted in an environment like the Forsaken Land of the Gods.”
“Yes, there are too many monsters for ‘Him’ to use.” Derrick confirmed what Miss Judgment had said.
There was silence immediately. Leonard thought for a moment and said, “Can we rely on the law of Beyonder characteristics convergence?”
As he spoke, he looked at Klein Moretti.
“That Mythical Creature seems to be from the same pathway as you.”
“Just relying on the effect that comes from the convergence of Beyonder characteristic at this level to ‘chance’ upon this Mythical Creature might take a year or two, perhaps even longer. Furthermore, the other party is a complete Mythical Creature. ‘He’ has the ability to cause some interference.” Klein overruled Leonard’s suggestion.
Of course, if he augmented the power of Sefirah Castle onto himself, he might be able to meet the Dark Demonic Wolf the next time he used the Staff of the Stars’s random teleportation. However, the problem was that if that happened, the chances of a “coincidental encounter” with Amon would be much, much higher. This was the standard way of knocking on death’s door.
After hearing everyone’s discussion, Cattleya said in thought according to what the Queen found taboo, “Can we use this Mythical Creature’s honorific name to establish a connection?”
If the Dark Demonic Wolf hadn’t been tracked by Amon in the past, that might have been possible. But now, what can be thought must have been thought of by Amon. Under such circumstances, the fact that the Dark Demonic Wolf hasn’t perished implies that “He” is wary of such matters… The World Gehrman Sparrow slowly shook his head.
“With ‘His’ paranoid character, ‘He’ definitely wouldn’t respond automatically.”
Just as he said that, he suddenly had an idea.
Not receiving a response from the Dark Demonic Wolf didn’t mean that “He” wouldn’t pay attention to the corresponding prayer light!
Chapter 1230 Meeting Again
As he had personal experience, Klein placed himself in the shoes of the Dark Demonic Wolf and pondered.
Usually, he would shut down the automatic prayer response to prevent an enemy from using the feedback to establish a connection and lock onto his position;
Under this premise, to receive a sudden prayer from a stranger would no doubt lead to “Him” relying on the corresponding point of light to observe the supplicant and grasp more information. This allowed “Him” to make preparations for what might happen in the future;
If the person chanting the honorific name was a powerful existence like Amon or someone relatively more familiar, it would be best to destroy that point of light immediately. However, if the person was a stranger, under such a situation where “He” was completely safe, “He” would monitor him for a long period of time to understand the exact situation and see if there was a need for a counterattack. It was something that every rational creature would most likely do. At the very least, Klein would do so.
The essence of this matter was that non-Mythical Creatures were marked by high-level existences. They could die in a baffling and tragic manner at any moment. To the supplicant, this was equivalent to suicide or something even more terrifying. To the Dark Demonic Wolf, it was only a positive outcome, nothing negative.
At the beginning, the suspicious Dark Demonic Wolf would definitely suspect that there was a conspiracy. “He” wouldn’t dare to establish a connection and influence Klein from a distance. However, with the passage of time, as the observations deepened and a confirmation was made that the other party was a non-angel weakling who possessed the aura of Sefirah Castle with signs of being unprepared, “He” would definitely find an opportunity to attack from afar. At the time when Klein was most unprepared, “He” would mark the prayer light and deal a remote attack.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This aligned with Klein’s previous conclusion about his advantage that Klein—”I’m very weak.”
The only problem with this plan was that the initiative was completely in the hands of the Dark Demonic Wolf. Everything Klein did would be monitored, and there was no way to prepare ahead of time. Once the other party tried to exert “His” influence on him, he would not be able to fight back and wouldn’t be spared.
Phew, by doing so, I would successfully bait the prey, but kill the hunter as a result… It’s meaningless… Yet, if I don’t place myself in such a passive position, it will be difficult to bait an angel of the Seer pathway, the paranoid demonic wolf… This is something that a marionette or others cannot do in my stead… If only I can be certain that the Dark Demonic Wolf wouldn’t rashly attack remotely because of “His” paranoia and will only choose to monitor and observe… Thoughts raced through Klein’s mind as he sought out the possibilities amongst numerous impossibilities.
With regards to this, he could only sigh inwardly, feeling regretful for not being an angel from the Spectator pathway.
According to his assumptions, the angels of the Spectator pathway would more or less have some special characteristics of “the more others know about you, the more you understand them.” When the Dark Demonic Wolf monitored him closely through prayer light and ended up carefully observing an angel from the Spectator pathway, “His” position would undoubtedly be exposed to the other party.
Unfortunately, I’m not… Besides, the Spectator pathway’s Sequence 2 might not be able to do so. I can only be certain that a Sequence 1 has this special trait… Summoning 0-08 from the fog of history? No, let’s not talk about whether I can summon that quill without Groselle’s Travels. Even if I successfully create a projection, the quill is a quill while I am still myself. The Dark Demonic Wolf’s understanding of me doesn’t make 0-08 do the reverse. Also, I can only use it for a mere two minutes. It wouldn’t be enough to sense anything… It can be used as supplementary to the plan, writing the development I wish to see happen, making the Dark Demonic Wolf’s “choice” appear reasonable so as to eliminate uncertain elements… Klein considered for a long while, but he failed to find a suitable plan to bait his prey.
Apart from feeling regretful that he wasn’t a Sequence 1 angel of the Spectator pathway, he had also thought of the cosmos:
Just learning of it would result in corruption from the cosmos!
If I had the nature of the cosmos, then after the Dark Demonic Wolf uses the prayer point of light to monitor me, “He” would be corrupted, allowing me to lock onto “His” position. However, the cosmos’s nature is higher than that of an angel. How could I have it… I keep feeling like I’ve forgotten something… Klein made The World Gehrman Sparrow shake his head indiscernibly as he surveyed the area.
Composite Start
Composite End
“There’s no need to discuss the answer now. You can go back and communicate with the right person with suitable methods.”
He focused his attention on The Star Leonard and The Hermit Cattleya, hoping that they would be able to get advice from the existences that were more experienced such as Pallez Zoroast and Queen Mystic Bernadette.
As for himself, he would return to Backlund with the aid of the historical projection. He would seek advice from Miss Messenger, Will Auceptin, and the ascetic, Arianna.
This is what it means to seek the opinions of angels or quasi-Angels before making a major decision… Klein made a self-deprecatory comment.
When Leonard and Cattleya heard that, they nodded in unison.
“Alright.”
Following that, the members of the Tarot Club began discussing the situations of the various battlefields until the end of the gathering.
…
After returning to the real world, Leonard, who was resting in Saint Samuel Cathedral’s basement, spoke in a low voice, explaining all the questions that Klein had posed to him and said, “Old Man, do you have any suggestions?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“This is him trying to obtain the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic left behind in the Forsaken Land of the Gods…” Pallez Zoroast was first enlightened before he chuckled. “Tell your former colleague that there’s no way he can resolve this matter himself. I only have one suggestion. That is to seek help from The Fool!”
Leonard knew Old Man’s character very well. He hurriedly asked, “Is this really the only suggestion?”
Pallez Zoroast harrumphed and said, “That’s a Mythical Creature that even Amon can’t capture. It’s possible only by relying on The Fool’s help.”
Only then did Leonard nod and sigh.
“It seems that’s the only way…”
…
Two days later, two minutes before the meeting time that The Moon Emlyn had agreed to meet Maric.
Fors sat on a reclining chair beside the fireplace and listened to the commotion on the second floor. She cast her gaze at her friend, Xio.
“If the war continues, Backlund will definitely suffer more attacks. Are you really not going to evacuate your mother and brother to the surrounding villages?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio’s short, light-blonde hair was parted in an asymmetrical fashion and was neatly combed. Compared to last year, she looked more serious and had the bearing of an adjudicator. She was like a high-ranking knight leading an order of knights.
She hesitantly said, “The population in the surrounding villages has reached its limit. Besides, I can still get enough food from MI9 now.”
Having said that, she paused and said, “If the flames of war really reach Backlund, take them ‘Traveling’ to Intis and Feynapotter…”
“It seems that’s the only way…” Just as Fors was about to mention the matter of her buying food in Intis a few days ago, she suddenly heard the alarm ring.
She shivered and suddenly sat up straight. She stretched out her right hand, which was wearing a red string, and grabbed into the air.
Her arm sank as she pulled out Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a silk top hat and a black trench coat without glasses.
The cold adventurer’s eyes rolled and gained consciousness, reducing the amount of spirituality that Miss Magician had to expend.
He nodded gently as he made the glove on his left hand become transparent.
In less than a second, Gehrman Sparrow “Teleported” away and disappeared from Fors and Xio’s rented apartment.
“…” Fors was stunned for a moment before the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She turned to Xio and said, “I think I’m just a tool…”
Composite Start
Composite End
…
The sky was already dark, but the street lamps weren’t lit up. Only the crimson moon illuminated the entire city.
When Klein arrived at the agreed-upon place, he looked around and saw the unusually cold streets, the burning marks on the walls, and the collapsed buildings not far away for a few seconds.
Just based on what he saw, Backlund was desolate and dilapidated. It even had the smell of gunpowder wafting through the city.
At this moment, Emlyn White walked out of an alley and nodded at the crazy adventurer.
According to Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions, he didn’t say a word or bow. To prevent any delay in whatever precious time Gehrman Sparrow had, he led him to a nearby house and knocked on the door rhythmically.
With a creak, the door opened automatically, revealing a dark environment blanketed with faint moonlight.
The moment Emlyn and Klein entered, they saw the white-shirt and black-vested Maric sitting on the sofa. The door behind them seemed to have a life of its own as it slammed to a close.
After taking a glance at him, Emlyn smiled and pointed at him.
“This is my partner, Mr. Gehrman Sparrow.”
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that the way Maric looked at him was even odder, as though he was examining an idiot.
“Long time no see.” Maric immediately stood up, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed at Sherlock Moriarty.
Since the other party didn’t appear in the image of Sherlock Moriarty, he definitely wouldn’t take the initiative to mention such matters.
“Long time no see.” Klein took off his hat and surveyed the area. “Miss Sharron, please come out for the discussion. I have limited time.”
As he spoke, he took out a silver adventurer’s harmonica and blew into it.
A figure wearing a dark and complicated long dress holding four blonde, red-eyed heads walked out from the void.
The messenger summoned by the harmonica’s historical projection was an objective existence. It didn’t increase the spirituality burden of Fors.
At the same time, Maric nodded and said, “Alright.”
He cast his gaze on the high stool on the other side of the room.
Emlyn looked at the Wraith in a daze, then at Gehrman Sparrow and the spirit world creature he summoned. For some reason, he felt like he had been ostracized and didn’t belong here.
And on that high stool, a figure quickly outlined itself. Her skin was fair like a doll, and she wore an exquisite black regal dress and a small bonnet of the same color. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were slightly pale in color.
Chapter 1231 “Visiting“ Everywhere
Emlyn subconsciously looked at the high stool on the other side of the room, and saw the “exquisite doll.”
His eyes immediately revealed a look of amazement, admiration, ardor, and other mixed emotions. He opened his mouth and almost blurted out the question of where he could buy such a doll and who was the master behind this piece of work.
However, he was already an adult and had experienced plenty of things. He knew that bringing up such a question was very impolite, so he planned to find an opportunity to ask after the discussion on serious matters were finished.
Sharron frowned indiscernibly as her body floated up. She bowed at Reinette Tinekerr and Sherlock Moriarty.
“There’s no need for small talk,” Klein said simply. “Our initial plan is this…”
He shared how he would let his historical projection take the initiative to step into a trap to attract the attention of the Rose School of Thought and described it in detail.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Sharron with her black bonnet listened quietly and said with a slightly ethereal voice, “They might not fall for it.
“After realizing that you are the attacker, that Shaman King will likely choose to retreat under the protection of Sealed Artifacts or angels.”
This way, it could only implicate a portion of the Rose School of Thought’s strength.
Without waiting for Klein and Emlyn to respond, Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads opened their mouths and said at a faster pace, “Their…” “Main…” “Target…” “Should… “Likely…” “Be…” “Me…”
Emlyn was a little lost hearing this, but he could roughly tell that the spirit world creature that Gehrman Sparrow had summoned had quite a status. Furthermore, it had a deep relationship with the Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction.
That’s right… Even if the Mother Tree thinks highly of me, the setup would most likely attract Miss Messenger… After a moment of silence, Klein gave an addendum:
“Madam, you and I will attack the other Shaman King in the form of Historical Void projections.”
“…” Gehrman Sparrow is very respectful towards this spirit world creature… Just as this thought flashed through Emlyn’s mind, he saw the eight eyes on the four heads sweep at him.
He shivered and instinctively joined in the discussion.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Can this fool those from the Rose School of Thought?”
Since Klein had suggested that, he must have thought of a corresponding solution.
“I have an item that can be lent to Miss Tinekerr.”
Having said that, he looked at Reinette Tinekerr and said, “That item can mimic the Beyonder powers that surface in your mind.
“I hope you can use it to summon your past self, then move yourself into a concealed state and inject your consciousness into the projection. This way, the Rose School of Thought won’t be able to discover anything abnormal in a short period of time. It’s very likely that they will fall for it and gather all their strength to surround and kill you and me, allowing Miss Sharron and Emlyn to find a chance to launch a surprise attack.
“If they’re more cautious than I thought…”
Klein paused for a moment before revealing a smile.
“In that short period of time, if you join forces with me in your peak condition, there is a chance of killing the Shaman King despite him being under the protection of a Sealed Artifact.
“Now, the main point is, do you know enough about the Beyonder powers to summon Historical Void projections, as well as entering into a concealed state?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I can demonstrate the former to you, but I will think of a way for the latter.”
Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads shook up and down at the same time.
“I…” “Can…” “No…” ” Problem…”
“That’s the general gist of it. You can confirm the details in the next few days.” Klein silently estimated the time, as if he made his delivery succinct.
Sharron nodded indiscernibly and said, “The most important thing is intel. Teacher can provide a portion of it. The rest can be obtained through magic mirror divination.”
Maric echoed, “I remember the symbol you drew back then.”
She also remembered that the question posed by the hidden existence didn’t violate much of her privacy, and didn’t bring about too much shame.
Emlyn thought for a moment and carefully asked, “How do we communicate on both sides?
“If we can’t grasp the timing accurately, the plan will definitely fail.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The Blood Clan’s Oath of Rose was unable to transmit what they saw and heard at such a great distance.
Sharron glanced at Reinette Tinekerr and said, “Teacher’s main body can stay on our side. Ten seconds after ‘She’ enters a concealed state, we will take action.
“Once ‘She’ exits the concealed state, we will immediately leave regardless of whether we succeed.”
“She”… Emlyn jumped in fright as he instinctively turned his head to look at Gehrman Sparrow.
He remembered very clearly that “She” was summoned by Mr. World.
How terrifying… Emlyn didn’t know if he was referring to the spirit world creature or Gehrman Sparrow.
“After the intelligence gathering is done, you can communicate again.” Seeing that it was almost time, Klein took off his hat and bade farewell.
Emlyn’s lips quivered, but he didn’t ask anything in the end. He followed Gehrman Sparrow out of the house where Sharron and Maric were.
Miss Messenger actually didn’t ask for any gold coins… This is because I’m helping “Her.” If “She” really wants payment, all the gold coins I have are historical projections. I can only rely on Emlyn… I have to say, the Bangle of Spirituality that Emlyn provided to Miss Magician has pretty good effects. On the one hand, it can strengthen Miss Magician’s spirituality, and on the other hand, it can speed up her spirituality recovery, allowing her to last this long… Just as the thoughts ran through Klein’s mind, he heard Emlyn asked in puzzlement, “That ma’am—uh, Miss Sharron is a Sequence 4 demigod of the Mutant pathway?”
“That’s right. The potion’s name is Puppet,” Klein kindly informed him.
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn was instantly enlightened as he fell silent for two seconds before saying with a complicated expression, “If only she didn’t speak or move, then she would be perfect.”
…If it wasn’t for the fact that a Clown could be described as a master in terms of expression management, Klein nearly spewed a mouthful of water at Emlyn.
He thought that the other party would praise Miss Sharron’s beauty and doll-like characteristics, showing his infatuation and fervor, but in the end…
I can’t understand what’s on this fellow’s mind… After controlling his urge to spew out whatever was in his mouth, Klein sighed inwardly.
Emlyn glanced at him and seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. He scoffed and said, “Which two things do you like the most?”
With Gehrman Sparrow’s character, he wouldn’t have answered such a mundane question. However, he was still Sherlock Moriarty—a friend of the vampire in front of him. After some thought, he walked into the alley and casually said, “Money and delicacies.”
“Then, I’ll give you a stack of edible gold pounds. Would you like it?” Emlyn asked further as he walked beside Gehrman Sparrow without any fear of the crazy adventurer like Miss Magician.
Klein imagined it and felt that this would taint the value of the gold pounds, but also caused the delicacies to lose their attractiveness. Hence, he slowly shook his head.
“So…” The corners of Emlyn’s mouth curled up. “Although I also like exquisite, beautiful dolls and pure girls, if they were to combine together, it would inevitably make me find it a little odd. Yes, I believe that every doll of mine has their own character and story. If they suddenly come to life and not be like what I imagined. I would be very disappointed and worried… Of course, if I had the chance to obtain the Puppet potion and sprinkle some on all my puppets, I might try it…”
As Emlyn spoke of his contradictory thoughts, he acted like a philosopher.
If Miss Justice were here, she should be able to analyze Emlyn’s mental state from such a reaction… Before he could respond, Klein’s figure instantly faded and vanished.
…
In the rental apartment where Fors and Xio lived.
In front of the fireplace, Fors leaned back against the reclining chair with a pale face. She pulled up the wool blanket covering her body and, with the help of Cogitation, entered a deep sleep.
Two hours later, she woke up feeling energized, but there was still some fatigue on her face.
This Miss Magician took a slow, deep breath and extended her hand again, pulling Gehrman Sparrow out of the air in front of her.
Half of her demigod-level “Records” were the summoning of Historical Void projections.
Klein glanced at her. This time, without even nodding his head, he directly “Teleported” out of the house and entered an empty room in a hotel.
Two hours ago, he had been busy with Emlyn and Miss Sharron’s matters. This time, he had “returned” to Backlund for himself.
Without wasting any time, Klein immediately took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew it.
When Miss Messenger stepped out of the void once again, Klein recounted how he wanted to hunt the Dark Demonic Wolf and finally asked, “Do you have any suggestions?”
Reinette Tinekerr’s four blonde, red-eyed heads bobbed up and down at the same time.
“Sefirah Castle!”
In essence, it’s the same as Pallez Zoroast’s answer… Klein pressed curiously, “How?”
“I don’t know!” Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads answered in unison.
Klein silently exhaled and thanked “Her.”
“Sorry to trouble you.
“You can leave now.”
The blonde, red-eyed heads held by Reinette Tinekerr immediately replied:
“Bill…” “Records…” “For…” “1351…”
“September…” “For…” “Gehrman… “Sparrow…”
“Owes…” “Me…” “One…” “Gold coin…”
With that said, “She” turned transparent and returned to the spirit world.
“…” Klein was stunned for two seconds before he slowly took out his wallet from his inner pocket and picked up a paper crane.
“I have some questions to ask of you.” He wrote on the paper crane he carried with him.
After doing all of this, Klein lay on the bed and fell asleep.
In the hazy dream world, he once again saw Will Auceptin, who was lying in a black pram and wrapped in silver silk.
You’re already over a year old. Do you still think you’re a baby that’s a few months old? Pretending that he didn’t see him sucking his fingers, Klein quickly described his conundrum.
The plump Will Auceptin retracted his thumb and sized up Klein.
“Isn’t the answer obvious?”
“Ah?” Klein was pleasantly surprised and puzzled.
Will Auceptin smiled and said, “You must’ve been eating too few desserts recently, causing your memory to be bad… Do you still remember what happens to a Beyonder below an angel of the Fate pathway when they see you directly?”
This… Klein’s eyes lit up.
Chapter 1232 Comparison Experiments
After becoming a demigod and gaining some level of control over Sefirah Castle, Klein was able to prevent its aura from permeating out into the real world and augmenting him. This made him stop considering similar problems. After all, this would result in abnormalities, causing him to be recognized by the Beyonders of the “Fate” pathway at a glance—it was rather unsafe. And at this moment, once he received Will Auceptin’s reminder, he felt that it opened up new possibilities.
When I was only a subsidiary to Sefirah Castle and only had the right to use it, the aura and projection of Sefirah Castle made a saint of the Fate pathway not dare to look at me directly. I was equivalent to a Mythical Creature in the eyes to the corresponding Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders. Now that I have initial control over Sefirah Castle, there’s a high chance I can make the “effects” better… This can affect angels who are complete Mythical Creatures “Themselves”? Sefirah Castle’s level reaches that of Sequence 0 at the very least? Yes, according to my deductions, it might even be higher than Sequence 0… It has the trait that just knowing of it will result in corruption? Klein’s mind whirred with activity as though streaks of lightning were flashing across his mind.
He quickly made up his mind. After returning to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, he would find the monsters in the depths of the darkness and do some experiments with the marionettes in the fog of history, so as to deduce if his idea worked.
He smiled and said to the one-year-old child in the black pram, “I understand what you mean. I’ll get someone to send you ice-cream soon.”
Will Auceptin, who was wrapped in silver silk, slowly turned his head and looked to the side.
“No, there’s no need.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ve been eating too much ice-cream during this period of time, and it’s starting to affect my body’s development…”
Klein pricked up his brows and asked, “Genuine, top-grade ice-cream produced right from the Intis capital, Trier.”
“…Give it to me next week.” Will Auceptin hesitated before answering.
With that said, the plump one-year-old child turned around and buried his face into a tiny pillow in the pram.
Due to the limited time Miss Magician had at maintaining the Historical Void projection, Klein didn’t say anything else. Using his unique trait, he forcefully escaped the dream and woke up before getting out of bed.
Right on the heels of that, he stretched out his right hand and repeatedly pulled at the air.
Four to five times later, his arm sank as he dragged out a woman wearing a simple linen robe with a tree bark belt. She was barefooted and had long black hair. She was a lady with average looks.
The leader of the ascetics of the Church of Evernight, Servant of Concealment, Arianna!
At the same moment, in Hillston Borough, in an apartment, Fors, who was sitting in a reclining chair, seemed to be pulled by invisible threads as she sat up abruptly. Her body straightened as the blood vessels on her forehead throbbed.
Composite Start
Composite End
She felt that her spirituality was like a flood that flowed towards the void in front of her, one that she couldn’t stop no matter how hard she tried. She was on the brink of being sucked dry.
In the next second, this sudden surge eased quite a bit, but it remained frightening. It wasn’t something that she could handle now.
In a hotel room, Klein spoke succinctly once he saw the Historical Void projection of Ma’am Arianna gaining sentience.
“I plan on cooperating with others to deal with a particular Shaman King of the Rose School of Thought.”
Arianna nodded gently, indicating that she understood, but she didn’t give any suggestions.
Seeing that the ascetic leader didn’t give him any warnings, Klein felt a lot more at ease with the plan to hunt the Shaman King. He then said, “I’ve been planning on targeting the Dark Demonic Wolf recently.”
Arianna opened her mouth slightly and said, “Be careful.”
…Did “She” mean to say that I shouldn’t belittle the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar? Just as he was about to ask a question, his consciousness suddenly blurred. He saw the woman opposite him and his reflection in “Her” eyes fade away as they quickly disappeared.
Thud!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors collapsed into the reclining chair as her facial muscles twitched slightly.
“This is more tiring than writing all night long…” She gritted her teeth and tried Cogitating to fall asleep.
Extreme exhaustion might sometimes paradoxically cause insomnia to a person.
…
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, near Nois ancient city in the north, there was no one in the dark wilderness.
With the lantern emitting a faint yellow light, Klein circled around to confirm his surroundings.
Then, he found a rock and sat down, no longer shielding the aura of the gray fog from seeping into reality.
On this foundation, Klein consciously strengthened the projection that Sefirah Castle placed on him.
After he was done with his preparations, he quickly turned a monster hidden in the darkness around him into a marionette.
Composite Start
Composite End
The marionette walked out of the darkness. Under the illumination of the lantern, it approached Klein and cast its gaze on him.
In the eyes of this monster marionette, other than the coated and hatted Klein having deeper, more profound eyes, his temperament had also become even more indescribable. There wasn’t much of a difference from before.
After repeatedly testing the different types of monster marionettes, Klein confirmed that ordinary people, or most Beyonders, were unable to discover that he had the aura of Sefirah Castle on him.
Following that, he reached out with his right hand and pulled out his body from half a day ago. He controlled the rather dull historical projection to cast his gaze over.
This time, “Klein” saw a layer of grayish-white fog covering his body. Its interior was shimmering with light, but it didn’t reveal its actual appearance.
He then removed the projection’s support and attempted to pull out Marionettist Rosago and other Beyonders of the Seer pathway to repeat the experiment.
Yes, after enhancing the projection, Beyonders of the Seer pathway can directly discover something abnormal. However, those below the level of an angel can at least confirm that I’m related to Sefirah Castle. There’s no way to directly see the strange door of light, which is also the projection of Sefirah Castle… This outcome wasn’t too surprising for Klein.
He took a deep breath and, after preparing himself to “rescue himself,” he raised his hand and pulled out Winner Enuni from back when he hadn’t been his marionette for long.
Enuni raised his head bit by bit, and his eyes gradually reflected Klein’s figure. There was a faint gray fog that emanated outwards.
Deep in the fog, transparent or translucent twisted maggots were clustered around countless spherical lights. The spherical lights formed a door of light that was dyed bluish-black.
Composite Start
Composite End
The door of light was much clearer than before as it appeared even more textured. At the same time, its shape changed as it extended even higher up.
This made it look like a tall and thin, brilliant figure. And the grayish-white fog around it was the figure’s hooded robe.
The spherical lights constantly flashed, making Klein feel like he was being watched by this deep, mysterious, towering, and terrifying figure with his numerous eyes.
With a boom, Klein’s head involuntarily tilted back as blood mixed with transparent maggots spurted out of his pores.
The Worms of Spirit fell to the ground as they frantically rolled and struggled. Some of them rapidly dissipated, while some eventually calmed down before crawling back into his body and into his pores.
Man… It’s much better than directly losing consciousness and suffering memory loss the last time… Klein rubbed his temples and sighed silently.
Enuni, who was standing in front of him, had already vanished because of the impact that Klein had received. Unable to maintain the Historical Void projection, Enuni vanished.
This was also one of the reasons why Klein didn’t suffer too much damage this time.
Without Winner Enuni, he was unable to see the mutated strange door of light. This reduced the continuous assault on his senses.
After two seconds, Klein entered the fog of history, took four steps counterclockwise, and went above the gray fog.
Looking at the faint dark glow rising from his body and melting away, Klein finally heaved a sigh of relief and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
I nearly corrupted and corroded myself…
In the future, I’ll use Rosago and the other Beyonders of the Seer pathway to do additional experiments: If there’s no direct assault, I need to confirm if there will be a reverse corruption from Sefirah Castle’s projection with the increase in observation time…
…
The Southern Continent, East Balam, Faoltec City that was under attack.
Under the illumination of the crimson moon, the Loen soldiers hiding behind a simple shelter took turns to rest to recover their energy.
Their faces were black and covered with traces of gunpowder. Occasionally, someone would wake up and take out some dried tobacco leaves and casually roll it. Then, they would use the remaining matchstick to light it up and bring it to their mouths to suck deeply at it. In turn, their eyes exuded mostly numbness and blankness.
When the soldiers guarding this line of defense smelled the tobacco, they instinctively sniffed and looked over.
“Do you still have any more tobacco leaves?” a soldier with a rifle asked his companion in a low voice.
His comrade shook his head.
“I’ve already finished smoking it.”
“I don’t know when the next batch will arrive… I’m going crazy without the tobacco!” The soldier who first spoke gestured outside the shelter with his chin. “Do you see that? There are so many corpses, so many hands and feet. They all belonged to living people.”
Before the sun set, the Resistance had launched a fierce attack by feverishly storming the various defensive lines at Faoltec City. Their disregard for their own lives frightened the Loen soldiers and servant-army who had been guarding the city. They almost had victory at hand, but ultimately failed to break through the critical line of defense. They left behind copious numbers of corpses before receding like the tide.
His comrade fell silent for a moment before saying, “Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we will be joining them.”
Having said that, he looked up at the crimson moon and said in a dreamy voice, “I wonder how Backlund is. I haven’t received a letter from home in a long while… I wonder if they have enough food, or if they can find a doctor when they are sick…”
The soldier who had wanted to smoke was about to curse at the damn war and the damned enemy when his eyes suddenly widened. Trembling, he raised his right hand and pointed ahead.
“Th-they… They’re alive…”
One by one, the soldiers looked over and saw that under the crimson moon, the dismembered corpses that the Resistance had left behind were beginning to crawl up one by one, swaying as they tried to approach the defense line.
In the distance, a mysterious hooded person in black robe with embroidered crimson patterns stood behind the Resistance and spread out his arms slightly.
The spirituality of the entire battlefield was rapidly being nourished.
Chapter 1233 Two Spots
Ever since the war became prolonged, the Loen soldiers had seen countless unnatural phenomena. It happened so many that they were somewhat numb to it. However, the scene of the dismembered corpses crawling up remained a shocking scene. It left them horrified and confused. They felt as though they were unable to survive the impending disaster, and would eventually become zombies.
Of course, there was a reason why they were able to maintain their morale after seeing such unnatural phenomena.
Just as they were feeling extreme fear, a series of chants sounded from behind them.
“Lacking clothes and food, they have no shelter in the cold.
“…
“The Evernight did not forsake them, but bestowed them with love[1].”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The holy and sympathetic prayer reverberated across the entire defense line, causing the fear in every soldier to quickly dissipate, their bodies and minds turning tranquil.
Then, a number of the soldiers followed orders and moved out cannons covered in silver patterns. They adjusted the muzzles and aimed at the dismembered corpses that were rushing at them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sparks flew as shells landed in different spots on the battlefield, exploding and emitting a thick darkness.
The dismembered corpses collapsed, the strength within them vanishing; otherwise, they were directly destroyed, returning to their eternal slumber.
The mysterious black-robed man behind the Resistance army raised his arms upon seeing this, as though he was hugging the crimson moon.
At that moment, his body suddenly turned incorporeal, his body dyed a faint red as he transformed into a hazy ray of moonlight.
The moonlight shattered instantly, turning into red scales before dissipating in place.
Moonlight Transformation!
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a Beyonder power that a Sequence 5 Scarlet Scholar of the Apothecary pathway possessed. To a Sequence 4 Shaman King, it was almost instinctive.
And at the spot where the Shaman King had been, a figure quickly outlined itself.
It was a huge cloth doll. “It” had blonde hair and bright red eyes, and wore a long black gothic dress with countless mysterious patterns engraved on it. Swirling around it was sinister vines. Its skin had a luster that no human should possess.
Reinette Tinekerr!
“She” had used the Staff of the Stars to summon “Herself” back when she was in perfect condition.
Of course, the Staff of the Stars that was lent to Miss Messenger was the real one. Klein had brought it back to the real world from above the gray fog ahead of time.
If that wasn’t the case, it would be equivalent to Klein’s historical projection summoning a Staff of the Stars projection; then, the projection of the Staff of the Stars would summon Reinette Tinekerr in her peak state. The whole burden would be placed on Fors, causing her spirituality to be quickly drained.
A solution to this problem was to temporarily lend the actual Staff of the Stars to Reinette Tinekerr. The draining of spirituality would be borne by this Ancient Bane.
At the same time, Reinette Tinekerr was probably one of the existences that were the least afraid of the negative effects of the staff.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As a key representative of the temperance faction, and as a Puppet and a “cloth doll,” “She” could stop unwanted scenes from surfacing in “Her” mind. And after changing into a concealed state, the Staff of the Stars could hardly affect “Her” Historical Void projection.
The peak state Reinette Tinekerr had attempted to sneak closer to directly possess the Rose School of Thought’s Shaman King and instantly end the battle. However, the other party had discovered the danger ahead of time. Using the moonlight’s illumination, he was one step ahead of the Wraith’s possession.
Amidst the crimson glow that enveloped the ground, red scales rapidly reformed into the black-robed, hooded Rose School of Thought Shaman King. His eyes were closed eyes tightly, not daring to look at the Ancient Bane opposite him.
At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, a figure rapidly appeared. It was none other than Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a black trench coat and a half top hat. He had a transparent glove on his left hand as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
Scarlet flames rose up from various parts of the battlefield, as if they were announcing the beginning of a grand performance.
Just as the Shaman King finished reforming, he reached out his left hand and tore apart the clothes on his chest. At that moment, Reinette Tinekerr’s bright red eyes reflected his figure.
If things went as expected, the Rose School of Thought Shaman King would’ve transformed into a rabbit or a goat in the next second. He would “lose” most of his characteristics and Beyonder powers, but his body only emitted a faint glow without any change.
His exposed chest revealed a long, thin brown puppet which was embedded there.
The puppet seemed to grow out of the Shaman King’s body, its body connected to his internal organs. Its eyes and mouth were like crescents. The surface of its body was grown with dried flowers and withered grass, giving off an indescribable bizarreness in the moonlight.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, the puppet was dyed red as though it was soaked in blood.
It immediately turned into a pool of mud that surged into the organs of the Shaman King.
Amidst the mud, an arm stretched out.
Its surface was flowing with a black sticky liquid that kept protruding out with strange objects. Some were skulls, some had barbed tongues, while others had three-dimensional eyes.
Abomination Suah!
This Rose School of Thought’s leader, an existence at Sequence 1, had crossed the vast distance and descended with the help of prior arrangements!
That evil aura instantly caused the surrounding members of the Rose School of Thought and supporting members to either die, mutate, or wildly attack their comrades. Apart from the Shaman King, no one was spared.
…
West Balam, in a port city.
Shaman King Klarman, who wielded the highest authority here, stood at the top floor of a cathedral that once belonged to the Church of Evernight as he looked down at the sparsely-lit city.
Composite Start
Composite End
In a house not far away, Emlyn White glanced at the doll-like Sharron and took out a bronze box with many ruby gems embedded in it.
Inside the box was an eyeball-shaped glass sphere. It was a Sealed Artifact which Emlyn had requested from the Sanguine, known as the Vision of White—an artifact of the Sun domain.
It was very effective at dealing with the Mutant pathway’s demigods and Shaman Kings. It could even be considered able to restrain them in certain aspects.
Of course, it wouldn’t feel any sense of pity and kindness just because Emlyn and Sharron were Beyonders on its side.
Upon seeing Sharron nod slightly to indicate that there were no problems, Emlyn’s body phased away as the moonlight that shone into the room, and he disintegrated into a series of colorful red scales.
At the apex of the nearby cathedral, Klarman was pacing back and forth with his puffy, black-and-white hair. He sneered at the city’s Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers for moving the Loen citizens and all the Sealed Artifacts away ahead of time.
If the group consisted only of Beyonders, it wouldn’t be impossible to escape, but with so many ordinary people, how can you effectively move without being noticed? There’s no need for me to send people to track you. Simply locking down the surrounding docks and food supplies is enough to break you down without my interference…
As he muttered silently to himself, this Shaman King, who had been active in the Southern Continent since the early Fifth Epoch and was even suspected to be dead, cast his gaze out the window and stared at the crimson moon high in the sky.
Previously, the abnormal phenomenon of the “crimson moon turning white” made Klarman feel the anger of the Primordial Moon. He had always felt uneasy and disturbed.
He had become a Primordial Moon believer over time while researching natural interactions, secret deeds, and other mysterious knowledge.
Normally, it was relatively easy for a Shaman King to live a thousand years, but later on, his physical condition waned—an irreversible form of aging and the decay of his Spirit Body. Therefore, 1,200 years was commonly the natural limit of Shaman Kings and Sanguine Earls. To continue living, one could only rely on various methods to survive. For example, sealing oneself and sleeping in a coffin deep within a castle.
Klarman was nearly 1400 years old and still brimming with energy. He didn’t need to limit his movements, because he had received the Primordial Moon’s blessings.
This was also the reason why he had disappeared for so many years.
Later on, he received a revelation from the Primordial Moon and joined the Rose School of Thought.
In this aspect, Klarman always had his suspicions. Sometimes, he believed that the Mother Tree of Desire and the Primordial Moon were one entity. They were different sides of the same great existence. Yet, there were other times when he felt that the Mother Tree of Desire and the Primordial Moon were not only different, but there was also a deep conflict between them.
This resulted in the Primordial Moon believers not getting enough attention when they later joined the Rose School of Thought. Apart from receiving some bestowments in the form of items, they were placed in noncritical positions.
Just as Klarman was focused on sensing the crimson moon in an attempt to gain a revelation, the crimson moonlight that fell onto the cathedral’s bell tower had pure red scales of light appear as they gathered together. It then manifested into Emlyn White who wore a tuxedo and a bow tie.
Behind this Sanguine, a thick black gas emanated, forming a pair of illusory bat wings.
Emlyn had already consumed the corresponding potion to remove his scent and spirituality fluctuations, allowing him to approach his target in secret.
Of course, he was up against a demigod, a Sequence 4 demigod of the same pathway. Even if he was fully prepared, he didn’t dare get too close, or else he would easily be discovered.
Looking at the window where Shaman King Klarman was, he examined the projection on the glass for a second. Emlyn White opened the bronze box with the rubies embedded in it, and he used his black velvet-gloved left hand to pick up the Vision of White.
His expression twisted as he experienced the pain that came from being exposed to the blazing sun.
Suppressing the pain, Emlyn pushed the eyeball-shaped glass sphere to his right eye.
All the buildings in front of him had suddenly disappeared from his vision, leaving only shadows of cold, crimson, or fallen evil.
Among them, there was a figure that was like a huge black whirlpool that was crazily devouring the light around it, causing his body to become distorted.
This was Emlyn’s target, the ancient Shaman King, Klarman.
A ray of light immediately lit up, condensing into a scorching, blinding light. It shot out from the Vision of White and went straight for the figure behind the glass window.
[1] Adapted from Job 24:8, Old Testament.
Chapter 1234 The Projection“s “Descent“
The blinding white beam penetrated the glass window and landed on Shaman King Klarman.
It then burst into an intense light, melting away all the undead, darkness, and evil.
Klarman’s figure burned with a white flame, as though he was a paper figurine that had been brought near red embers.
But it really was a paper figurine, one that seemed to be condensed from the crimson moonlight.
The Shaman King’s substitute spell, Moon Paper Figurine!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As the paper figurine turned to ash, the ancient Shaman King appeared at the top of the cathedral and cast his cold gaze at Emlyn White, who was standing near the bell tower.
At that moment, within Klarman’s blood-red eyes, it reflected the figure of Sharron, who was wearing a black regal dress and a tiny bonnet. Her body stiffened as if she had lost control of herself.
Seeing this, Emlyn didn’t hesitate. It was as if he had practiced it a thousand times before. He aimed his Vision of White at the Shaman King’s left chest and prepared to activate the Sun domain’s “Unshadowed Spear.”
As long as this attack struck Klarman’s heart, this Shaman King Klarman wouldn’t be able to use “Moonlight Transformation” to resolve it. It would also be difficult for him to recover using an artificial vampire’s super-recovery abilities.
Of course, this would definitely cause more serious damage to Sharron who had possessed Klarman. However, if they could quickly resolve their target, she was willing to pay the corresponding price.
In the previous discussions, Emlyn, Sharron, and Maric had already discussed a few similar plans and had come to a consensus.
This was also the reason why Sharron didn’t restrict Shaman King Klarman by tightening his clothes. Compared to a Wraith’s possession, that was easier to resolve for the opponent who could use “Moonlight Transformation.” As for whether Klarman would be ashamed of running naked, the answer from the magic mirror was no.
Taking all these under consideration, they eventually chose to let Emlyn White attack the target, so as to deplete his Moon Paper Figurine to create an opportunity for Sharron to possess him.
The transparent glass sphere in Emlyn’s hand glowed once again, extending out into a blazing spear that had turned extremely white. But at this moment, Klarman, who was standing at the top of the cathedral, suddenly underwent a transformation.
Composite Start
Composite End
A crack quickly split open in the middle of his forehead, as if there was a blood moon embedded in it.
Moonlight surged out like a tidal wave, causing the illusory, blonde, blue-eyed Sharron to float out of his body uncontrollably.
Klarman’s stiff and slow movements barely restored to normal and, under the radiance of the full moon, he turned into a pool of blood, splitting into countless fragments of light.
His figure rapidly took form on another steeple of the cathedral. Clinging closely behind him was Sharron. As for the Unshadowed Spear that Emlyn had created, it passed through the spot where Klarman was originally standing and flew into the distance, expanding into a miniature sun.
The entire port city was illuminated.
At the same time, Klarman’s right shoulder began to squirm before something tore through his black robe and burrowed out.
This was an exquisite male doll. It was only the size of a palm and wore a dark red, gold-patterned tuxedo. Its eyes had been dug out, leaving behind two black holes.
The puppet sat on Klarman’s shoulder and raised its hands, tapping all its fingers as though it was playing an invisible instrument.
Sharron’s figure was immediately ejected from Klarman’s back, as though she suffered a serious repulsion.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn felt his clothes tighten as they bound him tightly.
His bowtie also came alive in a bid to strangle him to death.
That doll was a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact given to Klarman by the Rose School of Thought. It was called the “General of the Pupil-less Eye.” It was an item formed by a Sequence 4 demigod of the Mutant pathway who had suffered a sudden death due to an accident.
It had a living characteristic and could possess objects with spirits and awaken objects that didn’t according to its wielder’s will. However, the wielder needed to feed it with their flesh and blood; otherwise, it would gradually grow its eyes.
Once this Sealed Artifact was in a good condition, it would transform into an evil spirit that chased after its original owner while abhorring all humans.
When Emlyn heard the sound of his bones crying in pain from the burden, the Vision of White that was burning his soul emitted a bright glow, turning the surrounding area into a land without shadows or evil.
The effects of General of the Pupil-less Eye had on his clothes were severed.
However, at that moment, Klarman had already indiscernibly muttered a particular word with a cruel smile. He reached out his hands and pulled out an illusory door with many mysterious symbols engraved on it out of thin air.
This was the Door of Summoning!
Composite Start
Composite End
The Moon pathway’s Sequence 3 was Summoning Master!
Under the illumination of the “full blood moon” on his forehead, Klarman, who was only at the Shaman King level, was able to complete a summoning!
However, because of this, there was a certain change in his overall aura. He had lost a lot of his rationality, and his madness had deepened.
Amidst the illusory creaking, the Door of Summoning opened up a crack.
In the gaps, two human palms reached out. Their skin had no luster to it, and they lacked texture. They were like a most inferior cloth doll.
…
Outside Faoltec City, the Rose School of Thought believers and followers who had originally planned on attacking the Loen army’s defense line after the corpse horde’s attack had begun to kill each other, their rationality completely gone.
Some of them, who were originally ordinary people, bent their backs and grew grayish-black wolf fur. The corners of their mouths tore open as sticky saliva constantly dripped. Some of their skin was dyed black and had become as hard as steel. Some lost their hearts and fell to the ground, only to get back on their feet as though nothing had happened. Some of their bodies turned transparent, as if they had become shadows…
The descent of Abomination Suah’s aura had tainted all the living creatures in the vicinity, causing them to either break down and suffer a tragic death, or turn into werewolves or zombies.
As a high-ranking Sequence 1, “He” could directly bestow the power unto “His” believers, but there was a time limit. However, this method might not be the hope of the Resistance.
Composite Start
Composite End
On the other side of the battlefield, over two thousand meters away, behind the Loen shelter. Although the soldiers didn’t see or hear anything, transparent blisters began growing on the surface of their skin, and their minds were filled with thoughts of venting all kinds of emotions and desires.
It wouldn’t take long for them to go mad one by one and turn into irrational beasts. Across this base, even to the interior of Faoltec City, it would be a challenge to find humans who could still maintain their clarity of mind.
Suddenly, they heard a chant.
It was a chant formed from sacred and ethereal voices.
This chant came from the Evernight cathedral in the city. It was as though there were many choirs praising the Goddess.
The soldiers, citizens, and officers fell asleep one after another behind the shelter, inside the trenches, and on the streets.
They dreamed of a tranquil darkness, moon flowers, and night vanilla. Their bodies and minds became extremely peaceful, and they were no longer affected by evil.
In the Evernight cathedral in Faoltec City, the high-ranking deacon of the Nighthawks, the Goddess’s Eye, Ilya, tried her best to maintain the dream that enveloped the entire city. She was unable to interfere with the demigod battle outside.
At the same time, Klein and Reinette Tinekerr felt the change in the surrounding spirituality. It seemed to transform into layers of barriers that attempted to restrain them and restrict their actions.
And in the bloody mud on the Shaman King’s chest, a lump of squirming flesh covered in black sticky liquid drilled out right on the heels of Suah’s arm, forming the body of this Abomination.
“He” was like a huge tree that had been splashed with oil. The extended branches were arms which had various strange objects protruding out.
On the surface of the trunk that was covered in thick black liquid, bloodshot eyes kept rolling. It cleared the minds of the onlookers, turning them into rabbits, goats, and pigs.
The dozens of arms rapidly extended outwards. Some of them sealed off the sky, while others burrowed into the ground. The rest either surrounded them from all sides or headed straight for Klein and Reinette Tinekerr.
At the same time, Abomination Suah let out a roar that pierced straight into one’s Spirit Body. It caused the two targets to tremble at the same time, causing a certain degree of stiffness to rear its head. It made the crimson moonlight in midair become even richer, allowing a scene to appear on the red “screen.”
The core to this scene was a mummy wrapped in a yellowing bandage. “It” had been pierced by countless brown tree branches and was suspended in midair.
Its stomach bulged, and at times, different parts bulged and shriveled, as if it was giving birth to new life.
The mummy’s mouth was agape as it kept screaming. Although Klein couldn’t hear any actual sounds, he felt pain resonating with his body and soul, slowly burdening him with the mummy’s predicament.
The Chained God!
The roar of Abomination Suah was formed from ancient Hermes words that exceeded the imagination of humans. It was essentially praying to the Chained God and “He” had successfully received a response!
The Mother Tree of Desire was unable to infuse too much power into reality. If one wanted to pray to “Her” and obtain feedback at the angel level, they required a large-scale ritual. Of course, the influence the Mother Tree of Desire directly exerted and “Her” attention via the Chained God had qualitative differences.
The Chained God was originally not a true god, but “He” had contained the Mutant pathway’s Uniqueness and two Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics, making “Him” a King of Angels. After giving birth to Abomination Suah, “He” even lost a Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic. When “He” was completely overwhelmed by the Mother Tree of Desire, “He” similarly suffered a life of isolation.
Therefore, regardless of the essence of the Mother Tree of Desire, the effect “She” had on reality was limited due to the indirect methods used. But no matter what, the trap targeted at Reinette Tinekerr was luxurious enough!
As the projection of the Chained God appeared, the entire land was dyed with a dark red color. Klein felt that his connection with the spirit world had been severed, and he could no longer use Teleportation.
His figure instantly leaped into a sea of flames. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Reinette Tinekerr was fighting against Suah, he reached his hand into the void and grabbed at different spots.
Finally, Klein pulled out a silver-black jewelry box embedded with various gems. Then, without any hesitation, he opened the second level.
Box of the Great Old Ones!
This Grade 0 Sealed Artifact’s second level could transfer all living beings within its range to a particular scene recorded by it!
Chapter 1235 Most Valued Suppor
The silver-black, three-tiered accessory box with many embedded gems quickly opened, revealing the interior of the second level.
It was dark. Even the surrounding barriers seemed to blend in with it. It gave one the feeling that it was a pocket of infinite space.
In an instant, the darkness lit up with countless resplendent speckles, as if they had transformed into a miniature cosmos, a miniature universe.
These bright points of light rapidly spun as the surrounding scene changed several times in a second.
What Klein expected was to move Abomination Suah, the Rose School of Thought Shaman, and many of their followers to the ruins of the battle of the gods. By making them leave the Southern Continent, they wouldn’t be able to immediately sense that Klarman had been attacked. This way, they wouldn’t be able to provide any timely and effective assistance. However, the second level of the Box of the Great Old Ones had an element of randomness to it. The act of sending things to the designated scene succeeded a handful of times. Most of the time, the selected destination would suffer an unavoidable change. This was something that couldn’t be influenced with luck, and at the very least, no one below Sequence 0 could do so.
Therefore, when he opened the second level of the Box of the Great Old Ones, Klein didn’t know what would happen. It was the same as not using any Beyonder powers to cheat at gambling. He had to rely solely on observation to push out all his chips. This left his heart filled with anxiety. Of course, he wasn’t too worried. No matter where the Box of the Great Old Ones brought him and Miss Messenger, it was impossible to harm him in any way. After all, Reinette Tinekerr was fake, the Box of the Great Old Ones was fake, and even he himself was fake.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With this in consideration, even if he was thrown underground by the Box of the Great Old Ones and faced a terrifying corruption, Klein could instantly dispel the Historical Void projection, enter Sefirah Castle to do a complete “disinfection” and sever all connections.
Building on this foundation, he had the ability to help Miss Messenger’s main body resist the corruption. Since it wasn’t directly experienced—through the layer of a historical projection—the outcome was relatively better.
The only thing he needed to worry about was that the random scene selected by the Box of the Great Old Ones was where Miss Sharron and Emlyn were attacking Shaman King Klarman. That way, it would be equivalent to leading the main enemy force to head straight for his headquarters. This meant that they could only consider giving up on the operation, and he and Reinette Tinekerr would undertake the responsibility of helping all participants escape from the battlefield and escape the Southern Continent.
The probability of this happening was very low, but he had to be wary.
At that moment, due to the influence of Abomination Suah’s aura, Klein’s spirituality had “frozen” quite a bit. It seemed to bind his body and soul, but it still flowed into the Box of the Great Old Ones, maintaining its open state.
In the blink of an eye, the scene in the second level of the Box of the Great Old Ones changed, revealing a tiny, vast sea.
Klein, Reinette Tinekerr, Abomination Suah, the hooded Shaman King, and many Rose School of Thought believers and subordinates saw endless yellow sand and the extreme cold of the night.
Other than the projection of the Chained God, all the living beings on the battlefield were instantly transported to a desert!
As for the projection, due to the departure of Abomination Suah, the connection was severed, preventing “His” powers from seeping into reality.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without the luxury of time to examine where he was currently, Klein dispelled the Box of the Great Old Ones and snapped his fingers, summoning a scarlet flame as he constantly jumped within them.
He had done so to avoid the attention of Abomination Suah, as well as grab the opportunity to complete the summoning of the Historical Void projection.
At that moment, he heard an extremely evil roar. His mind suddenly went blank, and he temporarily lost all his thoughts.
The scarlet flames he was immersed in came alive as well and, like a cage, bound him to the ground.
With just a roar and the influence of some auras, Abomination Suah had already restrained him to a certain extent.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Reinette Tinekerr, who was in “Her” peak condition, was his teammate, Klein’s projection would’ve been helplessly executed. Perhaps his actual body would suffer certain effects.
At this moment, the huge doll the size of a castle took a step forward and opened its tightly shut mouth.
There was no sound, but the distorted “wood” that was covered in pitch-black liquid seemed to encounter a flood dike. It repelled backward and raised the arms with strange protruding objects.
This was a curse that Reinette Tinekerr had been silently accumulating for a very, very long time. The root of the curse was the anger, hatred, and “Her” grudge that had emerged after “She” suffered an attack!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, Abomination Suah didn’t show any obvious changes. “He” only staggered a little and froze for a second before returning to normal.
High-level existences were always able to restrain low-level Beyonders of the same pathway. They could even exert a certain influence over space!
And using this opportunity to escape the restraints of the flames, Klein used Creeping Hunger to flash to another side, avoiding the Blood Moon Arrow created by the Rose School of Thought’s Shaman King.
He didn’t dare to look directly at Abomination Suah. He seized the opportunity and reached out with his right hand to pull out from the void ahead.
This time, he didn’t drag anything out.
Klein continued Blinking about and repeated his actions. Then, he successfully dragged out a figure. It was none other than the leader of the Church of Evernight’s ascetics, the angel of the Concealment domain, Arianna, who wore a simple linen robe and a tree bark belt!
My report from before worked after all… A thought flashed through his mind as he activated Creeping Hunger once again and teleported elsewhere.
The eyes of Arianna’s projection darted slightly as her eyes instantly turned dark and deep. Following that, she joined in the battle between Reinette Tinekerr and Abomination Suah.
With “Her” help, Reinette Tinekerr, who was in a rather difficult situation and trying hard to create opportunities for him, finally managed to catch “Her” breath. “She” didn’t get possessed by Abomination Suah, nor did “She” become a real doll.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Rose School of Thought’s Shaman King showcased his well-rounded aspect towards the Darkness and Moon domains. He attempted to use spells like “Abyss Shackles” to restrict Klein’s movement, but the short-distance “Blinking” was simply too effective. Without the projection of the Chained God and “His” influence of the surrounding area, and the interference of Abomination, Klein was like a fish in water. He was free and relaxed. He only needed to consider how to deal with his enemy’s spells every two “Teleports.”
However, the Shaman King could hardly stop him in an effective manner due to the unpredictability of where he would appear next.
During this process, Klein grabbed at the void a few more times until he dragged out a figure.
This figure had bronze skin, black hair, and brown eyes. His facial features were soft and his gaze was cold. He wore a deep black robe embroidered with golden thread. He wore a golden crown and was none other than the former Death Consul, Azik Eggers!
Another angel… The Shaman King’s eyelids twitched as he watched. At this moment, Abomination Suah suddenly inserted multiple black arms into the desert.
The desert nearby boiled and was blanketed with a thick black liquid. This extended into the distance and invaded the void, disrupting the overlapping of reality and the spirit world.
Taking advantage of the fact that his teleportation wasn’t completely affected, Klein “Blinked” behind Mr. Azik. With “Him” shielding him, he quickly grabbed at the air a few times.
His arm suddenly sank and he pulled out a silvery-white snake’s tail.
Another angel!
The reason why he dared to directly summon the three angels was because this Historical Void projection of his was summoned by Reinette Tinekerr using the Staff of the Stars. The spirituality consumed was borne by this Ancient Bane, not Fors.
Composite Start
Composite End
Otherwise, Fors would’ve already fainted the moment the Servant of Concealment, Arianna, descended. There was no way she could endure spirituality expenditure such as this.
Fors’s purpose was to first summon Gehrman Sparrow’s historical projection so that he had plenty of time to set up the ritual and bring the Staff of the Stars to the real world. Then, the maintenance of the historical projection would be dispelled, allowing him to return to the fog and have Reinette Tinekerr summoned another him.
In less than ten seconds, as Abomination Suah had focused his attention on Reinette Tinekerr and subconsciously belittled Klein, leading “Him” to not only losing the help of the Chained God’s projection, but also being thrown from the state of being the one who had laid in ambush to the one being besieged by four powerful angels.
Without any hesitation, this Sequence 1 angel opened “His” mouth and chanted in ancient Hermes words. “He” had once again prayed to the Chained God.
…
When the Door of Summoning opened in front of Shaman King Klarman, just the extension of two trembling hands was enough for a thought to abruptly flash across Emlyn White’s mind.
The other angel of the Rose School of Thought, the King of Curses, Barranca!
This was information provided by Sharron and Maric.
Upon seeing this, Emlyn’s mind tensed up. Without any hesitation, he waved his arm and threw the Vision of White at the Door of Summoning!
This was partly because he was experiencing a battle at the demigod level for the first time, so he couldn’t help but overreact. On the other hand, he wasn’t worried about losing the Vision of White. After all, it belonged to the Sanguine. At worst, he would repay it in the future over time.
At the same time, even without the Sealed Artifact, he still had other mystical items to use, such as Leymano’s Travels.
With the notebook, Emlyn could summon the Unshadowed Crucifix to replace the Vision of White.
After the eyeball-shaped glass sphere flew out, it continuously absorbed the light along the way, bringing with it extreme darkness.
When it got close to the Door of Summoning, the Vision of White suddenly exploded into an extremely brilliant glow. Like a blazing sun at noon, it enveloped both the hands and the door, melting away all evil, degenerate, darkness, filth, and undead auras.
The full blood moon on Klarman’s forehead was clearly affected. All the light beams were compressed to his side, preventing him from affecting his surroundings.
Seizing this opportunity, Sharron’s figure that appeared in midair distorted, turning into a human-sized puppet.
This puppet was identical to Shaman King Klarman. It had messy, black-and-white hair and a pair of bright red eyes.
As for Emlyn, he raised his left arm and revealed a translucent ring that was worn outside his gloved index finger.
The ring seemed to be made of light-red amber, and there was a blood-colored gem embedded on it.
Lilith’s Ring!
This was a ring personally made by the Sanguine Ancestor, the ancient goddess, Lilith.
It could project a door that led deep into the spirit world for a certain amount of time, summoning an unknown creature.
Emlyn wasn’t sure what he would obtain. He only knew that, under normal circumstances, the summoned object was usually slightly stronger than him, but the possibility of directly pulling out a demigod wasn’t impossible.
At the tip of the ring, the blood-colored gem emitted a faint glow as an illusory door covered in mysterious patterns appeared in front of Emlyn.
The door creaked open, the gap in the door widening.
Shaman King Klarman had just recovered his senses from the Sun’s illumination when he saw a moon rise up behind the Door of Summoning.
It was a bright moon, one that was slightly silver in color.
Chapter 1236 Linkage
In the eyes of Shaman King Klarman, a bright silver moon rose, quickly filling his irises.
This was completely different from the normal crimson moon. It also wasn’t the Blood Moon that occasionally appeared. It was similar to the abnormal state of the moon from not too long ago, but there were also certain differences.
It illuminated Klarman’s eyes and body, causing him to instantly lose contact with the crimson moon.
That also meant that, before things went back to normal, Klarman could no longer attempt “Moonlight Transformation,” nor could he teleport within the range of the crimson moonlight’s illumination.
Suddenly, a word appeared in the mind of this Shaman King of the Moon Domain.
Lilith!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The ancient goddess, Lilith, who once controlled the Moon pathway!
Such a change was out of Emlyn’s expectations, but Sharron, who was good at controlling her emotions and thoughts, wasn’t affected. Despite having become a Klarman puppet, she raised her right hand and yanked some of her messy, black-and-white hair.
Almost at the same time, on the Shaman King’s head, a tuft of white hair fell on its own without him suffering any attacks.
The Door of Summoning he had just opened had been dissolved by the full might of the Vision of White’s sun rays.
This wasn’t because the Rose School of Thought’s angel, who had been summoned, was unable to resist the Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, but that the Door of Summoning couldn’t withstand such a special attack.
In addition, the King of Curses, Barranca, had only extended two hands out. This limited the amount of power that could remotely be projected via “His” descent. The evil aura that permeated into the real world had also been purified by the Vision of White, preventing it from affecting Sharron and Emlyn.
At that moment, without the Door of Summoning, Barranca could only retreat to where “He” was originally. “He” had to wait for the next summoning or for Shaman King Klarman to pray.
As an angel, “He” had the status required to respond to prayers throughout the world!
When that strand of hair fell, Sharron, in her Klarman puppet state, didn’t hesitate. Her right hand naturally slid down from her forehead. She grabbed the exaggerated crack that had the “full blood moon” embedded there and forcefully pressed it down.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klarman couldn’t help but let out a blood-curdling scream. The flesh on his forehead turned into a bizarre blur as they filled up the terrifying crack, blocking the miniature “full moon.”
This was one of the Beyonder powers of a Sequence 4 Puppet of the Mutant pathway, called the “Source of Curses.”
Apart from being able to influence non-living creatures, Puppets could also turn into mystical puppets and magical paper figurines. Through the connections established, they could use various methods to curse their targets.
This Beyonder power would undergo a qualitative change when they reached Sequence 3. At the current stage, it resulted in mutually destructive damage. Under normal circumstances, Puppet demigods rarely used it.
In other words, a Puppet had to hurt themselves to hurt their enemy.
The reason why Sharron dared to do so was because she was certain that since both she and her target were at Sequence 4, as a Wraith and Zombie, she would definitely be able to withstand the damage better than a Vampire.
After knowing in advance that Shaman King Klarman had a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, General of the Pupil-less Eye, Sharron had never thought of truly succeeding with Wraith’s possession. Her main goal was to use this method to establish a connection with Klarman to prepare for the subsequent curse.
The tuft of hair she plucked symbolized the official start of the curse. Destroying the target’s full blood moon on his forehead was to prevent him from establishing the Door of Summoning once again which would lead to pulling a Rose School of Thought’s angel into the battlefield.
Of course, as a demigod, Klarman wasn’t going to die so easily from a curse.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In the past, he would be able to use “Moonlight Transformation” and “Illusory Bats” to weaken the damage brought by the curse. Then, via constantly moving at high speeds, he could avoid attacks while chanting the honorific name of a Rose School of Thought’s angel. However, under the silvery-white moon’s illumination, his body seemed to freeze, preventing him from completing the series of actions.
While Klarman’s mind raced, the General of the Pupil-less Eye puppet on his shoulder, stood up and let out an ear-piercing scream.
The glass windows around them shattered, transforming into bullets that shot towards the floating Sharron. Without anyone controlling the eyeball-like glass sphere, it flew up on its own, causing a gigantic pillar of light that had flames swirling around it to descend.
The pillar of light enveloped Sharron, causing the surroundings to turn bright as though it was daytime.
The General of the Pupil-less Eye could influence ownerless mystical items, allowing them to help it!
Amidst the “Flaring Sun,” Sharron, who had transformed into Klarman, showed clear signs of melting as her face contorted uncontrollably. Half the large number of glass fragments melted into the pillar of light while the other half pierced through her body.
Klarman once again let out a tragic cry. It made Emlyn’s body turn cold as his blood seemed to frost up.
One bloody hole after another appeared on the Shaman King’s body. He was like a candle that had been thrown into a furnace as he slowly softened and the oils from his fats dripped.
Any damage from “Source of Curses” would be reflected onto the target!
Composite Start
Composite End
As a demigod of the Rose School of Thought, there was no doubt that Klarman knew of this. His action just now was to use this exchange of damage to force Sharron to stop the curse.
The theurgical spells of the Sun domain clearly dealt more damage to evil creatures that were the likes of Puppets, Wraiths, Zombies, and Werewolves than Vampires, Potions Professor, Scarlet Scholar, and Shaman Kings!
That was to say, the continuous “Flaring Sun” strikes caused Sharron to dissipate, but it would only be able to severely injure Klarman. As for the demigods of the Moon pathway, they had extremely strong self-recovery abilities.
In just a second, Shaman King Klarman used his rich experience and deep knowledge of mysticism to accurately grasp the problem of the “Source of Curses” and chose the most suitable method to see results in the shortest time possible.
However, at that moment, having lost the Vision of White, Emlyn White, who had summoned the strange moon, regained his senses. He took out a bronze-green hard-covered notebook and flipped it to one of the pages.
A crackling sound could be heard as bolts of lightning appeared out of thin air, interweaving into a storm that emitted a strong destructive aura. Instantly, the Shaman King Klarman was swept in.
Leymano’s Travels, Thunder Storm!
Having temporarily lost “Moonlight Transformation” and the ability to “Blink” within a certain range, Klarman was unable to dodge the attack. He was smote by bolts of silver lightning.
Sharron took the opportunity to dispel “Source of Curses” to prevent the damage dealt to the target from being reflected onto her.
However, her face was clearly much paler than before, and her breathing became weaker.
Composite Start
Composite End
The pillar of light from “Blazing Sun” had indeed caused quite a significant amount of damage to her.
The silvery-white blob that blasted quickly extinguished, and Klarman’s body was already pitch black.
His charred skin and flesh were constantly peeling off. Pieces of flesh were squirming and growing.
The General of the Pupil-less Eye’s body rapidly turned incorporeal, as though it had turned into a specter. It was prepared to possess Klarman and move him away from the area to prevent any subsequent blows.
At this moment, a blonde, red-eyed head suddenly appeared and bit the head of the exquisite doll.
Klarman, who remained groggy, subconsciously looked over and saw a headless lady.
This lady was wearing a dark and complicated gothic long dress and holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.
Reinette Tinekerr!
…
In that vast desert, the eyes of Reinette Tinekerr, who was attacking Abomination Suah with Azik, Arianna, and the giant silver serpent, suddenly glazed over. Her actions turned stiff as she attacked purely on instinct.
This was part of Klein’s plan. When the battle on this side had stabilized, with Abomination Suah was unable to extricate “Himself” from it within a short period of time, Reinette Tinekerr’s main body would dispel its concealed state. She would then return to the real world and quickly help Sharron and Emlyn finish the battle.
Looking at the tragic-looking mummy projection in mid-air, as Klein controlled the three angels to hold back Abomination Suah, he used “Their” auras to influence the environment around him. He switched from “Teleportation” to “Flaming Jump,” and he continued to deal with the Rose School of Thought’s Shaman King.
During this process, he appeared carefree and relaxed, but in fact, he realized that the affinity between his body and his soul was decreasing bit by bit. His body was gradually becoming a spirit cage, causing his actions to become stiffer and heavier.
This reminded him of the core description of Prisoner:
The body was the cage of the heart, and the world was the cage of the body.
As time passed, he understood the meaning of this sentence from another angle.
After Abomination Suah began to direct “His” attention at him, even if “He” didn’t have the chance to attack him directly, “He” was still able to make him suffer some form of corrosion!
…
After one of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads was in control of General of the Pupil-less Eye, another head raised the black staff that it was biting down on with its teeth.
The gem-embedded staff lit up with a misty glow.
A figure quickly took shape. It was none other than Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a top hat and a trench coat while holding Death Knell.
Bang!
A silver-black stream of light flew out and accurately hit Klarman’s body.
Klarman’s thoughts came to a halt as he froze on the spot.
Control Spirit Bullet!
This was the Control Spirit Bullet shot by Gehrman Sparrow that the Staff of the Stars had reenacted!
This 0-62 Sealed Artifact could allow the Beyonder powers and people that surfaced in the minds of the wielder to descend upon reality, while the latter could launch a single attack.
On the other side, Sharron immediately turned into a puppet that looked identical to Klarman. She retracted her right hand and ruthlessly stabbed it into her chest.
Blood sprayed out as Klarman gaped his mouth, unable to make a sound.
To a Wraith, the heart definitely wasn’t a vital point, but to a vampire, it was lethal.
Without giving Klarman any chance to resist, Emlyn flipped through Leymano’s Travels once again and released the recording of “Historical Void Summoning” and took out the bronze Unshadowed Crucifix.
His fingers pressed down on a spike, allowing blood to flow out to “cleanse” the mottled cross.
A pure, burning-white spear instantly condensed.
After Sharron removed “Source of Curses,” Emlyn threw out the long spear of light and watched it pierce through Shaman King Klarman’s chest, pinning him to the high walls of the cathedral.
Bright light suddenly expanded and completely extinguished Klarman’s last breath.
Unshadowed Spear!
…
In the vast desert, Klein suddenly stopped, and while facing Abomination Suah and the Shaman King, he took off his hat, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed.
His body faded and disappeared.
During this process, Klein wasn’t worried about being disturbed at all. This was because it wasn’t that he was attempting to leave, but that Reinette Tinekerr had dispelled the Historical Void projection.
This also meant that the operation at the other battlefield had succeeded!
Chapter 1237 Distribution
As the golden rays of light shone down, Klarman, a Shaman King, who had lived for more than a thousand years, collapsed into pieces at the entrance of the Evernight cathedral. Every part of his body was charred black, completely drained of its blood.
Amongst them, something fell out of his black-robe ashes. It was a normal-sized palm. Its skin’s texture didn’t appear human at all, and it had a dim luster. Its fingers were slender with balanced amounts of flesh and bone.
If he hadn’t seen it on such an occasion, Emlyn definitely would’ve believed that the palm was a part of an exquisite doll.
Another head in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand swung forward as it quickly bit the palm.
At the same time, Sharron’s figure turned incorporeal as she entered the remains of Shaman King Klarman, speeding up the expelling of his Beyonder characteristic.
Emlyn composed himself and looked at the Door of Summoning created by Lilith’s Ring. His body suddenly turned into a hazy moonlight.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The crimson moonlight shattered into countless fragments of light.
The bright and devilish red scales swam around the area enveloped by the moonlight, restructuring beside Klarman’s corpse into Emlyn White in his tuxedo and bowtie.
Without looking at the Beyonder characteristic that had seeped out, he dispelled the Unshadowed Crucifix, bent down, and picked up the Vision of White that he had previously thrown to the side using his black velvet glove.
His other hand shook Leymano’s Travels as he flipped the book to one of the pages. The symbols and mysterious patterns on it all belonged to “Traveling.”
Emlyn’s figure turned transparent as he vanished from the scene.
He followed the plan and was the first to leave after the operation ended. He didn’t interfere with Sharron and company’s cleanup of the scene and their clearing of traces. After all, he was the weakest one there. He had used up a considerable amount of energy in battle while relying on the Sealed Artifacts and mystical items.
As for the spoils of war, they would be distributed once they returned to Backlund.
In this aspect, Emlyn fully believed in Gehrman Sparrow’s promise and the Rose School of Thought’s temperance department’s credit.
After “Teleporting” back to an empty house in Backlund, he suddenly threw down Leymano’s Travels. He took out a bronze box with many red gems embedded in it, and he placed the Vision of White inside.
Composite Start
Composite End
Only after doing this did Emlyn have the energy to take off the glove on his left hand. He saw that his fingers were filled with blisters, swollen.
With the Sanguine’s regenerative ability, damage at such a level should’ve long been healed, but in reality, it hadn’t improved at all.
The burns brought by the Vision of White will last at least seven days. Emlyn took out ointment he had stored in a metal tube and squeezed out some of it to apply it on his wound.
The soul-stabbing pain was immediately eased by the cooling sensation. Emlyn slowly exhaled as though he had finally resurrected.
He had used a great deal of willpower to restrain himself from throwing the Vision of White onto the ground. This was because once the Sealed Artifact left his control, it would automatically absorb the light around it and emit a radiant glow. To a Sanguine, this was an excellent way of committing suicide.
Right on the heels of that, Emlyn took out a bottle of his blood that he had extracted beforehand and smeared it on the surface of Leymano’s Travels. Then, he drank another bottle of blood to ease the bloodthirst that Lilith’s Ring brought about.
After such an operation, he finally removed the negative effects the Sealed Artifact had on him.
Only at this moment did Emlyn have the time to recall the accident that had happened during the battle.
The Door of Summoning that he projected with Lilith’s Ring didn’t summon creatures from deep in the spirit world, but he ended up summoning a strange moon.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The moon hung behind the Door of Summoning and silently illuminated Shaman King Klarman, suppressing the various Beyonder powers that belonged to the Moon domain.
If not for this change, even if Lilith’s Ring had summoned a saint-level spirit world creature, the battle wouldn’t have ended so quickly. Perhaps they would have had to wait until the Rose School of Thought temperance angel descended to gain an overwhelming advantage.
…A silvery-white moon… Could it be that the Ancestor had provided me with some help? Emlyn had a thought and made a corresponding guess.
This matched the identity of the Sanguine savior that the Ancestor had appointed.
After careful consideration, Emlyn no longer had any doubts about this guess, but unlike the past, he wasn’t that excited or thrilled.
After experiencing a battle at the demigod level and confirming that he was shouldering such an important responsibility, he felt no sense of pride. His heart was heavy from the pressure.
Phew… A few seconds later, Emlyn opened his mouth and whispered, “I’m the savior of the Sanguine.”
When he said this, his expression was abnormally solemn, somewhat dignified, without any hesitation.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
In the house where Emlyn met Maric and Sharron.
When the Sanguine saw the perfect doll-like lady take out two items, he heard her slightly ethereal voice say, “According to the agreement, we will only take one thing. This is the rest.”
The two items were:
A fist-sized gem condensed from thick blood. It emitted a crimson glow, like a miniature crimson moon. The other item was an exquisite male doll with two black holes as its eyes.
Shaman King’s Beyonder characteristic… General of the Pupil-less Eye… Emlyn nodded and saw that the two items seemed to have a life of their own as they flew over.
Just as he reached out to catch it, he heard Miss Sharron add, “The Shaman King Beyonder characteristic has some strange traces of corruption. Even the Unshadowed Spear was unable to cleanse it.”
It means that I need to find an angel to help me shatter it to remove the corruption? Emlyn completely understood what Sharron was saying as he nodded slightly.
“I understand what to do.”
Sharron, who was wearing a small black bonnet, immediately floated up and gave a curtsy.
“Thank you for your help.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Likewise.” Emlyn took off his hat and bowed in return.
…
Above the grayish-white fog, inside the ancient palace.
Klein looked at the wisps of black gas emanating from his body, shook his head, and sighed.
I actually got cursed by the Abomination without realizing it… The projection of the Chained God could be the culprit as well…
I was even separated by a historical projection…
If it were any saint without Sefirah Castle, they would probably experience a sudden death after thinking they were safe.
As for Miss Messenger, there wasn’t much of a problem even without the historical projection in between because “She” was a real angel. Therefore, Klein wasn’t worried.
After the black gas dissipated, Klein waited for a while. He waited until Emlyn sacrificed the items and requested Mr. Fool to help purify the Shaman King Beyonder characteristic.
Strange corruption… From the Mother Tree of Desire or the Primordial Moon? Klein picked up the miniature crimson moon and carefully observed it for a few seconds.
During this process, he was on high alert, constantly preparing to mobilize Sefirah Castle’s powers.
If he wasn’t at the level of an angel level here, he wouldn’t have agreed to Emlyn’s sacrifice. Instead, he would’ve chosen to smite down with power at the Sequence 2 level, shattering the characteristic and separating the corruption remotely.
Back then, Klein didn’t even dare to divine the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic that had been slightly influenced by the Mother Tree of Desire. He had even hurriedly sold it.
After examining it seriously, Klein pressed his right hand, causing the entire mysterious space to vibrate.
The miniature crimson moon shattered with a crack, splitting into tiny red dots of light.
Amongst these light dots, there was a small amount of red mist that evaporated, eventually forming a drop of fresh blood.
Then, the red light dots gathered again, constantly condensing before transforming into the miniature crimson moon. However, compared to before, it was more translucent and pure.
Klein conjured a fake hand, picked up the drop of seemingly fresh blood, and discovered that it contained immense vitality.
It’s not at the angel level, but it’s a little strange… It seems to have received an evil god’s blessings… As Klein cut off all the invisible connections that resulted from the blood, he took a paper figurine and attempted to press the drop of blood onto it.
The moment the blood came into contact with the paper figurine, it immediately seeped in. In the next second, the paper figurine’s stomach strangely bulged and exploded.
At the moment the paper figurine tore apart, a new paper figurine with a hint of crimson crawled out from its stomach. It seemed to have fully-developed features.
The power of reproduction… Klein frowned slightly as he stabbed with his right hand, reducing the newly born paper figurine into powder.
A tiny amount of blood-colored mist emanated again, condensing into a drop of blood.
The characteristic and spirituality were only slightly weakened… It needs to be repeated more than a hundred times before it can be completely removed… Klein silently assessed as he gathered the powers of Sefirah Castle to seal the drop of blood.
He then looked up and cast his gaze at the male doll on the long mottled table.
The palm-sized doll in a formal suit was prostrating; it didn’t dare to look up.
Oh, how easy is it to deal with those with living characteristics… Klein chuckled as he gathered the sealed drop of blood and brought it close towards the doll named General of the Pupil-less Eye.
General of the Pupil-less Eye pushed itself up with all four limbs and quickly retreated.
After a pause, it pressed its forehead against the table, emitting a sound indecipherable to humans.
“Declaring your subservience? Very good…” Klein replied with a smile and casually instructed, “Show me your abilities.”
After a series of demonstrations, he confirmed that General of the Pupil-less Eye could possess a target and affect lifeless items. It also had some level of control over mystical items that no one possessed or had spirituality injected into.
The latter power might be very useful at certain times… Klein nodded slightly and beckoned for it to jump into a box he conjured.
After carefully sealing it, Klein threw the box and the drop of blood into the junk pile to let them familiarize themselves with their future lives.
As for the negative effects of General of the Pupil-less Eye, Klein believed that they could discuss and resolve it amicably and normally.
Chapter 1238 Hypothesis
After dealing with the spoils of war and bestowing the purified Shaman King Beyonder characteristic to Emlyn White, Klein was in no hurry to leave Sefirah Castle. He simply reviewed the battle today.
One thing he focused on was Abomination Suah’s performance in various aspects, so as to assess how powerful an angel was.
If I encounter him head-on and do not hold back, I might not even have a chance to summon an angel projection. Unless I succeed on my first attempt… Of course, my target, Dark Demon Wolf, is a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker. As for Abomination Suah, “He” is already a Sequence 1. The gap between the two is likely quite significant… However, Dark Demonic Wolf shares the same Seer pathway as me. “He” suppresses me in every aspect… I can only be thankful that “He” hasn’t completed the ritual and advanced to Sequence 1, or I wouldn’t have any hope of winning… Sequence 1… As his thoughts raced, Klein’s gaze suddenly constricted as he sat straight.
He had thought of a possibility in a moment of inspiration.
Could the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, have advanced and become a Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries? “He” created a marionette city to mislead possible trackers, such as Angel of Time Amon?
It can’t be ruled out… Yes, there’s another possibility. The Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar is in complete control of that “curtain” and has the strength of a quasi-Sequence 1… The more Klein thought about it, the more he realized that the operation was more dangerous than he imagined.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Dark Demonic Wolf has survived in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for so many years. Even a God of Trickery like Amon is unable to capture “Him.” This means that “His” strength and intelligence has reached a rather high level!
I still have to make more preparations for hunting “Him”… Klein frowned slightly and slowly exhaled.
…
Backlund, West Borough, within the Odora family’s villa.
Emlyn sat on a leather sofa in the living room, crossed his right leg, and placed it on his left thigh, patiently waiting for Baron Cosmi to enter.
Before long, the middle-aged Sanguine Baron entered the living room and swept his gaze across Emlyn.
“Viscount White, why are you visiting so late at night?”
Emlyn smiled and said, “Isn’t this just the beginning of a day? Look, the crimson moon outside the window is so beautiful.”
Cosmi wanted to retort to the young Sanguine, pointing out how Emlyn followed the “good practice” of waking up at seven in the morning and sleeping before eleven back when he went to the Harvest Church. After a moment of hesitation, he resisted the urge and said, “What’s the matter?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn raised his hand to pat the gown, tugged at his bowtie, and slowly got up. He raised his chin slightly and said, “Tell Lord Nibbs that he can begin preparing for the Earl conferment ritual.”
“…” Cosmi instinctively asked, “What are you talking about?”
Just as he said that, he suddenly came to a realization as he recalled Emlyn’s previous application.
“Y-you obtained an Earl—no, a Shaman King’s Beyonder characteristic?”
Emlyn enjoyed this very moment as he replied with a smile, “Did you think I was just joking when borrowing Vision of White?”
As he spoke, he took out the bronze box inlaid with many ruby gems. He opened it and revealed the eyeball-shaped glass sphere inside, indicating that he hadn’t lost it and was about to return it.
Cosmi’s eyes flickered as he said, “The Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction still has such powerful strength?
“Then why did they cooperate with you?”
The upper echelons of the Sanguine in Backlund, which was also the grandfather of Cosmi, Marquis Nibbs Odora, didn’t think highly of Emlyn’s previous application. He wanted to wait for the cooperation with the Rose School of Thought to fall through before Emlyn had no choice but to seek help from him or their demigods.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn glanced at him and replied with a smile, “It’s a secret.”
This was the tone he learned from Gehrman Sparrow. He found it cool and thought that it suited his preferences.
At the same time, this was the key point that The Hanged Man had repeatedly told him during the free exchange of the Tarot Club.
Only by maintaining a sense of mystery would the upper echelons of the Sanguine experience certain fear. This prevented them from finding excuses or using their status to take away the Shaman King characteristic.
Without waiting for Cosmi to respond, Emlyn threw the bronze box containing the Vision of White and buttoned up his suit. He walked past the baron and walked to the door of the living room.
As he was about to leave, Emlyn stopped. Without turning his head, he straightened his back and looked straight ahead.
“Remember to address me as Earl next time.”
With the Ancestor’s blessings and the importance the Moon had placed on him, he was filled with confidence in becoming a Shaman King.
Cosmi’s facial muscles twitched, but he maintained his silence. Only after Emlyn left did he find it difficult to control his warped expression.
Composite Start
Composite End
As a Sanguine who had existed since the time of Roselle, he was many years older than Emlyn, but he remained a baron. He was just slightly better than those without a noble title. As for Emlyn, who was considered a laughing stock amongst the younger generation of the Backlund Sanguine, he was about to cross the border separating mortals and gods. He would become a Sequence 4 Shaman King, a Sanguine Earl.
How could Cosmi not lose his composure? How could he not be jealous? How could he not be shocked?
After spending a few minutes to control his emotions, he headed down to the basement. Passing through several secret doors, he arrived at the gray hall where Nibbs was sleeping.
“Grandfather, Emlyn’s operation has succeeded.”
Inside the black iron coffin, there was a brief silence. After three or four seconds, Nibbs finally said, “The faction backing him is beyond our imagination…”
This Sanguine Marquis’s voice was deep and old, with a hint of hoarseness as it echoed in the hall.
“Grandfather, Emlyn succeeded by relying on the Vision of White. A portion of the items he obtained rightfully belongs to the race,” Cosmi said with some anticipation, feeling somewhat indignant.
Nibbs’s voice grew louder.
“Buffoon!
“To be able to hunt a Shaman King while the Rose School of Thought was clearly prepared, is that something any faction can do?
Composite Start
Composite End
“The Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction has been in shambles for years, so how much strength can it have left?
“At most, they have an angel in a poor condition, or a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, as well as two to three demigods. All these put together wouldn’t be able to restrain Abomination Suah and the Rose School of Thought’s other angels, other Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, a sizable number of demigods, as well as the Chained God’s projection, and the blessings of the Mother Tree of Desire.
“If Emlyn’s operation succeeded, then you can count how many angels and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are needed at the very least. This is a power that can match ours!
“In the future, don’t deliberately investigate Emlyn and his other companions!”
After shouting a few more times, Nibbs coughed twice, clearly struggling.
Cosmi’s face turned pale as he finally calmed down.
“Then… are you really going to prepare a ritual for him?”
“What else?” Nibbs returned with a question before sighing. “Perhaps after Emlyn took the risk for the Sanguine’s future, the Ancestor has truly begun showing ‘Her’ concern for him…”
…
Fog Sea, La Cha Island.
After leaving the Future on the safe sea route, Admiral of Stars Cattleya used her fairytale magic to arrive at a mountain peak. She recited a passage in Jotun to an empty cliff:
“Open sesame!”
A path immediately appeared on the cliff as though it was real and illusory. It was unknown where it led to.
Cattleya made use of her prophetic means to make a simple assessment of any danger. Then, she stepped onto the path and ventured deep into the cliff.
As she walked, her vision cleared up. She saw the sea that appeared clear like sapphires and a beautiful castle made of pure emerald.
This was Queen Mystic Bernadette’s Emerald City.
Cattleya wasn’t unfamiliar with this place. She easily passed the questions and tests of the magical guards and came to the half-open room that provided the best vista in the castle.
The tall Queen was standing behind the railing, looking at the waves that surged forward.
For some reason, Cattleya’s hidden excitement, thrill, and joy suddenly calmed down at that moment as she felt a sense of security and freedom.
Back when she cruised the seas, she would occasionally feel lonely and sad, like a leaf that had left its tree, allowing the wind to bring her to different places. Now, she seemed to have fallen back to the ground, right beside the tree.
She opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. Finally, she nudged the heavy glasses on her nose and simply greeted, “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”
Bernadette turned around and nodded.
“I summoned you back to Emerald City because I have some things to hand over to you.”
Cattleya instinctively asked, “Why are you handing them over to me?”
The Queen had a secret organization like Element Dawn and a group of pirates under her!
Bernadette didn’t directly answer Cattleya’s question as she said, “I previously received a clue and left Backlund in a hurry.”
“I remember the matter,” Cattleya interjected.
Bernadette’s long and straight eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Through this clue, I managed to piece together an incomplete sea map from the descendants of Edwards, William, and Poli. It records the area my father had explored in the Fog Sea those years.
With the help of this sea map and my prophetic abilities, I can roughly guess that a particular area out at sea that is far away from the safe sea route might be hiding his secret. I plan on heading there on the Dawn to do an extended search.
“I’m not sure when I can return. Perhaps I will never be able to return. Therefore, I have to hand over some items and matters to you in advance.”
After listening carefully, Cattleya said without hesitation, “I’ll go with you.”
“It is my father. This is something I have to do, alone.” Queen Mystic Bernadette slowly shook her head.
Cattleya fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “If you don’t return, I would do the same.”
Chapter 1239 Legacy
Upon hearing Cattleya’s words, Queen Mystic Bernadette looked at her silently for a few seconds before saying, “That is your choice, and also your freedom.”
Cattleya stared straight at the Queen before pursing her lips and saying, “I know. You must’ve destroyed all the clues that will allow me to pursue your tracks…
“To you, this is to end the past—all of it—regardless of whether you return.”
The chestnut-colored hair casually draped over Bernadette’s shoulders as she maintained her silence as if she was using this method to confirm the Admiral of Stars’s guess.
When Cattleya saw this, she smiled bitterly and said, “I won’t harp on how I’ll do everything I can to find you if you were to remain lost for half a year or a year. I just want you to remember to recite Mr. Fool’s honorific name when the danger is gravest.”
She said that title frankly.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Queen Mystic Bernadette slowly nodded and said, “I will keep that in mind.”
Cattleya immediately revealed a smile as she said with misty eyes, “What items and matters need to be handed over to me?”
With a flip of her hand, Bernadette took out an item from somewhere.
The item was entirely gold in color, like a miniaturized kettle. Its surface was covered with mysterious and complicated symbols, and a part of a lamp’s wick extended out from the mouth.
“It’s name is the ‘Magic Wishing Lamp.’ Its serial number is 0-05. It might’ve originated from the First Epoch, and even a true deity can’t shatter it. Normally, it wouldn’t cause any harm, nor would it be of any use. However, it will constantly tempt you to rub it through dreams and illusions, to summon the Genie.” Queen Mystic Bernadette simply introduced the item’s origins and effects. “The Genie claims to be eternal and can grant you any ten wishes, but often, they are fulfilled in an extremely warped manner or with terrifying consequences. My father told me that the holder can avoid the harm brought by the first two wishes through proper wording and preparations, but the third wish is absolutely forbidden.”
At this point, Bernadette emphasized, “Absolutely forbidden!”
“It sounds easy to get around it…” Cattleya thought for a moment before saying, “Can’t you make two wishes before giving it to me. I’ll make another two wishes, then give it to Frank, Heath, and the others. This will allow for many things to be done.”
She was only using Frank as an example. She had no intention of letting him come into contact with something so dangerous.
Holding the Magic Wishing Lamp, Bernadette shook her head indiscernibly and said, “The owner is different from the wielder. Before I die, even if you obtain the Magic Wishing Lamp, you will only be a wielder. The first wish you make will also be counted as my third wish and your first wish.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, although we can craft our words and make preparations to avoid the damage caused by the fulfillment of the wishes, this does not mean that the Genie isn’t intelligent. On the contrary, ‘He’ is very smart, very cunning, and has a very strong sense of autonomy.”
Cattleya tersely acknowledged.
“Then, is there any wish that ‘He’ cannot fulfill?”
“Nothing at the moment, but if it involves the level of a true deity, the distortion of the wish will exceed your imagination. To put it simply, if you wish to become a Sequence 0 true deity, then your body and soul will meld into one with an unknown evil god. Remember, the Genie’s requirement is that the wish has to be simple and concise. Otherwise, ‘He’ will reject it and treat it as if you have already made a wish,” Bernadette explained.
With that said, she got an invisible servant to fly towards Cattleya with the terrifying Sealed Artifact 0-05.
After Cattleya reached out her hand to grab the Magic Wishing Lamp, Bernadette continued, “If you dream of the Genie and are bewitched by ‘Him’ to make a wish, that means that I can no longer return. Following that, you will be its owner. I hope that your first wish is to retrieve all the items that were carried on Bernadette Gustav’s person before she headed out to sea, including her own Beyonder characteristic. Yes, it’s best to add the exact date when making a wish.”
Cattleya looked down at the golden lamp and blurted out, “Can I make a wish to bring you back to life?”
After a few seconds of silence, Bernadette said, “The resurrected me might just be a monster.
“If you really wish to do so, you can ask Mr. Fool for ‘His’ opinion.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Cattleya nodded slightly.
“Okay.”
“This is the item I’m giving you and the matters I need to settle. I’ll leave the rest to the Element Dawn. They will have a new leader and won’t collapse because of a person’s disappearance.” Bernadette didn’t beat around the bush, indicating that this was the main reason she had summoned Cattleya to Emerald City.
The level of the divine lamp was extremely high, making it impossible to pass it through a messenger.
Without waiting for Cattleya’s reply, Queen Mystic’s expression suddenly softened.
“Haven’t you always wanted to share what happened all these years with me?”
Cattleya was taken aback as she nodded.
“That’s right.”
She then walked to the Queen’s side, pulled a chair over, and sat down, facing the blue sea beyond the emerald railing.
Composite Start
Composite End
Bernadette sat beside her and listened to her talk about all the encounters after she left the Dawn.
These matters had been mentioned in the letter by Cattleya, but due to the limited length, she didn’t provide any detailed descriptions. There were some that she was sharing for the first time.
At some point in time, Cattleya fell asleep and dreamed of a time many years ago.
At that time, she was just a maiden who stubbornly left the Dawn without looking back.
Suddenly, she woke up and realized that there was no one beside her. She realized that it had already turned dark at some point in time, and dawn was even approaching.
Cattleya suddenly reached out and threw out an illusory ball of yarn.
The ball of yarn rolled into the void, leaving behind a bright-colored thread.
Following this thread, Cattleya walked through the spirit world as though she had mastered “Teleportation” and arrived at the periphery of La Cha Island.
She stood at the edge of the cliff and cast her gaze into the distance. She saw that on the dark blue sea, a gorgeous and huge sailboat, which was tinted with an orange glow, was steering towards the horizon.
Cattleya slowly sat down and leaned forward slightly. She hugged her knees and looked in that direction for a long time.
Composite Start
Composite End
The sun gradually rose and shone on her.
…
In Backlund, at a soup kitchen.
The veil-wearing Stelyn Sammer no longer lowered her head like the previous few months, afraid that others would recognize her. The only worry on her mind as she anxiously looked ahead was if the free food would last until it was her turn.
She could vaguely hear gunshots echoing in the distance. She didn’t know if the armies of Feysac, Intis, or Feynapotter had breached the final line of defense, or if the police were dealing with a looter.
Please end it… Please end this war quickly… Stelyn, who had gone to three soup kitchens, silently prayed.
At this moment, a staff member raised his voice and said from a few meters away, “All the food here has been handed out!”
Stelyn’s face turned ashen. She looked up at the dark sky and dragged her feet in despair and numbness before returning to the house at 17 Minsk Street.
The moment she opened the door, her two children rushed over and raised their innocent faces.
“Mommy, did you get any bread?”
“Mommy, I’m hungry…”
They were twins, a boy and a girl. Both of them were very adorable.
Stelyn held back her tears and forced a smile.
“Yes.”
She then entered the house, took out some pieces of bread she had stashed, and split it among the two children.
As she watched the two children eat the bread without any regard for etiquette, Stelyn’s expression kept changing. It cycled between sorrow and pain.
Not long after, her husband, Luke Sammer, returned home, but he, too, didn’t have any food in his hands.
Ever since the Coim Company was taken over by the military during the war, this former manager had lost his job. He could only rely on their past savings and maintain his family via government aid.
“I didn’t manage to…” Seeing his wife’s hopeful gaze, this burly man with a messy beard lowered his head in shame.
Stelyn, who still looked rather pretty while in her thirties, took a deep breath and said, “Me too… I’ll go out and queue again. There should still be places that haven’t finished distributing food!”
Without waiting for her husband to respond, she rushed out of the door.
Luke immediately turned around and said to her back, “I’ll find another one too!”
Stelyn didn’t stop. She walked two streets and arrived in front of a house with a garden.
Not long after, she saw the owner of the place, a tycoon in his fifties.
“I want to buy some food.” Stelyn took out a stack of crumpled bills.
The grizzled elder smiled and said, “And why should I sell it to you?
“I remember that you rejected me last time.”
Stelyn’s face paled. Without a word, she lowered her head and unbuckled her belt with her other hand.
With a snap, the leather belt that was originally very exquisite but now had quite a few stains fell to the ground.
…
Luke Sammer wandered aimlessly on the streets, unsure where he could find food.
Looking at the small number of pedestrians passing by, and the bags that they were trying their best to protect, the scholarly gentleman’s eyes gradually turned red.
Unknowingly, he followed someone and turned into a street.
In less than an hour, the curfew would begin. This was a rare opportunity for him.
That person stopped outside a house and walked towards the door feebly.
At this moment, the person suddenly fainted and fell to the ground.
Luke subconsciously took a few steps back before quickly approaching to test the pedestrian’s breathing.
His gaze unconsciously fell on the paper bag in the man’s embrace, and he could smell the aroma of bread.
Luke gulped and reached out for the bag.
As he moved his hand, he looked back in fear at the house that this pedestrian was trying to enter. He saw a child’s drawing pasted on the oriel window.
Luke’s actions stiffened. A few seconds later, he stood up, walked to the door of the house, and rang the doorbell.
The house’s mistress and child quickly opened the door and saw their weak father and the bag of bread.
The curfew arrived very quickly, and Luke returned to Minsk Street dejectedly.
Just as he opened the door, he saw his wife smiling at him.
“I got food!”
That’s great… Luke heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her tightly.
…
Audrey walked along the streets and alleys, with no one capable of seeing her.
She didn’t say anything and walked back to Empress Borough, all the way back into the luxurious mansion where she smelled the aroma of pan-fried foie gras and other delicacies.
After staring silently for a while, she saw the maids coming and going. Finally, she headed upstairs to her room.
In the middle of the night, she wore a cloak and entered her parents’ bedroom before arriving at their bed.
After staring at them for a long time, Audrey knelt down on one knee and pressed her forehead against her father’s hand.
Beads of water dripped onto the carpet.
Then, the blonde, green-eyed noble lady slowly raised her head and said to her sleeping parents, choking, “Daddy, Mommy, thank you. Thank you for teaching me what pity, kindness, and virtue are.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she closed her eyes and stood up abruptly. Turning around, she walked towards the door, no longer wearing the slightest emotions on her face.
Chapter 1240 The Tide
In the early morning, Earl Hall woke up at his usual time and took a stroll in his garden and lawn.
By the time he finished looking at his beloved thoroughbreds, he returned to the third floor of the villa and changed out of his outing clothes. His wife, Caitlyn, had already woken up and was instructing her lady’s maid to relay her thoughts to the rest of the servants.
“It’s time for breakfast.” Earl Hall stood beside the coat rack and smiled at his wife.
At that moment, he heard a commotion outside, one that was getting closer and closer, but it did not quell.
With a slight frown, Earl Hall turned his head to look at his valet.
Without needing the noble to speak, the valet immediately walked to the window and drew open the thin curtain.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With a swoosh, more light shone into the bedroom. It was clear.
The valet then cast his gaze out the window and scanned his surroundings. His expression suddenly became solemn.
He turned around and glanced at Lady Caitlyn, who was still talking to the lady’s maid. He walked quickly to Earl Hall’s side and said in a low voice, “A protest! Many people are protesting!”
A protest? Earl Hall was no stranger to this term. As a powerful Loen Kingdom noble, and the second largest shareholder of the Constant Coal and Steel Consortium, he had seen many workers protest in demonstrations, requesting for a rise in their weekly salaries, as well as stipulate for maximum working hours. During the past two months, Backlund had also undergone several protests due to various problems, but they were quickly suppressed without causing too much of an impact.
His gaze moved back and forth across his valet’s face for a few seconds. Eyes narrowed, he acutely sensed that the protest today might be different from what he had imagined.
Without batting an eyelid, he walked to the window.
Looking out, Earl Hall’s eyes suddenly froze.
With the advantage of being on the third floor, he saw that the roads were filled with dense hordes of people, extending far into the distance. They gathered together and surged in this direction, as if they were a dark, gigantic cloud that was about to envelop Backlund.
“Bread!”
Composite Start
Composite End
“We want bread!”
The shouts of tens of thousands of people, and even more people, grew into a crescendo—one that was loud and clear. It made Earl Hall’s scalp tingle.
Having participated in the Mass at Festival Square, he was no stranger to seeing large masses of people or hearing people booming in one voice. But back then, he could barely be considered a part of the crowd. And today, he was one of the targets of the surging “tidal wave.”
Earl Hall couldn’t help but glance towards the end of the protesters, only to realize that there was no end to it. However, with his rich experience in handling matters, he could make a judgment based on the details he had observed.
He could see that there were very few police and soldiers on both sides of the protesters. Compared to the large number of people, they were like the eddies created by a tidal wave, a negligible detail.
Earl Hall believed that the protesters that targeted Empress Borough would definitely be clamped down upon with the greatest force possible. It would be impossible for large numbers of soldiers and police to be deployed. The current situation could only mean one thing:
There were too many people participating in the protest!
As such, the soldiers and police were spread too thin!
A protest numbering more than a hundred thousand people? Perhaps more… A protest arising from a food shortage can turn into a riot and looting at any time… It might still seem orderly now… because there are many organizers and leaders? Damn it. Didn’t MI9 and the various Churches notice any signs? How could such a large-scale protest be organized overnight? Even if Backlund has become a gunpowder keg, it would still require quite a number of matchsticks to light it! Thoughts ran through Earl Hall’s mind as his expression grew graver.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Bread!”
“We want bread!”
The shouting became louder and more uniform, as if there was a tsunami in the city.
At that moment, the servants in Earl Hall’s mansion sensed the commotion. All of them went to the windows and looked beyond the compound gates.
Their faces turned pale, as though they had encountered a flood that could not be avoided.
“Bread!”
“We want bread!”
Countless voices converged together, as the dense masses exuded a suffocating presence.
Earl Hall snapped to his senses. He subconsciously wanted to get someone to send a telegram to the royal family to get them to organize an army to suppress the protesters.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, after further observation, he realized that quite a number of protesters were wearing military uniforms and were disabled.
“Bread!”
“We want bread!”
The soldiers in charge of maintaining order looked at the protesters with pity and pointed their guns at the sky.
Among those people were their old comrades, their parents and children, their friends, neighbors, and large numbers of people who simply desired the same right to live like them. They just didn’t want to starve to death. How could they not feel pity and empathy?
At first, such feelings might have arisen in a handful of soldiers and police, but it quickly spread to almost everyone.
In the past, under their officers’ supervision at gunpoint, they would have accepted all orders without any protest. But now, many people were thinking:
Any son-of-a-b*tch who dares to get me to fire shall be fired upon!
“Bread!”
“We want bread!”
Composite Start
Composite End
From the shouts and the impact of the huge crowd, the color in Earl Hall’s face drained.
He couldn’t help but retract his gaze and look at the guards and bodyguards gathered outside the house. He looked at the Beyonders of the Church of Evernight who were responsible for protecting his family, and he realized that the reactions of the two were different.
The guards and bodyguards were filled with fear. The expressions of the secretly-hired Beyonders had already become rather solemn. As for the protectors from the Church of Evernight, their gazes were filled with pity and empathy.
To the Church, I might be equivalent to a thousand believers, but there are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even more… Earl Hall instantly came to a realization of the consequences of what he had planned to do.
Even though they were armed to the teeth, there was no way they could fend off so many protesters with just a few bodyguards. Once the conflict erupted, the Beyonders of the Church of Evernight couldn’t be counted on at all. It was already a blessing by the Goddess if his family could escape Empress Borough with the bodyguards he hired!
For the first time, Earl Hall experienced the strength of the masses. He experienced the terror of the unity of people.
As this thought flashed through his mind, he immediately turned his head and instructed his valet, “Send a telegram to the Prime Minister and send a telegram to the other nobles. Say that I’m willing to take the lead and donate most of our food!
“Get them to remain calm!”
As the radio signals exchanged across the air, the nobles living in Empress Borough all learned of his attitude.
The present Duke Negan looked out the window with a serious expression. After a moment of silence, he exhaled and said to the male secretary beside him, “Protect the mansion and give up any forceful stance. Follow Earl Hall’s lead.
“Also, make the merchants who are hoarding food the first examples!”
By the time the upper-class society came to a consensus and came up with a solution, Earl Hall’s heart finally settled back to its original position. He had the energy to head to the dining room to meet his family.
When he passed through the dining hall’s entrance, he subconsciously scanned the situation inside.
His wife stood by the window, looking out the window with worry. His eldest son kept pacing back and forth, appearing very angry and anxious. His daughter stood beside his wife, watching the tidal-wave-like protesters in silence.
…
Fog Sea, Future.
Cattleya stepped on a resplendent bridge formed from starlight and returned to the deck.
“Captain, you have to do something about Frank this time!” Boatswain Nina, rushed over and shouted.
Cattleya’s depressed and sorrowful mood was instantly shattered as she frowned slightly.
“What did he do again?”
Nina said angrily, “He asked me if I knew how to have children. He wants to study how life is born and how the soul is created!”
“…Did you hit him?” Cattleya fell silent for a second.
“I did!” Nina didn’t hide anything.
Cattleya then looked at Frank who was not far away, ignoring his bruised face.
“You should first study how fish breed.”
“Alright.” Frank scratched his head and heeded his captain’s orders.
Following that, Cattleya nodded at the shadow which extended out from the cabin—the pale-faced Bloodless Heath Doyle.
“Everything’s fine now.”
Heath Doyle clearly relaxed.
“Yes, Captain.”
After this farce with her crew, Cattleya finally returned to the real world. While they weren’t paying attention, she rubbed her temples and flew into the captain’s cabin.
Following that, she sealed the cabin with magic and took out the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact—Magic Wishing Lamp.
After finishing her preparations, Cattleya sat at her desk and lowered her head. She used Jotun to recite Mr. Fool’s honorific name to report to him about Queen Mystic.
Holding a lantern in hand, Klein surveyed the surrounding area of the northern city ruins. He turned his head slightly and listened for a few seconds before following the process of entering the world above the gray fog.
He then sat on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool at the end of the long mottled table, spreading his spirituality towards the crimson star representing The Hermit.
Queen Mystic has some preliminary clues to the primitive island. She plans on leaving the safe sea route to do an extended search…
That primitive island was discovered by Emperor Roselle by chance. It’s very likely that one of his nine secret mausoleums is hidden on it… This is the only one that hasn’t been discovered and destroyed at the moment. It’s the hope of the Emperor’s resurrection…
However, the living beings on that primitive island seem to worship an unknown power that comes from the cosmos. Just understanding the cosmos that will lead to corruption… I need to remind Ma’am Hermit to warn Queen Mystic…
Magic Wishing Lamp… Magic Wishing Lamp? So this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact is in the hands of Queen Mystic… It’s a combination of a Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic and a characteristic of unknown origins. Even a true deity can’t shatter it… Just as he finished listening to 0-05’s description, he immediately adjusted his vision and enlarged the scene of the golden kettle-like Magic Wishing Lamp.
Suddenly, the wick at the mouth of the Magic Wishing Lamp lit up!
Chapter 1241 Genie
The light emitted by the lamp’s core was extremely viscous, like water that had been infused with quite a bit of sugar. It spewed out, forming a distorted and blurry golden figure.
This figure instantly occupied the crimson star representing The Hermit, cutting off his ability to sense Cattleya.
Sitting at the end of the long bronze table, Klein’s eyes widened as a thought subconsciously flashed across his mind:
As expected of a Sealed Artifact labeled 0-05!
Although the serial number of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts was usually based on the order of the time the orthodox Churches obtained or understood them, it had to be known that this set of rules was officially established after the seven Churches truly ruled over the world, which was the late Fourth Epoch and early Fifth Epoch.
Back then, most Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts had already appeared, and they had been learned of or obtained by the orthodox Churches!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This resulted in a situation where the ones with smaller serial numbers being Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts that were more powerful, terrifying, and unimaginable. Then, the rest were labeled based on the order of appearance.
In addition, although it wasn’t wrong to say that an item was more powerful the more ancient it was, for an item from the First Epoch that the ancient gods were unable to affect, it definitely meant that even deities didn’t fully comprehend their secrets.
This way, the smaller the number was, the more terrifying the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was.
Of course, based on this rule, the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts with higher serial numbers weren’t necessarily worse than the first ten. Perhaps it was simply because they were discovered or obtained by the Church at a later date. Without any numbers left for them, they could only be serialized.
Just as a thought flashed through his mind, the golden figure’s gaze pierced through the crimson star representing The Hermit and towards the ancient palace above the gray fog.
Following that, “His” voice echoed in an unusually magnificent manner:
“Long time no see.”
Long time no see? Long time no see! He… He knows the former owner of Sefirah Castle, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings? No, it should be “Him,” a Genie who claims to be eternal… “He” can actually use Ma’am Hermit’s prayer to directly talk to me… A thought flashed through Klein’s mind as he tensed up.
Based on his experience over the recent years, as well as his ability as a Clown, his body suddenly relaxed and he leisurely leaned back into his chair.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following that, Klein replied, “Heh.”
He didn’t give an affirmative answer, nor did he deny that he was a fake. He only showed a look of contempt and wore a supercilious look.
The blurry golden figure harrumphed.
“You’ve actually been weakened so much. It’s no wonder that I haven’t heard of your honorific name in the past few millennia.”
Honorific name… Weak… “He” really knows the former owner of Sefirah Castle… Is that an existence who was active during the First Epoch? Amidst his thoughts, Klein smiled and said, “What you see might not be the truth.”
“Haha.” The twisted and blurry golden figure laughed and said, “You’re still your usual self, always trying to scam others, but the condition of Sefirah Castle cannot fool me. Under normal circumstances, there’s no way for me to pass through the outer layers of protection to communicate with you.”
“How do you know that I didn’t do it on purpose?” Klein asked in a relaxed manner.
“There’s no point in lying to me,” the distorted, blurry golden Genie immediately replied.
…Why do I feel like the victim of fraud is saying that I’m penniless, to the point of having sold my kidney… Back then, what did the previous owner of Sefirah Castle—the one suspected to be The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings—do to the Genie… Hmm, part of the characteristics of this Magic Wishing Lamp is that of a Miracle Invoker… Using his lampooning to relieve the pressure in his heart, Klein smiled.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“It’s not up to you to decide whether there’s any point.”
The blurry golden figure trembled slightly.
“From the state of Sefirah Castle, you seem to have a need for a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic.”
“He” did not harp on the topic and instead pointed out the situation “He” had observed.
…This fellow can actually see through this matter… “His” level is really very high… “He” is able to separate the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic from the Magic Wishing Lamp? Klein’s eyes narrowed as he nearly lost his composure.
He immediately controlled his actions and expression and replied with a smile, “If you think so.”
The blurry and distorted golden figure once again made “His” magnificent voice echo above the gray fog.
“We can make a deal.
“You will remove my seal and give me freedom. I will leave the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic to you and only take away the portion that belongs to me.
Composite Start
Composite End
“As for a witness, let’s use our sefirot. Although both you and I have means to resist the backlash and reduce the damage caused by breaching the contract, it won’t be without a price. We both need to consider the consequences.
“I promise I won’t stay here any longer than necessary.”
Sealed… Sefirot… The terrifying nature of the Magic Wishing Lamp is a seal of an existence that’s at least at the true deity level? With a thought, Klein quickly analyzed the viability of the matter.
Soon, he made a decision. He was not to be bewitched!
There were two reasons for this. Firstly, he wasn’t the real owner of Sefirah Castle. There was a limit to what he could do and handle. Secondly, he had received some mysticism education and had gleaned experiences as a Nighthawk. He knew not to trade with unknown existences or bear any hope in being lucky!
Having made up his mind, he calmed down and focused on how to gather more information.
The Genie was suspected to originate from the darkest, most chaotic, and most mysterious First Epoch, so “He” definitely knew a lot!
After some thought, the corners of Klein’s mouth curled up.
“Do you think such conditions can move me?”
He planned to see how high the chips the Genie could offer, so as to pry into certain of “His” secrets.
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon hearing this, the flickering golden figure’s eyes suddenly lit up in a literal manner!
“His” gaze seemed to land directly on Klein as “His” magnificent voice quaked the ancient palace like thunder:
“You are not ‘Him’!”
You are not “Him”… At that moment, Klein was a little stunned and also a little frightened. It was as if he was performing a grand magic show only to have a member of the audience suddenly point out his trick.
He didn’t know what was wrong with his rhetorical question, nor did he know what exactly was wrong. It was difficult for him to analyze the pros and cons in a short period of time, and give a reaction that matched the current situation.
… Why did “He” suddenly realize that I’m not the former owner of Sefirah Castle—the suspected “Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings”… Isn’t my rhetoric question very reasonable? Since we’re talking about a deal, bargaining should be allowed… The former owner of Sefirah Castle that the Genie knew wasn’t like that? Impossible, why would a person who’s good at deceit show “His” hand so readily? How can there not be some level of negotiation and pressure? Sh*t, too many thoughts are running through my mind. Nearly ten seconds have passed… I didn’t immediately answer the Genie’s accusation, so it’s a form of indirect admittance… When it came to being exposed, Klein didn’t have much experience. He was momentarily unsure for a response.
Just as he raised his vigilance and was about to produce the Staff of the Stars and activate Sefirah Castle’s powers to resist the possible attack from the Genie, the golden and blurry figure suddenly laughed.
“Haha. Hahaha. Hahaha.”
This laughter seemed to stir his soul, causing Klein, who was inside Sefirah Castle, to nearly show signs of losing control. It wasn’t easy for him to remain calm.
There’s no intention to attack, but the influence of natural dissipation… What’s the Genie laughing about? What’s so funny? Klein frowned as he thought of one possibility after another, but he felt that they didn’t match reality.
After a few seconds, the Genie’s laughter stopped and “He” happily quipped, “Even for existences at our level, fate is still so miraculous.
“Regardless of who you are, the deal I proposed is still on the table. As long as you remove the seal and release me, I will return to the cosmos with the portion that belongs to me. As for the rest, I will leave the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic to you. In addition, I will grant you three wishes.
“How’s that? Isn’t that enough?”
Cosmos… When Klein heard that, his eyelids twitched as he sharply sensed danger.
This was a warning from his spiritual intuition.
He had originally thought that he could pretend to agree and obtain more information before using Sefirah Castle to go back on his promise, but now he suddenly felt that he could not make the promise!
Hence, Klein decisively said, “Leave.”
As he spoke, he cut off the connection between himself and the crimson star representing The Hermit.
The blurry and distorted golden figure suddenly expanded and dissipated, leaving only his voice echoing:
“You will eventually agree!”
Only when the world above the gray fog had its calm completely restored did Klein slowly let out a breath and silently mutter to himself, The Genie is a powerful creature from the cosmos. Was it sealed within the Magical Wishing Lamp in the First Epoch or earlier?
The person who sealed “Him” might be the previous owner of Sefirah Castle, the existence suspected to be The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. This can be inferred from the ingredients used to form the Magic Wishing Lamp’s Beyonder characteristics…
So, that’s how the Genie sensed that I wasn’t the previous owner of Sefirah Castle when “He” questioned me? But I did consider this point, so my question wasn’t logically unsound. Unless, back then, the former owner of Sefirah Castle and the Genie had come to some sort of tacit understanding or had some secret…
The bulk of the Genie’s powers likely can’t extend out of the seal, but “He” can use the Beyonder characteristic that forms the seal… The unique characteristic of “granting wishes” is likely from the Miracle Invoker characteristic. Then, the Genie uses “His” level to magnify it…
Amidst his thoughts, Klein raised his head to look at the crimson star representing The Hermit. He discovered that Cattleya didn’t notice anything unusual with the Magic Wishing Lamp.
Phew… Klein formed a stream of light that contained his warnings and threw it into the crimson star.
Chapter 1242 The Baffling Actions of the Human
…The primitive island that the Emperor found by chance… The creatures on the island worship an unknown power that comes from the cosmos… Without reaching the level of an angel, just knowledge of it will result in corruption from the cosmos… Try not to make a wish to the Genie, nor bring it to that primitive island… Cattleya finally received feedback from Mr. Fool as she heaved a sigh of relief, even more worried about the Queen’s quest.
She turned her head to look at the unresponsive Magic Wishing Lamp and quickly put it away. Then, she spread out a letter, picked up a fountain pen, and paraphrased the information she had just received, hoping that Queen Mystic Bernadette would take it seriously.
…
In a dilapidated apartment in Backlund.
A man with a full beard was sitting on a chair with his hands cuffed behind him.
Xio, who had become a middle-ranking MI9 member through her own capabilities, stood in front of the man, with a triangular blade in hand and her two subordinates flanking her.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“We already have enough witnesses and evidence to prove that you’re one of the main organizers of the protest. If you wish to reduce your punishment, answer my questions honestly.”
Before Xio could say a word, the bearded man felt an extremely powerful suppressive force. When she finished speaking, even his mind began to tremble. It was as though bolts of electricity were generated and a pain and numbness that couldn’t be perceived could explode at any moment.
The bearded man suppressed the fear and weakness in his heart and said, “No one instigated me. I just did what I wanted to do.
“Don’t you all know? The entirety of Backlund has become a gunpowder keg. Even a tiny spark can set off the entire city. And there are countless sparks like me who are willing to take the risk!
“Those darn nobles and merchants hoarded so much food while there are already people in East Borough who are starving to death!
“You can do whatever you want to do to me. I’ve never believed in their promises. The reason why we agreed to end the protest was because everyone had received a lot of food.”
Xio was about to ask further when she suddenly turned her head to listen to the commotion in the distance.
Sounds of rumbling could be heard from somewhere. It was deep, hoarse, and layered.
Has the Feysac, Intis, or Feynapotter army broken through our defenses and begun to attack Backlund’s defenses? Xio’s expression instantly turned solemn.
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Back in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, after Klein returned to the real world, he immediately attempted to reach out his hand to see if he could pull out the Magic Wishing Lamp from the fog of history.
Soon, he confirmed that he couldn’t summon Sealed Artifact 0-05.
Indeed, it involves a Uniqueness, or should I say, sefirah? In short, the Genie is indeed a high-ranking existence that was sealed. At the very least, “He” is a King of Angels… There’s no way to make use of “Him”… Klein let out a breath and turned his attention back to the hunt of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar.
He had made a lot of preparations during this period of time, and he ran through and confirmed the plan above the gray fog.
However, he was in no hurry to take action. He spent quite a bit of time checking the loopholes and mending the imperfections.
Two to three days later, it was dark and silent in the wilderness. Wearing a silk top hat and a long black trench coat, Klein held a lantern that emitted a faint yellow glow. With a solemn expression, he reached out his right hand and grabbed at the air.
At that moment, a bolt of lightning streaked across the world, illuminating it.
Following that, he dragged out a figure. It was him holding the illusory Staff of the Stars and a lantern.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Right on the heels of that, his true body entered the fog of history as he dashed to a time before the First Epoch. He hid inside the old stacked cities.
His Historical Void projection suddenly came alive as an area that he had been exploring recently had surfaced in his mind. He used the power of the Staff of the Stars to directly move to it.
This was a huge distance away from where his actual body was. Even if there was a problem with the projection, no one would be able to lock onto the exact location of where his true body was when he returned to reality.
Surveying the area, he took in the dried riverbed and a boulder that stood deep in the darkness like a monster. He no longer maintained his Staff of the Stars historical projection, letting it quickly fade away and disappear with a shake of his right hand.
After doing all of this, he walked to the boulder, put down the lantern, and began chanting an honorific name in Jotun:
“The Dark Lord that exists alongside History,
“The Embodiment of Countless Miracles,
“The God of Wishes…”
This was the Dark Demonic Wolf’s honorific name that he had obtained from the Evernight Goddess. Although the Mythical Creature might not be using it anymore, or had perhaps changed it a long time ago, it was undoubtedly referring to “Him” when it came to mysticism.
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Deep within a mountain range, in an ancient castle.
Giants, elves, humans, and vampires each held the role as gardeners, chefs, servants, and guards. They all had different expressions and would whisper to each other when they met, making them appear lively and intelligent.
However, once they returned to their rooms, they would immediately turn dull. Their eyes would no longer move as their bodies floated up and hung from the ceiling.
In the depths of the castle, in a hall where only lightning could light it up from outside the window, a huge figure lay quietly in the darkness.
Its body was like a tiny mountain that was covered in dark short fur. Its pitch-black pupils covered at least three-quarters of its eyes, and at its forehead was a tuft of grayish-white fur. Its head resembled a magnified, twisted feral wolf.
This was none other than the God of Wishes, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar.
Suddenly, this demonic wolf, which was more exaggerated than an ordinary giant, raised “His” head. Every strand of “His” dark and short hair began to sway as all the servants in the castle followed “His” actions.
Kotar’s eyes moved slightly as “He” turned “His” head slightly, as though “He” was listening to something.
In the next second, “He” opened “His” mouth and let out a soundless roar and summoned another “Him.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As soon as this Dark Demonic Wolf appeared, Kotar’s body leaped into the grayish-white fog as “He” dashed to a certain historical spot of light in the Second Epoch.
This was a piece of secret history that “He” knew.
In the real world, the Dark Demonic Wolf’s Historical Void projection made a wish in a tongue-twisting language. Then, with a flash of “His” figure, “He” directly moved to a mountain near the northern city of Nois.
After making the necessary preparations, the God of Wishes allowed a strand of dark, short hair to fall off, turning into an illusory Worm of Spirit that expanded into the corresponding prayer point of light.
With its help, Kotar saw who was praying to “Him.”
It was a young man wearing a strange hat and strange clothes. He stood beside a glass lantern and softly chanted the honorific name of the God of Wishes.
Hmm… The Dark Demonic Wolf’s huge, pitch-black pupils turned and saw that the young man was covered in a layer of grayish-white fog. There were some things that could not be seen clearly in the fog.
As a Sequence 2 angel of the Seer pathway, this Mythical Creature could clearly sense that the fog was similar to the fog of history. It could sense a strong attraction force from something in the fog.
…Sefirah Castle? Having heard some matters from the ancient god, Flegrea, the King of Demonic Wolves, “He” instantly had a guess.
Under this premise, “He” had many thoughts regarding the young man.
Using Sefirah Castle to attract me and make me attack him on my own accord, and then confirming my location?
This is a bait?
Indeed, he’s just a Historical Void projection. It’s unknown which time fragment his true body is hiding in. It’s unknown where the ambusher is hiding…
Previously, Sefirah Castle clearly had an anomaly. I controlled myself and didn’t attempt to search for the corresponding region or the clues that might be left behind. Why do “They” think I will fall for it?
It’s just an attempt, switching to another when it doesn’t work? Or is there something wrong with this prayer?
Hehe, I’ve lived for thousands of years. After experiencing so many things, what kind of situation have I not seen?
The best solution now is to ignore him and not spy on him. I’ll just remember him.
The Dark Demonic Wolf quickly made a decision and planned to observe for a while longer before destroying that prayer point of light.
At this moment, “He” saw the young man open his mouth again:
“The Sun that is Eternal;
“You are an Inextinguishable Light;
“You are the Embodiment of Order.”
“…” The Dark Demonic Wolf was somewhat puzzled as to what the young man was trying to do.
In this forsaken land, praying to the other true deities was useless!
In the next second, Klein once again chanted another deity’s name:
“The Lord that created everything;
“The Lord who reigns behind the curtain of shadows;
“The degenerated nature of all living things!”
The Dark Demonic Wolf’s pupils dilated slightly. “He” was confused by the actions of the human in the prayer light.
Before “He” could make any guesses, Klein muttered the third honorific name:
“The Clock-hand that tampers with Time;
“The Shadow that roams across Fate;
“The Embodiment of Deceit and Trickery.”
Amon… He is praying to Amon… The Dark Demonic Wolf was already completely at a loss as to what the other party was up to. “He” instinctively felt that something was amiss and immediately wanted to wipe away the corresponding prayer point of light.
Suddenly, “He” saw the young man lift “His” head and smile.
He then took out a crystal monocle and put it on his right eye.
In just one prayer, Klein’s Historical Void projection had turned into Blasphemer Amon’s avatar!
Almost at the same time, the Dark Demonic Wolf felt the other party’s gaze pass through the prayer light and land on “Him.” Then, Amon looked past “Him” and into the fog of history where “His” true body was.
Without any hesitation, “He” immediately destroyed the prayer light.
As for “His” true body, “He” dispelled the gaze and removed the maintenance of the historical projection.
In the fog of history, in the stacked city of old, Klein suddenly stood up. A scene surfaced in his mind.
A few seconds before this scene took shape, he had severed the connection between his body and the Historical Void projection, doing so in order to avoid having Amon descent right beside him.
The baffling actions that he had previously done were mainly to confuse the Dark Demonic Wolf. He wanted “Him” to continue observing after realizing that the supplicant wasn’t the true body. This made “Him” increase the time “He” spied on Sefirah Castle.
In the end, he prayed to Amon, using the possible descent and influence of the God of Deceit to hide the tracks of Sefirah Castle’s reverse corruption of the Dark Demonic Wolf!
If Amon hadn’t responded and merely watched by the sidelines, Klein would use the monocle he had prepared to deceive the Dark Demonic Wolf.
Chapter 1243 Hectic But Not Confused
Deep within a mountain range, in the ancient castle.
As soon as Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar returned from the fog of history, “He” instinctively removed all connections with the outside world. “He” was prepared to abandon this place and move elsewhere.
Although “He” still hadn’t figured out what had happened, with an accident already happening, “His” experience told “Him” that “He” couldn’t take any chances at all. “He” should retreat and give up as required of him!
At the same time, a thought came to Klein’s mind in the city of old. His figure instantly appeared in the ancient palace above the gray fog. At the seat belonging to The Fool, he merged with the constantly distorted and scattered crimson figure and took form.
In this mysterious space, the crimson stars that represented Justice, The Hanged Man, The Star, and the other members of the Tarot Club were constantly expanding and shrinking. They emitted layers of ripples that formed a mighty “wave.”
This was one of the preparations that Klein had made in advance. In the name of Gehrman Sparrow, he had used different reasons to get the members of the Tarot Club to pray to Mr. Fool one after another, asking this existence to pass a certain answer to Mr. World.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As such, the crimson stars resonated, affecting Sefirah Castle in reverse; thus, allowing it to summon The Fool to resolve the problem.
This was one of the key factors that could help him escape from Amon’s clutches. It could help him remove the need to take four steps counterclockwise and recite the incantations. He could directly enter Sefirah Castle without wasting any time.
And in a battle at the level of angels, the difference a second makes would perhaps determine the difference in the outcome. To fight someone more powerful than him, Klein had to consider every detail!
Sitting in the high-back chair belonging to The Fool, he beckoned for the Staff of the Stars and Sea God Scepter while observing the other changes in Sefirah Castle.
In the grayish-white fog, there was an additional crimson glow that was rapidly shrinking, almost disappearing in no time. Around The Fool’s seat, ripples of light bloomed as though they were forming a pure passageway.
He could barely make out a gigantic demonic wolf’s figure from the crimson glow. This was a result of Kotar’s spying on Sefirah Castle. Through the passage of time, “He” had gained a certain understanding of the situation and had unknowingly been invaded. As such, “He” established a preliminary connection with Sefirah Castle. Of course, as an angel and a God of Wishes of the Second Epoch, “He” had the right level and ability to sever such a connection and get rid of the corresponding corruption. If Klein didn’t make use of these one or two seconds, he would lose his lock on the Dark Demonic Wolf.
And at the side of The Fool’s seat, the rippling lights reflected the figure wearing a half top hat and a long black trench coat, “Gehrman Sparrow.” On his right eye was a crystal monocle.
Amon!
It was unknown what loophole this Blasphemer’s avatar could use to slow down the rate at which Klein’s Historical Void projection dissipated. Then, “He” used the subtle connection between “Gerhrman Sparrow,” Klein’s actual body, and Sefirah Castle in an attempt to invade the world above the gray fog from the special scene summoned by Sefirah Castle!
Composite Start
Composite End
As the halo spread out, “Gehrman Sparrow’s” long and powerful palm pierced through the barrier and suddenly entered the ancient palace, as though it had opened an invisible door.
Although Klein had already prepared for this and knew that it wouldn’t be easy to get rid of Amon, he couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle when he saw this scene. He was afraid that in the next second, he would grab a crystal monocle and put it on his right eye.
This was something that had to be resolved in one or two seconds. Otherwise, the ownership of Sefirah Castle would be a question left in the air.
Without any hesitation, distorted and transparent Worms of Spirit appeared on the surface of his skin. They quickly gathered together, forming another Klein.
After catching the Sea God Scepter, Klein stirred the power of Sefirah Castle. With the augmentation of the layers of invisible “waves,” the blue gems lit up, causing violent bolts of lightning to form silver balls that rolled into the rippling light.
Amidst the crackling sounds, the palm that pierced through Sefirah Castle instantly shattered and evaporated.
The spherical lightning that was filled with destructive aura expanded outwards, descending into reality, enveloping the monocled “Gehrman Sparrow.”
This Historical Void projection was only barely maintained with the use of loopholes, so it collapsed after suffering such a strike. “He” could only adjust the crystal monocle and shake “His” head in regret as “He” watched “His” figure rapidly fade away after being shattered by the electric bolts.
As a small portion of the Worms of Spirit responded to Amon’s prayer, Klein grabbed the Staff of the Stars with his actual body.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He held the staff embedded with many gems and aimed the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact at the rapidly shrinking crimson light.
At the same time, a scene appeared in his mind.
The rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls on the Staff of the Stars lit up one after another.
Gong!
The sound of a distant bell seemed to have transcended an infinite amount of time as it echoed within the grayish-white fog, reverberating within the crimson light.
The pitch-black darkness in front of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar suddenly faded, revealing a huge stone wall clock.
The wall clock was ancient and mottled, and its surface was grayish-white and bluish-black, split into twelve segments. Each segment had different symbols that represented the different times of the day.
At the core of the wall clock, three needles seemed to be formed from Worms of Time of three different lengths, “short,” “medium,” and “long,” were filled with a feeling that time had left its mark on.
This was a Beyonder power from Angel of Time, Amon. Using the Staff of the Stars, Klein had made it appear again!
Composite Start
Composite End
Normally speaking, a Beyonder power at this level wasn’t something that could be understood by just witnessing once or twice. It wasn’t so easy to “Record” it, but Klein wasn’t fighting alone.
During this period of time, he had made use of Miss Magician’s summoning to return to Backlund frequently. He went to The Star Leonard to chat directly with Pallez Zoroast, and he gained a deeper understanding of the corresponding mysticism knowledge and supernatural details.
Although Pallez had already dropped to the Sequence 2 level and was unable to use the powers of the Time domain, “His” experience and knowledge remained.
Gong!
On the ancient and mysterious stone wall clock, the second hand suddenly jerked, causing everything around Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar to slow down. Even the deep darkness seemed to freeze.
This Miracle Invoker who was just about to completely cut off contact with the outside world and distance “Himself” from where “He” was by granting his own wish suddenly froze on the spot. There was a brief moment of “Him” being fixed in place.
There was no doubt that there was a huge gap in power between the original Beyonder powers and those replicated by the Staff of the Stars. However, for Klein, the effect was already enough.
The moment he saw the Dark Demonic Wolf being affected by the “Ancient Wall Clock,” he immediately dropped the Staff of the Stars and made the Worm of Spirit he had just separated from his body to fly back into his body.
With a thought, he returned to the city of oil before the First Epoch. Then, he appeared in the dark desolate plains with the lantern that emitted a faint yellow glow.
His right hand extended forward and successfully pulled out a projection of the Staff of the Stars.
Composite Start
Composite End
This method could effectively increase the success rate of summoning the Staff of the Stars, but it would clearly reduce the might of this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. After all, he was summoning a historical projection of a historical projection. Of course, as it was a race against time, making such a choice was very easy.
Klein didn’t enter the fog of history again. He reached out to grab “his” shoulder, and he used dream divination to outline the feedback he received from using Sefirah Castle to reverse-corrupt the Dark Demonic Wolf.
In the dark, unlit hall in the ancient castle, the mountain-like demonic wolf stood up.
Quickly filling in the details, Klein slightly adjusted the details according to the scene of his frozen target.
On the black staff, the corresponding gems lit up.
In his mind, the scene that resembled an oil painting suddenly swelled up, interweaving with reality, making it impossible to separate from each other.
He descended into that ancient castle’s dark hall, landing in front of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar, who had just raised “His” body with “His” eight legs.
He had finally officially met the God of Wishes that had been living since the Second Epoch!
Without any hesitation, Klein took the opportunity of the Dark Demonic Wolf having just escaped the influence of the “Ancient Wall Clock.” As he dispelled the Historical Void projection, he took out an iron cigar case from his pocket and opened it.
Inside the cigar case, there was a Loen gold coin. Its surface flashed, reflecting Reinette Tinekerr, who was wearing a dark and complicated long dress and holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.
One of the preparations Klein made was to use the method that he had used to bring around Admiral of Blood Senor. This allowed him to bring Miss Messenger to the Forsaken Land of the Gods!
Reinette Tinekerr was no doubt a Wraith. Furthermore, “She” was an even more powerful Wraith. “She” could also possess the smooth surface of a gold coin. In addition, “She” was a spirit world creature and was intrinsically a spirit. “She” could enter the world above the gray fog and descend upon the Forsaken Land of the Gods just like Justice Audrey.
Based on this condition, in order to not expose the secret within Sefirah Castle and not expose The Fool’s true identity, he first made Miss Messenger possess the gold coin before using the iron cigar case to seal it. Then, he sacrificed the item to the gray fog before bringing it to the Forsaken Land of the Gods through a bestowment ritual.
Of course, the prerequisite for these actions was that Klein had the level and strength of a Sequence 2 angel in Sefirah Castle. Even if something went wrong with Reinette Tinekerr, he could still handle it.
As for Reinette Tinekerr, “She” happily agreed to this matter because Gehrman Sparrow had just helped “Her” retrieve a portion of “Her” body.
Silently, Miss Messenger left the gold coin and occupied the pitch-black pupil of the Dark Demonic Wolf’s eyes.
Wraith’s possession!
Chapter 1244 Wish
Just as Reinette Tinekerr’s figure appeared in Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s pupils, “She” left the window to the heart and began expanding back to “Her” original size.
This meant that “Her” Wraith’s possession attempt had failed.
The Dark Demonic Wolf’s body rapidly shrunk and thinned as “He” madly absorbed the light around “Him,” becoming a translucent black velvet curtain.
This was an item that Klein had seen via dream divination. It was ejected from the grayish-white fog and had landed in the hands of the Dark Demonic Wolf. It was suspected to contain the Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic of the Seer pathway.
At this moment, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotor had borrowed some of the powers of the “curtain” to dodge Reinette Tinekerr’s Wraith’s possession at the critical moment via some unknown means, effectively avoiding the subsequent series of control.
The “curtain” was stowed away after “He” used it, allowing the Dark Demonic Wolf with “His” dark, short fur to appear in a spot that was originally empty.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Reinette Tinekerr wasn’t surprised by the failure. Taking advantage of this opportunity, a golden-haired, red-eyed head in “Her” hand spat out a rectangular, diamond-like charm.
The other three heads used ancient Hermes, Jotun, and Elvish to say a word:
“Yesterday!”
The rectangular diamond-like charm was instantly engulfed in transparent flames as it fused with the void.
Reinette Tinekerr’s body swelled as the four blonde, red-eyed heads flew up and landed on “Her” empty neck, stacked upon one another.
In the blink of an eye, Miss Messenger had transformed into a huge doll that could almost break through the Dark Demonic Wolf’s castle.
“She” was wearing a black gothic dress with countless mysterious symbols and sinister vines. “Her” eyes were blood-red and “She” exuded an aura that no human should possess.
Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar didn’t attempt to stop Reinette Tinekerr from borrowing strength from “Her” past, nor did “He” immediately show “His” complete Mythical Creature form. With eight feet on the ground, “He” raised “His” neck and let out a roar.
This roar seemed to be of a higher level, containing words similar to Jotun. It made the “curtain” float up and instantly expand, blanketing the ancient castle from top to bottom.
Composite Start
Composite End
The “curtain” quickly turned transparent and fused with the building. It was as though it had never appeared or had any effect on it. However, Klein’s spiritual intuition told him that this place was already isolated from the outside world. If he wanted to leave, he had to first break the invisible barrier.
In other words, that “curtain” made the Dark Demonic Wolf’s castle become an independent “kingdom.”
This was the embryonic form of a divine kingdom!
Klein, who had just failed and planned on continuing to summon angels to help him, had a spark of inspiration. He instantly changed his mind, reaching into the void and dragging out another him.
It was Gehrman Sparrow, one who was holding a historical projection of the Staff of the Stars.
Right on the heels of that, Klein controlled his historical projection to turn him into his marionette and transfer some Worms of Spirit over.
While he was busy with these matters, Reinette Tinekerr had already recovered to “Her” peak condition. “Her” bright red eyes reflected the eight-legged demonic wolf.
With a faint flash, the Dark Demonic Wolf turned into a white goat.
However, outside the dark hall, a giant holding a broom suddenly trembled and transformed into a demonic wolf with a tuft of gray hair on its forehead.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At the moment when the curse was cast on “Him,” a Miracle Invoker, “He” had swapped places with “His” marionette!
“He” opened “His” mouth once again and let out a roar.
This roar also contained words that mostly resembled the source of Jotun, describing a beautiful wish:
“I wish for all godhood here to dissipate!”
In the next second, as the God of Wishes, the Dark Demonic Wolf granted “His” wish. Klein immediately felt his godhood being repressed. The Beyonder powers that stemmed from Scholar of Yore and Bizarro Sorcerer could no longer be used!
Fortunately, the historical projection was maintained with spirituality. As long as the summoning was successful, it wouldn’t be dispelled by the Dark Demonic Wolf’s wish. Similarly, as Klein had already turned his historical projection into a marionette and transferred a number of Worms of Spirit over, he could still swap locations with his projection.
Apart from him, Reinette Tinekerr and Dark Demonic Wolf were also affected by the wish that had been granted. Their Beyonder powers above Sequence 5 had vanished into thin air, making it difficult to use them.
Of course, be it the demonic wolf marionette that had turned into a goat, or the gigantic doll-like Reinette Tinekerr, there was no change in “Their” form. What existed was reasonable, so it couldn’t be eliminated by the “Power of Wishes.”
After making this wish, the Dark Demonic Wolf arched “His” back and bent “His” body slightly. It looked like “He” was about to engage in a battle with Klein and Reinette Tinekerr.
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, “His” mountain-like body was about the size of the castle-like doll. “He” looked down coldly at Klein, capable of crushing him with a single swipe of “His” claw.
In addition, the castle had many marionettes rushing over. They consisted of giants, elves, vampires, humans, and deformed monsters.
Only a number of them were at Sequence 5, but now, they had Kotar’s Worms of Spirit in their bodies. In other words, in this special environment, all of them were at Sequence 5.
After the dissipation of godhood, in this independent “kingdom,” Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s advantage became obvious.
More than a hundred Sequence 5s were besieging two Sequence 5s!
Furthermore, the Dark Demonic Wolf was itself a mutant. Even if “He” couldn’t reveal any godhood, “His” massive size and terrifying strength made “Him” adept at combat. “He” wasn’t on the same level as a weak human like Marionettist Klein.
At this moment, the body of Reinette Tinekerr, who was dressed in a black gothic dress that twined with sinister vines, suddenly turned incorporeal. First, “She” reflected on a floor-to-ceiling window, then it jumped into the pitch-black pupils of the Dark Demonic Wolf.
“She” had once again attempted Wraith’s possession.
However, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar swapped locations with another marionette in a timely fashion, preventing Reinette Tinekerr from successfully “possessing” “His” body.
Reinette Tinekerr wasn’t discouraged as “She” continued using mediums such as glass windows, chandeliers, and eyeballs to “jump” through the different marionettes in pursuit of the real Dark Demonic Wolf.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for the Dark Demonic Wolf, “He” relied on “His” numerous marionettes, and had the advantage of copious numbers of Worms of Spirit. “He” swapped between different marionettes without any pause to avoid being forcibly possessed by the Ancient Bane.
Amidst the two angels’ silent conflict, a large number of the Dark Demonic Wolf’s marionettes had surrounded the two Kleins.
Beyonder powers like a vampire’s “Abyss Shackles,” a giant’s “Hurricane of Light,” an elf’s “Wind Binding,” and a human’s “Psychic Piercing” and “Holy Light Summoning” inundated their targets. They controlled, weakened, attacked, and purified Klein, acting with great rapport. Klein was only able to dodge a portion of the attacks before being “drowned” by the attacks.
Plasma exploded as the light blasted out. Klein’s Staff of the Stars-holding figure quickly outlined itself to the side.
At that critical moment, he had exchanged spots with his marionette in time. He imagined his “Traveling” powers and had used the Staff of the Stars to complete the teleportation.
In this special scenario, this was essentially a release of “Recorded” powers.
After dodging this round of attacks, Klein discovered that a marionette was controlling his Spirit Body Threads before he could catch his breath.
At the same time, a human marionette reached out his right hand under the influence of the Dark Demonic Wolf and aimed at the Miracle Invoker’s actual body.
In the next second, the Dark Demonic Wolf and another marionette switched positions. As for the marionette, it was “possessed” by Reinette Tinekerr.
This way, the human marionette’s right hand was targeted at Reinette Tinekerr.
The marionette’s palm clenched tightly as his wrist spun half a circle, stealing away the target’s subsequent thoughts.
Right on the heels of that, he jumped and pounced on an ally.
Reinette Tinekerr was momentarily rooted to the ground.
When the Dark Demonic Wolf saw this, “He” immediately got several marionettes to spread open their arms and summon pure pillars of cleansing flames to surround them.
In the holy light, Wraith Reinette Tinekerr’s body first began to melt. Following that, using “Mirror Jump,” “She” moved to a glass window situated high above the castle to avoid the subsequent purification.
In just a few seconds, “She” and Klein inevitably fell into a perilous situation.
The restricted environment, being on “His” home ground, and “His” trait as the God of Wishes had magnified Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar advantage to the extreme.
If it were any other Scholar of Yore, there was only one problem he needed to consider—how to rely on Reinette Tinekerr to escape, but Klein had his trump card.
Just as he pulled back his Spirit Body Threads, he didn’t hesitate to stir the powers of Sefirah Castle.
This trait of his wasn’t suppressed by the Dark Demonic Wolf’s “wish.”
This was something even the Forsaken Land of the Gods couldn’t screen!
In midair, grayish-white fog appeared. The ancient palace above the spirit world appeared faint.
Its appearance brought with it slight tremors. A certain power followed the connection and shook the demonic wolf’s castle, causing the translucent black velvet “curtain” to jolt out of place a little, allowing the independent “kingdom” to intersect with reality.
Seizing this opportunity, Klein opened his mouth and shouted out a name in Jotun:
“Leodero!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thousands of thick silver lightning bolts descended from the sky, smiting Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s castle. The area transformed into a lightning forest that emitted a strong destructive aura.
Chapter 1245 Help Available Even Without Summoning Help
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bolts of silver lightning that were as thick as an anaconda struck the translucent black velvet “curtain.” It shook violently as it distorted.
Taking advantage of this opening, Reinette Tinekerr’s figure, which was reflected on the castle’s glass, jumped back into Klein’s pocket and returned to the surface of the gold coin in the iron cigar case.
The prepared Klein raised his right arm and calmly aimed the Staff of the Stars at the floor tiles in the hall.
A scene surfaced in his mind. It represented one of the Beyonder powers of a Druid.
The ground beneath his feet instantly softened, turning into a marsh. It made his body sink like it had fallen into a sea.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Underground Slink!
Boom!
The translucent black velvet “curtain” could no longer withstand the cleansing from the lightning storm the moment the marsh solidified. It curled into a ball and fell back into the castle.
No longer restricted, the few thousand thick bolts of lightning rained down the ancient castle.
A tower collapsed and the hall was left in shambles. One marionette after another burst into ephemeral illusions under the pricking of such a lightning strike. They were instantly charred black and reduced to ashes.
When the silver light that illuminated the entire mountain range subsided, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s castle was in ruins. Many spots were burning with red flames.
Klein immediately emerged from the bottom of a deep pit and saw that the demonic wolf, covered in dark and short fur, had performed the same action.
Relying on the three Druids among “His” marionettes, “He” had successfully hidden underground to avoid the lightning bombardment.
And at that moment, the independent “kingdom” created by the “curtain” had completely disintegrated. However, the Dark Demonic Wolf’s wish hadn’t completely expired. The return of godhood still needed some time.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without any hesitation, both parties engaged in another intense battle.
Kotar allowed the crinkled “curtain” to fly up and drape “Him,” so as to prevent the Wraith’s possession. After all, there were only three of “His” marionettes left. Of course, this way, “He” could no longer swap locations with his marionettes.
At the same time, Reinette Tinekerr left the gold coin in Klein’s pocket and floated towards the eight-legged demonic wolf.
“She” had given up on the idea of possession as “Her” arms suddenly swelled. A few strands of gray hair grew from the back of “Her” hand, and “Her” nails became long, sharp, and firm.
Werewolf Transformation!
This doll-like baneful entity became a huge werewolf. “She” kept moving at high speeds, waving “Her” sharp claws as “She” engaged in an intense battle with the hill-like Dark Demonic Wolf.
Amidst the clashing sounds, Klein was attacked by Kotar’s three remaining marionettes.
One of them raised his head and roared, causing brown short hair to tear through his clothes. In an instant, he transformed into a terrifying giant bear that was twice the height of a person. One crouched down, pressing his palms against the ground, while the other raised his right hand and yanked his hair.
At that moment, a crimson flame surged out of Klein’s clothes, instantly devouring him.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
His figure appeared in a sea of flames to the side. Then, he jumped out, raised his staff, and charged straight at the huge brown bear.
And at the spot where he was originally standing, dark green mutated vines pierced through the ground and grew wildly, stirring the remnant flames in the middle.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The huge brown bear didn’t back down. With heavy strides, it rushed towards Klein like a high-speed steam locomotive. It spread open its arms, trying to give him a “passionate” hug that could crush all his bones and squeeze all his chest muscles together.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
As his black trench coat flailed to his back, Klein didn’t retreat—he was about to collide with the huge brown bear.
Suddenly, he kicked his left foot and twisted his waist. He forcefully jumped up and flew past the brown bear diagonally.
Thud!
As the two crossed each other, Klein swung his black staff down and ruthlessly struck the brown bear’s shoulder.
Composite Start
Composite End
Normally, such an attack wouldn’t have been able to hurt the thick hide of the brown bear. However, with the Staff of the Stars, the physical attack would lead to random abnormal changes or strange effects.
Of course, under the God of Wishes’s suppression, these changes and effects wouldn’t exceed that of a Sequence 4 Beyonder power.
Thud!
As the sound of the staff’s strike reverberated, the huge brown bear’s shoulder tore open diagonally from its shoulder. The bottom half of its torso “teleported” more than ten meters away while the remaining portion remained in place.
The brown bear’s internal organs and blood gushed to the ground in a rather shocking scene.
However, the brown bear wasn’t dead yet. Its two halves were squirming as it struggled to stabilize his center of mass and continued attacking.
As a marionette, he had long died. Such damage was nothing.
At this moment, Klein had already jumped behind the brown bear, his feet stepping on the ground.
Another wave of scarlet flames surged out, drowning his figure.
A flame that was about to be extinguished rose up as Klein leaped out and arrived close to the marionette which had both hands on the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
With his silk top hat, he ran past the marionette without turning his head as he swung the staff to the side.
Thud!
The marionette’s body burst into golden flames as his figure instantly vanished.
A flame surged into the sky as the marionette jumped down. However, the golden flames didn’t extinguish, quickly burning him to ashes.
Without even looking over, Klein had already rushed in front of the marionette that was yanking his hair.
The marionette immediately threw out the hair in his hand.
These strands of hair began to burn as they emitted black gases, sounding alarms to Klein’s spirituality senses.
Poison!
An unknown poison!
With a creak, he forcefully stopped using his ability as a Clown. Using the inertia of his body, he extended his black staff.
All sorts of thoughts rapidly reformed in his mind, quickly forming a scene.
Before this operation, Klein had requested Miss Justice’s help to hypnotize him. It made his brain unable to form scenes when he subconsciously thought of one. There would only be a single thought resonating in his mind, and he had to take the initiative to control it to construct the scene. This allowed him to use the Staff of the Stars for a long time without being affected by the negative effects. As for the flaws of thinking in such a manner, Klein felt that it was still acceptable under predetermined conditions.
Without a sound, the gems embedded in the Staff of the Stars lit up. A pure white and holy pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping the black gas and the corresponding marionette.
The poison quickly melted under the Sun’s burning. It was the same with the marionette.
With a remnant glow still in his eyes, Klein instinctively turned around and aimed his staff at the brown bear that was split into two.
Silver lightning flashed spontaneously before the separated brown bear’s body finally collapsed, unable to get up again.
In just a few seconds, Klein had finished off the remaining marionettes of the Dark Demonic Wolf.
After Sefirah Castle’s anomaly, be it him or the God of Wishes, time became abnormally precious. No one was willing to stall for time, because it wouldn’t be long before high-level existences like the True Creator and Angel of Time Amon in the Forsaken Land of the Gods descended.
Upon seeing this, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar trembled violently and flung out the translucent velvet curtain.
The curtain first vanished into thin air before it suddenly appeared behind Klein. Just as his spirituality was about to send a warning, it covered him and wrapped him within it!
Klein’s vision immediately darkened as he felt his thoughts turn sluggish. His Spirit Body Threads were being inoculated onto the “curtain” one thread at a time.
He attempted using “Flaming Jump,” softening his bones, and using the Staff of the Stars, but he was unable to succeed in such an abnormal state.
The black velvet curtain became tighter and tighter, revealing the corresponding marks of his eyes, nose, and mouth, as though it was squeezing out a brand new “person.”
Reinette Tinekerr immediately “jumped” and appeared on the translucent “curtain,” purging it from Klein’s body and teleporting elsewhere.
The Dark Demonic Wolf seized the opportunity and raised “His” neck, letting out a roar.
The “curtain” stood up, as if it had become a cloak draped over an invisible person’s body.
A terrifying suction force was born, causing the Spirit Body Threads of Reinette Tinekerr and Klein to uncontrollably float over.
If they didn’t have the corresponding Beyonder powers, their Spirit Body Threads would’ve merged into the “cloak” in just three to four seconds, while they would become its marionettes.
Fortunately, Klein was a Marionettist himself. He immediately focused his attention and controlled his and Miss Messenger’s Spirit Body Threads. He followed the method that he learned from Zaratul, allowing them to circle around him and return to their original positions, forming loops.
Roar!
The Dark Demonic Wolf spat out a gas ball, sending it flying towards Klein like a cannonball.
As he was focused on controlling his and Miss Messenger’s Spirit Body Threads, Klein could barely duck. Just as he was about to be struck, Reinette Tinekerr floated over and stood in front of him.
Boom!
Reinette Tinekerr’s blonde hair scattered as the evil vines wrapped around “Her” body broke apart.
The Dark Demonic Wolf’s follow-up actions were one smooth continuous series of actions. Taking advantage of the moment when the “curtain” was desperately pulling at its target’s Spirit Body Threads, “He” launched repeated attacks on Klein, forcing Reinette Tinekerr to block them. It caused the tough Ancient Bane to tremble under the attack of “His” claws, air blobs, and flaming attacks. More and more wounds appeared, making it look like “She” could not last any longer.
At this critical moment, as Klein controlled the Spirit Body Threads to resist the attraction of the “curtain,” he reached into his pocket and took out another iron cigar case.
The seal was removed and the box was opened. Inside, there was also a gold coin lying quietly. There was also a Wraith on the surface of the gold coin.
This was a blurry female wraith, a true undying creature, and not a Wraith from the Mutant pathway.
It was the strongest trump card that Klein had prepared. Previously, because he was inside the isolated “kingdom” that wasn’t connected to the outside world. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to obtain the desired effect. Only when the “curtain” targeted him and Miss Messenger did he feel that the opportunity was here.
As the box was opened, the wraith suddenly jumped onto the surface of a glass fragment. On it were nearly illusory black tubes that extended into infinity, connecting to the unknown.
This was the symbol of Artificial Death.
And Artificial Death was equivalent to the Evernight Goddess!
This trump card of his was the reenactment of the time when the Evernight Goddess had used God of Glory Bladel’s corpse to foil Amon’s attempt to snatch Sefirah Castle.
For this, he deliberately found a wraith-like monster in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and imprisoned it, placing it together with the Artificial Death project’s white feathers he summoned from the fog of history.
Through his repeated experiments and prayers during his specific trips to Backlund, this Wraith had finally established a certain connection with Artificial Death, allowing the Evernight Goddess to use this opportunity to exert a rather low level of influence!
Chapter 1246 Following “His“ True Feelings—Cowardice
The Dark Demonic Wolf that was attacking Reinette Tinekerr seemed to sense something. “He” slowed down and turned to look at the wraith that had just appeared.
“His” pupils which already occupied two-thirds of “His” eyes had suddenly dilated, as if “He” caught scent of a familiar but dangerous aura.
In the blink of an eye, the wraith raised her arms.
The “Power of Wishes” in the surrounding area rapidly diminished at an accelerated rate. Godhood began to return, having reached the level of Sequence 4. Under the soil beneath the Dark Demonic Wolf’s feet, pale-white and illusory arms emerged. They were densely packed like a forest, grabbing onto Kotar’s eight legs, making this Miracle Invoker feel like “He” had fallen into a cold and dead silence. “He” was temporarily unable to break free.
Using this opportunity, Reinette Tinekerr, who had turned sluggish due to “Her” controlled Spirit Body Threads, turned illusory as “She” vanished.
In the pitch-black pupils of the Dark Demonic Wolf, the blonde Miss Messenger in a dark and complicated long dress that was wrapped with vines suddenly phased into existence and completed the possession process.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The actions of the God of Wishes instantly stiffened, as if “He” had degraded from a living creature to a marionette.
“He” attempted to influence Reinette Tinekerr’s Spirit Body Threads, so as to resist the Wraith’s possession. However, from time to time, “He” would be interrupted by the pale-white arms created by the female wraith. Success eluded “Him.”
Klein maintained the looping of their Spirit Body Threads as he slowly raised the Staff of the Stars, aiming it at the black velvet curtain that had turned into a cloak.
He then constructed a scene in his mind.
The surrounding darkness suddenly flowed, as if it contained an unimaginable secret. Bit by bit, illusory candles lit up in such an environment, illuminating a long table laid out with flesh and blood.
On the two sides of the long table, three extremely blurry figures were holding up the flesh and blood, ravenously devouring them.
In the next second, the three figures turned their heads simultaneously and cast their gazes at the translucent black velvet “curtain.”
The crazy suction force emitted by the “curtain” came to an abrupt halt as it hovered in its original spot. It was as if it had momentarily forgotten who it was, whose side it was on, and what it should do.
Feast of Betrayal!
Composite Start
Composite End
Fairy tale magic’s Feast of Betrayal!
The fairy tale magic that Klein had just used was the “Feast of Betrayal” that originated from The Hermit Cattleya. Its effect was to temporarily awaken the items in the target’s hands or imbue them with intelligence, allowing them to carry out “betrayals”!
This was a Sequence 4 Beyonder power, so it couldn’t be used under the restrictions of the “Power of Wishes.”
At the same time, as the Staff of the Stars’s emulated spell was lacking compared to the original spell, as well as the fact that it didn’t harbor any ill intentions towards the Dark Demonic Wolf, it only appeared lost and didn’t fervently attack its master.
And the moment Klein extricated himself from the influence of the “curtain,” he immediately snapped his fingers, letting the scarlet flames drown him.
In an instant, he appeared in a flame beside the Dark Demonic Wolf wearing a half top hat and a long black trench coat.
The scarlet flame soared up, transforming into a blazing flame that allowed him to easily leap out.
He arched his back slightly and raised the Staff of Stars as he dashed towards the towering demonic wolf.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein ran faster and faster, as though transforming into a strong gust of wind. What welcomed him was the Dark Demonic Wolf that barely managed to lift up “His” front two claws that had broken free of the restraints.
Pa! Pa!
Klein waved his black staff to his left and right, accurately hitting the two front claws of Kotar, making them pause momentarily.
At the same time, he crouched down and slid under the Dark Demonic Wolf’s two front claws.
Amidst the howling winds, Klein turned around in midair and thrust upwards with the Staff of the Stars.
With a poof, the gem-embedded black staff pierced through the dark and short furred skin, driving deeply into the Dark Demonic Wolf’s body. A ludicrous gash tore open.
Whoosh!
Deep black blood with hints of red gushed out like a flood, spraying a substance with strong corrosive properties that belonged to a Mythical Creature at Klein.
But at that moment, Klein’s momentum had brought him flying under the Dark Demonic Wolf. He was preparing to launch his second round of attacks.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, he heard an intermittent roar.
This was from Wraith’s possession. Due to the difficulty in moving, what Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar meant was:
“Leo… de… ro!”
“…” Klein’s gaze froze as the Dark Demonic Wolf’s mocking smile appeared in his mind.
He wasn’t the only one who could stir the remaining divine powers. He could do so, but so could Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar!
Even though this Miracle Invoker didn’t know that Wind Angel, Leodero, had already become the Lord of Storms, he naturally knew what to do thanks to Klein’s demonstration from before.
Who wouldn’t know how to do a simple imitation?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Silvery-white bolts of lightning smote down like gushing water from a water pipe. They rained over the ruins of the ancient castle, completely drowning all the figures.
Klein didn’t manage to react in time. After hearing the first half of the word, he had already used the powers of Clown to forcefully twist his body around. With a stomp of his right foot, he returned under the Dark Demonic Wolf’s body. As for Reinette Tinekerr, “She” had jumped onto the gold coin in his pocket.
Composite Start
Composite End
Immediately following that, Klein genuflected and inserted the Staff of the Stars into the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The vast storm tore through everything in its way.
By the time the terrifying lightning forest dissipated, the ancient castle that belonged to the Dark Demonic Wolf couldn’t even be considered a ruin. There were no traces of it at all, leaving only a charred crater.
Within the deep pit, paper figurines were blown up as they were reduced to ashes.
Without a sound, a piece of soil that shimmered with the glint of rainbow-colored glass softened. Klein’s burnt hand reached out.
With the Dark Demonic Wolf suffering the brunt of the damage, he had used “Paper Figurine Substitutes” and “Underground Slink” to barely survive. He could faintly smell the aroma of roasted meat exuding from his body.
After returning to the ground, the tattered-clothed Klein turned his gaze and took in the battlefield’s situation.
The remnants of the Dark Demonic Wolf’s corpse were scattered everywhere. Its flesh was charred and lifeless.
The “curtain” was curled into a ball, having fallen to the edge of the deep crater, motionless.
The “Power of Wishes” had been completely wiped out, and godhood had returned to this region.
The wraith that had a connection with Artificial Death had been destroyed.
If it were any other Beyonder, they would probably think that the Dark Demonic Wolf had chosen an outcome of mutual destruction, but as a demigod of the Seer pathway, and having enjoyed the benefits of a Miracle Invoker ahead of time, something else flashed across Klein’s mind.
What is a miracle? A miracle is to be resurrected from the dead!
When the Dark Demonic Wolf saw that the situation wasn’t right, “He” didn’t hesitate to summon divine punishment in an attempt to kill everyone. Then, “He” could revive somewhere nearby!
I almost used up my last revival…
With regards to such matters, Klein had a certain contingency plan. He immediately used a charm engraved with The Fool’s patterns, and used it as a proxy for praying to Mr. Fool in front of Miss Messenger. Then, he used the “summoning” of Sefirah Castle that had yet to disappear to enter the world above the gray fog with a thought. He then relied on the prayer light’s “true vision” to inspect the surroundings to seek out the resurrected Dark Demonic Wolf.
At this moment, Reinette Tinekerr left the gold coin in Klein’s pocket and appeared beside the “curtain” that was curled into a ball. “Her” voice was slightly ethereal as “She” said, “It has a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic.”
A Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic? That’s right. The Dark Demonic Wolf possesses one of the six Miss Miracle Invoker characteristics under the premise that all the Attendants of Mysteries are accounted for. Under normal circumstances, the remaining Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic also has one set of Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic… As Miss Messenger spoke, Klein’s spiritual intuition also sensed it. After confirming “Her” judgment, he connected it to Will Auceptin’s answer.
There should be a total of nine Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristics, but under the premise that the Attendant of Mysteries are all filled, the three Sequence 1s would definitely each occupy one Sequence 2 characteristic. The remaining six Miracle Invoker characteristics belong to Zaratul, Antigonus, the Magic Wishing Lamp, Theater With Curtains That Never Draw, The Last Banquet, and the Dark Demonic Wolf respectively.
He had originally hoped to obtain the Dark Demonic Wolf’s characteristic, but he hadn’t expected that the “curtain” not only had a Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries characteristic but also a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker characteristic. It was also the one that had disappeared.
It looks like the reason for its disappearance was also because of the gray fog. Later on, it was spat out… Do I still seek out the resurrected Dark Demonic Wolf? No, I don’t know when the True Creator and Amon will descend. Furthermore, I’ve already exhausted most of my preparations. The Dark Demonic Wolf is still in perfect condition. “He” can make a wish, summon, and create miracles… After all, my goal has already been met… As his thoughts raced, Klein looked up and said to Miss Messenger.
“I’ll put this curtain away.”
He gave up the thought of chasing after the Dark Demonic Wolf and decided to control the “curtain” while it was still weak.
Reinette Tinekerr nodded slightly and turned “Her” head, casting her gaze at the charred remains of the Dark Demonic Wolf.
The remains immediately emitted a faint glow, either turning into white rabbits or transforming into goats. They were the kind that smelled rich and flavorful.
…
In a hidden area nearby, the dark, short-furred Dark Demonic Wolf quickly took shape.
“He” gave up on “His” original corpse and immediately made a wish and granted it. “He” teleported to a distant spot and then ran off without looking back.
This God of Wishes didn’t even consider the loss of the “curtain.” “He” didn’t choose to revive where “He” died, because “He” hoped to use the “curtain” to stall the fellow who was closely related to Evernight. This gave “Him” plenty of time to escape.
Since he could survive from the Second Epoch until now, “He” had followed his true feelings—cowardice. “He” refused to be greedy when the situation didn’t allow for it.
With a flash, the demonic wolf with a gray tuft of hair on “His” forehead disappeared into the darkness.
…
Klein didn’t stop Miss Messenger from venting “Her” anger. As he approached the “curtain,” he sighed inwardly:
An angel is really hard to kill. It’s especially so for the Seer pathway!
As this thought flashed through his mind, and just as he was about to drag his past self out to pick up the “curtain,” he suddenly felt a familiar aura descend.
This aura was dark, foul, and full of degeneration. It immediately made him think of the True Creator!
The “curtain” suddenly floated up and turned into a cloak.
Inside the cloak, the darkness turned into a whirlpool as it hummed:
“Mysteries.”
Chapter 1247 Finally
Mysteries… Klein’s heart palpitated when he heard that. He subconsciously wanted to return to Sefirah Castle and leave the scene.
However, no matter how much he tried, his Spirit Body remained inside his body without any changes.
Man… This vexed Klein. He instinctively cast his gaze towards Reinette Tinekerr who was beside him. He saw that Miss Messenger had already floated over, looking like “She” was facing a terrifying enemy. And the surrounding darkness froze like a cold lake. Lightning stopped streaking across the sky.
Mysteries… Klein felt a slight sense of security as he thought back to the title he had just heard.
He was no stranger to that. However, the last person who addressed him in this manner was the ancient sun god—the City of Silver’s Creator—from two thousand years ago. Before “He” died, “He” sensed Klein’s divination and shouted this out through an insurmountable distance of space and time!
No way… The True Creator is equivalent to the ancient sun god? No, “He” is only a Sequence 0 true god, far from the level of the Creator that I assumed. Furthermore, from Amon’s attitude, the ancient sun god must have really perished… The True Creator is the pitch-black infant that emerged from the ancient sun god’s stomach and inherited some of the ancient sun god’s characteristics and memories. “He” is the degenerated body of that Creator? Klein composed himself and attempted to rapidly think of a solution to his present conundrum.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, in the cloak formed by the “curtain,” the dark whirlpool made another sound:
“Go to the Giant King’s Court and meet Sasrir.”
This sentence directly reverberated in Klein’s mind. Then, in the form of an illusory word, it shrunk into a pitch-black membrane, forming a strange “seed.”
The “seed” immediately fell into his body and Spirit Body, melting inside.
Without waiting for a response, the dark whirlpool dissipated. The cloak formed by the “curtain” lost its support and fell back onto the ground.
The True Creator’s consciousness that descended had corroded a portion of my Spirit Body and some of my physical body. I’m compelled to go to the Giant King’s Court and open the slumbering Dark Angel Sasrir’s palace… This is a matter that many deities are paying attention to. After watching for a long time, the True Creator has finally found an opportunity to force me to do it… Klein looked around and summoned his past self, picking up the “curtain.”
Then, he said to Miss Messenger without hesitation, “Let’s leave immediately!”
The True Creator had already sent a sliver of “His” will over. Would Amon still be far away?
In addition, Klein also tried to seize the opportunity to enter the world above the gray fog, hoping to use the power of Sefirah Castle to remove the corrosive influences that plagued him.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright.” Reinette Tinekerr nodded, allowing the numerous Beyonder characteristics left behind in the crater to fly over and be contained within “Her.”
According to their prior agreement, other than the spoils of war that involved the high Sequences of the Seer pathway, half of them would go to “Her,” with “Her” having the priority to choose. After all, Klein had also received some of the spoils back when dealing with Shaman King Klarman.
As for the remaining half of the spoils, Klein planned on offering it to the Evernight Goddess as a form of gratitude. Regardless of whether the deity needed it or not, he still needed to do the necessary procedures. He had to express his gratitude when needed.
After clearing the battlefield, Reinette Tinekerr entered the iron cigar case in Klein’s pocket and “possessed” the gold coin’s surface.
Klein didn’t immediately seal “Her.” Holding the Staff of the Stars, he conjured a scene in his mind.
That was one of the scenes he had memorized during his inspection of the terrain.
As the gems flashed, his figure disappeared from the crater as he teleported far away.
A few seconds later, the air there fluctuated as a tiny creature that was difficult to see with the naked eye crawled out.
The creature rapidly expanded, turning into Amon who wore a pointed hat and classic black robe.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The corners of Amon’s mouth curled up as “He” adjusted the monocle on “His” right eye and chuckled.
“Someone is finally opening that door.”
…
After two rounds of teleportation, Klein took out the iron cigar case that Miss Messenger was hiding in, and used the Staff of the Stars to create several layers of seals—the kind that would be removed the moment he touched it.
Right on the heels of that, he entered the fog of history and dashed all the way to a time before the First Epoch. He relied on the prayers he had yet to reply to and instantly entered the world above the gray fog through the summoning of Sefirah Castle.
As the roars and the ravings echoed, he felt the corrosion in his Spirit Body gather together, curling into a ball. Despite passing through layers of cleansing effects, it managed to maintain its stability and didn’t completely evaporate.
Is this the power and level of a true deity? Yes, and it’s a true deity who wields the domain of degeneration… Sitting in the seat belonging to The Fool, Klein frowned slightly as he observed his state.
The corrosion created by the True Creator wasn’t strong. If they were to leave the protection of Klein’s Spirit Body, they wouldn’t be able to last long above the gray fog. This was also the main reason why he had made the judgment and dared to directly enter Sefirah Castle.
However, unless he planned on dying again, there was no way he could bypass his own Spirit Body to remove the corrosion.
Composite Start
Composite End
With the help of divination and other abilities, Klein quickly figured out the various effects of the corrosion.
It wouldn’t mutate, send a message to the True Creator, or interfere with what he did. It would only continue to steer him via mystic means towards the Giant King’s Court. It compelled Klein to open the palace where Dark Angel Sasrir was in deep sleep.
It’s partly in the mind, and also at the level of fate… When I become a Miracle Invoker and become an angel, deepening my control of Sefirah Castle, I should be able to clear this “corruption”… However, if I want to become a Miracle Invoker and become an angel, I have to go to the Giant King’s Court and open the door to that palace, helping the City of Silver find a way to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods… As Klein thought, he revealed a wry smile.
Fortunately, this was something he was prepared to do, and it didn’t burden him further.
Following that, Klein summoned the Unshadowed Crucifix from the fog of history, attempting to use the power of Sefirah Castle to drive it into purifying his body. Unfortunately, part of his body was also merged together with the corrosion, preventing him from completely cleansing it.
This also made him truly understand how terrifying Sequence 0 was.
I can’t just pray to an evil god like the True Creator unless I’m in a hopeless situation… Klein shook his head and returned to the real world before sacrificing the “curtain” above the gray fog.
It does indeed contain the Beyonder characteristic of an Attendant of Mysteries, as well as a Miracle Invoker’s Beyonder characteristic… There’s even Scholar of Yore and Bizarro Sorcerer characteristics… It has a rather high level. The power I can use from Sefirah Castle at present isn’t able to directly shatter it. However, this place seems to be at the highest level of the Seer pathway, so it can effectively suppress it. Through the accumulation of time, I should be able to slowly separate it…
The first to be separated should be the Attendant of Mysteries characteristic. The rest can be used to concoct a potion directly… Hmm, it doesn’t have any living characteristics. The one that was summoned just now has already disappeared… With the translucent black velvet curtain in hand, he looked at it for a while.
Then, he activated Sefirah Castle and conjured a metal pot which was boiling with invisible power.
Composite Start
Composite End
After staring at it for a few seconds, he threw the “curtain” into the “metal pot” and pressed down with layers of seals onto the pot’s lid.
In about three to four days, the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic would separate. The supplementary ingredients could be thrown into what remained, and it would then be a Miracle Invoker potion, one that included the characteristics from Sequence 9 to 2.
Looking around, he raised his right hand and took a piece of paper from the junk pile.
This was one of his other preparations.
He had spent a large amount of time in advance and had failed time and time again to successfully summon 0-08. Using this quill, he wrote down what reasonable reactions Dark Demonic Wolf would have. This was to prevent the other party from reacting in unexpected ways from the very beginning, causing his plans to fail.
With the cooperation of this short script, the Dark Demonic Wolf had been attracted by Klein’s strange behavior. Therefore, it was very reasonable that “He” didn’t extinguish the prayer light immediately.
Similarly, without knowing how many enemies or what strength the other party had, the Dark Demonic Wolf didn’t flee in a hurry. Instead, “He” created a complete independent “kingdom,” isolating it from any possible reinforcements. It was a very reasonable reaction.
With a flick of his wrist, Klein burned the piece of paper, then he hurriedly sacrificed the sealed iron cigar case to Sefirah Castle. He then responded to Miss Magician’s prayer and relayed The World’s message.
Fors didn’t dare to delay any further. She immediately got up and used her “Recording” Beyonder powers to grab at the area ahead, dragging out Gehrman Sparrow from history.
With that, Klein “Teleported” to the empty room in a nearby hotel. He set up a ritual and brought the iron cigar case back to reality, releasing Reinette Tinekerr.
After thanking Miss Messenger and watching “Her” take away half of the Beyonder characteristics, he changed the ritual and began to perform a sacrifice to the Evernight Goddess.
At the end of the ritual, he prayed with anticipation:
“I pray for a hint on how to purify the corrosive influences in my body.”
In his opinion, at present, only an existence at the level of the Evernight Goddess could deal with the corrosion provided by the True Creator.
If the Goddess agreed to it, Klein planned to descend in a way that would allow his actual spirit to return to Backlund and receive purification.
As for removing the part of his body that had been corroded, he hadn’t thought of a solution yet.
As he said that, a ball of darkness enveloped the altar.
When the darkness vanished, all the Beyonder characteristics disappeared.
Apart from that, there were no other hints.
…It looks like I can only rely on myself… Klein wasn’t depressed. He raised his right hand and tapped his chest four times, drawing the crimson moon.
“Praise the Lady!”
His gratitude was very sincere. After all, he had received a lot of help.
After dealing with the subsequent matters, his historical projection vanished and he returned to the Forsaken Land of the Gods in person.
He held the lantern he had pulled out from the past, and he looked at the silent and desolate plains under the dim yellow light. He felt much more relaxed and couldn’t help but sigh.
Finally…
Chapter 1248 A Thousand Years of Waiting
In the primitive forest outside Bayam City of the Rorsted Archipelago.
The leaders of the Resistance gathered in a mountain cave as they looked respectfully at the Sea God’s Blessed. He was wearing a black cloak, his brows were yellow, and his blue eyes were dark blue.
“Lord Danitz, this is an opportunity!” a bald man in a wheelchair with a green beard, Kalat, said in excitement.
His partner, Edmonton, whose face was colored with short red patterns, immediately said, “Lord Danitz, according to our intelligence officers, the situation in Bayam is chaotic. Be it the Church of the Lord of Storms or the governor-general’s office, everyone is feeling anxious because of the encirclement of Backlund by the Feysac military forces.”
Having said that, Edmonton looked at Kalat and got the person-in-charge of the corresponding field to give a more detailed description.
Kalat looked at the solemn-looking Lord Danitz and deliberated over his words.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Internal cracks amongst them can already be seen. Some people wish to commandeer the forces of the colonies to support Backlund, while others wish to hold on to this place as the tinder for their resurgence.
“This difference in opinion has caused the military and the Beyonders of the Church of the Lord of Storms to be at a loss. There are flaws in every aspect.
“Lord Danitz, this is our chance. We can agree to the conditions of Feysac and the Feynapotter navy. We can cooperate with them to attack Bayam and take back our kingdom!”
It’s indeed an opportunity… But is this something I can decide? It’s not like I’m stupid! Danitz listened quietly to the leaders of the Resistance and muttered to himself.
Having grown up in Intis, this famous pirate, treasure hunter didn’t have any qualms about attacking the Loen colonies. He had zero hesitation or uncertainty about it.
Of course, he didn’t have a strong sense of belonging to the Intis Republic either. In fact, when he was occasionally a part-time pirate, he preferred targeting businessmen from Intis. This was because they often carried more valuable luxury items with them.
There was only one reason why Danitz didn’t agree on the spot to the request of the Resistance’s leaders. It was because he had become a Conspirer, so he knew very well what his position was.
A human mouthpiece!
A tool that was responsible for passing messages between Gehrman Sparrow and the leaders of the Resistance!
Composite Start
Composite End
Gehrman is most likely Loenese. If I were to agree to it directly, I might not be able to see tomorrow’s sun… However, he acts like he doesn’t care about Loen at all… Dogsh*t! I can’t be fooled by such superficial appearances! Danitz cleared his throat and surveyed the area.
“This matter is of grave importance. Prepare a clean and serene altar immediately. I need to pray to God.”
In an organization that believed in the Sea God, such a request didn’t surprise the likes of Kalat, Edmonton, and the others. It even met their expectations. Hence, they immediately arranged for people to prepare for the sacrifice.
…
The Resistance in the Rorsted Archipelago can’t sit still any longer… They were also supported by countries like Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter to survive this long, or else they would’ve been annihilated by Loen and the three Churches… I even got them to extract quite a bit of help from the various countries… After hearing Danitz’s prayers, he sighed.
Sitting in the ancient palace, he lightly tapped the edge of the mottled table in front of him. After pondering for a few seconds, he conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow.
The crazy adventurer immediately took on a praying posture and said in a deep voice, “…Use the current situation to directly negotiate with the upper echelons of the Church of Storms and the governor-general’s office. Exert pressure on them… The goal is to force them to give in and accept the idea of self-governance by the people of the Rorsted Archipelago…
“…The Resistance can guarantee that the Loenese will have most of their interests protected, allowing them to mobilize the troops and Beyonders to reinforce Backlund…”
…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Inside the clean and tidy altar, Danitz, who received the feedback, straightened his back.
He turned around and looked at the leaders waiting outside. He said with a solemn expression, “I have received a revelation.
“God has informed us that every citizen of ‘His’ is precious. Unnecessary sacrifices for the sake of war should be avoided.
“We absolutely wouldn’t want to start a war but we are not afraid of having one. In short, let’s try to use the present situation to negotiate with Loen with our forces, forcing them to make a concession that will satisfy most of us. If not, we can consider war.
“God says to remember the hatred, but don’t let it blind your rationality. The people around you and a beautiful future are the most important things.”
After becoming a Conspirer, Danitz realized that his powers of persuasion and his ability to fabricate explanations were increasing by leaps and bounds. Many a time, his thoughts would automatically take shape when he opened his mouth.
Kalat, Edmonton, and the other leaders of the Resistance all had a deep hatred for the Loen colonial masters, but the words of the Sea God and Lord Danitz had successfully wavered their resolve.
They had a clear understanding of how powerful the Sea King was over this period of time. If the war developed to the point where both parties were blinded with bloodlust, the Blue Mountain Island where Bayam was located might be completely submerged by the sea and become a ruin. All the locals would end up being dragged to the grave by their actions.
The powerhouses from Feysac and Feynapotter were indeed capable of stopping the situation from collapsing. However, how much power could they divert to this peripheral battlefield in the Rorsted Archipelago?
Composite Start
Composite End
As for them, Kalat and the other leaders of the Resistance didn’t trust them much. They believed that these fellows were no different from the Loenese. They were all bandits from the Northern Continent and could rip off their masks at any time to become the new colonial masters.
After a moment of silence, Kalat, who was sitting in a wheelchair, looked at the man in a black cloak on the altar and said, “Lord Danitz, we are willing to work hard for peace.”
He paused for a moment before saying, “According to the intel, the one who has the final say in the Rorsted Archipelago is Sea King Jahn Kottman. It’s best if we negotiate with him directly.”
Danitz nodded slightly and said, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.
“We need to send someone to represent us and enter Bayam to face Jahn Kottman…”
Just as he was about to ask who was willing to go, he suddenly noticed that the gazes of Kalat, Edmonton, and the others were all on his face. It was as though they were saying that the Blessed of Sea God, the Intis pirate who had a relatively extraordinary status, was the most suitable candidate.
…Dogsh*t! Danitz cursed silently as he looked at the crowd and quickly thought of something.
“Yes, this is an honor, and it also contains extreme danger. I know that some of you are filled with the spirit of sacrifice and want to make the necessary contributions. Uh, how about this, let’s draw lots to decide. This is the fairest way.”
“I have no objections.” Kalat and company didn’t hesitate to give an answer.
A few minutes later, Danitz looked at the card in his hand as his facial muscles twitched.
Composite Start
Composite End
…
City of Silver, at the top of the spire, in the Chief’s room.
Colin Iliad cast his gaze at Derrick Berg, who appeared less physically developed when placed in contrast to his surroundings.
“Are you ready?”
With the leg bone-like object in his hand, Derrick held the ghostly-blue Thunder God’s Roar, which was wrapped in lightning bolts, and nodded heavily.
“Ready and good to go.”
He didn’t act like a Beyonder from the Sun domain, but more like a berserk warrior.
With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad immediately shifted his gaze and looked at Lovia.
“Are you ready?”
Lovia, who had a head of silvery-gray hair and a pair of light gray eyes, no longer wore the usual black robe with purple stripes. Instead, she wore a set of black armor.
She nodded her head indiscernibly and said, “Ready.”
Demon Hunter Colin, who had become a Silver Knight, cast his gaze on the others in the room and asked if they were ready.
After receiving a positive response, Colin Iliad slowly walked to a wall, removed the two swords hanging on it, and carried them behind him.
“Let’s set off.” The City of Silver Chief gave the order in a concise manner.
The team that he led would once again head to the Afternoon Town camp. They would explore the Giant King’s Court further, and find a path to the real sea.
Amidst the clinking sounds of metal, Lovia, Derrick, and company silently followed behind the Chief. They walked out of the room and down the stairs in an orderly manner.
Along the way, they saw Waite Chirmont and the other elders of the six-member council. They saw the City of Silver residents maintaining order in the spire.
These people were either leaning on a railing or waiting at the staircase. Their expressions were abnormally solemn, as though they were sending off the team that was carrying hope.
No one spoke. The entire place was silent, but when Colin Iliad and the others passed by, the City of Silver residents raised their right arm and clenched their fists.
Amidst the sound of this action, Colin and the other members of the expedition team left the spire and hit the road.
They immediately lit lanterns covered in animal hide.
Under the dim yellow light, residents of the City of Silver walked out of their houses and stopped by the roadside.
They looked at Derrick and company with admiration and anticipation. One by one, they raised their right arm and clenched their fists in front of their foreheads.
Derrick subconsciously straightened his back, his heart burning.
Just like that, the expedition team followed the path to the city gate under the watchful gazes of the crowd and walked out of the City of Silver.
As though they had a tacit understanding, Colin, Derrick, and Lovia, who had just left the protection of the city walls, turned their heads at the same time to look at their home, which had stood in the darkness for 2,584 years.
They saw that the residents of the City of Silver hadn’t left. They were all standing near the city gates, looking at them.
With a swoosh, everyone raised their right arm and placed their fists in front of their foreheads.
This was the highest form of respect and also the deepest heartfelt blessing they could give.
Colin Iliad stared silently for a few seconds, then he closed his eyes and raised his right arm, waving it downwards.
“Set off!”
Derrick and company immediately turned around and carried the animal hide lanterns which emitted a faint yellow light. They stepped onto the dark path in silence and determination.
Destination: Giant King’s Court.
Chapter 1249 Showcasing His Migh
Boom! Boom!
In an underground shelter in Backlund, Audrey, who was dressed in hunting attire, listened to the distant explosions.
When she turned around, she happened to see Melissa looking at her in confusion.
The young girl, who had just reached adulthood, asked in a dreamy tone, “Miss Audrey, will the war end if we’re completely defeated? Will we no longer have to worry about bombardments, raids, and having insufficient food?”
Audrey looked at her deeply and said, “But if that happens, you will have to change your faith.”
Melissa hesitated, not knowing how to respond. At this moment, a commoner curled up against the wall blurted out, “I believe in the God of Steam and Machinery! Even if Feysac and Intis win, I don’t need to change my faith!”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When that happens, life would return to its original warm and peaceful state!
These words stirred the commoners who were hiding in the shelter. They whispered to each other and discussed possible developments. There were no lack of Evernight believers.
To most people, faith wasn’t that important compared to life. After all, a true deity would eventually still protect them.
The police officers who maintained the order of the shelter didn’t stop the commotion from spreading. They watched on coldly, some even having a hint of anticipation.
However, the defeated will definitely suffer something far crueler than you can imagine. It’s not something that can be summarized with just a change of faith… Be it a lesson from history or her conclusion deduced from the human psyche, all of them made Audrey more pessimistic than everyone present.
She looked around and could not help but sigh inwardly.
“The Goddess’s anchor is already greatly shaken… If not for the grain support from before, it might have completely collapsed…”
As for what this situation meant, Audrey knew very well in her heart. She closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and muttered to herself silently, “The battle of gods is about to begin…”
The final outcome was about to appear.
Composite Start
Composite End
After nodding at Melissa, Audrey turned and left the area, arriving at the entrance of the shelter.
The golden retriever, Susie, was seated there, looking like a qualified guard.
“You… don’t seem like you plan to return?” Susie’s nose twitched as she asked with a suppressed voice.
Audrey had hidden herself in this shelter from the beginning of the siege that began today; therefore, she hadn’t had the time to return to her own residence in Empress Borough. As the battle had decreased in intensity slightly, Earl Hall had already sent two people to urge her to return, so that she could head for a sanctuary for nobles.
Audrey shook her head and said with a faint smile, “I have to do what I need to do.”
Without waiting for Susie’s reply, she smiled and said, “Stay here on my behalf and secretly placate them. Don’t let any commotions happen here. If they want to pat you, let them do so.”
Susie hesitated for two seconds before saying, “Alright.”
Audrey didn’t say anything else. She left the shelter, completely ignored by the troop of soldiers guarding the shelter.
The sky outside was dark, and there were many buildings that had collapsed. They burned with flames that were about to be extinguished. The streets were empty, with no carriages or pedestrians.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was completely different from what Audrey remembered of Backlund.
Backlund was originally blue, yellow, and beige. It was lively, bustling, and full of vitality. But now, it was gray, black, and scarlet. It was in shambles, disorder, and somewhat silent.
Looking left and right, Audrey identified her bearings while in her hunting attire, and walked towards the city borders.
What she wanted to do was simple:
Join the war and do her best to help Loen not collapse before the end of the battle of gods.
If the winner of the battle of gods was the opposing side, she would use various methods, such as “Cue,” “Hypnosis,” “Mental Plague,” and other means, to prevent the soldiers, officers, and Beyonders from venting their emotions, as well as reduce the damage brought by the war.
Amidst the flickering flames, Audrey quickly passed through them and ran into the distance.
…
Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam. In a room at the top of the Cathedral of Waves.
Composite Start
Composite End
Dressed in a black cloak, Danitz met the legendary cardinal of the Church of Storms, the high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman.
Glancing at the muscles that filled up his priest robes, Danitz swallowed the words he was about to say, and he deliberated for a moment before saying, “I come with good intentions.”
For some reason, he felt that his skin was numb, as though invisible lightning was dancing on them.
“Good intentions?” The tall, muscular, well-defined Jahn Kottman grunted.
Heh, I had already considered the fact that fellows from the Sailor pathway are more irritable, making them incapable of telling the difference between a joke and sarcasm. Once their anger erupts, they don’t even consider the overall situation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even need to speak like this… Dogsh*t! Danitz mumbled to himself, maintaining his smile as he explained the Resistance’s intentions.
Jahn Kottman stared at the pirate whose affiliation with the Golden Dream remained unknown and suddenly sneered.
“If we withdraw most of our strength, can you defend Bayam and the archipelago?
“If you can’t defend it, how are you going to guarantee that the interests of the Loen migrants will be maintained when the Feysac and Feynapotter combined navy forces breach the defense lines?”
As a demigod, he was extremely certain that Sea God Kalvetua had already perished. However, he didn’t know who it was that was using the name of “Sea God,” or if that entity had the ability to protect the Rorsted Archipelago.
That’s a good question… Only with questions can there be room for a successful negotiation… In fact, Danitz had never thought of how the Resistance would defend against the Feysac and Feynapotter after Loen’s powerhouses were transferred back to Backlund. He fully believed that Gehrman Sparrow and Mr. Fool behind him had the ability to protect this place.
Composite Start
Composite End
As his thoughts raced, Danitz looked at the extremely oppressive Sea King and said, “I will pray to my Lord and ask ‘Him’ to protect the Rorsted Archipelago.”
“Oh?” Sea King Jahn Kottman narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.
The aura from the Tyrant pathway made Danitz involuntarily take two steps back. He lowered his head and prayed on the spot.
“Blessed of the sea and spirit world, guardian of the Rorsted Archipelago, ruler of the undersea creatures, master of tsunamis and storms, the great Kalvetua, please send down your powers to protect the Rorsted Archipelago…”
After the prayer, Danitz carefully cast his gaze out the window, but he didn’t discover anything unusual.
Jahn Kottman sized him up for a few seconds before saying, “Your god doesn’t seem to be responding…”
“Ahem.” Danitz cleared his throat and felt his heart beating like a drum.
At that moment, the sky outside suddenly darkened. It was as if a large number of dark clouds were flying over, blotting out the sun.
Sea King Jahn Kottman instinctively turned his head and looked out the window. He saw a shadow cast over the border between the sea and the sky.
With his control of the archipelago’s waters, scenes of the overall situation rapidly surfaced in the Cardinals cardinal’s mind.
The Rorsted Archipelago, along with the surrounding seas, was shrouded by thick fog. It became indistinct and surreal.
A seabird flew past and attempted to land on the dock, but it failed to pass through it, unable to set foot.
The commoners in the archipelago continued living normally, aside from noticing the brewing storm.
This… Jahn Kottman’s dark blue pupils dilated significantly. He subconsciously turned his head to look at the Sea God’s Blessed, Blazing Danitz.
Danitz’s mouth gaped slightly as he forgot to close it. His shock was not lesser than the shock Sea King experienced.
A few seconds later, the fog dissipated and the shadows faded away. Everything in the Rorsted Archipelago returned to normal.
“…” Danitz blinked. When Sea King Jahn Kottman looked over again, Danitz chuckled and said, “My Lord has responded to my prayers.”
As he spoke, the pirate with a bounty of more than ten thousand pounds slapped himself inwardly.
Dogsh*t! You actually dare to suspect Mr. Fool! Isn’t this the might of Mr. Fool?
Jahn Kottman remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “I will consider your proposal carefully. I will immediately convene a meeting with the key figures in Bayam to discuss this matter. I will give you an answer in an hour.”
Danitz lifted his chin slightly and laughed.
“I will wait patiently.”
With that said, he followed his instincts as a Hunter, and he indifferently bowed before leaving the room.
Amidst the creaking sound, silver bolts of lightning lit up in the blue eyes of Jahn Kottman.
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Klein threw the “curtain” back into the “metal pot” and sealed it again.
He had used the power of a Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries and stirred the power of Sefirah Castle to respond, creating a shocking effect for Jahn Kottman.
In another half a day, the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic will be separated, and the rest can be used to concoct the Miracle Invoker potion. Yes, when it’s only at the Sequence 2 level, I can attempt to use the power Sefirah Castle to shatter it and let the Beyonder characteristics such as the Scholar of Yore and Bizarro Sorcerer to seep out in a shorter amount of time. That will lower the risk brought by the potion… Klein mumbled before rapidly returning to the real world.
He wasn’t situated in the dark moors anymore, but the frozen dusk of the Giant King’s Court.
He had entered the Giant King’s Court before the City of Silver’s expedition team arrived at the Afternoon Town encampment.
Under the orange light, Klein felt the degeneration and exhaustion of his body. He cast his gaze at the magnificent and beautiful buildings situated high above.
The countless palaces and towers still had the remnant glory of the Second Epoch, as though they were a manifestation of myths.
No, it was a myth.
Before the City of Silver’s exploration team officially took action, Klein planned on attempting to open the palace where Dark Angel Sasrir was sleeping.
This way, if there were any accidents, the City of Silver’s expedition team would still have time to make targeted preparations. As for Klein himself, it would definitely be much safer for him compared to the others since he was using a historical projection.
Chapter 1250 Behind the Door
As he had the information from the City of Silver’s previous explorations, Klein knew which places were dangerous and how to avoid them. It didn’t take long for him to follow the small path, pass through the Waning Forest, Barren Tunnel, and use the ancient elevator to arrive at the residence of the guards.
After waiting for a while—until the “curtain” above the gray fog split into two, separating the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic—Klein reached out to pull his past self out.
He didn’t know if the other divine kingdoms would isolate the fog of history, but at least without the Giant King’s Court having its owner present, no one would be able to stop his attempts.
Unfortunately, this matter involves too many levels. I can’t obtain any results from divination; otherwise, I will feel more at ease… Klein shook his head and muttered to himself.
He was in no hurry to jump into the fog of history. He first took out two items and handed them to his projection.
One of them was a deep-black wooden box. It contained the ashes of Giant Guardian Groselle.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein had never forgotten his promise.
He had originally wanted to wait for Little Sun’s second exploration of the Giant King’s Court before handing him Groselle’s ashes and getting him to help do the burial. However, due to various matters, he ended up coming to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and entering the Giant King’s Court.
As for Snowman’s ashes, Klein planned on scattering it into the golden sea just as he was about to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods—it was a sea churning with the divine blood of the ancient sun god.
After handing over the urn and the black iron key from Vice Admiral Iceberg, Klein followed his usual practice and leaped into the fog. He dashed to the fragment of light that represented a time before the First Epoch, and he allowed his consciousness to naturally shift to the projection he had summoned.
This projection didn’t hold the Staff of the Stars and only wore Creeping Hunger. This was because the palace that the Giant King lived in was still quite a distance away. There were many troll statues blocking him, so Klein couldn’t guarantee that he would reach his destination in five minutes.
Right on the heels of that, he made the glove on his left hand transparent as he disappeared from where he was.
In the next second, Klein appeared outside the guards’ residence with the huge black iron key. He hadn’t “Teleported” too far away.
Yes, in the Giant King’s Court, it’s clear that most of the powers within have weakened… Only a guard acknowledged by the divine kingdom can perform at relatively normal standards? Uh, Beyonder powers similar to “Teleportation” have also been suppressed. I can only do “Blink” within a relatively small area… From the looks of it, even if I were to summon the Staff of the Stars, I wouldn’t be able to appear outside the Giant King’s palace by outlining the corresponding scene in my mind… As expected of an ancient god’s divine kingdom… Klein seriously observed the influence his surroundings brought him.
After making a preliminary judgment, he turned and walked back to the guards’ residence. Opening the wooden box in his right hand, he solemnly scattered Groselle’s ashes in every corner.
Composite Start
Composite End
According to the scene he saw in Groselle’s dream, this guards’ residence was where the giant lived for a long period of time. It was the “home” that he had the deepest impression and was most fond of.
It could be imagined that during that period of time in ancient times, Groselle and the other rational Giant Guardians from future generations would rest, rabble, gossip, talk about music, and think of fun games to play. They didn’t need to worry about food and ailments. They would live every day of their lives happily…
With the shaking of Klein’s hands, the ashes scattered on the wall, the ground, the bedside, the tables, chairs, and stone pillars.
The orange light outside the window shone forever, making everything look peaceful.
When the last speck of ashes was scattered, the dusk suddenly deepened. It dyed the scattered ashes orange, becoming a part of the divine kingdom.
Klein closed his eyes as though he could sense Groselle’s joy.
A vagrant who had been forced to leave his hometown for three thousand years had finally returned to the place he had missed day and night.
The light of the dusk softened, making Klein feel that he was less ostracized.
Eh… It’s equivalent to being acknowledged to a certain extent. I’ve become a guard that has been accepted by a number of people. Klein emanated his spirituality to confirm the changes.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t stay any longer. He used Creeping Hunger and the path scouted by the City of Silver’s expedition team to constantly “Blink” and take detours. From time to time, he would pull out the Unshadowed Crucifix. He passed through the hall where the fateful plot was made with relatively little difficulty, and he arrived at the residence of the Giant King. There, he saw a row of huge stone columns on the left that formed railings. Beyond the railings was an orange-red gas and a churning dark blue sea.
Taking a deep breath, he returned to the hall he had just exited. He reached out his hand and dragged out the marionette, Enuni, who hadn’t been “Parasitized” by Amon.
Even if it was a historical projection, he didn’t want to open the door himself!
Looking at the slightly dazed Enuni, Klein handed the black iron key that he had tucked under his armpit over to him. He controlled Enuni to leave the hall and follow the railings formed from stone pillars to the tallest and most magnificent building in the Giant King’s Court.
The dusk’s glow seemed to be corporeal as it covered the palace’s surface, bringing with it a strong sense of decadence, as though the curtains had drawn on everything in the world.
Lining both sides of the palace were separately steeples and spires. The grayish-blue front door was covered with mysterious symbols as it stood at a height exceeding ten meters.
To the left of the door, there was a pitch-black hole that was the size of an adult’s fist at the height of three to four meters.
Enuni stared at it for a few seconds before raising the black iron key that resembled a seven-string guitar and inserting it into the deep crevice in front of him.
It fit perfectly without leaving a single gap.
Composite Start
Composite End
As the gigantic black iron key entered the deep hole, Klein held his breath in the nearby grand hall, constantly preparing to remove his existence.
With a click, the black iron key in Enuni’s hand reached the end.
It suddenly turned soft, as if it had fused with the hole as it emitted grayish-blue light.
The various symbols, labels, and patterns on the door lit up as they protruded.
All the lights quickly interfered in a constructive manner, pressing down heavily into the inner chamber as it slowly opened the grayish-blue palace door.
The gap between the door widened when Enuni’s eyes suddenly reflected a turbulent pitch-black, viscous, and illusory sea.
Not good… Warning bells sounded in Klein’s mind.
Without any hesitation, his consciousness returned to his body as he severed the connection with his Historical Void projection.
In the next second, his vision suddenly darkened. The left side of his head felt a sharp pain, as though someone had inserted a red-hot chisel into it and kept rotating it.
At the same time, he heard indistinguishable ravings that seemed to come from an era older than ancient times.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein’s expression instantly twisted, appearing extremely ferocious.
He could still barely maintain his rationality, but he had no energy left to remain in the historical fragment.
Without a sound, Klein landed in the guard residence of the Giant King’s Court. With a thought, he entered the world above the gray fog.
Before undertaking such a dangerous task, he had no doubt found a reason and excuse to arrange for the members of the Tarot Club to pray collectively to awaken Sefirah Castle’s ability to “summon” its master. This allowed him to skip taking four steps counterclockwise and reciting the incantation at critical moments to return above the gray fog.
However, just as Klein’s Spirit Body saw the grayish-white fog, he heard a familiar roar, he felt himself be rejected by Sefirah Castle, as though it had accepted an order from someone else to stop him from entering.
This… In his shock, he saw a black shadow leap past him, heading straight for Sefirah Castle!
It wasn’t Amon, but a shadow that exuded an aura identical to his!
Subconsciously, Klein influenced Sefirah Castle and made it reject the intruder.
Then, he succeeded. The shadow was also blocked by the grayish-white fog as well.
Right on the heels of that, he and the shadow fell back into the real world at the same time.
After his Spirit Body returned to his body, Klein bent down in pain, like a curled shrimp.
The half top hat on his head fell to the ground.
He took several seconds to eventually recover. He slowly straightened his body and cast his gaze on a glass window ground from orange gems.
The window reflected his current appearance:
With the bridge of his nose as a border, his right face was the same as usual, but countless objects were crawling out of his left face.
Klein narrowed his eyes.
He hurriedly took a deep breath to calm himself down and regain the Clown powers of control.
His mind outlined a clear image of his appearance.
He was dressed in a black trench coat, had black hair and brown eyes. The right side of Gehrman Sparrow’s cut face was the same as usual, while the left side had become translucent and was formed from twisting maggots.
As he looked down, his neck was in a similar state. It was the same with his body that lay beneath his clothes.
The edge of losing control… Man, I need to resist the inclination towards intense madness… W-why? Suddenly, he sensed something. He instinctively lowered his head and looked at his feet.
It was empty. He was missing the shadow that was supposed to exist.
The orange light of the evening shone through the window, but it didn’t create a shadow by his side.
“Haha, I understand.” Klein bent down and laughed uncontrollably.
He suspected that the “seawater” that surged out from the Giant King’s palace had not only “drowned” his marionette and historical projection, but it had also used the latter to slice off his own shadow, causing his spirit to lose its completeness. He was unable to completely suppress his inclination towards losing control.
As for the shadow, which was slightly equivalent to him, it could also affect Sefirah Castle. This resulted in a situation in which both parties were unable to head above the gray fog.
As long as I get rid of that shadow, the problem can be solved… The corner of his right forehead twitched as he straightened his back.
At that moment, the orange light that shone from outside was dyed gold, becoming rather resplendent. It made the entire Giant King’s Court seem to retrograde from dusk to noon.
With a thought, he cast his gaze out the window as an image appeared in his mind.
In front of the tallest and most magnificent building in the Giant King’s Court, Marionette Enuni stood there, facing the door.
It was dark past the door, impossible to see anything clearly.
Suddenly, Enuni turned around and looked down.
His face was covered in a shadow, and his hair turned deep black that draped over his shoulders and curled up slightly.
On his back, there were pairs of dark illusory wings.
In the grand hall nearby, a pure shadow’s lower body was pressed against a stone brick as its upper body came over in a ramrod manner.
Chapter 1251 Change
It’s not Dark Angel Sasrir… The projection of Enuni has been eroded by the power that surged out from the Giant King’s residence, becoming a monster that I can’t understand at the moment. Furthermore, it looks like it can exist for a long period of time… Perhaps there’s a bit of Sasrir’s will involved in this… With his left hand covering his face, Klein allowed the Worms of Spirit to burrow through the gaps in his fingers freely.
What he couldn’t understand the most was something else. He had clearly opened the palace where the Dark Angel lay slumber, but the deities and Kings of Angels showed no reaction.
According to Klein’s imagination, when the surging “sea” gushed out, be it the True Creator, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Blasphemer Amon, or Amon’s brother who ultimately hid behind the scenes, “They” should’ve immediately descended or appeared to confirm Dark Angel Sasrir’s present state or snatch whatever corresponding items. To his surprise, the entire Giant King’s Court remained completely silent. No external powers exerted any influence.
Could it be that “They” are still waiting for me to enter the Giant King’s residence and to come into contact with that deputy of Heaven? Hmm, the True Creator said to meet Sasrir… My Spirit Body and physical body haven’t recovered from the corrosion, which means that the True Creator’s goal has yet to be achieved… Haha… As Klein’s thoughts raced, he realized that he was unable to control his emotions, be it anger, sadness, worry, or depression. He couldn’t help but pull the corners of his mouth up and let out a scoff.
The only thing he was glad about was that this didn’t affect his brain. He could still think and use all sorts of Beyonder powers, but sometimes, his madness would suddenly be aggravated, turning him rash and aggressive.
I wonder if the demigod of the mind has any way to treat this situation. In any case, the Sealed Artifacts or Beyonder characteristics that I can summon can’t do it… This is a result of an incomplete spirit. If I don’t resolve my severed shadow, I probably won’t be able to completely recover. However, perhaps there are methods that can allow me to temporarily return to normal. For example, create a virtual persona to make up for the incompleteness? Unfortunately, I can’t enter Sefirah Castle… Klein’s thoughts were in a mess as the scenes that surfaced in his mind gradually vanished.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He then picked up the half top hat that had dropped to the ground and wore it. Then, through the huge glass window formed from ground orange gems, he observed the changes in the Giant King’s Court.
Unlike before, an illusory sun appeared high in the sky, allowing the magnificent building complex situated in the frozen sunset to enjoy the sun at noon.
The troll statues that stood guard in the various palaces seemed to be draped with a cloak weaved out of shadows.
Enuni, who had a pair of black, illusory wings on his back, and the shadow that originally belonged to Klein jumped over the railing and glided towards him.
Klein’s gaze froze as he subconsciously took a few steps forward, intending to fight the enemy.
But very quickly, he snapped back to his senses and checked his current state. He quickly retreated to the ancient “elevator,” pulled the switch, and landed back in the Barren Tunnel.
Then, with “Blink,” he appeared near the Waning Forest and ran all the way to the edge of the Giant King’s Court.
His intuition told him that in his current state, he had no means of defeating the mutated “Enuni” and his separated shadow.
Of course, he had the confidence if it was just the latter.
Composite Start
Composite End
When he arrived at the edge of the radiant sunlight, he turned and saw that Enuni and his shadow hadn’t chased after him. It was as though there was a limit to their range of activity.
There’s no way to leave the Giant King’s residence, or should I say, be too far away from Dark Angel Sasrir? Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Klein saw the illusionary “sun” atop leap from the center to the west. The dusk’s colors once again enveloped the divine kingdom.
Klein carefully observed all of this and was in no hurry to leave the Giant King’s Court.
Not long after, the illusory “sun” plunged into the palace where Dark Angel Sasrir slumbered. Darkness became the ruler of the Giant King’s Court.
The darkness was different from the one found on a normal night—there was no moon or starlight, only blurry shadows.
Standing in this darkness, Klein had a nagging feeling that someone was clinging to him from behind. However, he clearly knew that it was an illusion and didn’t turn around recklessly.
A few minutes later, the illusory “sun” rose, and the light of dawn dispersed the darkness.
The power that surged out from the Dark Angel’s chamber has changed the Giant King’s Court despite it being an ancient divine kingdom… It really is a power that’s close to that of a true deity. At the very least, it controls a “Uniqueness,” but which pathway’s Uniqueness would it be?
The generated changes include “Blazing Sun,” “Darkness,” “Degeneration,” and “Mutation.” This is a little contradictory. It doesn’t seem like the result of a single Uniqueness… Besides, the Uniqueness of the Sun pathway is definitely with the Eternal Blazing Sun… The “Shadow” and “Degeneration” is brought about by “Darkness” which is undoubtedly with the True Creator… When I opened the door, I saw an illusory, pitch-black, viscous ocean… It’s related to the Chaos Sea? Klein shook his head as he continued observing. This continued on as he waited for the City of Silver’s expedition team to rendezvous with him.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
Backlund, at the border of the city.
As soon as Audrey entered, she discovered that the fog had become unusually thick. Visibility had been reduced to five meters.
The howling winds swept through the fog, bringing a sense of clarity from time to time. However, it was soon filled with surging whiteness.
Audrey’s eyes suddenly turned golden, allowing her to see even further.
As she carefully treaded, the fog in front of her suddenly became much thinner.
At the same time, her Beyonder powers suffered a retrogression.
The weakening of mysticism… The concepts and information previously mentioned by Mr. World flashed across her mind.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Composite Start
Composite End
Multiple salvos from Backlund fired ahead, causing the shells to leave trails of red, blue, silver, or black in their wake as they bombarded the enemy’s base.
However, in the next second, these shells encountered invisible barriers and exploded in midair, making the transparent “wall” tremble.
At this moment, a rather blurry figure appeared in the distant, thick fog. “He” was in human form, but he was more than ten meters tall. His torso and waist each had two arms extending out as he emitted a rich darkness.
For some reason, as the figure that seemed to arise from a legend appeared, the Feysac and Intis allied force’s base stirred.
Every soldier and officer there seemed to have returned to their childhood. They were walking alone on the dark road with no one around them. Everything was silent. They felt uneasy deep down.
The fear of the unknown stemmed from the fear of their imaginations. Instantly, they broke down and turned to flee.
At this moment, radiant sunlight shone on them, allowing them to see light and bringing them courage.
However, there were still a small number of soldiers who were unable to control themselves. They kept shouting “mommy” or a particular woman’s name in their bids to escape from the battlefield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The soldiers fell to the ground amidst repeated gunshots. One by one, they bloomed with blood-colored flowers.
Composite Start
Composite End
They landed on the ground, turning motionless after slightly twitching. No one cared what their names were, nor did anyone know of their past.
Right on the heels of that, under the commanding officer’s orders, the invisible barrier that enveloped the Intis and Feysac allied forces was dispelled. Crimson-red flaming spears were thrown out towards the Loen base as though they could blot out the sky.
Just as the flaming spears approached their target, they scattered in a sudden bout of chaos. They stabbed into the ground, creating one pitch-black hole after another.
It was the first time Audrey was seeing such a large-scale usage of Beyonder powers. Momentarily stunned, she couldn’t help but recall the people she knew and the roles they played in this battle.
Glaint and the other young nobles had joined the army and took on the roles of officers at different ranks. They were scattered all over the battlefield and could be killed at any moment.
The Magician had left Backlund with Judgment’s family and was hiding in a small city in East Chester County;
As a middle-ranking member of MI9, Judgment was made to covertly defend against infiltration by the Beyonders from Feysac, Intis, and other countries;
The official Beyonders led by The Star had locked down the various cathedrals of the Church of Steam, maintaining the stability of the city;
Saint Anthony and the other demigods of the Church of Evernight, the Church of Storms, the royal family, and the military began to set up the last line of defense in Backlund;
The Sanguine had remained neutral the entire time…
A few seconds later, Audrey gathered her thoughts and prepared to use Psychological Invisibility to sneak into the enemy’s camp to spread Mental Plague.
Suddenly, her spiritual perception stirred as she cast her gaze to a spot further away.
In the thick fog, a rather thick and blurry tentacle wrapped around countless silver bolts of lightning and quickly extended to a certain location of the allied force’s base.
A feather burning with golden flames fell.
In the depths of the thick fog, a huge grayish-blue palm reached out, holding a silver broadsword.
…
The Fog Sea, away from the safe sea route.
Countless bolts of lightning struck the surface of the sea; waves surged and crashed heavily.
Bernadette’s Dawn was constantly being thrown into the sky, making it seem extremely minute under the might of the elements. It looked like it would sink at any moment.
Queen Mystic stood at the bow of the ship, calmly taking in all of this. From time to time, she would use the Emperor’s New Clothes and other fairy tale magic to maintain the balance of the boat.
Her gaze pierced through the terrifying storm in search of the suspected primitive island.
…
After some reorganizing, Colin Iliad led Derrick, Lovia, and the other members of the expedition team out of Afternoon Town camp. They followed the path up the mountain and entered the Giant King’s Court.
What surprised them was that the frozen dusk had changed. Bright sunlight illuminated every corner.
“…Where’s the helper you invited?” Colin Iliad controlled his alarm and turned to ask Derrick Berg.
Just as Derrick was about to speak, he suddenly saw a figure walk out from a half-collapsed tower
The figure wore a black trench coat and a silk top hat. The right side of his face was cut, cold and stiff. The left side of his face had transparent, wriggling maggots that kept crawling.
Chapter 1252 Mr. Clown
When they saw the figure walking out from behind the collapsed tower, the members of the City of Silver’s expedition team immediately put up a defensive stance, ready to attack or provide any defense.
In their eyes, the man wearing strange clothes and a strange hat was equivalent to a monster, a particularly terrifying one at that!
Even normal Beyonders would view themselves as monsters after being subject to such a physical mutation!
Upon seeing the reactions of the half-giants, Klein grinned widely and said with a beaming smile, “Hello everyone, I’m Gehrman Sparrow.
“All of you should be glad that I can still control myself. Otherwise, you would’ve lost your minds because you looked at me directly.”
As he spoke, the transparent maggots on the left side of his face and neck were still squirming slowly. Beneath the clothes on the left side of his body, there were protruding marks that gently squirmed.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
A monster! The members of the City of Silver who were not demigods were increasingly certain of their own judgment.
“You are… you are The Wor—no, Mr. Sparrow?” Derrick Berg finally managed to recognize Mr. World who he had met once.
Klein raised his left palm and covered his left cheek. He smiled and said, “Life is always about encountering the unexpected.”
Without waiting for Little Sun to respond, he paused and said, “I have already opened the door to the Giant King’s residence. This brought about some accidents, causing the divine kingdom to change.”
The door to the Giant King’s residence has already been opened? The grizzled and scarred Colin Iliad narrowed his eyes. He subconsciously looked up at the magnificent buildings shrouded in golden sunlight.
However, due to the distance, he couldn’t see the situation at the apex.
However, to have the frozen sunset become replaced by the blazing sun at noon had explained many things.
Klein’s gaze swept across the City of Silver’s Chief and Elder Lovia, who was dressed in black armor, of the six-member council. He then looked at The Sun and continued with a smile, “This has also brought me some negative effects, just as you have already noticed.”
At this point, he clapped his hands and said in a commanding tone, like an adult instructing children, “Alright, Beyonders below the level of demigod are to fall back. The Giant King’s Court after the anomaly is not a place you can enter.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The members of the expedition team, apart from Colin, Derrick, and Lovia, felt an inexplicable sense of fear as they cast their gazes at the Chief.
Colin Iliad remained silent for a few seconds before turning to them and saying, “Leave the Giant King’s Court and wait at the periphery. If you see the signal, immediately act according to plan.”
The handpicked expedition team members were not only strong themselves and close in strength to a demigod, but they also had different powerful Sealed Artifacts that complemented each other. Even if they were facing a saint, they weren’t without hope when it came to defeating one. However, in the City of Silver’s original plan, they weren’t the main force. Therefore, Colin Iliad had led them here in the hope that, when he and the other demigods shaved off the hidden enemies, these team members would be able to shine. They could then use the different Sealed Artifacts to deal with different incidents, preventing the entire team from suffering from any weaknesses.
Now, with powerful help from the outside joining them, and the fact that the Giant King’s Court had indeed experienced some sort of anomaly, no one knew what they would encounter if they went deeper. With the utmost caution, Colin Iliad believed that Gehrman Sparrow’s suggestion wasn’t a problem. Furthermore, he had his own selfish thoughts—he didn’t want members other than the demigods to suffer any unnecessary risks or meaningless casualties. Therefore, he agreed to the opinion of the monster-like powerhouse.
When the time came for an opportunity to show itself, he, Lovia, and Derrick would be able to give a signal and let the team members rush over a cleared path to provide reinforcements.
As for the entire team’s Beyonder powers not being able to deal with different situations due it collectively becoming relatively monotonous, Colin Iliad wasn’t too worried since the former Shepherd, Lovia, was around.
The members of the expedition, who weren’t demigods, exchanged looks and hesitated for a moment. In the end, they still chose to listen to Colin Iliad.
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
At the same time that they answered, they gave Derrick Berg a deep look, as though they were trying to remind their Chief to be careful of this Sequence 4 demigod.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He actually knew a living, monster-like powerhouse!
This was very suspicious to the residents of the City of Silver, who had barely seen any outsiders!
Sensing his companions’ obvious distrust, Derrick’s heart ached as his eyes nearly welled up in tears.
But eventually, he didn’t make any excuses. He maintained his silence and straightened his back.
After the other members of the expedition team retreated from the Giant King’s Court, Klein smiled and pointed at the two demigods.
“Let me guess. You must be the Chief of the City of Silver, the former Demon Hunter, the present Silver Knight, Colin Iliad. You are The Hanged Man’s believer, Black Knight Lovia, who had helped ‘Him’ shepherd?”
Lovia’s gray eyes, which were hidden behind her visor, narrowed.
“You really look like a clown.”
The Hanged Man? Upon hearing Mr. World’s words, Derrick almost doubted his ears.
Composite Start
Composite End
He even imagined that Elder Lovia had something to do with Mr. Hanged Man, but he quickly remembered the exact image of the Fallen Creator—a naked man hanging upside down on a cross.
Mr. World used The Hanged Man to refer to the Fallen Creator. Elder Lovia chided him for being impolite? Derrick, who had just exceeded two meters in height, nodded thoughtfully as he praised Mr. World’s guts from the bottom of his heart.
He actually dared to give a true deity a nickname, and even said it out loud in front of “His” follower!
Colin Iliad looked at Gehrman Sparrow and then at Lovia. Unable to tell who was right or wrong, he calmly said, “Let’s continue moving forward.”
He had already pulled out the two swords on his back and allowed them to be blanketed with the dawn’s glow.
“No problem.” With a smile, Klein turned around and walked to the left of a huge stone staircase with the three demigods of the City of Silver.
After walking for a while, they saw the familiar rugged pathway. On one side of the road was a towering cliff, and on the other side was an afternoon sun-soaked, bottomless cloud.
At this moment, Klein and company felt the vibrations of the ground. They saw large amounts of illusory, pitch-black gases surging out from deep within the golden cloud.
With a whoosh, the rugged pathway collapsed, falling into the dark “water surface.”
Beneath the “water surface,” there seemed to be invisible maelstroms lurking.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Haha, it collapsed. There’s no way out. Haha.” Klein bent down laughing loudly, making Colin’s, Derrick’s, and Lovia’s nerves tense up.
It took Klein a few seconds to regain control of his emotions. He straightened his body and took out a piece of white paper from his pocket with a smile plastered across his face. He folded it into a “plane.”
Phew. He blew at the head of the paper plane, swung his arm, and threw it towards the clouds that had been devoured by darkness.
At the same time, the glove on his left hand was covered with slippery fish scales.
Upon seeing this scene, the originally confused Colin Iliad nodded slightly before casting his gaze at the flying paper object.
A violent wind stirred as it carried the paper plane forward in flight for a few seconds.
Then, it suddenly dissipated, and like a stone, it rapidly plummeted into the dark clouds, without causing any ripples.
“From the looks of it, flying is useless.” Klein turned halfway around and smiled at Derrick and company.
Lovia didn’t respond as she released a translucent soul that enveloped a piece of gravel.
In the blink of an eye, that piece of rock disappeared from its original spot, “Blinking” to a spot above the dark clouds. Following that, it fell down uncontrollably and sank into the clouds.
“‘Teleport’ doesn’t work either,” Lovia said in a slightly deep voice.
As Klein pressed at his abdomen, he bent down and chuckled before saying, “It looks like we can only enter through the main entrance.”
Derrick immediately turned around and was about to head back when Colin Iliad and Lovia looked at each other and nodded indiscernibly.
The four demigods quickly returned to the huge, grayish-white stone staircase and looked up.
Above the flight of silent stairs which had very high steps, the majestic city walls were covered with burn marks. There were even arrows shafts as thick as ordinary trees.
In the middle of the city wall was a door that was tens of meters tall. It was grayish-blue in color and there were golden nails embedded on its surface.
On both sides of the door stood a guard that stood at six meters tall in a domineering manner. They wore exquisite silver full-body armor, one holding a greatsword, the other a huge ax. Behind their visors was an orange glow.
Silver Knight!
These were two Silver Knights guards!
Without wasting any time, Colin Iliad quickly retracted his gaze and said to Gehrman Sparrow, “I’ll hold back one of the Silver Knights. Quickly finish off the other one.”
He wasn’t very sure of Gehrman Sparrow’s strength, but from the admiration and respect that he sensed from Derrick Berg, as well as the fact that he had opened up the residence of the Giant King, he determined that this demigod who was blessed by The Fool was no weaker than him.
Under such circumstances, whether it was Gehrman Sparrow or Colin Iliad, it wasn’t difficult for them to quickly kill a Silver Knight guard with the help of Lovia and Derrick. After all, they weren’t living demigods, but a special statue without any intelligence.
Just as Colin Iliad finished his sentence, he saw Gehrman Sparrow bend his back and laugh out loud.
“Why do you care so much about these two toys?
“If they were still alive and could think—real Silver Knights—I would definitely be as cautious as you are. But now, haha. Watch.”
As he spoke, Klein used his left hand, which had many Worms of Spirit crawling about, to press down on his top hat. He straightened his body and briskly walked up the stairs.
Then, he was surrounded by strong winds as he approached the main door of the Giant King’s Court.
During this process, he casually raised his right hand and shook it a few times, as if he was stretching his wrist or grabbing the air.
At the end of the last action, Klein’s shoulder sank slightly as if it had frozen, but nothing appeared in the void.
Colin Iliad originally wanted to have an understanding of Gehrman Sparrow’s strength, so he didn’t stop him. He only signaled for Lovia to follow, to back him up if he made any mistakes. However, at that moment, he suddenly slowed down. He frowned slightly as if he had caught the scent of something.
As for Derrick, he looked at him with slight admiration. He believed that Mr. World could quickly finish off the guards.
Chapter 1253 I Wish You Well
Only when Klein was about to reach the end of the flight of stone steps did the two Silver Knights guards outside the Giant King’s Court react.
They turned their heads as the orange glow behind their visors flashed twice, as though it was confirming the identity of the visitor. Furthermore, they had a moment of confusion.
Half of Klein’s face was normal, and the other half was terrifying. The right side of his mouth curled up exaggeratedly. The transparent maggots on his left slowly twisted, revealing a frightening and indifferent smile.
Thud!
With his right foot crossing the final step, he arrived at the platform where the Giant King’s Court was located.
Suddenly, a silvery-white crack appeared on Klein’s forehead as countless silver rays emitted from his body.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
His entire body instantly shattered into pieces of flesh and blood.
These fragments floated up and quickly thinned and faded, turning into paper shreds.
Klein in his top hat and black trench coat appeared one after another in different spots. However, they were all ripped apart by the silver sword beams. Some of them degenerated into illusions, while others turned into paper figures.
At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared outside the main door of the Giant King’s Court where two guards had disappeared.
It was a huge doll dressed in a dark and complicated long dress with evil vines wrapped around it.
Reinette Tinekerr!
When Klein climbed up the stone steps, the person he summoned was none other than Miss Messenger. However, “She” had appeared in Wraith form, so Colin Iliad, Lovia, and Derrick didn’t see her.
At this moment, the two Silver Knights who had concealed their evil intentions and were hiding with the help of the light were chasing Klein out of instinct. They had already exposed their whereabouts after the angel-level powerhouse’s prolonged observations.
Reinette Tinekerr’s bright red eyes immediately reflected a seemingly blank area.
Composite Start
Composite End
There was a flash of light, and a white rabbit suddenly jumped out of nowhere. It bounced around and circled the area, its eyes abnormally vapid.
Immediately following that, Miss Messenger took a step forward and disappeared.
In another area, the remaining knight in silver armor appeared. His actions turned stiff and slow.
He had been possessed by a Wraith!
Klein, who had used himself as bait, stopped “Blinking.” He pressed his hand to his chest and gave a very ceremonial bow.
“I’ve found the two of you. I wish you well.”
He straightened his body, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers.
Boom!
The white-furred rabbit suddenly exploded, its flesh splattering all over the ground.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, he walked towards the Silver Knight guard who tried his best to struggle but to no avail.
When the two figures crossed each other, Reinette Tinekerr’s historical projection returned to the fog of history, while the Silver Knight followed closely behind Klein and very obediently returned to the edge of the stone steps with him.
He had already become Klein’s marionette.
“We can enter.” Klein smiled as he said to Colin Iliad and the others at the bottom of the stone stairs.
Derrick’s eyes lit up as he inwardly marveled.
Mr. World is really powerful. He managed to finish off two Silver Knight guards single-handedly so quickly!
Colin Iliad turned his head to glance at Lovia. From her gaze, he could sense her heavy emotions.
The City of Silver’s Chief had no change in expression. He held the two swords that refracted the light of dawn and steadily walked up the stone steps. He came to Klein’s side and whispered, “Mutant?”
Klein pressed down a Worm of Spirit that formed his left eye and smiled without answering.
Composite Start
Composite End
After Derrick and Lovia walked up the stairs, the four demigods and a marionette turned and arrived at the main door of the Giant King’s Court.
During this process, Klein stowed away the Silver Knight Beyonder characteristic that had seeped out from the rabbit.
This was a reward for Reinette Tinekerr.
According to the agreement between him and the angel, the spoils of war that Klein had obtained from summoning a historical projection would be split equally with Miss Messenger.
Reinette Tinekerr took the Beyonder characteristic, while Klein obtained a Silver Knight marionette.
He looked up at the main door and made the Silver Knight guard, who was much taller than him, take a few steps forward and insert the sword into the ground.
Then, the Silver Knight bent down and stretched out his hands to press on the door that was dozens of meters tall.
After a heavy screeching sound, the door with golden nails slowly opened.
At this moment, the “sun” in the sky leaped, and the entire Giant King’s Court froze into an orange-red dusk.
The huge door opened faster and faster, and the scene inside was gradually revealed to Klein and company.
Composite Start
Composite End
A grayish-white figure was covered in orange-red light. Countless stairs extended from behind the door all the way to the tallest and most magnificent residence of the Giant King. On the way, there were no obstacles. There were palaces and towers on both sides.
Giant statues covered in iron-colored armor stood in front of different buildings, guarding the path that led to the residences of the god.
“It’s time for you to perform.” Klein turned his head to the side and gave an exaggerated smile to Colin Iliad and Lovia.
The former Demon Hunter, Colin, nodded slightly without any objections. Behind Lovia, an illusory figure covered in silver armor with dark red eyes that was several meters tall appeared.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
The giant statues on both sides of the divine kingdom’s staircase emitted silvery-white beams as they emitted shattering sounds.
The “silver flowers” that bloomed kept spreading upwards as if they were welcoming the guests.
Before long, three Silver Knights—Colin Iliad, the soul “Grazed” by Lovia, and the marionette controlled by Klein—cleared out the giant statues guarding the divine kingdom’s staircase, leaving only the area closest to the Giant King’s residence. They didn’t attempt it out of caution.
At that moment, two figures flew out of the Giant King’s palace and slid towards the three Silver Knights.
One of them had a shadowed face, black, curly hair that reached its shoulders, and a pair of black wings on its back. The other was a pure shadow that distorted to the sides from time to time.
They were Enuni, who had mutated at some point in time, and Klein’s shadow, who were both under the influence of the Dark Angel.
…
In the battlefield filled with thick fog, a layer of grayish-white dragon scales suddenly appeared on Audrey’s body. This was a result of her seeing something she shouldn’t see.
Even with the fog blocking her view, high-level creatures at the angel level could still corrupt and damage living beings that saw “Them”!
As a demigod of the Spectator pathway, Audrey immediately retracted her gaze and calmed her mind to control herself from losing control.
As her thoughts raced, she took a few steps back and used Psychological Invisibility to hide in the thick fog. She was in no hurry to infiltrate the Intis and Feysac allied forces camp.
She was waiting for an opportunity—one that she believed would definitely appear.
Time passed by so slowly that Audrey imagined that it had stopped. After an unknown period of time, she finally saw the fog over the allied forces’ base turn dark, like the sun plunging past the horizon. Night had begun to rule this world.
Silently, the Intis, Feysac soldiers and officers closed their eyes and fell asleep. This included many other Beyonders.
Audrey, who was hiding not far away, also fell asleep. However, as a Dreamwalker who had been “Cued” in advance, she managed to stay lucid.
Then, without knowing how long the opportunity would last, she used “Dream Traversal” to enter the Intis, Feysac allied forces base. She walked among the soldiers and secretly left behind the seeds for a Mental Plague.
This “plague” could make the infected panic, fluster, and break down emotionally. It was difficult to be placated with normal methods.
Hum!
The sound of a horn pierced through the gaps between reality and dreams, shattering the hazy world and awakening the soldiers and officers.
Audrey didn’t hesitate. At the instant before the dream completely shattered, she “traversed” to the other end of the camp, far away from the group that had planted the seeds of Mental Plague.
In the next second, the dream world completely collapsed, forcing her back into reality. She appeared at the borders of the Intis, Feysac allied forces base.
Thud!
A silvery-white beam lit up, exploding beside Audrey, tearing apart the fog.
Audrey didn’t panic because being attacked was within her expectations.
After entering the Intis, Feysac allied forces’ camp, she knew that her “Psychological Invisibility” was very likely to be seen through by others using other clues, such as not being able to completely conceal her malice.
Therefore, apart from her “Psychological Invisibility,” she also used similar techniques and Hand of Horror’s “Disorder” to create another fake version of herself to mislead the possible attackers.
In other words, there was still a layer of illusion hidden under her Psychological Invisibility.
And the facts proved that Audrey’s understanding of the enemy was correct. The fake version of her had indeed encountered a sudden attack.
Taking this opportunity, she retreated into the depths of the fog.
Then, a grayish-white dragon that was still in human form appeared. It had mysterious and three-dimensional symbols engraved on its huge scales. They were infiltrating inwards and extending outwards, as though they were interweaving into something indescribable. Something that didn’t belong to reality would cause one’s mind to go into a frenzy and distort their thoughts just by looking at it.
At the same time, a figure dressed in a Feysac general’s attire appeared at the spot where Audrey was standing. His face, neck, and palm were covered in silver armor, giving off a cold feeling.
…
Enuni and Klein’s shadows landed on a platform covered in orange light. The three Silver Knights retreated and returned to Derrick’s and Klein’s side.
Klein raised his hand to cover his left cheek and laughed at the “shadow” and Enuni.
“It looks like you can’t leave that area.”
He took a few steps forward and spread out his palms. He tsked and said, “What a pity. That way, you won’t be able to hit me.”
Bang!
The “shadow” opened its mouth and released an Air Cannon.
Chapter 1254 Exaggerated
Bang!
When the “shadow” blasted an Air Cannon forward, Klein acted as though he had sensed it ahead of time. His body jerked backward, and he somersaulted in the air, landing steadily several steps away.
During this process, his right hand continued to press down on the half top hat on his head, making him seem rather relaxed.
Seeing that Enuni and the “shadow” didn’t attempt to chase and continue their attacks, the smile on his face became even more obvious.
“It’s really impolite to interrupt others while they’re speaking.
“I wanted to discuss how to deal with you in front of all of you, but I can only avoid that now.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he spoke, his left face, which formed from a cluster of transparent maggots, trembled twice, as if he was trying to wink at his former marionette and his former shadow.
Then, with a beaming smile on his face, he walked back to Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia and shrugged.
“The owners of this place aren’t welcoming us. We can only head out and discuss how to resolve the problem—them.”
Colin Iliad didn’t think lowly of this exaggerated powerhouse just because he didn’t seem capable of controlling his emotions. This was because he had shown his expertise and meticulousness towards detail when handling the previous matters. This wasn’t something a demigod who had lost his mind could do.
“Alright.” The City of Silver’s Chief responded to Klein’s suggestion.
Of course, Derrick had no objections, while Lovia remained silent and didn’t say a word.
Hence, the four demigods and the Silver Knight marionette retraced their steps. They walked out of the Giant King’s Court’s door, and Klein even got the silver-armored guard to pull the huge door and slowly close it. It appeared like a very polite gesture.
Throughout the entire process, Enuni, who had layers of black wings on his back, and the pure “shadow” just stood watching. They didn’t attempt to stop him, as though an invisible wall had restrained their movements.
After a while, dusk dissipated and darkness descended. All awaited the light of dawn to illuminate everything.
Composite Start
Composite End
In this quiet and dead world, a ray of light finally rose, bringing with it a long-awaited dawn.
At this moment, Enuni and the “shadow” heard knocking sounds at the door of the Giant King’s Court.
Someone was knocking on the door.
Knock, knock, knock. After this continued a few more times, the door let out a creaking sound as it opened heavily.
Wearing a black trench coat, Klein maintained the smile on the right side of his face as he entered the Giant King’s Court first. He walked up the stairs step by step, and the other demigods, along with his marionette, followed one step behind.
After reaching the end of the half-way, Klein stopped and said to Enuni and the “shadow” who were more than ten meters away, “Please forgive me for not waiting for you to say ‘come in.’ Perhaps it’s because this spot is too far from the main door, so you didn’t hear my knocking.
“As you know, as a gentleman, I only know how to use my fingers to strike, not slap with my palms.”
The moment he finished speaking, Enuni, who hadn’t spoken since the beginning, spoke:
“Next, you’ll deal with Shadow by yourself and let the people of the City of Silver hold me back.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Oh?” Klein let out a loud nasal grunt while wearing an exaggerated smile, as though he was waiting for Enuni to give a further explanation.
At the same time, he raised his left hand and pressed his face.
The transparent and twisted maggots began to squirm about, some boring in, others crawling out and quickly completing an exchange.
With a shadow over his face, Enuni, with his black, slightly-curled hair that reached his shoulders, continued in a deep voice, “You didn’t summon a projection from the Historical Void in advance because you know that Shadow can summon the projection of the Staff of the Stars and simulate the powers of the Angel of Time; it will accelerate the flow of time to disperse your angel helpers.
“Similarly, he didn’t make any preparations because of the same reason.
“And if you summon a saint that can last longer, he can do the same. Both of you offset each other.”
“I hate playing cards with myself!” Klein nodded heavily, expressing his agreement and laughed out loud.
Enuni, whose face was blurry, glanced at him and the three demigods of the City of Silver.
“Therefore, you turned the Silver Knight guarding the door into your marionette, planning on using it as a chip to tip the balance.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“This problem is his, not mine. He actually doesn’t have a target to turn into a marionette. Or perhaps, why don’t you sacrifice yourself?” The corners of Klein’s mouth curled up as he said to his former marionette, Enuni.
Enuni retracted his gaze and turned to examine Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia.
“You and Shadow cancel each other out. The prerequisite for using a marionette to win is that they can hold me back.”
Just as he said that, the two shoulders of the marionette that had been corrupted by the power of the sleeping Dark Angel squirmed as a head grew out of each.
The three heads were covered in shadows and had black curly hair that reached his shoulders. However, they gave people the feeling that one was young and the other old.
Before Klein and the demigods could react, Enuni’s right body suddenly tore apart, causing the “aged” head to take away a third of his body.
The body that split apart rapidly squirmed and instantly became complete. On the shadow over the head’s surface, a pair of eyes protruded with vertical, pale-golden pupils.
Suddenly, the magnificent staircase leading to the ancient god’s residence collapsed, turning into a desolate moor. At the end of the moor was a pitch-black city overgrown with weeds.
City of Silver!
Derrick’s heart tightened upon seeing such a realistic scene. He was worried that the unknown enemy would drag him and the other demigods to the City of Silver and destroy it. As for Lovia, her gaze froze as her body trembled when Enuni grew two heads. It was as if she could sense the aura of an absolute high-leveled entity.
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad surveyed his surroundings and crossed his two swords that were covered in the light of dawn before pushing them out. He said in a deep voice, “This is fake.”
At this moment, Klein covered his mouth with his left hand that was made of transparent maggots. He yawned and asked Enuni’s main body with a smile, “Will you be stronger in dreams?
“Or can you cross the boundary and launch an attack?
“Yes, if it were me, I would definitely consider using a dream to lure the enemy into entering my attack range.”
The moment he said that, the desolate moor and the distant castle dissipated at the same time. The magnificent staircase, which was illuminated by the light of dawn, appeared once again.
At this moment, the left side of Enuni’s body tore away. The “young” head had taken away a third of his flesh.
The shadow covering “his” face was quickly replaced by a resplendent golden light. It was as if there were two miniature “suns” in his eyes.
“The Sun?” Klein first voiced out a question before laughing so hard that he couldn’t straighten his back. “Haha, you want to use the ‘Unshadowed Domain’ to break through the Silver Knight’s ‘Light Concealment’? Yes, we have three Silver Knights on our side. That is worthy of your attention, but have you considered the feelings of Shadow? You don’t, you only think of yourself! He’s only a shadow, so have you considered how weakened he would be in the ‘Unshadowed Domain’?”
At this point, Klein laughed even louder. Even the transparent Worms of Spirit crawling on his left face sped up their movements.
“Hahahaha, also, have you thought about the Beyonder powers of Corruption, Degeneration, and Darkness? Have you seriously considered the negative effects that the ‘Unshadowed Domain’ will bring you?”
After laughing, Klein straightened his back and asked seriously, “How should I address you now?
“En’en? U’u? Ni’ni?”
Enuni, whose main body was still covered in shadows, slowly took a deep breath and said, “If you had chosen the Hunter pathway, you would definitely be stronger than you are now…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the layers of black wings on his back suddenly spread out. They kept expanding, covering the sky and wrapped towards the magnificent staircase.
Faint shadows immediately covered the area. Then, Enuni directly crossed the invisible boundary and descended in front of Colin Iliad, Lovia, and Derrick.
He actually had the means to break through the obstruction!
The young him, who had split off as the Sun Saint, immediately raised his arms.
The light of dawn turned blazing hot, illuminating every corner of the magnificent staircase, leaving no shadows. Nothing could hide within.
Unshadowed Domain!
However, the shadows around him didn’t fade. The dark wings that enveloped Enuni’s body blocked out pure sunlight.
As for Shadow, it seemed to be covered in a cloak. Although it was much dimmer, it didn’t show any signs of weakness.
At the same time, Enuni’s split-off aged body pushed out his right palm.
A violent but illusory gust of wind appeared around him, carrying with it an invisible, multi-colored intent that gushed towards Klein and his Silver Knight marionette.
Mind Deprivation!
It could awe the target, make him feel fear, show signs of frenzy, or lose a portion of his rationality.
And now, because Klein’s spirit was incomplete, he was on the brink of losing control. He couldn’t even control his emotions and reactions very well. If he were to suffer the effects of Mind Deprivation, there was a high chance that he would lose control on the spot and break down into a monster.
Enuni understood what had happened to him and understood his weakness. The moment he launched the attack, he allowed the Spectator Saint to use an area-of-effect attack that Klein would find difficult to defend against and find unbearable.
The strong winds that were tainted with all kinds of emotions and will instantly engulfed Klein. However, half of the crazy adventurer, who had half a normal body and half a terrifying body, didn’t show any sign of warped expressions, manifestation of godhood, or physical breakdown. Instead, his exaggerated smiling right eye became extremely calm.
While waiting for the City of Silver’s expedition team, he had already summoned Miss Justice and got her to make up a Virtual Persona that stemmed from his lampooning, Clown-like character, allowing his spirit to become complete for a certain amount of time!
This was the reason why he appeared relatively rational when he left the guard’s residence, only to appear exaggerated and crazy when he rendezvoused with the City of Silver’s expedition team.
Furthermore, this Virtual Persona could also withstand several attacks from the Mind domain.
The coldness in his eyes quickly faded away. The corner of his right lip curled up, becoming symmetrical with a curled Worm of Spirit that was crawling on the left.
This was a sincere smile.
Chapter 1255 Mocking Himself
As the smile of “sincerity” appeared on Klein’s face, the face of the Spectator Saint that Enuni had split suddenly cracked open. The silver cracks were all over the place, intertwining with each other, appearing extremely chaotic.
Klein seized the opportunity and used his Silver Knight marionette’s silver sword to condense a “Silver Rapier” to attack him!
A sharp light shot out, dicing that figure into countless small pieces.
However, these small blocks were abnormally illusory, with zero corporealness.
The Spectator Saint had used the technique of Psychological Invisibility to create an illusion, concealing his existence!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Silver beams of light either blazed towards the Spectator Saint that Enuni had split off, or directly leaped out from the target’s location, erupting from within.
The Spectator Saint relied on the speed and agility that a powerful body brought. He constantly changed positions and dodged, preventing himself from getting injured.
As he had a precise understanding and control of his psyche and mind, Klein’s intuition for danger prevented an image from forming in his mind, so it was difficult for Klein to predict his actions. Therefore, Klein couldn’t let the “Silver Rapier” lay in wait and strike out where he appeared.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The huge knight, who was covered in solid silver armor, held his broadsword and charged at his target, as though he could topple a mountain.
Due to the existence of the Unshadowed Domain, Klein’s Silver Knight marionette was unable to hide himself using the light. He could only directly attack.
Upon seeing this, the Spectator Saint’s body suddenly swelled, turning into a hideous, grayish-white scaled dragon that was covered in shadows, a manifestation of godhood.
The dragon’s body was huge; its gray scales firm. Its claws were powerful, and it managed to block the Silver Knight’s slash.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The giant and the giant dragon smashed through the brick rocks of the ancient divine kingdom, causing the palace to collapse. It was a mess.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein maintained his exaggerated smile and seriously controlled his marionette to ignore Shadow.
No, he still did some level of interference.
He controlled the Spirit Body Threads of himself, the marionette, the City of Silver’s Chief, Lovia, and Little Sun, preventing them from being controlled by Shadow. From time to time, he would reach out his hand and summon the historical projection that Shadow was attempting to summon. This effectively canceled out both parties’ efforts.
Apart from that, Klein didn’t even glance at Shadow.
Shadow wandered for a while before opening its mouth helplessly and making a “bang” sound.
An Air Cannon shot out and struck the Silver Knight marionette before exploding.
Amidst the rumbling sound, the marionette only shook slightly before returning to normal. The silver armor he wore didn’t show a single crack.
“Haha.” Upon seeing this scene, Klein laughed out loud, giving off the feeling that he was about to bend over in a fit of laughter.
How could he not be aware of how weak his attacks and defense were?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When the two core skills of controlling Spirit Body Threads and the summoning of the Historical Void projections were rendered ineffective, Shadow, who had no marionettes, could only watch from the side. Be it Air Cannons, Flame Controlling, Illusion Creation, or the Clown’s combat ability, they were all just embellishments or support.
Likewise, Klein didn’t attack Shadow, because he knew how frustrating it was to deal with Paper Figurine Substitutes, Flaming Jump, Damage Transfer, and Illusion Creation. He knew that there was no way he could deal with the other party in such a short period of time. He might as well let him be a member of the live audience. After all, he couldn’t affect the battle.
Upon hearing the mocking laughter, the pitch-black Shadow froze for a moment before pouncing forward. It approached Klein and targeted him with attacks.
On the other side, when Enuni’s true form landed in front of the three demigods of the City of Silver, Colin Iliad quickly glanced at Derrick before looking away. He crossed his swords, forming a cross that blocked the path ahead.
While doing this, this City of Silver Chief’s clothes tore apart by his rapidly expanding muscles.
In the blink of an eye, Colin Iliad had turned into a giant that was nearly six meters tall. His body was grayish-blue and his muscles were bluish-black. He was a ripped giant.
There was a dark crack on his forehead that seemed to be capable of attracting the souls around him, and his eyes were gone.
Every inch of the giant’s skin and flesh contained immense power, infinite mystery, and a strange spiritual influence. It made everyone who witnessed it inevitably feel a sharp pain in their psyche, turning them into a rampaging mess that wanted to destroy everything, including themselves.
Inside the “Unshadowed Domain,” Colin Iliad didn’t need to worry that the divine kingdom’s suppression would prevent him from controlling this incomplete Mythical Creature form, causing him to completely lose control.
Composite Start
Composite End
The invisible barrier around him immediately shrank, turning into silver, sticky, liquid metal that covered his entire body and solidified into an armor that couldn’t be shaken.
At that moment, the shadow on Enuni’s body condensed into something corporeal. It made him turn into a “giant” that was several meters tall. He held a black greatsword and wore black full-body armor.
Black Knight!
Clang!
The black great sword cleaved straight down and was held back in midair by two swords formed from the light of dawn.
The shadow beneath Enuni’s feet and the illusory black wings on his back extended outwards in an attempt to envelop Colin Iliad.
Almost at the same time, rays of the light of dawn formed around Colin as they swept forward.
The storm that was filled with pure fragments of light swallowed Enuni’s shadow, only to be blocked by his black wings.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Colin Iliad’s Silver Knight manifestation Enuni’s Black Knight transformation clashed violently, producing a spectacular light show as the tower collapsed.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for Derrick, he leaped out with Thunder God’s Roar in hand after receiving the Chief’s signal, heading straight for the Sun Saint.
Amidst the howling winds, he brandished the ghostly blue hammer that was wrapped in lightning. He appeared like a Sailor of the Storm pathway, not a Beyonder of the Sun domain.
The Sun Saint never expected that the Unshadowed opposite him would be so rash that he chose to engage in close combat. Unable to react in time, he could only use his instincts to dodge to the side.
With a loud crack, a silvery-white light burst out from the place he was about to step in. It quickly engulfed him and tore his body apart.
The Silver Knight evil spirit that Lovia “Grazed” also targeted the Sun Saint as it unleashed its attacks.
A golden glow surged out of the Sun Saint’s body like a tidal wave, melting the silvery-white light, forming a layer of armor made of light, and a huge mace.
Boom!
The mace blocked Thunder God’s Roar, causing the snaking bolts and light to fly everywhere.
At the same time, the Sun Saint’s body emitted a warm glow that caused the Silver Knight evil spirit to suddenly turn illusory as if it was evaporating. It caused the black-armored Lovia’s body to pale. The degenerate aura quickly dissipated, causing the Silver Knight marionette to weaken greatly.
Purification!
This was the core power of an Unshadowed. It was extremely effective against wraiths, the fallen, and the unclean!
Faced with the “Purification,” Lovia could only summon her Silver Knight evil spirit back and not let it out to “Graze.” She could only use the corresponding Beyonder powers to make up for her weakness.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Silver beams of light occasionally “Blinked,” flying at high speeds, forcing the Sun Saint to block and duck to protect himself.
After taking a glance, Derrick stopped brandishing Thunder God’s Roar again, nor did he pester the Sun Saint any further. He took a few steps back and cast his gaze towards the battle between the black greatsword and the double swords of dawn. He then joined the battle between Colin Iliad and Enuni.
His expression turned solemn as he spread his arms wide, as though he was hugging a gift from a deity.
The “Unshadowed Domain” immediately became even brighter, as though sunlight had penetrated through the barrier and shone in.
Right on the heels of that, a ball of pure light surrounded by countless holy flames descended out of thin air. It enveloped Colin Iliad and Enuni without any regard whether they were friend or foe.
Flaring Sun!
“Flaring Sun” of an Unshadowed!
This was the theurgical spell that Klein had used to kill Megose and the fetus in her womb. It caused tremendous damage to creatures in the domain of Corruption, Degeneration, and Undying. It could even directly destroy them.
In the holy spherical light that was surrounded by holy flames, the illusory black wings on Enuni’s back began to emit a faint mist. The pitch-black armor covering his body melted and part of his body cracked open, igniting his leaking degenerated aura.
Colin Iliad was also injured. The silver armor on his body turned into liquid metal.
Derrick didn’t pay much attention to this. He once again used “Flaring Sun” and once again enveloped Enuni and Colin Iliad.
He believed that compared to the enemy who was of the Degeneration and Corruption domain, the Chief who was of the Warrior pathway would suffer a lot less damage under the assault of “Flaring Sun.” He was able to last much longer.
And after dealing with the main enemy, he could get Mr. World to summon Life’s Cane to treat the Chief.
This was the fastest way to deal with Enuni!
This wasn’t something that Derrick had come up with himself, nor was it part of the plan that Klein had come up with. It was something that Colin Iliad had suggested himself.
Previously, when they were discussing outside the door, Klein had only introduced Enuni and the Shadow’s possible abilities. He didn’t come up with any proposals and had left it to the City of Silver’s Chief to decide on the battle plan.
This was because he knew that Shadow understood him very well. He could think of anything he could think of. If it was based on his own train of thought, it would be easy to resolve. Therefore, trusting an experienced former Demon Hunter was the best solution under the present circumstances.
Colin Iliad didn’t stand on ceremony. He confirmed that the main target they needed to deal with was Enuni, who had been corrupted by the Dark Angel. He formulated a plan around this key point and came up with a plan to clinch victory through internecine means.
He wasn’t afraid of being hurt. He was only worried that there wouldn’t be an opportunity such as this.
The spherical light that was surrounded by infinite holy flames blasted down, illuminating the surrounding area. It made Klein’s “shadow” dim significantly, making Enuni’s black wings become fainter and fainter, almost to the point of an illusion.
But at this moment, a pair of black wings suddenly separated from Enuni and transformed into a deep “sea.”
Chapter 1256 I Have Something You Don“
The deep “sea” swallowed the bright spherical light, darkening the entire “Unshadowed Domain.”
Silver bolts of lightning burst out from its interior, turning the area where Enuni and Colin Iliad were fighting into a forest of lightning.
Amidst the sizzling sounds, countless bolts of lightning slithered upwards and drilled into the gaps in the armor.
This Silver Knight, who had shown his incomplete Mythical Creature form, immediately turned stiff, as though he was paralyzed by lightning. As for Enuni, his black armor, which seemed to be formed from powers of “Degeneration,” had completely absorbed the lightning, preventing his body from being affected by the rippling damage.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Enuni, who had pitch-black fragments peeling off from him, held the dark greatsword with both hands and slashed at an angle. And at this moment, Colin Iliad hadn’t completely escaped from his paralyzed state.
With a piercing stabbing sound, a deep crack appeared on his left shoulder. The sturdy silver armor seemed to lose its defense as it was cleaved open by the great sword.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a Black Knight’s “Cull of Spiritual Flesh.” Not only could it corrode flesh and blood, it could obliterate souls and cleave through barriers. It could also cause any living creature with degenerate thoughts to lose their defenses. It was a core Beyonder power belonging to the Black Knight, stemming from the “Degeneration” domain.
Seeing that the “Cull of Spiritual Flesh” had sliced open the silver armor on Colin Iliad’s left shoulder, with the crack quickly deepening as it went straight for the heart, Derrick tensed up and immediately condensed a spear made up of pure sunlight. He swung back his hand and threw it towards Enuni.
Unshadowed Spear!
Enuni didn’t abandon his attack or dodge. Instead, he raised his remnant illusory black wings and used them to shield himself.
Sizzle!
The “Unshadowed Spear” pierced through two layers of the illusory black wings, bursting out a blinding white light that seemed to give rise to a miniature “sun.”
At the same time, Colin’s entire body melted, turning into a pool of silver liquid metal.
The liquid flowed rapidly, reforming the body of Colin Iliad in the distance. He still resembled a giant, and he was still wearing silver armor. However, half of the City of Silver’s left shoulder and arm had fallen to the ground. The incision was clean with no blood flowing out.
With the use of “Mercury Liquefaction,” Colin Iliad sacrificed an arm to avoid Enuni’s lethal blow.
Composite Start
Composite End
His gaze behind his visor didn’t waver at all. He grabbed the remaining sword of dawn and ran towards his target once again. It was like an unusually terrifying steam locomotive that exceeded its speed limit.
Derrick quickly condensed his “Unshadowed Spear” again from the side, causing the spears of light to fly towards Enuni.
During this process, he opened his mouth and solemnly said, “God says that the purification is effective.”
This was the Beyonder powers of a Notary at the Unshadowed level.
Its compatibility with the Unshadowed Domain created by the Sun Saint made the battlefield brighten even more, causing the degenerate auras on Enuni and Lovia to further weaken.
“God said it’s ineffective!” The Sun Saint immediately denied Derrick’s “proclamation,” causing the Unshadowed Domain’s purification effect to return to its former state.
Amidst the crackling sounds, the “Unshadowed Spear” approached Enuni. As for the black illusory wings on the Black Knight back, a few pairs had already faded under the miniature sun’s illumination. He only had half left.
Enuni couldn’t effectively dodge the pure, bright long spears closing in on him since his hands were full fending off Colin Iliad. He made a pair of illusory black wings spread out fully, disintegrating into “darkness.”
As soon as the “Unshadowed Spears” came into contact with the “darkness,” they were stained with a layer of thick, sticky, blackness. They either instantly corroded and broke, piercing the magnificent staircase, or left a curved arc in the air as it spun around and tore at Derrick Berg.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
All of them degenerated at that very moment.
Upon seeing this, Derrick followed his battle instinct that he had honed from all his years of training and his patrolling and exploring experience. He jumped forward and rolled.
Sizzle!
Black spears landed behind him, corroding a large segment of the staircase.
At this moment, the Sun Saint was also throwing “Unshadowed Spears,” creating pure white beams that shot across the air. This forced Lovia to use one of her “Grazed” souls to constantly “Blink” in an attempt to approach the enemy.
To her dismay, she could only use the ability of one soul at a time in such a state. She couldn’t “Blink” while condensing “Silver Rapier” to cull the Sun Saint from a distance to create an opportunity for herself.
Meanwhile, the battle between Klein and his “shadow” was exceptionally intense. Amidst the booming sounds of Air Cannons, the flaring of scarlet flames, pieces of paper scattering in all directions, and illusions turned into bubbles described the battle.
The Silver Knight marionette had basically suppressed the Spectator Saint. After all, no matter how strong the mind dragon’s body was, it wasn’t a match for a demigod of the Giant pathway when in close combat.
Of course, the Spectator Saint wasn’t in any danger. After all, he had revealed an incomplete Mythical Creature form. If it wasn’t for the fact that his opponent was only a marionette, and Klein had already digested the Sequence 3 potion and seen many high-level creatures, he could use his exposed godhood to interfere with his opponent’s thoughts, slowly driving him crazy and losing his rationality.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without the advantage of the godhood’s influence, the Spectator Saint could only use the Hypnotist’s “Battle Hypnotism” to force the target to act erratically, such as attacking in the wrong direction. Using this opportunity, he escaped from the melee battle and entered a “Psychological Invisibility” state again in an attempt to perform a sneak attack on Klein.
A Hypnotist’s “Battle Hypnotism” could forcefully hypnotize the enemy during battle, making him do all sorts of erratic actions. However, such actions couldn’t directly cause harm to the victim, and it couldn’t be maintained for too long, as the target would quickly wake up.
Of course, the “Battle Hypnotism” target of the Spectator Saint was definitely not the Silver Knight marionette. This was because it was essentially a dead person. This made it immune to all psychological effects. The target of his interference was the thoughts Klein transmitted through the Spirit Body Threads, targeting them so that the information the marionette received would be erroneous. As such, it would act differently from what Klein wanted.
This was actually a psyche interference, and not a psyche hypnosis. The effects were undoubtedly not as effective as the original version, but not every saint of the Spectator pathway could grasp such an effect. It was a result of digging deep into one’s Beyonder powers and experimenting.
To the Spectator Saint, there was nothing he could do about this. This was because, be it “Mind Deprivation,” “Mind Storm,” or “Mind Breath,” none of them were effective on a marionette.
The grayish-white dragon that had its head covered in shadows had tried to close the distance with Klein several times, or to use its area-of-effect Beyonder powers, but it was stopped by the Silver Knight marionette. It kept being forced to dodge the “Silver Rapier” which could erupt within its body.
As Klein controlled his marionette, he distanced himself from the Spectator Saint and dealt with his “shadow.” It wasn’t too easy, but it wasn’t too much of a burden.
Suddenly, his spiritual perception was triggered as he entered a state of clarity unique to instances when his dream or mind secretly intruded.
With his lucidity, Klein allowed a portion of his consciousness to rise to the sky and look down at his island of consciousness.
Then, he saw Enuni, the one who looked aged with a face covered in shadows, walk out of the boundless sea of collective subconscious, opening the door to his Body of Heart and Mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
This Spectator Saint didn’t attempt to change the island of consciousness in Klein’s mind. All he did was produce a dark spherical light which had tentacles growing out of it. He turned it into a “seed” that was hard to discover before letting it sink into the ground.
A Mental Plague seed!
Without any hesitation, Klein immediately switched locations with the Silver Knight marionette, preventing the Mental Plague seed from landing in his island of consciousness.
The Spectator Saint noticed this change. Not only was he not disappointed, he even revealed a smile.
This was because he had long used Virtual Persona to secretly plant the Mental Plague seeds on the still island of the Silver Knight marionette. Although this couldn’t affect the marionette, it could unknowingly corrupt the enemy who swapped positions with the marionette and other targets in the surrounding areas.
This was a kind of corruption and infection that targeted the island of consciousness and the psyche. It wasn’t a direct attack, so it was difficult to use Virtual Persona to offset it.
When the time came, the problem that Klein had temporarily concealed with Virtual Persona would completely erupt. He would quickly plunge into a passage for losing control, entering an irreversible situation!
Shadow was no stranger to such situations, as Hvin Rambis had used such a method before.
As he secretly laughed at Klein for becoming crazy, reckless, arrogant, and acting like a clown, one who had forgotten lessons of the past, he snapped his fingers, summoning a scarlet flame. He then used it to jump over, embroiling himself with Klein.
Another round of paper shreds flew in all directions as the intense battle destroyed the afterimages.
After a short while, Klein suddenly stopped. He raised his left hand that was wrapped with transparent maggots and covered his left face.
“Hahaha, hahaha.” He let out a maniacal laugh, controlling the Spirit Body Threads around him like a madman, no longer distinguishing between friend and foe.
On his right cheek, pale meat tendrils protruded out, as if they were Worms of Spirit that were about to bore out.
When Shadow saw that Klein had gone crazy and was about to lose control, he was worried that he would be infected by the “Mental Plague.” He hurriedly made a scarlet flame rise up and swallow himself.
In the distance, his figure emerged from the flames that had yet to extinguish.
At this moment, the Silver Knight marionette would occasionally launch an attack and occasionally do a twitching dance. It was obvious that it wasn’t under normal control.
He no longer had the strength to stop the mind dragon manifested by the Spectator Saint. He allowed the other party to spread out his wings and fly into the air above Klein. He was prepared to use “Mind Breath.”
The Spectator Saint didn’t want to give his enemy who was infected by the “Mental Plague” a chance to breathe. He wanted him to immediately lose control!
Suddenly, this mind dragon’s actions became sluggish, as if every joint was injected with glue.
In the next second, a silvery-white beam erupted from his body, splitting his flesh and blood, tearing apart his Spirit Body.
With his back bent, the laughing Klein slowly straightened his body calmly. He released the palm covering his left cheek, and he smiled at Shadow in the distance.
Behind him, wave after wave of silvery-white beams tore apart the mind dragon, turning it into pieces of pitch-black flesh. They fell to the ground, and the knight marionette in silver armor retracted his broadsword and looked coldly at Shadow.
Looking at the slightly lost Shadow, the few Worms of Spirit on his left face curled up and stimulated the curved corners of a smile.
“You haven’t seemed to have noticed that I have something that you don’t.”
Chapter 1257 Too Weak
As he spoke, Klein raised his right hand.
A piece of pitch-black and filthy flesh had appeared in his palm at some point in time. It contained an indescribable aspect of madness.
“The answer is: The Hanged Man’s corruption,” Klein said to Shadow with a smile.
The thing that he had that Shadow didn’t was the corruption left behind by the True Creator. This was an influence that even the power of Sefirah Castle couldn’t dissipate for the time being!
And one thing he was certain of was that, before he met Dark Angel Sasrir, the True Creator wouldn’t easily allow him to lose control or die.
Therefore, he deliberately allowed corrupted parts of his body to be infected by Mental Plague, pretending that he had lost control. Then, he pretended to be controlling Spirit Body Threads in an aimless manner so as to cover up the fact that the target was actually the Spectator Saint. When the opponent launched a further attack, he successfully entered a sluggish state, creating an opportunity for the Silver Knight marionette.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he expected, the corrupted parts of him wrapped around the seeds of the Mental Plague, preventing the negative effects from erupting.
During this process, Shadow had distanced herself from Klein because of his concern about the effects of Mental Plague. This made him fail to notice the abnormality of the Spectator Saint’s Spirit Body Threads.
How could Klein not know how careful and cautious he was?
Of course, Klein couldn’t predict the kind of changes the corruption would bring when he met Dark Angel Sasrir. Would the Mental Plague that had been suppressed leak out and cause certain effects? All he could do was resolve the problems at hand.
Upon hearing his words, the pure Shadow suddenly burst into a scarlet flame that instantly engulfed him.
At the edge of the Unshadowed Domain, near the place where the Giant King resided, a wisp of fire rapidly rose up as Shadow appeared.
He didn’t hesitate to escape. He ran towards the palace which acted as the resting chamber for the slumbering Dark Angel, completely ignoring Enuni and the Sun Saint!
When Klein, who was using his Virtual Persona, saw this scene, he was stunned. He couldn’t help but smile with the Worm of Spirit and shake his head.
I’m actually that timid?
Composite Start
Composite End
He suspected that Shadow, which splintered off from him, had taken away most of his caution and carefulness, leaving behind more of his impulsiveness and recklessness.
Pa!
A silvery-white beam lit up and smote the scarlet flames that descended outside of the Unshadowed Domain, shattering the pitch-black Shadow that had just appeared.
Klein hadn’t wasted time muttering to himself. He had long controlled the Silver Knight marionette, then according to the distribution of the flames and his habits, he predicted the next few areas that Shadow would jump to. Then, he condensed “Silver Rapier” ahead of time and smote down the moment the flames descended.
“Unshadowed Domain” didn’t have a barrier in the physical sense. Anyone could leave or exert influence on the outside world.
However, the torn-up Shadow eventually turned into thin pieces of paper and quickly disappeared.
Another few burning scarlet flames descended, and the black Shadow used them to jump, moving closer to the open door of the Giant King’s residence. The silvery-white light that subsequently tore him apart had only managed to take down his Paper Figurine Substitutes—from Sequence 5, Beyonders of the Warrior pathway had the ability to see through illusions. Without the aid of “Psychology Invisibility,” “Paper Figurine Substitutes” were obviously more useful than “Illusion Creation.” It was only a situation when two Seers were in combat that scenes of shredded pieces and illusions would occur.
In just two or three seconds, scarlet flaming columns rose outside the Giant King’s residence, as though they were releasing fireworks to welcome a guest.
In the next moment, Shadow jumped into one of the flames and hid in the area where the Dark Angel lay in slumber.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
But at that moment, a figure quickly appeared in front of the scarlet flaming columns.
He wore a black long trench coat and a half top hat. His right face was normal, and his left face was formed from transparent and twisted maggots. It was none other than Klein’s true body.
The corners of his mouth curled up once again as he snapped his fingers with his right hand.
Pa!
The scarlet flaming columns were extinguished as the black Shadow was forced to appear, returning to the staircase that was covered with the light of dawn.
Flame Controlling!
The reason why Klein could rush outside the Giant King’s palace to intercept Shadow ahead of time was because, after Shadow decisively fled, he was no longer able to affect his summoning of items from the Historical Void. He easily took out Creeping Hunger and switched to the Traveler’s soul.
“It isn’t a good thing to be too careful,” Klein said to Shadow, doing so with a smile on his face. As he bent his knees, he arched his back.
As he bent over, his figure suddenly became the knight in silver armor.
Composite Start
Composite End
The knight stabbed his broadsword into the ground and created an invisible barrier, sealing off the door to the Dark Angel’s resting ground.
At that moment, Klein swapped positions with his Silver Knight marionette. He gave Shadow the impression that he could enter the palace as long as he could destroy the Guardian’s barrier.
Of course, his true body interfered with Shadow’s summoning of historical projections and controlling of Spirit Body Threads.
When the tables turned, the battle between the three demigods of the City of Silver, Enuni, and the Sun Saint also changed.
When Colin Iliad once again kept Enuni, who had lost his black armor, busy, Derrick repeated their previous strategy.
At times, he would use “Flaring Sun” as an area-of-effect attack to trade injuries to the Chief for a victory. At other times, he would condense a pure, white “Unshadowed Spear” and engage in precision attacks. This wasn’t used often, because it was easy for Enuni to avoid it, causing Colin Iliad to be accidentally injured.
After three rounds of “Flaring Sun,” Enuni finally reached the end of his rope. He once again spread out the last two pairs of illusory black wings, turning it into a pitch-black sea that devoured all light. He then drowned out Colin Iliad, causing the City of Silver’s Chief’s body to be covered with a layer of thick black liquid. His actions were clearly affected.
Seizing this opportunity, Enuni escaped from the entanglement and avoided the subsequent “Unshadowed Spear.” He transformed into a shadow and quickly moved towards the Giant King’s residence in an attempt to join forces with Shadow to break through the barrier.
At that moment, a silvery-white beam burst out from his body, ripping him into blobs of dark red flesh!
This sudden surgical strike came from Lovia.
Composite Start
Composite End
This six-member council Elder had actually given up on dodging the attacks of the Sun Saint. At the instant Enuni was about to escape the battlefield, she decisively switched the Grazed soul to the Silver Knight evil spirit, dyeing her black armor silver.
Sizzle!
The dazzling white and pure “Unshadowed Spear” hit the lady, causing her to shrink slightly and the blazing sun to completely devour her.
The blobs of flesh in Enuni’s body remained sentient. They quickly gathered together in an attempt to rebuild the body.
However, at this moment, the black sticky liquid restricting the movement of Colin Iliad exploded with specks of light. They turned into a storm and tore through the obstruction, allowing the silver armor to resurface.
Right on the heels of that, the gigantified Silver Knight took a step forward and swung the sword of dawn in his hand, allowing the “Hurricane of Light” from before to continue sweeping forward, inundating the blobs of dark red flesh.
A pair of illusory black wings appeared and dissipated, calming the “Hurricane of Light.” However, Derrick’s “Flaring Sun” continued. Holy flames ignited every blob of flesh and drop of blood, melting everything with pure light.
When the Sun Saint saw this scene, he knew that it was impossible for him to escape the fate of being destroyed. He didn’t bother dealing another blow to Lovia and turned around, about to withdraw from his “Unshadowed Domain.”
Suddenly, he heard a voice filled with malice and corruption:
“Slow!”
Lovia struggled to free herself from the remnant powers of “Unshadowed Spear” and “Teleported” to a spot not far from the Sun Saint. Then, she switched the Grazed soul to a Devil and used the Language of Foulness.
At that moment, the black armor on her body had completely shattered. There were many cracks on her purple-patterned black robe, revealing her slowly squirming flesh. Her aura was rather weak.
The “Slow” that wasn’t at the level of a demigod couldn’t affect the Sun Saint for too long. However, this was enough for Colin Iliad. He condensed a “Silver Rapier” and made it “Teleport” to the enemy.
This “Silver Rapier” experienced a random mutation. It directly pierced through the holy armor of the Sun Saint and exploded in his body.
Silver light bloomed as the Sun Saint blasted into countless pieces.
Pa! Pa! Pa! The flesh fell to the ground and vanished in a blink of an eye, as though they had returned to the pages of history.
After the battle ended, the three demigods of the City of Silver immediately approached the Giant King’s residence and pincered Shadow.
Shadow leaped and attempted to hide in the fog of history. However, just as he saw the grayish-white fog, he was pressed down by a hand wrapped by transparent maggots.
Neither him nor Klein dashed to the time before the First Epoch, because they knew that the other party would definitely stop them or wait there!
With nowhere to hide, Shadow immediately fell into the encirclement of the three City of Silver demigods. His various powers were also offset by Klein. Even “Flaming Jump” was affected by “Flame Controlling,” making it difficult for him to escape his predicament.
More than ten seconds passed. After the paper figurines were torn apart, Shadow finally expended all his substitutes. He was then stabbed in the abdomen by Derrick’s “Unshadowed Spear.”
A round of blinding white light and a miniature sun exploded. The pitch-black Shadow quickly faded and completely melted.
Klein felt a stabbing pain in his head, and his mind, which was on the verge of losing control, suddenly relaxed.
He instinctively looked to his feet and saw that under the illumination of the light of dawn, a faint black shadow extended out from them.
“Too weak…” Klein bent his back slightly and couldn’t help but mock himself. After all, without the powers of a Scholar of Yore, without a marionette, and without the ability to control Spirit Body Threads, a Seer was relatively weak against other demigods of the same Sequence.
His spirit had been restored to its original state, but he had yet to remove the Virtual Persona. Furthermore, he had no intention of immediately summoning Miss Justice’s historical projection to do this. As he had been corrupted by the Dark Angel, Enuni had shown the characteristics of the Sun, Spectator, Storm, and Secrets Suppliant pathways. If he wanted to enter the Giant King’s residence, he had to be wary of psychological influences. Virtual Persona was a very good defensive measure.
At that moment, the transparent maggots on the left side of Klein’s body quickly settled down, returning to his flesh and skin. However, due to the crazy effects of his Virtual Persona, there was still a translucent layer on the surface, allowing people to see the Worms of Spirit hidden underneath.
When Derrick, Lovia, and the others cast their gazes on him, Klein straightened his back and reached out to grab Life’s Cane. He pointed at the open door of the Giant King’s residence and laughed.
“Make every second count. The Dark Angel is waiting for us inside.”
Chapter 1258 Tremendous Changes
Although Klein was urging them on the surface, he actually threw Life’s Cane to the bottom of the magnificent staircase and threw it at Lovia, allowing her to treat herself and Colin Iliad’s injuries.
As a former Rose Bishop, Lovia was the least afraid of the negative effects of Life’s Cane. Regardless of the changes in her body, as long as it didn’t involve the spirit, she could treat them.
At the same time, Derrick quickly ran towards the collapsed battlefield in the middle of the stairs, picking up the severed arm of the Chief.
As long as a broken limb wasn’t lost, Life’s Cane could heal the injuries, restoring it anew!
With an exaggerated smile, Klein nodded at Colin Iliad and leaped into the fog of history. He dashed to a time before the First Epoch and hid in a fragment of light.
Then, with a thought, he returned to Sefirah Castle and sat at the seat belonging to The Fool. With the help of the crimson star corresponding to The Fool which was constantly contracting and expanding, he checked the situation inside the Giant King’s residence.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, under his “true vision,” there was a deep darkness inside, indistinct and indiscernible.
As expected of the left hand of God. the deputy of Heaven, a King of Angels that is suspected to be related to the Chaos Sea… Klein sighed silently as he frowned slightly.
He now suspected that, even if Little Sun entered the palace and prayed inside, it would be difficult for him to see the exact situation through the darkness. Unless he became an angel and truly gained ownership over Sefirah Castle.
In addition, Klein’s spiritual intuition told him that there were still many unknown effects hidden in the slumbering grounds of the Dark Angel. He definitely couldn’t be careless.
He immediately reined in his thoughts and observed the situation around him. He searched for high-level existences like Adam and Amon, but he didn’t find anything unusual.
After letting out a breath, Klein hurriedly shattered the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic that he had separated from the “curtain.” He made the parts consisting of Sequence 9 to Sequence 3 gather together, making the Sequence 2 portion pure.
Then, he returned to the historical fragment and was once again affected by Virtual Persona, becoming more like a clown.
In the next second, he left the grayish-white fog and reappeared in front of the door that opened into the residence of the Giant King.
The Silver Knight marionette that had inserted the sword into the ground and created an invisible barrier immediately stood up.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, the severed arm of Colin Iliad had already been reattached. Lovia had also recovered from her injuries. However, at some point in time, a few golden wheat heads grew from the back of her head and swayed.
They walked to the door together with Derrick and returned Life’s Cane to Klein.
After receiving it, he shook it and stopped maintaining the projection, making it vanish into thin air.
Right on the heels of that, he made a grab with his right hand, intending to summon the Historical Void projection of Miss Messenger when she was in perfect condition.
At this moment, Colin Iliad suddenly asked, “You plan on summoning that angel?”
“It’s not necessarily that one. I have too many choices.” Klein spoke the truth in a slightly exaggerated tone.
Colin had already dispelled his giant state and regained his original height of more than two meters. After all, maintaining an incomplete Mythical Creature form was still a huge burden to him.
At that moment, he was wearing a silver armor he conjured. He held two swords that had returned to their normal sizes and said calmly, “That corrupted monster showed the characteristics of degenerating living creatures. The place where the Dark Angel sleeps should have similar effects.”
What the Chief means is that the Angel Projection that Mr. World summons might rebel after entering the residence of the Giant King? And a fallen angel—even a projection—is easily able to make us pay a heavy price… Derrick easily understood what the Chief meant.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
On the other side, the flesh on Lovia’s head was squirming as she enveloped the few wheat heads and fused them with herself.
“Makes sense.” Klein smiled and nodded, gently snapping his fingers.
Then, he dragged out an ordinary raven from the fog of history, allowing it to fly past the open door and enter the dark interior.
When the raven’s figure was swallowed by the dark environment, Klein’s eyebrows moved slightly. He turned his head and smiled at the City of Silver Chief.
“I’ve lost contact.”
Colin Iliad replied without any surprise, “That’s a King of Angels for you.”
Klein couldn’t control the corners of his mouth from curling up. To him, this was a rather troublesome matter. It meant that he couldn’t summon a historical projection to enter in his stead.
The fact that his shadow had been sliced off also proved this point.
“Alright.” As if stretching his wrists, he waved his hands a few times and took out a black staff with many gems embedded in it.
Composite Start
Composite End
0-62, Staff of the Stars!
He could only try to see if the Sealed Artifact projection and a marionette would degenerate and betray him.
After all of them were prepared, Colin Iliad, Lovia, and Derrick simultaneously cast their gazes towards the darkness behind the open door.
Using the Staff of the Stars in his hand, Klein pointed ahead and said with an obvious smile, “This is going to be a dangerous journey. Everyone has a chance of dying. For you, and for me.”
With that said, he pressed down on his top hat and followed behind the Silver Knight marionette. Passing through the open door, he entered deep darkness.
Colin Iliad, Lovia, and Derrick didn’t speak. They walked forward in silence and determination.
…
Backlund, in the battlefield outside the city.
Using Lie to adjust her “Dragon Transformation” appearance, Audrey and the demigod in Feysacian military uniform, who wore a mask and gloves, engaged in a fierce battle.
The other party’s impregnable defense, the broadsword that had been condensed from the light of dawn, the rapier’s ability to hide and teleport, left a deep impression on her.
Composite Start
Composite End
If not for the fact that she knew that the upper echelons of Feysac and Intis were mostly Silver Knights, Demon Hunters, Iron-blooded Knights, War Bishops, Unshadowed, Justice Mentors, Alchemists, and Arcane Scholars, and had gathered intelligence in advance at the Tarot Club and did some homework, Audrey, who lacked individual combat experience, would have long been defeated.
Relying on her accumulated experience in this aspect, she managed to withstand the initial attacks and finally composed herself. Relying on “Battle Hypnotism,” “Mind Deprivation,” “Mind Breath,” and “Mind Storm,” she slowly turned the situation around and escaped her predicament.
Of course, the most important thing was that the godhood brought about by “Dragon Transformation” had interfered with the Silver Knight’s mind and thoughts. Furthermore, it allowed Audrey to possess a body that could withstand damage, as well as providing a power that could withstand attacks. Otherwise, she would’ve sustained injuries from barely being able to hold on.
And as a Sequence 3 saint of the Warrior pathway, this Feysacian general had a strong will and uniqueness that was unaffected by illusions. He was able to effectively resist the effects of the mind and reduce the negative effects he received. Therefore, he still held the upper hand and used “Light Concealment” and “Silver Rapier” to suppress Audrey in an attempt to create an opportunity to defeat the enemy.
Audrey was very calm about this. This was because, while fighting, she had already created a Virtual Persona. She had diverted her attention to the surrounding environment and had scattered many “Mental Plague” seeds.
It wouldn’t be long before the Feysac general was silently infected!
At this moment, red flaming spears shot over from the allied forces’ base, blotting out the sky with their denseness.
The Silver Knight didn’t dodge; instead, he took a step forward and swung his sword of dawn, keeping Audrey fixed to the ground.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The burning spears pummeled down one after another, blanketing the two demigods.
Audrey’s face could not help but distort. Charred marks covered her grayish-white scales of her “Dragon Transformation” body. As for the Silver Knight’s armor, it was still glowing with silver light. It didn’t suffer much of an impact.
Compared to a “giant” who specialized in defense, a dragon’s ability to withstand blows was obviously much weaker.
Only at this point did Audrey realize that she was participating in a war, not in a solo battle.
When another wave of flaming spears was about to hit them, there seemed to be a commotion within the allied forces’ base, and there was a collapse to a certain degree.
At that moment, the thick fog that enveloped the entire battlefield vanished, as though it had never existed.
Audrey and the Feysac general stopped fighting at the same time, finding themselves abnormally weak. They even found it difficult to raise their arms.
She saw that, behind the allied forces’ base, at the edge of the boundless plains, an orange-red ray of light rushed over, instantly covering half of the sky, blocking out the sun.
The area around Backlund instantly turned into dusk!
The thick darkness appeared on another side of the sky and very quickly collided with the orange sunset.
All the soldiers and officers on the battlefield fell to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
…
In Backlund City, outside Saint Hierländ Cathedral.
Leonard, who was wearing a red glove, looked up at the half-dark, half-dusk sky.
His throat let out a silent sigh as he cast his gaze at the entrance of the Saint Hierländ Cathedral.
The brown-haired Ikanser Bernard and the other members of the Machinery Hivemind stood there, staring blankly at the sky.
Just a few months ago, they enjoyed a deep level of cooperation with Leonard’s Red Gloves team. Together, they dealt with the evil forces in Backlund, searching for the secret organization that believed in The Fool, the one that used tarot cards as a codename.
…
At the bell tower of the Cathedral of Waves, the City of Generosity, Bayam.
Danitz watched the Resistance enter the city and take over many places. Finally, he heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Alger.
“Look, they’re very popular in most places in this city.”
Alger’s gaze followed the slightly dark-skinned natives as he didn’t respond to Danitz.
Danitz felt very relaxed as he chuckled and said, “I never expected that we would meet again in such a situation.”
Alger looked up and was just about to say something when he suddenly felt something. He cast his gaze towards the northwestern sky.
The place he was looking at instantly darkened. Layers of dark clouds formed and countless silver bolts of lightning snaked out.
Many deep blue waves surged up and were swept up by the wind. They rushed towards the clouds and connected to the sea.
Wherever the sea and the sky intersected, beams of light lit up. They weren’t resplendent or clear, without any colors. They seemed to be formed from countless illusory objects.
Chapter 1259 Slumbering Grounds
In a battlefield near the capital, Lenburg.
The balls of compressed scarlet fireballs flew past the corpses, weapons, blood, and smoke, under the guidance of a flaming spear. They landed in the areas that were built with simple construction work, creating a series of explosions.
As he watched the smoke rise and the flames spread, Anderson flung the dust in his hands and turned to the deputy beside him with a smile.
“I wonder how much longer this will last… Any last words? I can help you write a will.”
As he had wished, he saw the angry looks of the “militia” around him. Their thoughts were uniform.
However, the “militia” didn’t attack. The glint in their eyes slowly settled as they cast their gaze in another direction.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You actually didn’t respond to my provocation.” Anderson pricked up his brows. “This means that you’re planning something.”
Without waiting for the deputy and the “militia” to respond, the Hunter smiled and continued, “Y’all are planning on surrendering, right? Are you trying to protect your family and friends?”
Seeing gazes sweep over, Anderson tsked and shook his head.
“You haven’t become Beyonders for long. It’s only through the war that you obtained the main potion ingredients from the enemy. Only then did you become Hunters, Provokers, and Pyromaniacs. However, when it comes to plotting conspiracies, y’all are still too inexperienced.
“I’m very curious. Why don’t you try to convince me to surrender together? I don’t think I project the image of being very firm usually. Besides, I’m not a believer of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.”
Having said that, Anderson looked thoughtfully at his deputy.
“Is it because the enemy’s brass is totally furious at me? They gave the order not to accept my surrender?”
The deputy remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “Since you already know, why are you asking?”
With a swoosh, the nearby militia raised their right hands and aimed their palms at Anderson, appearing to have come to a collective understanding.
Composite Start
Composite End
“If I don’t ask, how can I be sure what everyone’s thinking?” Anderson said with a smile without panicking.
He rubbed his stomach with his left hand and placed his right hand into his pocket. It was unknown what he was looking for.
At that moment, the sun in the sky suddenly expanded and became extremely huge. The blazing golden sun made Anderson and company unable to open their eyes. They found it difficult to think any further.
Immediately following that, an illusory tower appeared. Every level was made up of thick books. Each book had a brass eye on it. The higher one looked, the darker it became. It was filled with the aura of insanity, destruction, inauspiciousness, and disaster.
The tower extended into the sky, as though it had encompassed the entire world within itself, including the gigantic sun.
…
Backlund, within the Odora family’s luxurious villa.
All the Sanguine in the city had gathered here to prepare for the impending outcome of the war.
Emlyn White, who had become an Earl, had his hands in his pockets. He stood by the window, bathed in the mixed light of dusk and night as he watched members of his fellow race discuss the current affairs uneasily.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, his spiritual perception was triggered as he cast his gaze out the window.
In the garden, a bunch of withered grass was dyed green once again. They rapidly grew and soon, they reached the height of a person.
In other places in the city, some of the streetside trees that had not been affected by the previous bombardment were wildly absorbing nutrients from unknown sources. One by one, they rose up and soon grew to tens of meters tall. The branches were thick and the leaves were like umbrellas.
These towering trees were connected to one another, covering half of the sky in Backlund.
Many buildings were crushed, or they were entangled by the branches and vines. It was as if they had been abandoned for more than a century.
In just seven or eight seconds, many places in Backlund had become a primeval forest.
…
After passing through the open door and entering the dark interior of the Giant King’s residence, Klein immediately observed the Silver Knight marionette in front of him, the Staff of the Stars in his right hand and Creeping Hunger on his left hand.
They didn’t show any abnormalities for the time being. The corresponding Spirit Body Threads didn’t show any signs of degeneration.
Composite Start
Composite End
After confirming the situation in this area, Klein cast his gaze around and observed his surroundings.
The place was enveloped by thick corporeal darkness. They couldn’t see further than five meters away. The ground was paved with grayish-white bricks that looked like they were pieces of a frozen sunset. They didn’t reveal anything extraordinary.
After some thought, the corners of Klein’s mouth curled up. He reached into the void, grabbed, and attempted to summon an angel.
In the next second, he laughed out loud because he had lost a clear connection with the fog of history.
This was the reason why the Historical Void projection he had summoned to enter had lost contact after entering this region.
Laughing, Klein suddenly turned around and walked back to the area from which he had entered.
“Mr. Wor—Sparrow, what do you want to do?” Derrick, who was also scrutinizing the various restrictions on him, asked in surprise.
Klein replied with a beaming smile, “Now is not the right time to explore this place. I plan to come in again later.”
“Are you planning on summoning a Sequence 4 historical projection and try to see if it will degenerate and betray you after you bring it in?” Colin Iliad said after some thought.
Klein spread his left palm and said, “No one set the rule that we can’t go out once we enter, or not being able to enter after leaving.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Although in such a situation, Mr. World’s words sounded a little strange, Derrick still felt that it made sense. This was because the City of Silver had done the same thing when exploring the surrounding areas. Through repeated acts of “entering” and “exiting,” they gradually accumulated intelligence and details to finally resolve whatever problems they faced.
Lovia didn’t say a word or object. From her point of view, it was undoubtedly a good thing that she could make more preparations.
In an exploration that determined the fate of the City of Silver, they definitely couldn’t be rash.
After taking a few steps back, Klein suddenly stopped and laughed out loud.
“It looks like the owner doesn’t want us to leave.”
The faint light at the door had already been devoured by the deep darkness and disappeared.
Colin Iliad surveyed his surroundings and said, “We can only proceed forward.”
Seeing the Chief and Mr. World turn around at the same time, Derrick took a deep breath and raised his left hand, letting it emit a golden glow that illuminated the surrounding darkness.
This revealed thick columns with indiscernible tops. Some of them had their silhouettes outlined, while others were hidden deep in the depths, barely visible.
Derrick retracted his gaze, preparing to head forward with Mr. World and Chief.
At that moment, he failed to see another familiar figure from the corner of his eye.
Derrick’s pupils dilated suddenly. Then, he quickly turned his head to look for Elder Lovia, who had been standing beside him moments ago.
This demigod who believed in the True Creator had disappeared! She had disappeared without a trace!
Derrick’s abnormality was noticed by both Klein and Colin Iliad. At the same time, they cast their gazes at the spot and saw that the black-robed Lovia had disappeared without a trace, as though she had evaporated into thin air.
With the spiritual intuition of a Seer and the reconnoiter abilities of a Demon Hunter, they failed to realize when Lovia had gone missing, or how she vanished.
The curl on the corners of Klein’s lips grew even wider. Without any hesitation, his mind raced and allowed his Spirit Body to enter the world above the gray fog, combining with the dark red illusion of The Fool.
Right on the heels of that, he cast his gaze towards the crimson star that symbolized The Sun. He hoped to find clues through his “true vision.”
However, everything was still obscured by the darkness. Nothing was revealed, just like how Klein predicted before entering the Giant King’s palace.
Without any time to think further, Klein immediately returned to the real world.
In the span of three or two seconds, there was only Derrick and the Silver Knight marionette by his side.
The City of Silver Chief, who was wearing silver armor, had disappeared!
“What just happened?” Klein asked with a warm smile.
Derrick looked at him in shock, confusion, and panic.
“Didn’t you see it?”
The moment he finished speaking, the shadow under Derrick suddenly came alive. It rapidly extended upwards and enveloped him and the sunlight he emitted.
After the shadow completely covered Derrick, it fused with the surrounding darkness, no longer separable.
Klein had originally raised his black staff to prevent an anomaly from happening, but in the end, he didn’t do anything. All he did was watch with a smile.
After a few seconds, he noticed that his body had turned black and dull, as though he was being melted by the environment.
Similarly, Klein didn’t try to save himself. The corners of his mouth curled up as he watched with a slightly shaking head.
After his figure completely disappeared, his vision changed.
The darkness was gone. The grayish-white stone bricks, the surrounding walls, and the huge pillars appeared clearly. They were covered in a layer of faint shadows.
Outside the window, there was no sun, no moon, and no stars. However, a faint light shone through the window, making the entire palace appear sinister, dark, and cold.
In the deepest part of the palace stood a very faint shadow, resembling curtains.
Lovia, Colin Iliad, and Derrick stood at a distance not far away from him. They carefully observed their surroundings as though they had come to another world.
“Unfortunately, my marionette can’t enter.” Klein waved the Staff of the Stars in his hand and smiled at Derrick and company.
His indifferent attitude and the Chief’s calm and composed manner made Derrick quickly calm down. He no longer allowed his fear and panic to grip him.
Colin Iliad nodded slightly. Just as he was about to share his speculations, he suddenly felt something and turned to look at the deepest part of the palace.
Klein, Derrick, and Lovia did similar actions.
In the deepest depths of the palace, that faint shadow dissipated, revealing a flight of steps meant for giants and an iron-black throne at the top of it.
Sitting on a throne was a man with black, slightly-curly hair that reached his shoulders. His eyes were covered in shadows, and his actual appearance was extremely blurry, preventing others from seeing him clearly. Layers and layers of black wings fell down from behind him, covering most of his body. The robe was black with silver threads embroidering it. They formed complicated patterns and had gorgeous accessories hanging on it.
At that moment, the man had his left elbow on the armrest, holding up one side of his face with his palm as though he was in a deep sleep.
Chapter 1260 Omniscience
Without needing anyone to make the introductions, the four demigods present clearly understood a reality:
The giant-like man who was sleeping on the iron-black throne was the left hand of God, the deputy of Heaven, Dark Angel Sasrir!
Amongst them, Lovia could clearly sense the oppression coming from this absolute high-level existence. It was like the response when praying to the True Creator. It was an aura that could cause her thoughts to scramble, her soul to degenerate, and her body to tremble.
Suddenly, she heard a burst of laughter. She turned her head to the side in a daze.
Klein bent his back slightly and laughed.
“‘He’ is still sleeping. Should we directly wake ‘Him,’ or wait for ‘Him’ to wake up?
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“If we choose to wake ‘Him,’ how should we greet ‘Him’? Hey, Your Highness Dark Angel? Rose Redemption Leader?”
These two questions sounded ridiculous and arrogant, but they had managed to shake off the influence of the environment and made Colin Iliad fall into deep thought.
Just now, they had instinctively considered the first question. It was rather important, and it concerned their subsequent actions.
Colin Iliad thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s not wake ‘Him’ up for the time being. Try approaching ‘Him’ and search for clues and information.”
“That’s my thoughts as well.” With his left hand, Klein casually snapped his fingers and walked towards the black throne.
At this moment, he felt fortunate that he had already taken care of Shadow and restored his spirit to its complete state. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to completely restrict his Virtual Persona. When he was imagining how to do the greeting, he almost blurted out “Hi, Sassy.”
Seeing that Gehrman Sparrow had taken two steps forward, Lovia finally snapped out of her daze.
“I’ll give it a try using a Grazed soul.”
This was a relatively safer method which wouldn’t harm the expedition team.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein nodded. With his black staff in hand, he turned to his side with a beaming smile.
A three to four-meter-tall phantom image appeared in front of Lovia. A pair of goat horns lined with mysterious patterns sat atop its head. Its skin was back and matte, exuding a sinister fullness. It was a Devil.
It was different from the Devils that he had seen before. Its body was covered with signs of decay, with yellow-green pus hanging off it, as though it was mixed with the power of “Degeneration.”
As Klein casually sized up the phantom image, the Devil spread its huge bat-like wings, causing the light blue flames on it to burn even more vigorously, dissipating the strong smell of sulfur.
It took a step forward, slowly approaching the iron-black throne and the staircase meant for giants. Using its intuition for danger, it surveyed the area for any abnormalities.
While Colin, Klein, and the other demigods were paying attention to it, they also began scrutinizing the details of the shadowy palace. They discovered that behind the iron-black throne that Sasrir was sleeping on, there was a pair of dim, grayish-blue double doors that depicted sunset.
This might be the “door” that leads to the outside world… This thought flashed across the minds of the three City of Silver demigods—Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia.
At this moment, the Devil, who had traveled midway, suddenly paused. It was enveloped by a cluster of silver lightning and quickly faded away after being blasted to pieces amid crackling sounds.
A pillar of light with swirling holy flames smote out of thin air, completely purifying the soul that belonged to the Devil.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Lovia didn’t feel any pain from losing her Grazed target. She only frowned slightly and couldn’t think of a better way to probe the way.
Klein looked around and said with an exaggerated smile:
“As expected, I’m the man for the job.”
As he spoke, he slowly walked forward. As he took out a box of matches from his pocket, he lit them one by one and casually threw them around.
“I’ve always been a little timid.” After throwing half a box of matches, Klein turned around and explained with a smile.
And even Derrick Berg wasn’t convinced by this sentence.
Following that, under the illumination of the scarlet flames, Klein continued walking towards the iron-black throne that might’ve belonged to an ancient god.
When he arrived at the spot where the Devil’s soul was destroyed, his left palm suddenly tightened.
Klein lowered his head and saw that Creeping Hunger had returned to its human-skinned form. An exaggerated crack opened in his palm. Inside were two rows of illusory white teeth.
Composite Start
Composite End
This Sealed Artifact was attempting to gnaw at Klein’s flesh in a bid to consume both his body and spirit.
Creeping Hunger had degenerated!
“Tsk.” Klein let out an obvious sigh as he glanced at the Staff of the Stars in his right hand. He confirmed that the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact which didn’t have any living characteristics had yet to show any abnormalities.
He then raised his right hand and stuffed the other end of the Staff of the Stars into Creeping Hunger.
Creeping Hunger bit at it a few times before it finally calmed down when sensing the suppression effect of a higher-level entity.
After laughing twice, Klein took another few steps forward, covering a few meters.
Cracks suddenly appeared in the shadows that covered the walls, pillars, and tiles, as one brass eye after another grew out.
A figure appeared in front of the countless eyes.
He was first presented as the black-haired, light-brown-eyed, and cold-looking Gehrman Sparrow. Following that, he warped into the black-haired, brown-eyed, scholarly-looking Klein Moretti with ordinary looks. Then, he degenerated into a blurry image, and a grayish-white fog emanated from him.
At this moment, these figures that seemed to expose all of Klein’s secrets came to a halt.
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
He exploded, transforming into countless illusory fragments that fell to the ground and disappeared.
Klein raised his brows and tsked with a laugh.
“The omniscient power of the Reader pathway?”
Just as he finished speaking, the brass-colored eyes, which grew out from the surrounding shadows and the ground, trembled. They emitted an ethereal voice that seemed to come from ancient times:
“The aura of Sefirah Castle…”
Sefirah Castle… Colin Iliad seemed to recall something and came to a certain realization.
It’s only possible to get a response or approach Sasrir with a sefirah? That’s why, despite The Hanged Man clearly having Lovia, a demigod believer from the City of Silver, “He” still forced me into the palace to meet the Dark Angel? It wasn’t easy for Klein to control his virtual personality’s instinct to speak.
Before he could consider what to say, the brass eyes hidden in the shadows emitted another voice:
“Your fate has intersected Amanises, Leodero, Adam, Amon, Herabergen, Aucuses, Medici, Ouroboros, as well as ‘Him’…”
With regards to the true names that the brass eyes had mentioned, Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia were no strangers to the names. They knew that the first was the Evernight Goddess, followed by seven of the eight Kings of Angels. Furthermore, there was no lack of Sequence 0 true deities in the present day. This left them somewhat stunned. They couldn’t believe that Gehrman Sparrow would’ve crossed fates with so many high-level existences who exceeded Sequence 1.
Together with the sleeping Dark Angel before him, Mr. World and the eight Kings of Angels had already crossed paths. How impressive… Derrick marveled from the bottom of his heart.
Klein was in no mood to quip about his “divine interpersonal skills.” With an obvious smile, he asked, “‘Him’?”
Klein believed that “Him” referred to the True Creator. After all, he still had “His” corruptive influences left in his body.
The brass eyes on the shadowy curtain fell silent for a few seconds before saying with an ethereal voice:
“‘He’ is another me…”
The True Creator was really another side of the ancient sun god. The side that was born from the god’s corpse. It’s a side filled with hatred and viciousness, one that controls Degeneration? Klein gradually drew an equal sign between the black and gloomy infant sitting in the cavity of the ancient sun god’s chest and the True Creator. He had also gained initial confirmation that he was talking to the psyche left by the Dark Angel Sasrir.
He thought about it and couldn’t help but smile.
“Why did you form Rose Redemption to assassinate the ancient sun god?”
The information that the question revealed was something that Colin Iliad and Lovia already had an inkling and some speculations of. However, after hearing Gehrman Sparrow say it with their own ears, they still felt pangs of depression and confusion.
The curtain that covered the walls, stone pillars, and floor tiles trembled, but the sleeping Dark Angel remained motionless.
Those brass eyes stared at him and said, “Sun God is just my original honorific name. You should now address me as ‘the Lord who created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God, or God Almighty.'”
…I can tell that you’ve been leaning in that direction all this time. Finally, Klein laughed out loud. Then, he felt a lingering fear. This was because he was mocking Heaven’s deputy, the left hand of God, a king among Kings of Angels, as well as “His” true form.
To not anger the other party, he quickly repeated the question:
“So, why did you betray yourself and form Rose Redemption with the Evernight Goddess to assassinate yourself?”
The brass eyes fell into silence once again. The curtain-like shadows that blanketed various areas swayed gently without stopping.
After a few seconds, the ethereal voice slowly said,
“The Primordial One had awoken in my body…”
Upon hearing this answer, Klein’s pupils dilated. For some reason, he felt his hair stand on end as his back turned cold.
It was very close to his guess, but it was even more terrifying.
At this moment, the shadows around him thickened. It became more and more sinister and gloomy, as if it was giving birth to some terrifying, unknown, redoubtable danger.
Although Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia didn’t understand the meaning of Dark Angel Sasrir’s words too well, they were still affected by the sinister and harrowing words. It left them shuddering in fear as they trembled.
“The Primordial One had awoken in my body…”
These words echoed in the air for a long time.
Chapter 1261 No One Is an Exception
After a while, Klein asked, “The Primordial One is the one who created this world, transforming ‘His’ body into everything?”
To be frank, Klein subconsciously wanted to ask if the entity referred to the Primordial Demoness. However, with a thought, he eliminated this answer. Firstly, because the Primordial Demoness didn’t have the necessary level to strike fear into the ancient sun god, the City of Silver’s Creator. Even the Evernight Goddess couldn’t do so. Secondly, after the Dark Angel entered “His” slumber, this evil goddess was born only in the Fourth Epoch which had been influenced by the second Blasphemy Slate. Sasrir likely didn’t know of her “Her.” And even if “He” knew “Her” using his omniscient capabilities, “He” wouldn’t specially mention a Sequence 0 who hadn’t been involved in the Third Epoch.
Behind the thick and sinister shadows, the brass eyes flashed in unison.
“The universe.”
What do you mean? Upon hearing that ethereal voice, Klein was a little perplexed. He felt that Dark Angel Sasrir hadn’t answered his question.
But very quickly, he roughly understood what the other party meant.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Primordial Chaos created not this world, but the entire universe!
So, “Primordial One” refers to the original Creator—the Oldest One? Klein turned his body to the side and swept a glance at the three demigods of the City of Silver, Colin Iliad, Derrick, and Lovia. He realized that they had looks of puzzlement and confusion on their faces. They were frowning and contemplating over the meaning behind the conversation.
In the history of the City of Silver, the Creator who was the ancient sun god was equivalent to the original Creator—the Oldest One. “He” was a supreme existence who had awoken after eons of slumber upon creating the world. “He” then stripped the authorities of the ancient gods and retrieved them.
Of course, in a sense, this wasn’t wrong. It was just that the original Creator’s method of “awakening” was different from what the City of Silver residents had imagined.
The universe… Klein thought for a moment and asked, “The Primordial One awakened in your body because of you gaining control of Chaos Sea?”
Then, what would happen to him in the future considering how he had gained initial control of Sefirah Castle?
Those brass eyes stared at him for a few seconds before saying, “That isn’t the only reason. The higher the Sequence, the closer one is to the Primordial One…”
Therefore, every pathway’s King of Angels and Sequence 0 might have the original Creator—the Oldest One—awaken in them? When Klein heard that, he tensed up and his heart sank.
He then thought of another matter.
Composite Start
Composite End
The higher the Sequence, the easier it was to be corrupted by the things underground!
Combined with the fact that Chaos Sea was underground, could it be possible that the higher the Sequence, the easier it would be to be influenced by Chaos Sea, resulting in the original Creator awakening in one’s body? The thing that the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt sealed in the City of Miracles in Groselle’s Travels wasn’t the underground corruption, but the awakening of the original Creator? Of course, this is the most powerful and terrifying form of corruption… And the source of all this is where most or perhaps all Beyonder characteristics originated from—the original Creator. They are all part of “His” body? Klein thought of various possibilities and came up with all kinds of speculations.
In the end, he remembered the warning Captain Dunn Smith made before he embarked on this Beyonder path:
“We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.”
At that moment, Klein gained a deep understanding of the phrase from another angle.
Phew… He secretly exhaled and sighed inwardly.
“The Beyonder characteristic is both a gift and a curse…”
He gathered his thoughts and smiled.
“Will one be corrupted from just learning about these matters?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“No.” The brass eyes looked at Colin Iliad and the others and said, “It just means that the chances of the Primordial One awakening in your body is higher.”
When he heard that, he was shocked. On the other hand, he was glad that the City of Silver’s Chief and Little Sun didn’t know much about such matters and hadn’t made any connections; after all, the phrase “higher the Sequence, the closer one is to the Primordial One” didn’t bring about any corruption. On the other hand, he felt a deep sense of pity for himself. This was because he knew too much about mysticism. Now with all of that chained together, he had no idea what kind of negative changes might happen to him once he left the Giant King’s Court, an ancient god’s kingdom.
Furthermore, this didn’t look like something that could be resolved by sealing his memories. After all, the Beyonder characteristic had already fused with his body and spirit.
Consider the method employed by the Dragon of Imagination? Actually, I don’t need to worry too much. Amon and “His” brother definitely know about this, and nothing has happened to “Them” yet… As long as I don’t approach Chaos Sea, as a Sequence 3, I don’t need to worry about such problems. It would be the same even if I were to advance to Sequence 2… After some thought, Klein gave up the intention to delve deeper into the matter. He curled the corners of his lips and diverted the topic to the mystery of the ancient sun god’s perishing:
“Therefore, under your tacit agreement, you worked with the Evernight Goddess and established Rose Redemption, preparing to assassinate yourself. By reviving and escaping the Primordial One, you will truly gain control of Chaos Sea and the corresponding five Beyonder pathways?”
On the dark, eerie, shadowy curtains, there seemed to be some human emotions in those brass eyes.
“That’s right.
“Not long after I walked out of Chaos Sea, I realized this problem. I deliberately split a portion of my persona, fusing the authorities of Degeneration with The Hanged Man pathway’s Beyonder characteristic, creating another me. Its purpose was to control Chaos Sea and to isolate it from my true body to prevent any contamination and corruption.
“But in the end, the Primordial One still awoke in my body…”
Composite Start
Composite End
The Dark Angel is essentially the ancient sun god’s firewall? The Hanged Man pathway refers to the Secrets Suppliant pathway? Back then, the Dark Angel must have been really powerful. “He” actually had partial control of Chaos Sea. As expected of a King of Angels… As Klein sighed, he recalled that the ancient sun god had failed to prevent the original Creator—the Oldest One—from awakening in “His” body despite working so hard. He also felt a sense of horror, not daring to imagine what his future held.
“That’s why I convened Leodero, Aucuses, Herabergen, Medici, and Ouroboros, inviting the various deities and Kings of Angels with Amanises to establish the Rose Redemption.” The voice left behind by Dark Angel Sasrir echoed hoarsely.
It’s no wonder it’s called redemption… It’s no wonder Kings of Angels like Medici and Ouroboros, who are completely loyal to the ancient sun god, would participate as well… Klein couldn’t help but smile.
“Why didn’t you invite Amon and ‘His’ brother?”
In theory, ‘They’ should be on the Dark Angel’s side.
“‘Their’ births were a result of my hard work to resist the Primordial One. I was worried that inviting ‘Them’ would bring about an accident.” The brass-colored eyes then cast their gaze back onto Klein.
These secrets left the three demigods of the City of Silver in a daze. Even the Chief of the six-member council, who had read quite a number of ancient documents, had emotional upheavals despite all his knowledge and rich experience.
So that’s the case. I knew that the ancient sun god wouldn’t have children for no reason… It wasn’t easy for Klein to control his Virtual Persona from voicing the thought out loud.
Before he could ask another question, the spirit left behind by Dark Angel Sasrir seemed to sink into “His” memories as “He” continued, “After I was finished preparing everything, I entered this place and sealed off the palace. I returned to my body through my slumber and strengthened my consciousness. It formed a balance with the Primordial One, creating an opportunity for Amanises and the others…
“Ultimately, ‘They’ successfully killed me…
Composite Start
Composite End
“According to my original plan, I would’ve been revived in the Giant King’s Court. I would accommodate the corresponding Uniquenesses and Beyonder characteristics via the correct method, but Leodero, Aucuses, and Herabergen betrayed me and ate my body. I could only rush to fuse with my extreme emotions before dying, in which I was reborn within the corpse. I then took away the Beyonder characteristics of the Hanged Man pathway and the authority of Degeneration…”
It’s similar to what I imagined… The Lord of Storms, Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom eventually committed a betrayal. It’s no wonder that Ma’am Hermit’s fairy tale magic was effective… With a sudden realization, Klein felt that most of the fog in the history of the Third Epoch had been cleared.
Of course, this was just his belief, nothing real. This was because he had no way of making contact with the fog of history.
After sighing, he suddenly thought of a question.
Since Dark Angel Sasrir has returned to the ancient sun god and has evolved into the True Creator with “His” original body, then who’s the one sleeping on the iron-black throne now?
Why did the True Creator force me to enter the Giant King’s residence to meet Sasrir?
As his thoughts raced, he cast his gaze back to the iron-black throne, carefully inspecting Dark Angel Sasrir’s condition.
The layers of illusory black wings that covered more than half of Sasrir’s body gently rose and fell, revealing a layer of grayish-white.
It was located on the black throne, hidden to the right of the Dark Angel, giving off an extremely ancient feeling.
Klein’s eyes focused his eyes as he stared at it intently. He quickly confirmed that the grayish-white came from a strange stone. Its surface was mottled with the ravages of time, and it was engraved with words that he had never learned before but could understand at a glance.
These words seemed to be the source of all languages, including but not limited to Jotun, Hermes, ancient Feysac and the Southern Continent’s Dutanese.
Sequence 3 Demon of Arcana… Sequence 2 Master… Sequence 1 Light of Darkness… Sequence 0 Paragon… A small amount of information flashed in Klein’s mind as he suddenly had a realization.
Blasphemy Slate!
The first Blasphemy Slate!
The first Blasphemy Slate that was born in Chaos Sea!
And this was very likely a key item that the Dark Angel used to control parts of Chaos Sea!
Just as this thought surfaced in his mind, Klein suddenly felt the surroundings become unusually quiet.
The brass eyes that were hidden on the surface of the shadowy curtains seemed to disappear.
Klein’s gaze subconsciously shifted upwards to meet a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows.
The Dark Angel Sasrir, who was sleeping on the black throne, opened his eyes.
With a boom, Elder Lovia’s body collapsed, turning into a huge shadow.
Behind the shadow, there was a pair of blank but painful eyes.
Chapter 1262 The Truth Behind the Enemy
When he realized that the Dark Angel had woken up, Klein only felt his heart tighten and was on full alert. He didn’t feel any fear or anxiety. After all, he had already confirmed that the real Dark Angel had returned to the ancient sun god’s body. After being betrayed by the existences such as the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, “He” had focused his negative and extreme emotions on “His” corpse where “He” was reborn, turning into the True Creator. “He” didn’t return here, so whatever was left was just a culmination of “His” psyche and will.
Furthermore, he had just communicated with the remnant psyche of Dark Angel Sasrir rather normally; he didn’t sense any obvious animosity.
However, with the City of Silver’s six-member council Elder, Lovia, losing control without any means to resist the moment she opened her eyes, turning into a flowing shadow and eyes hidden behind the shadowy curtain, Klein couldn’t help but widen his pupils as he curled the corners of his lips. A strong sense of fear and despair surged through him. It was as though he was watching himself fall into an abyss without any life-saving straw to clutch at.
Just waking up from “His” slumber and not using any Beyonder powers or revealing “His” Mythical Creature form was enough to make a Sequence 4 demigod of the same pathway lose control on the spot. This was a testimony to how powerful and terrifying “His” level was!
At that moment, all that remained in Klein’s mind were the titles he had previously mentioned.
The left hand of God, the deputy of Heaven, the king of the Kings of Angels!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It wasn’t as if Klein had never dealt with a King of Angels before. On the contrary, he had frightened Red Angel Medici and made a deal with the Angel of Imagination Adam. He had obtained the key to enter the palace from the Wisdom Angel, Herabergen, and had gleaned potion formulas from White Angel Aucuses. He had managed to crack Angel of Fate Ouroboros’s cycles of fate in front of “Him,” and had pitted his brains against Angel of Time Amon. He possibly was well-deserving of the title as the person who had crossed the most paths with the Kings of Angels for those below Sequence 0.
However, in these interactions, he had never fought with the Kings of Angels most of the time. He either relied on the power of Sefirah Castle to instantly escape or cut off contact with them. He had never faced the Kings of Angels or deities in the true sense of the word. The only exception was the time when he was caught by Angel of Time Amon, and he had exchanged blows with “Him” several times in the span of a few days.
However, at that time, it was mainly a battle of wits, not a physical battle. The Angel of Time, Amon, had mostly shown the characteristics of a God of Trickery. “He” didn’t fully reveal the level and strength of a King of Angels. It was only at the final moment that “He” revealed it, but the Evernight Goddess had used the Giant King’s son to stop “Him,” preventing “Him” from directly harming or influencing Klein.
Even so, whenever Klein encountered the Angel of Time on the way, “He” would easily finish off the strongest “helpers” that Klein could summon. It was something that Klein couldn’t replicate up to now. It exceeded his peak strength. After all, if he wanted to summon the historical projection of Zaratul, he would be in danger.
And at that moment in time, Klein, Colin Iliad, and The Sun were facing the king of the Kings of Angels, the malice-filled deputy of Heaven. “He” was the left hand of god that instantly caused a Sequence 4 demigod to collapse and lose control.
How could such an enemy, with such a level and strength not make them reel in despair?
For a moment, Klein wanted to give up on Derrick and the Chief of the City of Silver, returning to the world above the gray fog with a single thought using the Sefirah Castle’s summoning. By relying on the last miracle and Deceit Bullets, he could revive outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
As his thoughts raced, he raised the Staff of the Stars in his hand.
At this moment, the shadow that Lovia had broken down in her loss of control stopped flowing. It let out a low voice that was filled with pain but not crazy.
Composite Start
Composite End
“‘He’ isn’t that strong!”
As she spoke, the curtain-like shadow split apart, revealing what was hidden behind it.
It was a lump of squirming flesh that was nearly two meters tall. At the top, there was a pair of pale gray eyes that seemed to be looking down upon the entire world. They were eyes that had remnants of rationality left in them.
In other parts of this lump of flesh were arms, thighs, and calves that weren’t covered in skin, but sticky blood. They either held up the body or crowded towards the chest in layers, tightly hugging a huge, milky-white human skull.
The shadowy curtain fell again, covering the lump of flesh, turning into “her” cape.
Then, a phantom about five to six meters tall appeared in front of Lovia.
This was the Silver Knight that she had Grazed.
She could still control herself and attack Dark Angel Sasrir.
Upon seeing this scene, when Klein and Colin Iliad heard what Lovia had said, they quickly understood what she had meant without needing any further explanation from her.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Dark Angel Sasrir didn’t possess the strength “He” appeared to possess. “He” only used the authority of “Degeneration” and “His” influence over relatively lower Sequences as a High-Sequence Beyonder of the same pathway to make Lovia’s body degenerate, betray, and break down on the spot. As for her own spirit, she still remained conscious and rational. She could still control her own strength to a certain extent.
Of course, with the loss of control of her body, large amounts of corruption would corrode her spirit. It wouldn’t take long for her to completely go mad. This could be subverted if she could quickly resolve the battle in time, and think of a way to turn her into an evil spirit, surviving in another form.
With this knowledge, combined with seeing the first Blasphemy Slate and his own guesses, Klein had a preliminary understanding of the enemy he was facing.
“He” was a product of the psyche, will, and aura left behind by the Dark Angel, as well as Chaos Sea’s powers which were brought about by the first Blasphemy Slate. Perhaps there was a bit of the awakening consciousness of the Primordial One—in other words, the original Creator. There was a small amount of it, a consciousness that was crazy and filled with evil thoughts!
This was equivalent to a different type of evil spirit. It was unknown if it was considered a complete angelic evil spirit.
And this could be the reason why high-level existences like the True Creator, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and Amon’s brother didn’t personally enter the Giant King’s palace. Once “They” approached the Primordial One and Chaos Sea, it was more dangerous for “Them” the higher “Their” Sequences were!
Back then, Amon, an entity akin to an Error, had used “His” avatar to lay an ambush in Chernobyl, but “He” hadn’t dared to actually enter Chaos Sea. All he did was climb down the cliff and hide near Chaos Sea, pretending that “He” had climbed out from it. Otherwise, it could very well affect “His” true body.
As for Low-Sequence Beyonders, they were unable to resist the surge released from opening the door to the Giant King’s residence—corruption that had accumulated for over two thousand years.
Even if those high-level existences had carefully chosen a suitable Sequence 3 or Sequence 4 demigod to indirectly help them defeat the influence brought about by the corruption and enter the resting grounds hidden in the shadows, without the sefirah’s aura to resist the negative effects of the leaking powers of Chaos Sea, they wouldn’t be able to truly approach the figure left behind by Dark Angel Sasrir and obtain the first Blasphemy Slate.
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, the True Creator had tolerated Klein numerous times, only finding an opportunity to corrupt him and force him to meet Dark Angel Sasrir. This was because he was the only viable candidate.
By the same logic, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Herabergen, the Angel of Imagination, Adam, and the other deities and Kings of Angels who had an interest in this matter had more or less made some arrangements for Klein, blessing him to a certain extent, pushing him to where he was now.
Without any hesitation, Klein outlined an image in his mind through the Staff of the Stars he raised. Colin Iliad took a step forward and bent down.
This City of Silver’s Chief’s body swelled rapidly, once again revealing an incomplete Mythical Creature form. He became a five-to-six-meter-tall Silver Knight covered in silver armor, holding a pair of gigantified swords of dawn.
Derrick was slightly slower than the two experienced demigods. He quickly spread his arms, as though he was hugging the void in front of him.
At that moment, two pitch-black flames ignited in the eyes of the awakened Dark Angel Sasrir.
“He,” who shared the height of a giant, immediately pressed down on the armrest by lowering “His” arm, slowly getting to “His” feet. The gorgeous accessories on “His” body hung down one after another as layer after layer of black wings spread open on “His” back.
During this process, the shadow cape on the lump of squirming flesh—Lovia—came alive. It suddenly tightened, fixing her firmly in place.
At the same time, Dark Angel Sasrir had silver threads wrapped around “Him.” In front of the black robe with mysterious patterns, silver bolts of lightning appeared out of thin air. They sizzled and intertwined with each other in a thunderous manner. They rapidly extended forward, transforming into a resplendent lightning sea that attempted to drown the entire shadow palace.
Gong!
Composite Start
Composite End
An illusory chime sounded from a distant history as the melodious sound echoed in the shadow palace.
An ancient mottled wall clock appeared in front of Klein. Its face was separated into twelve different segments by grayish-white and bluish-black colors. Each segment had different, mysterious, and asymmetric symbols.
The three fingers, which seemed to be formed by Worms of Time of different length, began to tick lightly.
When the chime rang again, the lightning sea that was rapidly spreading in the shadow palace clearly froze.
Klein had successfully used the Staff of the Stars to reproduce Angel of Time Amon’s Beyonder powers!
And the effects were much better than his previous attempts.
This made him suspect if he had obtained the approval of the God of Deceit and even obtained “blessings” from “Him” to a certain degree.
It wasn’t true that merely simulating Amon’s Beyonder powers would gain “His” notice, but that this King of Angels was almost equivalent to the Marauder pathway’s Uniqueness. “He” was the ruler of the corresponding domain, and “He” was the wielder of the corresponding authority. “He” could make a certain level of adjustments to particular powers in advance, enhancing or deleting them.
From the looks of it, Amon appeared to be looking forward to seeing Klein enter the Giant King’s residence to meet Dark Angel Sasrir. Therefore, “He” had adjusted some of his own domain’s Beyonder powers in advance, and lowered some of his “authority” in certain aspects, allowing simple replications to achieve a better effect.
While the lightning sea had come to a halt, the Silver Knight soul that Lovia controlled, and Colin Iliad simultaneously stabbed their swords into the ground, creating two invisible barriers. As for Klein, his figure faded and he disappeared.
Chapter 1263 The Final Watch
After a short pause, a brilliant silvery-white glow continued to stretch out in front of them, completely drowning out the two invisible barriers that shielded Colin Iliad, Derrick Berg, and Lovia.
The barrier blocking the silver snaking lightning began to violently tremble. A crack that resembled tree branches appeared. As for how long the barrier could last in the Lightning Storm, that remained a question.
At this moment, behind Dark Angel Sasrir, there was an area that wasn’t covered by the forest of lightning. Klein’s figure, in his black trench coat and silk half top hat, appeared.
He was like a precise and cold machine. Without any hesitation, he aimed the Staff of the Stars at the side of the special evil spirit, quickly outlining all sorts of information related to the Beyonder powers in his mind.
He had previously performed tests—he couldn’t “Wander” too far with the Staff of the Stars within the Giant King’s Court, so he could only use “Blink” in a tiny vicinity. Therefore, he gave up on the idea of directly sending Dark Angel Sasrir out the Giant King’s Court and seizing the opportunity to take the first Blasphemy Slate and leaving by “opening” the door.
As the various gems on the Staff of the Stars lit up, Sasrir’s eyes which burned with pitch-black flames suddenly closed.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He had been forcibly dragged into a dream by Klein!
This was a Beyonder power belonging to the Evernight pathway’s Sequence 7, but the one that Klein replicated had belonged to the version which the Evernight Cloister’s matron, the Servant of Concealment Arianna, had used—the Beyonder power of pulling someone into a dream performed at the angel-level!
In the hazy dream world, Dark Angel Sasrir wore a black robe with complicated symbols embroidered with silver threads and adorned with accessories. “He” had appeared in a desolate moor.
“His” eyes remained ice-cold, unlike the dull and lifeless eyes of most Beyonders when they were in dreams.
The Spectator pathway also belonged to the Chaos Sea pathway. And its Sequence 5 and Sequence 3 were Dreamwalker and Dreamweaver respectively!
Moments later, Sasrir’s pupils turned golden and vertical.
“His” giant figure faded away as a layer of abnormally thick shadows appeared in front of “Him.”
This shadow completely blocked Sasrir, making it possible to vaguely make out a pair of eyes hidden behind the “curtain.”
In the blink of an eye, the “curtains” parted, revealing an indescribable color, like a sea that seemed to contain all secrets.
Composite Start
Composite End
Boom!
When Klein, the conjurer of the dream, saw this scene, his mind erupted with thoughts before he could analyze the details. It was as though his brain was a boiling pot of wheat porridge.
The corners of his mouth curled up instinctively, and most of his Virtual Persona disintegrated. He nearly let out a tragic cry as transparent maggots under his left cheek began to drill out one by one. The meat tendrils on his right face grew more and more obvious, becoming thinner and thinner, approaching that of Worms of Spirit.
The forcefully-induced dream disintegrated, and Dark Angel Sasrir’s consciousness returned to the real world.
However, at that moment when the special evil spirit fell into a deep slumber, the sea of lightning faded away. The three demigods of the City of Silver struck back at the same time.
Colin Iliad straightened his body and struck out with the sword of dawn in his right hand, causing the silvery-white light to “Blink” to Sasrir’s body. As Lovia resisted the restraints of the shadow “cloak,” she got the Silver Knight evil spirit she Grazed to swing its greatsword upwards from below, bringing with it a terrifying storm formed from blobs of light. Derrick condensed a dazzling white “Unshadowed Spear,” thrusting it at the Dark Angel as it left crackling sounds in its wake.
At this moment, Sasrir’s figure emitted infinite pure light, as though “He” had suddenly become a sun that descended into reality.
Under the “sun”‘s illumination, the “Unshadowed Spear” melted. The “Hurricane of Light” calmed down, and the silver beam dimmed. All the latter could do was damage the target’s aura, and not deal any harm to “His” body.
The scene of a true deity’s descent shocked Lovia and Derrick. They couldn’t help but bow their heads in worship. As for the Silver Knight evil spirit, it quickly melted under the blazing sunlight and completely evaporated.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, Sasrir’s eyes closed once again.
Behind “His” back, with the Worms of Spirit constantly vanishing on Klein’s body, he stubbornly endured the scorching sun’s heat and pointed the Staff of the Stars at the evil spirit—the embodiment of the King of Angels.
The Beyonder power that he had replicated once again had forcefully pulled Dark Angel Sasrir into a dream!
However, unlike before, the moment Klein entered the dreamscape, he immediately released his Sefirah Castle’s aura, transforming his body into the strange door of light that was tainted with some bluish-black colors. The door of light was made up of countless layers of illusory spherical light. Every spherical light was deep down a transparent and translucent cluster of twisted maggots.
Just like him, Dark Angel Sasrir revealed the traits of Chaos Sea. First, “He” turned into a thick and sinister shadow, then “He” pulled open the “curtain,” allowing the “sea” that contained all colors and something the human language couldn’t describe to appear in the dream.
Silently, Sasrir and Klein opened their eyes at the same time and raised their bodies slightly across each other.
One of them was covered in a faint shadow, while the other’s expression was twisted and ferocious. Many Worms of Spirit crawled across the surface of his body.
Klein’s Virtual Persona completely shattered.
Seizing this opportunity while Sasrir was affected, Lovia, who had the shadow “cloak” draped over her, blinked her pale-gray eyes. She used the two-meter-tall, squirming flesh to extend. Those skinless legs, which were flowing with bright red liquid, stepped onto the ground at the same time. With the help of the roiling winds, they pounced towards the Dark Angel.
Composite Start
Composite End
A look of madness appeared in her eyes. It didn’t appear like it would take long before her Spirit Body suffered complete corruption, pushing her towards losing control.
However, at that moment, Lovia’s eyes were filled with more rationality and determination.
She knew what she was doing and knew her current state and her subsequent end.
Amidst the howling winds, her collapsing body, along with the shadow “cloak,” landed on Dark Angel Sasrir’s body.
The squirming flesh and blood intruded as the thick shadow rapidly expanded, binding the two figures together.
Without waiting for Lovia to speak, Colin Iliad had already understood her intentions. He immediately roared in a low voice, “Attack!”
Boom!
His two swords tore through the void at the same time, allowing the silver light to surge at Lovia and Dark Angel Sasrir who were embroiled with each other.
Upon hearing the Chief’s words, Derrick bit his lip and spread open his arms halfway.
The palace that was shrouded in the shadows suddenly lit up as huge balls of light filled with holy flames appeared out of thin air. They enveloped the Dark Angel and Lovia within, quickly melting them and igniting their flesh.
Composite Start
Composite End
Flaring Sun!
Amid this bright glow, Lovia’s pale-gray eyes revealed the pain that she acutely felt. Her voice echoed in an ethereal manner.
“I have never betrayed the City of Silver…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the flesh and the shadow “cloak” she used to envelop Dark Angel Sasrir’s body swelled up.
Boom!
Lovia’s collapsing body was sent flying before she fell to the ground. Her shadow tore apart, turning into a thin, illusory veil that slowly floated down.
Dark Angel Sasrir turned into a pitch-black and sticky sea filled with an aura of Degeneration. It swallowed the remaining silvery-white light and “Flaring Sun,” reducing it to nothing.
“He” immediately returned to “His” previous appearance—a giant dressed in a gorgeous black robe with silver threads. However, the black wings on his back had thinned significantly.
At the same time, “His” pupils turned vertical and turned golden.
A violent but surreal wind surged around “Him” and filled every corner of the shadow palace with all sorts of thoughts.
Mind Deprivation!
Derrick’s recently condensed “Unshadowed Spear” disappeared. He stood rooted to the ground in shock. Although Colin Iliad had a strong will, he suffered from the madness, cruelty, and bloodlust of an incomplete Mythical Creature form. All he could do was divert some attention to resist the influence so as to prevent himself from losing control. Just as Klein calmed down and allowed his Worms of Spirit to burrow back into his body, he suffered an intense fear brought about by “Mind Deprivation.” His body instantly convulsed, preventing him from using the Staff of the Stars.
Lovia’s body had already collapsed, and with her soul almost completely corrupted, she was in a worse off state. She rolled on the ground struggling, leaving behind blood-colored sticky liquid.
At this moment, Dark Angel Sasrir raised “His” left hand. The golden colors in “His” eyes was replaced by two blazing white suns.
Rays of holy flames fell down one after another, striking Lovia’s body, destroying her soul and purifying her flesh.
Lovia’s aura rapidly dissipated as her pale gray eyes lost their luster.
Her body, which had collapsed into a lump of flesh and blood, curled up. The skinless arms covered in bright red liquid wrapped the milky-white, large human skull tightly in front of her “chest” and pressed it under her.
Under the blazing “sunlight”, the holy flames burned. Lovia maintained this posture, not allowing herself to move, nor allowing the human skull to be revealed and receive any damage.
Another column of light shot down. Lovia’s body couldn’t help but bounce up, but she still huddled there writhing.
Finally, this lump of distorted, disgusting, squirming flesh stopped moving and covered the surface of the human skull. It was dark, dull, and damaged.
During the Dark Angel Sasrir’s act of murdering Lovia, Klein quickly recovered from the effects of “Mind Deprivation” by using his unique traits and past experience. He felt an uncontrollable sense of despair towards this battle.
They had used all their strength, but they had only slightly injured the evil spirit. Now that they had lost a demigod, the situation that followed would probably be even worse.
What should I do? As Klein used Creeping Hunger to change his position, his thoughts raced in search of any possible weaknesses.
It’s intrinsically an evil spirit… An evil spirit… Just as his figure appeared elsewhere, he suddenly had an idea. He cast his gaze on the grayish-white stone slate on the iron-black throne!
Some evil spirits had Beyonder characteristics, but most of them didn’t. The source of their powers stemmed from other places, such as the spirit world. The existence of evil spirits needed something to rely on. This might be the “territory” that “He” was born in, or perhaps something special. The common point was that evil spirits could use them to connect to the spirit world or even the Underworld to obtain the power to maintain their existence.
And this evil spirit that originated from Dark Angel Sasrir might even be mixed with some of the will of the Primordial. Where did “His” powers come from?
This was the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and the connection with the spirit world was sealed. It was almost completely severed, making the powers difficult to be effectively utilized. Klein could “Teleport” only by relying on the uniqueness of a divine kingdom or the divine kingdom’s embryonic form. As for the Giant King’s Court, it was clearly unable to provide the powers of the Spectator, The Sun, The Hanged Man, Reader, and Tyrant pathways. The traits the Dark Angel formerly possessed clearly belonged to the True Creator at present, making it not present here.
Therefore, the answer to the source of the evil spirit’s power was very simple:
Chaos Sea!
In the shadow palace, the only thing directly connected to Chaos Sea was the Blasphemy Slate!
When Klein cast his gaze at the iron-black throne, he noticed that the City of Silver’s Chief, Colin Iliad, had also glanced over.
Chapter 1264 Succeeding
There was no need for any communication. Just from this sudden locking of eyes, Klein knew that Colin Iliad had the same thoughts as him.
He didn’t hesitate to flip the black staff embedded with many gems and point it at himself.
In the next second, it was as if Klein’s body was a sketch that had met an eraser. It was wiped away inch by inch, and he quickly disappeared.
This was the power of Concealment, one that also came from the leader of the ascetics of the Church of Evernight, Arianna.
As the power of Concealment that was replicated by the Staff of the Stars was definitely much weaker than the original version, and the evil spirit’s level was rather high, Klein didn’t attempt to use it on Dark Angel Sasrir. Instead, he targeted himself.
At the same time that he was “concealed,” Colin Iliad fused into the faint light that illuminated everything in the shadow palace with his two swords of dawn.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Around Dark Angel Sasrir, who was dressed in a silver-threaded black robe, silver beams lit up one after another. Colin struck the evil spirit from different angles, forming a tornado that swept upwards. During this process, the gigantified Colin Iliad didn’t appear at all. Furthermore, he hid his malicious intent, making it impossible for the enemy to determine where his next attack would come from.
Derrick Berg recovered from the shock and quickly condensed bright white “Unshadowed Spears” as he wildly thrust them forward.
Amidst the crackling sounds, the Unshadowed Spears were either blocked by the black armor formed by the aura of Degeneration, or by the layered silvery-white sphere of lightning. He failed to truly hurt Dark Angel Sasrir, but it effectively affected his opponent’s actions.
While the two City of Silver demigods were holding back that special evil spirit, Klein, who was in a “concealed” state, approached the iron-black throne.
In his “concealed” state, he saw veiled scenes that were covered in a dark fog. He could only roughly tell where he was and what the surrounding objects were. He was unable to exert any influence on the outside world. If not for this, the moment he entered the “concealed” state, he could secretly control Sasrir’s Spirit Body Threads. It would be a method impossible to fend against.
After rapidly approaching the iron-black throne, Klein ended his “concealed” state, allowing his figure to instantly appear to the right of the target.
Following that, he aimed the Staff of the Stars at the grayish-white ancient stone slab.
Ignoring the contents on it, Klein quickly outlined a very familiar Beyonder power in his mind.
Boom!
Composite Start
Composite End
Silver bolts of lightning shot out with a strong destructive aura, striking the first Blasphemy Slate.
This was the Lightning Storm power from the Sea God Scepter!
Boom!
Amidst the silver light that illuminated the surrounding area, an illusory “light” that was almost invisible appeared between the first Blasphemy Slate and Dark Angel Sasrir. It was difficult to describe the exact color, but under the terrifying lightning’s pandemonium, they evaporated and broke apart.
Pure beams of light shot out from Sasrir’s body, leaving no darkness in the shadow palace. Nothing else could hide.
Unshadowed Domain.
The nearly six-meter-tall Colin IIliad appeared in his silver armor. Together with Klein, layers of blazing halos pushed them away into the distance. The attacks of Derrick’s “Unshadowed Spears” and “Flaring Sun” were also blocked by these corporeal halos.
Right on the heels of that, Dark Angel Sasrir’s eyes were dyed with a brass sheen. In each of them, an illusory river that shimmered with waves of light appeared, circling the first Blasphemy Slate and “His” figure.
The “river” flowed upstream as the illusory “light” that had evaporated and severed appeared once again and connected to it.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The damage that Klein had painstakingly inflicted was quickly returned to normal.
The cycle of fate, the rebooting of all things!
Sasrir raised “His” left hand and condensed a deep-black scepter. “He” then used “His” brass-like eyes to sweep across the demigods present. “He” said in a deep but magnificent voice, “I’m omniscient, and also omnipotent.”
As “His” voice echoed in the air, both Klein and Colin Iliad didn’t waver at all. They either “Blinked” or moved at high speeds, not giving the terrifying evil spirit a chance to lock onto them. They also attempted to launch a new wave of attacks. However, Klein didn’t dare to forcefully pull the Dark Angel into a dream again, because if he was attacked by the aura and power of Chaos Sea again, he might lose control immediately. Elsewhere, Derrick covered his body with a layer of pure light, forming holy armor.
At that moment, a pitch-black flame burned in Sasrir’s brass eyes.
“His” voice turned evil and sinister, carrying a strong sense of “Degeneration.”
“Blasphemer, die!”
Klein’s body, heart, and soul suddenly sank. He felt as though he was about to die. His consciousness turned blurry as his energy evaporated; his flesh began to wither inch by inch.
Colin Iliad was slightly better than him. He only felt his body grow heavy as his life slipped away uncontrollably. The madness that came from his incomplete Mythical Creature form grew stronger.
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick, who was farthest from Dark Angel Sasrir, emitted bright bouts of sunlight, helping him quickly escape from his trance. He then opened his mouth.
“God says it’s ineffective!”
The feeling of death instantly dissipated a little, allowing Klein and Colin Iliad to barely find themselves.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The giant-like Colin Iliad rushed towards Dark Angel Sasrir. Along the way, he kept changing his position, dodging unstoppable dark, sharp beams.
In the blink of an eye, he had already closed in on the target.
Dark Angel Sasrir immediately pointed the pitch-black scepter ahead, causing Colin Iliad’s body to produce a shadow within the Unshadowed Domain. The shadow came alive as it followed the legs of the City of Silver Chief, “swallowing” him.
Gong!
A distant bell sounded as though it had pierced through history.
The ancient, mottled stone wall clock appeared in front of Klein once again, bringing with it a brief respite.
Composite Start
Composite End
As he made use of this respite, Klein used the Staff of the Stars to reproduce the “Unshadowed Spear” and cast it at Colin Iliad’s shadow.
The blazing light exploded, dispersing the shadow like the sun.
Colin’s face under his visor twisted, but he didn’t hesitate at all. He jumped up, appearing right above Dark Angel Sasrir and cleaved down with his two swords of dawn.
Gong!
Sasrir seemed to see through Colin Iliad’s intention. “He” raised the black scepter horizontally and blocked the other party’s cleaving strike.
Suddenly, Colin Iliad’s body melted.
He became sticky, heavy “mercury”, surging down like waves, instantly drowning Dark Angel Sasrir. It was as if “He” was wearing a set of full-body silver armor, without any gaps in between. Colin wanted to suffocate the entity inside!
Sasrir’s actions were immediately restricted.
Taking this opportunity, Klein’s figure suddenly turned transparent as he appeared beside the iron-black throne.
Teleportation!
Then, he raised the Staff of the Stars and conjured a certain Beyonder power.
It was one of the core powers of the Marauder pathway.
Theft!
Just as he had expected, the “Theft” was carried out rather successfully. It was as though the current Sequence 2 angel, Pallez Zoroast, had personally taken action.
The “light” that connected the Dark Angel and the first Blasphemy Slate separated from Sasrir, shifting to Klein!
At that instant, Klein’s thoughts nearly exploded. The indescribable color and form appeared in front of him once again. It was abnormally illusory, as though it was a sea containing all secrets.
Just as he was about to lose control due to the aura and powers of the Chaos Sea, the parts of his body that were corrupted by the True Creator suddenly experienced a change. They seemed to be attracted by a strong attractive force as they rapidly gathered together and began to take over the nearly invisible “light,” making him stop at the edge of a proverbial cliff.
Indeed… As Klein sighed, he tried his best to restrain his mind that had been inundated. He was temporarily unable to move.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The silver armor covering Dark Angel Sasrir’s body began to crack in the darkness.
These beams of light that came from the “Cull of Spiritual Flesh” tore out, turning the mercury into tattered pieces and flying far away.
With a loud snap, the mercury fell to the ground, regathering into the form of Colin Iliad.
There were gaping holes in the Chief’s body. Inside it was a black, frozen, decadent, and illusory aura.
At that moment, the illusory, layered black wings on Sasrir’s back dimmed significantly. “His” eyes had once again worn a brass sheen, a faint flickering illusory river appearing in them.
Upon seeing this scene, Colin Iliad instinctively recalled what had happened.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he relied on his intuition to charge out without hesitation, filled with great resolve.
His body ignited a transparent flame, emitting the bright light of dawn.
These beams of light came from his soul, his body, his Beyonder characteristic, and the two swords he struck out merged together, turning into a raging, violent storm that swept out.
At this moment, Colin Iliad’s “eyes” were filled with the light of dawn he created, and the towering figure dressed in a gorgeous black robe with illusory black wings.
Bearing the light, he charged towards the light—Sasrir.
The terrifying “Hurricane of Light” instantly enveloped the Dark Angel, tearing at “His” body, interrupting the Beyonder powers that “He” was about to use. It made the evil spirit that had lost the source of its power rapidly fade away amidst the fragments of light.
When the light dissipated, holes appeared on Dark Angel Sasrir’s body. The layers of wings on “His” back were spread out, but “He” failed to borrow any strength.
Colin Iliad immediately turned into sticky “mercury,” once again covering most of the evil spirit’s body, restricting “His” movements.
Then, the City of Silver Chief shouted in a low voice to Derrick Berg, just like he did when he was facing Lovia:
“Attack!”
Chapter 1265 Warrior
“Attack!”
Upon hearing the Chief’s words, Derrick froze for a moment before instinctively spreading his arms.
During this process, his vision blurred and he let out an extremely repressed voice from the depths of his throat.
A blob of light covered in holy flames descended out of thin air, devouring the figures of Dark Angel Sasrir and Colin Iliad.
Before the blast of light exploded, Derrick pulled back his arm, forming a bright white and pure “Unshadowed Spear” in his palm.
Amidst the crackling sounds, the long spear of light tore through the holy flames and accurately hit the evil spirit’s head.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Dazzling light burst out, completely covering the entire area. Even the crazed Klein couldn’t avoid it, as he was too close to it. He couldn’t help but close his eyes, his face contorted into a grimace. He felt as though his Worms of Spirit were evaporating one after another. The connection between the Blasphemy Slate and the True Creator’s power of corruption had been greatly purified before they could fully be established.
The sun seemed to rise in the sky. Dark Angel Sasrir’s indistinct figure appeared, twisting and distorting amidst the blinding white light and holy flames, melting away.
Then, the shadow that covered the walls, stone pillars, and tiles began to disintegrate, revealing inches of orange-red light.
The palace hidden in the residence of the Giant King finally failed to sustain its existence in the real world. It no longer blocked out the influence of the outside world.
This also meant that the special evil spirit that had lost contact with Chaos Sea had truly been cleansed.
Just as the shadow palace began to collapse without completely disintegrating, an invisible force finally pierced through the barrier, causing a minute amount of it to descend. This caused the corrupting nature gathered inside Klein’s body to increase in intensity!
They protruded out from his chest, turning into a black ball of flesh.
The flesh immediately broke free from Klein’s body, severing all invisible connections with him. It quickly squirmed and grew, turning into a gigantic shadow hand. It followed the illusory “light” between itself and the first Blasphemy Slate, and it grabbed the item.
At the same time, in the ruins of the battlefield of the gods’ dream world, in front of the projection of the Giant King’s residence.
Composite Start
Composite End
Dressed in a pointed hat and a classic black robe, Amon sat on the tall, grayish-white railing, with “His” back facing the orange-red path that separated the clouds. “He” leisurely looked at the grayish-blue door covered with golden nails; it was a mystery as to how long “He” had been waiting there for.
Suddenly, “He” adjusted the monocle on “His” right eye and easily jumped down the railing, arriving at the door of the Giant King’s residence’s projection.
“The power of Chaos Sea is beginning to fade. I can use the ‘bug’ in all of this to directly enter…” As “He” smiled, “He” reached out “His” right hand and pressed it on the door’s shadow.
“His” figure immediately softened and lost its corporeal feeling before “He” entered the door like a stream of light.
…
Backlund, somewhere on the battlefield.
With short blond hair and dark green eyes, Crestet Cesimir genuflected on the ground, stabbing a pure white bone sword, that wasn’t more than one meter long in length, in front of him to support himself.
His body was covered with charred holes and cracks that went straight through his body. His teeth were protruding and sharp, like that of a beast.
This high-ranking deacon, whose consciousness was beginning to blur, struggled to shift his gaze from the weak enemy who wasn’t far away towards the sky.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The orange sunset had partially invaded the dark night.
Crestet Cesimir tried his best to pull out his bone sword and stand up to fight. He wanted to be a Nightwatcher to the very end, but his arm trembled violently as his breathing weakened.
In the astral world, in an endless and silent darkness filled with moon flowers and night vanilla.
Suddenly, orange beams of light shone into the kingdom, causing a portion of the area to return to dusk. One by one, the plants withered.
In the desolate dusk, a gigantic mountain-like figure walked out. “His” limbs were abnormally long, and “He” wore tattered silver armor. “His” face was covered by a helmet’s visor, only revealing a blob of orange light.
“He” held an exaggerated sword in “His” hand, causing the tip to naturally hang down, touching the dark “ground.”
As the terrifying giant walked forward, step by step, the sword continued to be dragged across the darkness, causing the ground to split apart as dusk froze.
Deep in the darkness, an equally large figure pulled out a long sickle.
“She” was wearing a black dress that was layered but not complicated. It was adorned with countless resplendent lights, as though they were stars that dotted the night sky.
Composite Start
Composite End
Near “Her” ribs and waist, two pairs of arms grew out. Their surfaces were covered in short deep-black hair.
In “Her” six arms, two carried the huge black sickle that appeared heavy. Another two hands held a crimson “moon.” Out of the hands “She” had left, one was empty, while the other held an ancient accessory forged from gold.
The accessory looked like a slender bird with pale-white flames surrounding it. Within its bronze eyes, there were layers of light, forming numerous illusory doors.
The giant wasn’t surprised by such a scene. The speed of “His” stride sped up, gradually approaching that of a charge.
“He” dragged “His” sword against his surroundings which were a mixture of darkness and dusk, producing glimmers of the pure light of dawn.
At this moment, the moon flowers and night vanilla to the side suddenly grew in size, growing wildly. Soon, they resembled trees that had lived in a primitive forest for more than a thousand years. They were densely packed, blocking out the “sky.”
Amongst these trees, a figure twined by deep green vines and adorned with various herbs and flowers appeared.
“She” was also as huge as a mountain and had a voluptuous figure. “Her” dress fluttered as “She” carried an illusory baby.
The moment the figure descended, “She” followed the sunset giant and flitted towards the humanoid demonic wolf that was dragging a huge black sickle.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
In the palace where shadows were falling apart, although some of the corruption had left Klein’s body, making him no longer need to worry about any latent danger in this aspect, this was equivalent to culling many of his Worms of Spirit. He couldn’t help but let out a low gasp as transparent and twisted maggots crawled out of his writhing face. They had mysterious patterns on them, and his mind was like a lake that had a boulder thrown into it. He was momentarily unable to calm down.
At that moment, a familiar figure appeared in his eyes which became bloodshot due to the pain.
It was the Angel of Time, Amon, who wore a monocle and a pointed hat.
Amon smiled at him, scaring him into having the thought of returning to Sefirah Castle immediately.
Although this would suck for The Sun, Klein felt that he would have the ability to save him due to the angel powers from being in Sefirah Castle. After all, the influences from the outside world could now enter this area.
But in a blink of an eye, the Angel of Time cast “His” gaze towards the grayish-white Blasphemy Slate. “He” cast it towards the shadow hand that was saturating and growing stronger with the collapse of the “land of slumber.”
Amon immediately raised “His” right hand and adjusted “His” right eye’s monocle.
The crystal monocle turned dark, as though it was mixed with countless colors in an indescribable manner.
An illusory, terrifying, tumultuous “sea” appeared in front of Amon.
This Blasphemer had released some unknown power “He” had stolen from somewhere at some point in time! Or perhaps, it was some power of convergence!
The Blasphemy Slate suddenly vibrated and emitted a buzzing sound as though it was alive.
It broke free from the remaining “light” that wasn’t stable enough between the shadow hand, and it threw itself at Amon!
Klein, who had just recovered from the pain from his fear and horror, couldn’t believe his eyes as they dilated.
The first Blasphemy Slate actually didn’t choose the True Creator of the Hanged Man pathway, and instead sought refuge with the Marauder pathway’s Angel of Time!
After a momentary daze, he vaguely understood the whole story.
Amon’s true body has wandered the Forsaken Land of the Gods for more than a thousand years before entering Chernobyl, doing so in search of the history from the Second all the way to before the First Epoch. “He” must’ve hovered at the edge of Chaos Sea, and had done some dangerous research. “He” had “stolen” some traits, and now, “He” is only using the release of this stolen trait to attract the Blasphemy Slate.
Simply put, this King of Angels had prepared for this for a very long time. As for the True Creator, “He” is unable to completely descend. “He” has to wait for the Dark Angel’s “land of slumber” to completely collapse.
But the problem is, why would Amon steal the first Blasphemy slate? It’s useless for “Him”… “He” has no way of transferring to the Spectator, Reader, Tyrant, Sun, and Hanged Man pathways! Could it be just because it’s fun? When the deities and “His” brother are plotting for this Blasphemy Slate, “He” suddenly intervenes and runs away? But isn’t it more important for “Him” to capture me? As Klein remained puzzled with Amon’s goals, he slowly retreated, opening his eyes wider, trying his best to pry into the secrets on the surface of the Blasphemy Slate. He wanted to memorize the potion formula he needed.
“Sequence 1: Attendant of Mysteries…” As soon as the corresponding words entered his eyes, Amon reached out with “His” left hand and grabbed the Blasphemy Slate. Then, “He” suddenly turned around and pressed “His” right hand on the grayish-blue door that was still covered with a small amount of shadows.
The figure wearing a pointed hat and a classic black robe immediately turned illusory as “He” tore through the door and vanished.
The shadow hand which was partially formed by Klein’s corruption rapidly expanded amidst the collapse of the “land of slumber.” Finally, it turned into a black shadow and chased after Amon, rushing out of the closed door.
In the next second, all the shadows disappeared. The orange-red light illuminated the palace that the Giant King once lived in.
In front of the iron-black throne, on the platform that was illuminated by the light of dusk, Colin Iliad’s figure appeared.
He was wearing a tattered silver armor, revealing several old scars on his face. He sat there quietly, like a warrior who had just finished his last battle.
His two swords had already crumbled, and he had stopped breathing. However, Klein could sense that there were still remnants of his will and psyche. The former couldn’t bear to just dissipate without delivering his last words.
At the bottom of the stairs, Derrick saw this scene. With his eyes red, he ran closer and stumbled, acting nothing like a demigod.
He quickly knelt beside Colin Iliad and shouted, his voice going soft, “Chief…”
Chapter 1266 Ligh
For a demigod Beyonder, they experienced a qualitative change due to their powerful souls. Even in death, their psyche could persist for some time. Unless this was circumvented due to an enemy deliberately destroying it, a High-Sequence Beyonder, who continued having a strong desire or unresolved matters during their state of death, could have their remnant will last longer. As such, he could slowly assimilate the surrounding areas, allowing it to mix with the spirit world, and even the Underworld, so as to turn it into an evil spirit.
Therefore, although Colin Iliad had stopped breathing, he was still able to hear Derrick’s cry while sitting at the top of the ancient god’s staircase in tattered silver armor. He turned his head to look at the underaged demigod before smiling.
“Compared to the Elders of the past, it’s a form of luck for Lovia and myself to die here.”
Upon hearing this, Derrick gaped his mouth, wanting to say something, but felt something pressing down on his heart, blocking his throat.
Not far away, Klein raised the Staff of the Stars and attempted to use Will Auceptin’s “Reboot” to save Colin Iliad. However, he failed several times in a row. Even the successful attempt didn’t have the ability to reverse everything. The effects were clearly inferior to the original’s, and it involved a Uniqueness—Amon’s true body had descended.
He’s already dead, so he can’t even be turned into a marionette. He can only consider turning into an evil spirit, but there’s almost no evil spirit that can maintain their humanity. Even Dark Angel Sasrir failed to do so… The only exception is the Red Angel Medici trio. But that was only after “They” left “Their” “territory” and went to Bansy Harbor… This Chief doesn’t seem willing to take this route… To the residents of the City of Silver, becoming an evil spirit is undoubtedly a curse… Klein sighed and cast his gaze elsewhere to observe the Giant King’s palace that had its shadows recede.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad examined Derrick’s face and sighed.
“When you return, you’ll be a member of the six-member council.
“I know. Relative to your age, this is a very heavy responsibility, but everyone in the City of Silver has to be prepared to shoulder everyone’s fate.”
Derrick nodded and said with a nasal voice, “Yes, Your Excellency!”
Colin Iliad revealed an amiable smile.
“Don’t be worried that they’ll misunderstand this. I’ll tell you a secret. Currently, in the City of Silver, only Waite and I know of it.
“When you get back, tell this to Waite immediately. He will understand that Lovia’s and my death has nothing to do with you. Otherwise, you will not obtain this secret from me.”
Having said that, Colin Iliad looked up at Gehrman Sparrow and nodded gently.
“From today onwards, everyone in the City of Silver can freely change their faith to Mr. Fool.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick wasn’t excited at all. He nodded heavily, indicating that he understood.
Colin Iliad immediately retracted his gaze. A layer of solemnity and bitterness appeared on his clearly exhausted face.
“That secret is related to the second god-level Sealed Artifact of our City of Silver.
“It’s called ‘Gift of the Land.'”
Derrick wiped his eyes with his arm and listened attentively to the Chief’s description.
Colin Iliad sighed and continued, “It’s precisely because of this Sealed Artifact that Black-Faced Grass can grow around the City of Silver, preventing us from completely sinking into the dark ages…”
Derrick’s pupils dilated as the sadness in his heart eased.
He remembered very clearly that the textbooks mentioned the discovery of Black-Faced Grass as the key turning point in the history of the City of Silver. He believed that if there was no such safe and harmless staple food, then the City of Silver would’ve long become a playground for monsters.
At that instant, Derrick thought of many things. He finally understood why the mushrooms that Mr. World had given had undergone a huge transformation in the City of Silver, one that was different from the original description.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad’s gaze swept across his face, and his voice suddenly turned deep.
“It’s precisely because of this that we are burdened with the fate of being cursed. Only people who are killed by their immediate family wouldn’t become a terrifying evil spirit.
“Cornucopia has a price.”
Derrick’s expression froze.
Murdering his parents left a wound that could never heal in his heart. He had always blamed the corresponding curse on this land that had been forsaken by the gods. But now, the Chief had told him the truth which was unlike what he imagined. The curse gave them the food they relied on for survival!
The grizzled and exhausted-looking Colin Iliad’s eyes glazed over as he seemed to recall killing his father, mother, brother, sister, eldest son, youngest son, daughter, and eldest grandson.
His voice became fleeting.
“Lovia once said that a dying person would not transform into an evil spirit after leaving the City of Silver.
“Back then, I didn’t tell her that this was the truth. As the Gift of the Land’s range is huge, most people who are about to die are unable to leave the corresponding region in time.
Composite Start
Composite End
“This is a secret that only the Chief can grasp. I tried my best exploring and fighting, hoping that future generations wouldn’t have to suffer such pain.”
The Chief of the City of Silver, who was clearly advanced in his years, slowly exhaled. Without giving Derrick a chance to make a promise, he seemed to recall something as he said, “Also, you mustn’t fully believe the situation of the Rose Redemption that is recorded in that palace.”
Eh? Klein stopped scrutinizing his surroundings as he revealed a slightly lost expression.
Colin Iliad added in a deep voice, “Earth Mother cannot be Giant Queen Omebella.
“Omebella has long died. ‘Her’ corpse is in the City of Silver, and more precisely, it’s the Gift of the Land…”
This… When Klein heard this, his pupils dilated as a chill ran down his spine.
The real Giant Queen had long died in the City of Silver and became a Sealed Artifact. Then, who is the one currently masquerading as Earth Mother?
…
In the kingdom that was covered in moon flowers and night vanilla, the sunset giant’s sword struck the heavy, pitch-black sickle and froze in midair.
In the darkness that had been destroyed by the intense battle of the gods, time seemed to come to a halt. Be it the giant wearing tattered armor who was bathing in the dusk, or the humanoid demonic wolf with six arms, “They” seemed to become a part of an oil painting. Everything stood on the spot, maintaining “Their” previous posture.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, a dark brown wooden cane had stabbed through the back of the sunset giant, piercing through its heart as it frantically drained the life of the deity, dragging “Him” down in an act of returning it to the land, returning to a mother’s embrace.
This dark brown wooden staff was held in the hands of the giant-like, voluptuous woman. It formed a deep autumn scene with the withered flowers, grass, and mushrooms.
The sunset giant slowly turned “His” head and looked at the woman who was carrying the baby in one hand. “He” said in pain, “Li—li—th?”
At this moment, the dress-wearing “demonic wolf” with the head of a female human let out a chuckle. The bird-shaped golden accessory in “Her” hand flew out and accurately pierced through the gap of the sunset giant’s visor. Then, “She” threw the “Crimson Moon” in “Her” two other hands at the voluptuous woman.
In the next second, a portion of the sunset giant’s body collapsed. An orange-red sunset pierced through the serene darkness and landed in the real world.
Some landed on the battlefield, causing countless soldiers to die. Some crushed the mountains, creating a lake that made all living creatures age. Some fused with some lucky creatures, turning them into crazy and powerful monsters, while others enveloped the Great Twilight Hall outside St. Millom. The solidified orange light was extinguished…
In the Amantha mountain range, outside the Cathedral of Serenity, Abomination Suah and other Mythical Creatures, who were helping Feysac and Intis angels attack, seemed to sense something. The battle came to a halt.
After the bloodshot eyes growing on the pitch-black tree rolled once, Abomination Suah immediately entered the void and escaped into the spirit world.
In the outskirts of Backlund, in a small cathedral that no one paid attention to.
A golden-bearded pious priest wearing a simple white robe opened his eyes. They revealed a childlike innocence and purity.
“He” calmly took out a golden potion and opened the lid, pouring the liquid inside into “His” mouth.
…
The war ended just like that.
If Audrey hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she never would’ve believed that the war would end just like that.
After the dark night swallowed the orange dusk and faded away by itself, the Silver Knight in front of her seemed to suffer a heavy mental blow. Even after recovering and composing himself, he didn’t continue attacking his enemy. He fled in a rather sorry and perplexed state.
Just like this Silver Knight, the angels and saints of the Feysac and Intis allied forces fled one after another. As for the Beyonders that formed the backbone of the army, they collapsed in an uncontrollable manner.
However, on Loen’s side, the demigods, Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders, and ordinary soldiers didn’t attempt to pursue them. This was because they were equally confused, perplexed, and puzzled.
Audrey walked back into the city and saw the surviving Backlund residents coming out of their houses, shelters, or hiding spots, one after another. They stared blankly at the scene which resembled a primeval forest.
They didn’t cheer, shout, or vent their emotions. Their expressions were numb, and their eyes were vacant. They didn’t know how and why the disaster had suddenly ended.
There was no lack of people who had once been saved by the charity foundation. Many of them looked familiar to Audrey, but their condition wasn’t much different from when those who queued up to collect food.
Audrey silently observed this scene before returning to Empress Borough and back to her villa.
She saw her father, mother, elder brother, butler, servants looking out of the window in confusion, just like the citizens on the street.
For some reason, a sentence suddenly flashed across Audrey’s mind:
Dying, he knew not his executor; surviving, he knew not the circumstances.
…
An orange dusk calmed the lightning storm that blazed with frequent bolts of lightning. It sank into the dark, blue sea with an indiscernible bottom, nearly swallowing the Dawn with it.
Queen Mystic had used her other Grade 0 Sealed Artifact in time, allowing the ship to avoid a terrifying disaster.
She frowned slightly as if she had sensed something. However, her expression eased up immediately, allowing the Dawn to continue moving forward on an unsafe sea route. It was to engage in all kinds of dangerous battles with strong winds, huge waves, lightning, and sea monsters.
In the dark environment, Bernadette’s gaze seemed to penetrate through many obstacles, allowing her to see the light that she was chasing after.
No matter how many obstacles she faced, she would not stop her approach.
…
On the staircase in the Giant King’s residence which was covered in orange light.
After telling Derrick the secret, Colin Iliad said to Derrick, “Go. Open that door. I want to see what the sunlight outside is like…”
“Yes!” The rims of Derrick’s eyes reddened once again. He pursed his lips tightly and stood up.
He put down the hammer in his hand, and under the encouraging gaze of Klein, he steadily circled around the iron-black throne and arrived in front of the grayish-blue door which depicted the sunset.
Derrick stared at it for a second, bent down, stretched out his hands, and pressed them against the sides of the door.
Then, he strained his muscles and pushed hard.
At that moment, he seemed to see his parents; his deceased teammates, like Joshua and Antiona; Lovia in a purple-patterned black robe; and the grizzled Colin Iliad.
They stood beside him and pressed their hands against the door, pushing the grayish-blue door with him.
Beads of water streamed down Derrick’s face as a heavy creaking sound echoed in his ears.
A crack appeared, letting golden sunlight flood in.
The gap grew bigger and bigger, and a golden sea gradually appeared in Derrick’s eyes, presenting itself in front of Colin Iliad’s eyes.
Upon seeing this scene, the corners of Colin Iliad’s lips twitched slightly as he bathed in the warm sunlight. The corners of his lips pulled up slightly as he revealed a faint smile and a faint yearning, his body “evaporating” bit by bit.
Light was the meaning to everything.
(End of the Sixth Volume—Lightseeker)
Chapter 1267 Welcome
Beyond the open grayish-blue door, a flight of stone stairs led to a sea that glowed with golden light. This, along with boundless light, once again entered the eyes of the residents of the City of Silver such as Liaval and Candice.
As members of the former expedition team, this wasn’t the first time they had seen such a scene. Even so, their souls remained deeply shocked as they subconsciously held their breaths.
With the Thunder God’s Roar hammer in hand, Derrick stood at the front with his two-meter-tall, wide-shouldered build. He was silent.
Nearly a minute later, Liaval probed, “Elder Berg, when are we leaving?”
He was a Sequence 5 Guardian who stood at nearly 2.5 meters tall. This made his limbs’ physical proportions slightly abnormal.
Derrick stared at the sea that was rippling with golden spots for a few seconds before saying, “Wait a while longer.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, several days had passed since he opened the door. He had led the expedition team back to the City of Silver with the ashes of the Chief and Elder Lovia, as well as their characteristics and Sealed Artifacts. He had also used the secret to obtain the trust of the current Chief of the six-member council, Waite Chirmont.
This time, Derrick led the twenty City of Silver Beyonders to do reconnaissance so as to find a safe passage to confirm the situation of the outside world.
On this matter, he had rejected Mr. World’s suggestion of using the Staff of the Stars to directly transfer the entire City of Silver from the Forsaken Land of the Gods. He wanted to use his feet to take in the path of hope. He wanted to remember what the “light” that the City of Silver had finally found after experiencing two thousand years of persistence and sacrifice was like.
Upon hearing Elder Derrick’s answer, the members of the expedition team, such as Liaval and Candice, didn’t say much. They all took a step back and continued enjoying the scenery.
They still didn’t trust Derrick Berg much. After all, he had a close relationship with outsiders. And the Chief and Elder Lovia had both died during the previous expedition. Only this Unshadowed and that outsider had survived. If not for the six-member council choosing to believe him, they would definitely be hostile and wary.
After an unknown period of time, the shimmering sea was suddenly enveloped by darkness.
Deep in the darkness, they could barely make out a thin fog. In the fog, there was a black pointed cathedral with all sorts of buildings. It gave people the feeling that it was both real and illusory.
Derrick and company were no stranger to darkness. He instinctively glowed, while those who needed to light up candles did so. They did it hurriedly without any signs of turmoil.
After the twenty-one-strong team was protected by light, they looked with curiosity at the town and fleeting pedestrians in the fog, unable to understand what was going on.
Composite Start
Composite End
This wasn’t the darkness they were familiar with.
At this moment, the naturally glowing Derrick raised his left hand and said in a low voice, “Let’s set off.”
Without waiting for his team members to respond, he took the first step through the door and followed the stone steps outside, taking one step after another into the darkness.
Everyone exchanged looks, then gritted their teeth. Without falling behind, they followed the newly-appointed six-member council Elder, Derrick Berg, out of the Giant King’s residence.
In the rich darkness, as they walked down the stairs, their eyes suddenly lit up. They saw an orange glow and a row of black cloister-like buildings.
“Is this the outside world?” Candice looked around warily and curiously. She realized that all of them had unknowingly walked to the opposite side of the Giant King’s Court and were separated by a sea of orange-red from where they were.
“No.” Derrick compared the current environment to Mr. World’s and Ma’am Hermit’s description. He nodded slightly and said, “We still need to wait here for a while. Feel free to find a spot to rest.”
This Unshadowed, who no longer had any hint of adolescence, calmly arranged everything.
Liaval looked at the tightly shut black cloister and asked in puzzlement, “Is there no need to explore this place in search of an exit?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“There’s no need.” Derrick shook his head.
The members of the reconnaissance team didn’t ask further, nor did they rest. They remained standing in their spots and waited patiently.
As time passed, blinding sunlight suddenly shone into this world, turning everything bright and white. It then dimmed and vanished.
Everyone subconsciously looked around and saw the golden sea once again. They felt a terrifying aura that daunted them from looking straight at.
However, unlike before, they were already on an island. Behind them were huge patches of golden strange plants with smiling faces. They didn’t seem to have any signs of degeneration or abnormalities, making every member of the City of Silver’s reconnaissance team experience the joy of life.
We’re really outside… It really is a different world… Liaval, Candice, and company found it impossible to contain the amazement in their hearts.
They immediately confirmed a fact:
Elder Derrick didn’t betray the City of Silver. His cooperation with the outsider really had the goal of leading everyone out of the cursed land.
“Elder Berg…” Candice stammered. “Thank you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick nodded slightly, his back straight.
Instead of expressing the apologetic feelings in his heart like Candice, Liaval looked around and asked, “Elder Berg, how should we leave this place? Build a boat?”
The term “building a boat” was only limited to the words in their history books, so it sounded rather odd.
“There doesn’t seem to be any materials here that we can use to build a boat…” Candice and company immediately inspected the small island, but they couldn’t find any trees or plants.
Derrick shook his head again.
“There’s no need. Wait a little longer…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a black shadow loom across the horizon.
The shadow grew bigger as it quickly followed the safe sea route between the golden spots of light.
Not long after, the shadow revealed its outline. It was a hybrid ship with smoke spewing out from it. With all its sails up, the ship hung a blue sea serpent flag.
“A boat?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“That’s a boat?”
…
As Liaval, Candice, and company kept their vigilance up, they posed questions.
Derrick had received some general education at the Tarot Club. He was an experienced person who had seen pictures of various ships. Upon hearing this, he nodded slightly and said, “That’s right.”
As they spoke, the ship approached, making the figure standing at the ship’s bow gradually become clearer.
It was a black-cloaked man with yellow eyebrows and dark blue eyes. He jumped onto the masthead and spread his arms slightly to the people of the City of Silver.
Upon seeing this scene, Derrick, who had been maintaining his stern attitude, secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that everything was as he had expected. No accidents had happened.
Danitz originally wanted to jump off the ship and walk in front of the believers of Mr. Fool to announce that they had been saved, but after glancing at the height of the people from the City of Silver, he silently held himself back.
Standing on the masthead, he completely widened his arms and said to Derrick and company with a reserved smile, “Welcome to the world of light promised by God!”
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Klein sat on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool. Through the crimson star that symbolized The Sun, he watched the entire process of the City of Silver’s expedition team’s progress. He was constantly prepared to deal with any accidents.
When the “history,” which had been sealed for thousands of years, had combined with the “present,” with them boarding the ship that originated from the new government of the Rorsted Archipelago, and leaving the most dangerous, core region of the ruins of the battle of gods was over, he heaved a sigh of relief. He put down the Staff of the Stars and beckoned for two items.
They were the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic that had seeped out of the “curtain,” and the Worm of Star from Saint of Secrets Botis.
After some thought, Klein reached out his left hand and grabbed a large blob of a dark red liquid from the Historical Void.
This was Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s blood. There was exactly 300mls of it, and it was the core supplementary ingredient of the Miracle Invoker potion.
Of course, as a supplementary material, it only had one purpose—to reduce the negative effects of the Beyonder characteristic and reduce the corresponding mysticism influence. Therefore, it didn’t matter if it was a historical projection. After all, as long as it could play its role during the potion’s concoction and consumption, Klein would have either succeeded or failed in his advancement by the time the historical projection expired. If he failed, he would’ve broken down into a monster. If he succeeded, he would’ve become a Miracle Invoker and gained initial control of the Beyonder characteristic. There was no need for the supplementary ingredient’s effects.
Following that, Klein took out something from the fog of history.
It was a ringed Worm of Time.
As he had a strong psychological trauma towards Amon, Klein had chosen to summon a Worm of Time that Pallez Zoroast had once given to him, lest anything unexpected happened.
After preparing the materials, he conjured a metal pot and threw the 300mls of blood from Dark Demonic Wolf into it. Then, he placed the Worm of Time and sparkling Worm of Star inside, one after another.
The black and red liquid in the cauldron turned dark, its surface becoming translucent and clean. Deep in the cauldron was a dark vortex.
Without any hesitation, Klein picked up the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic.
It resembled a heart, transparent like a crystal, but there were tiny bubbles emerging from time to time. Every bubble seemed to contain an illusion.
When the Beyonder characteristic came into contact with the liquid in the metallic pot, it immediately merged into it, causing the darkness to instantly deepen, making it seem as though countless eyes were opened at the same time.
After staring at it for a few seconds, he poured the concocted Miracle Invoker potion into a glass bottle, and he used the bestowment ritual to bring it to the real world.
On an uninhabited island in the Sonia Sea, Klein, who had “Teleported” over, looked at the potion in his hand. He suddenly felt a little hesitant. This was because once he became an angel, his body would inevitably be affected by the Beyonder characteristic. He would become colder and crueler, becoming more and more indifferent towards life. He needed sufficient anchors to maintain his humanity.
This wasn’t something that could be avoided by completely digesting the potion using the “acting method” he grasped. Back then, Emperor Roselle went through the early stages smoothly, but when he became a Sequence 2 angel, he nearly mutated, almost losing control.
As for the angels that he knew, they looked normal on the surface, but he had no idea what they were like when they were hiding behind the scenes.
If one could obtain a long life at Sequence 4 and Sequence 3, allowing them to live for more than a thousand years, a saint really didn’t have much motivation to become an angel.
Combined with the saying that the higher one’s Sequence was, the closer one was to the Primordial One, he suddenly understood why Demoness of White Katarina only rose from Sequence 4 to Sequence 3 in a thousand years.
But I have no way out… After a brief moment of silence, Klein sighed silently.
Nearby threats like Amon and Zaratul, and the approaching days of the apocalypse, as well as the fact that he was previously unable to interfere with the war, these all pushed him towards becoming an angel. He didn’t want to simply contribute his strength through donations.
His eyes flickered for a few seconds before they returned to their calm state. He picked up the potion bottle and poured the liquid inside into his mouth.
The moment the Miracle Invoker potion entered Klein’s stomach, it immediately turned into countless cold “worms” and swam towards every corner of his body.
Suddenly, Klein’s mind tore apart, turning into countless small pieces that combined with different Worms of Spirit. There was no longer any discernible difference between the main body and the auxiliary ones, nor was there any piece that remained dominant.
At some point in time, he had entered the grayish-white fog. His half top hat and long black trench coat quickly disintegrated, and numerous translucent and twisted maggots crawled out.
These maggots quickly flew into the depths of the fog of history, each occupying different “light fragments,” overlapping with the projections of themselves in the Historical Void.
In just two or three seconds, the spot where Klein stood only had his windbreaker, shirt, top hat, socks, leather shoes, and personal items remaining. They had lost the support of a body and were held, suspended there.
“I…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Who am I…”
“Who’s me…”
“I’m the main body…”
…
The various Worms of Spirit had different but similar thoughts. None of them were willing to return to their “body” on their own accord. Instead, they felt a strong sense of animosity towards their own kind. It was only because they still had Klein’s remnant psyche influence that they hadn’t done anything extreme for the time being.
At this moment, yet another invisible ripple appeared within the grayish-white fog.
This ripple didn’t appear by coincidence. It had long existed in the fog, but compared to his collective whole, it appeared indiscernible. However, to a Worm of Spirit, it was obvious enough.
It came from a portion of history that appeared in the present era. It symbolized the fragments of light from the end of the Second Epoch and portions of the Third Epoch. They symbolized the two thousand years that the City of Silver had persisted in the darkness.
This forgotten history had a certain clash with the present era. As it formed a corresponding Historical Void, ripples spread out in an indescribable manner.
Composite Start
Composite End
Such ripples seemed to exert a strong attraction on the Worms of Spirit, making them peek their heads out from the historical scenes.
After a short period of time, one of the Worms of Spirit crawled out of the light spot from which it occupied, having failed to resist it any further, and also succumbing to the effects of Klein’s remnant consciousness. It flew towards the center of the ripples.
Right on the heels of that, Worms of Spirit returned from different spots in the fog of history, and they arrived at the fragments of light formed by the City of Silver’s history in the present era.
When they reached a certain distance from each other, a strong force of convergence finally appeared, pulling together countless Worms of Spirit into one.
This wasn’t an effect that could be produced by two or three Worms of Spirit. It needed to have a sufficient number for this phenomenon to happen.
And when that portion of the Worms of Spirit was once again whole, Klein’s incomplete consciousness completed the piecing together of his identity. Things finally turned simple.
The Worms of Spirit formed a transparent and gigantic vortex, emitting a strong convergence force that sucked over the remaining, hesitant, nearby Worms of Spirit that were unwilling to return.
After more than two-thirds the Worms of Spirit returned, a series of transparent tentacles grew out of the vortex.
They extended towards the Second Epoch, the First Epoch, and even the prehistoric city of an earlier time. They grabbed the last batch of Worms of Spirit, one after another, and stuffed them back into the vortex.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In less than twenty seconds, the vortex began to extend, turning into a terrifying figure formed from transparent, twisted maggots. An invisible tentacle naturally extended from the figure’s body.
The tentacles pulled over the windbreaker, top hat, socks, and leather shoes that floated in the fog of history, dressing up the terrifying figure.
The figure formed from countless Worms of Spirit pressed down on the top of his head, causing the translucent feeling on his body to quickly fade, forming a layer of flesh-colored skin. Short black hair and brown eyes grew out.
This was the appearance of Klein Moretti, but his height had reached 1.8 meters.
With great difficulty, he finally regained consciousness. Before Klein, who had made his Soul Body whole again, could analyze his present state, he felt two abnormalities:
One was from the Beyonder characteristic that fused with his body. It was a strong, terrifying, high, and mighty will that made it impossible to resist. It seemed to awaken a little as it transmitted one image after another. These images were filled with the mysterious knowledge of a Miracle Invoker. Some of them were dust that burned into suns, magnificent scenes generated by various celestial bodies. They were filled with a sense of desolateness, coldness, cruelty, madness, superciliousness, and void of any emotional imprints. They quickly assimilated into Klein’s spirit, changing his state in an irresistible manner.
Another thing that surfaced before Klein’s eyes were the crimson stars and the numerous points of resplendent light. The prayers from the members of the Tarot Club emitted from those stars, including Justice, The Hanged Man, and The Moon. Most of the light points echoed with the prayers from the residents of Moon City. Together, they created an image that enveloped the grayish-white fog that looked at the world with pity. It was the image of an extremely high-level and secret existence.
The two abnormalities reflected on Klein’s body, causing his left body to be covered in a grayish-white fog. A slight smile showed on his face that had deep-set eyes. His right body fractured once again, turning into a cluster of translucent squirming maggots and a bloodshot eye that was filled with madness.
At that moment, the right side was constantly corroded to the left, and the grayish-white fog was gradually compressed to the extreme.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without any hesitation, he raised his left hand with some difficulty, and he summoned the white bone scepter with blue gems embedded at the top from the fog of history.
Circling the Sea God Scepter were prayer points of light. With the help of this medium, they were transferred onto Klein’s body.
Lightning bolts leaped out from the right side of his body as invisible winds and illusory waves swirled around him. This helped the grayish-white fog withstand the contamination from the left, allowing his entire body to come to a delicate balance.
At this point, Klein recovered bits and pieces of his humanity and memories, making an initial recovery back to the state before he consumed the potion.
He had finally advanced to the level of Sequence 2. He now had the level and status of an angel—a true Miracle Invoker.
Originally, Sefirah Castle was about to be stirred by his change, but with a thought from him, all the abnormalities returned to normal.
This proved that he had truly gained control of Sefirah Castle and had become the owner of the sefirah. As for how much power he could unleash in the real world, he was still unable to estimate it.
Phew… Thankfully, I made the history represented by the City of Silver return to reality, and it’s powerful enough. If the ritual’s effects were a little weaker, I would’ve lost control and collapsed here today… Klein rubbed his temples and slowly exhaled. He had a better understanding of anchors.
The anchor wasn’t a tool to help him maintain his humanity. Its main purpose was to form a corresponding understanding, positioning, and image, one that would resist the mental imprint within the Beyonder characteristic so as to maintain an intricate balance.
Under this balance, Klein could then barely maintain his humanity and not be severely affected by any other influences.
Composite Start
Composite End
In other words, the deities that the believers knew were different from the actual deities. Without the mental imprint within the Beyonder characteristic to resist this influence, the image of the deities in their hearts would gradually envelop the true appearance of the deities.
This was also a type of corruption.
Only at this moment did Klein realize why the orthodox deities went from having humanoid statues to simply having Sacred Emblems. This prevented the believers from having a unified impression of “Them.” This improved the effects they had as anchors to resist the remnant mental effects of the Primordial One, whilst also not subtly changing their bodies.
As for why the orthodox deities took one or two epochs to figure this out, Klein quickly thought of two reasons:
Firstly, he had the past images of the orthodox deities for comparison. He had Emperor Roselle’s diary as reference, and the corresponding mysticism knowledge to provide inspiration. Secondly, the Mythical Creature form of a Seer was all about being split and separated. It made him very sensitive to such influences.
This sort of balance isn’t too stable, and it often tilts to a certain extent. This will cause problems with my condition’s stability. From time to time, I will end up scaring the people around me. Fortunately, this can be predicted ahead of time, so it can effectively be avoided… Also, when I’m in a delicate balance, I should try my best to show my humanity to strengthen my self-awareness… This is commonly chosen by many angels. The Rose School of Thought’s indulgence can be considered to be doing the same…
But Amon’s believers are all “Himself.” How does “He” maintain the balance?
Could it be that the Mythical Creature that’s born with the Uniqueness itself has the will of the Primordial One fused with “Him”? Amon is long accustomed to being half-crazy. No, that’s not “His” normal state… It’s the image that arose from the referendum of every Amon…
That’s a line of thought. I can form a marionette group and make every marionette a believer of The Fool. In addition, with my truest appearance as a deity, this can effectively provide the best anchor… It’s no wonder that Zaratul and the Dark Demonic Wolf don’t have any believers… Uh, once the residents of the City of Silver switch faiths to The Fool, I can consider separating the embodiment of Sea God from myself, making it no longer one of my anchors. This greatly contradicts the beliefs and understanding of my other believers. They can’t truly be united… Klein instantly thought of a lot of matters, and after his thoughts finished racing, he returned above the gray fog.
When he became a Miracle Invoker and became a “Him,” as well as becoming the owner of Sefirah Castle, he no longer needed to take four steps counterclockwise, recite the incantations, or get all the members of the Tarot Club to pray. He could now easily return.
However, he seemed incapable of expressing the full powers of Sefirah Castle. He could only enter with his Spirit Body, unable to bring his physical body along.
After sitting in the seat belonging to The Fool, Klein wasn’t in a rush to check on the changes in Sefirah Castle. He first confirmed his advancement and digested the mysticism knowledge he had just obtained.
Yes… The Beyonder powers of a Miracle Invoker come from two different aspects. One is the greater utilization of the fog of history, and the other is the newly enhanced core power of “Wishes.”
The improved utilization of the fog of history includes several abilities:
One, using the help of past Worms of Spirit to revive myself, but it will be ineffective after four times. I’ve already used it three times, so I can only revive one more time as a Miracle Invoker. Once I advance to an Attendant of Mysteries, there should be a corresponding increase in this number. Two, I am able to exert some influence on the future, causing the probability of certain things to increase or shrink to a certain extent. It’s equivalent to interfering with the fate of the target. Heh heh, I’m finally wielding good luck. However, this aspect is still different from the Die of Probability. Three, summoning from the Historical Void is no longer limited to just items. It can be extended to certain scenes I’m familiar with.
Yes, the total number of items and scenes I can summon now is nine, but only three of them can be at the angel level…
“Wishes” already make it a standard deity’s ability, but it’s a little strange. Only by fulfilling someone’s wish can I fulfill my own wish. A small wish has to be granted before a bigger wish can be gradually granted…
Chapter 1269 The Power of Wishes
Klein originally believed that the “Wishes” ability could be used freely as long as it didn’t exceed a limit. To his surprise, the effects didn’t solely come from the Beyonder characteristic.
To put it simply, a Miracle Invoker needed to seek out and satisfy all kinds of wishes before they could make wishes and personally grant them during battles, turning the corresponding situation into a reality. Furthermore, at the very beginning, the wishes that Klein could fulfill were small and trivial. He had to accumulate them one step at a time before he could create a true miracle. He couldn’t do as he wished.
Yes, if I want to use Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar’s wishing method to teleport, I would have to first satisfy many similar wishes. It comes from others, from simple to the more difficult wishes… I do have a solution in this aspect. I can use Creeping Hunger and the Staff of the Stars to fulfill the corresponding wishes. There’s no need to start from the simplest…
Speaking of which, the “Wishes” ability resembled using an anchor. It’s a type of “collective” ability. Since the faithful’s understanding of deities can effectively affect the deities and become a certain “definition” for “Them,” helping “Them” resist the Primordial One’s mental imprint in the Beyonder characteristics, in the same way, similar wishes of different creatures with spirituality can indeed help me create a miracle…
This might be related to the sea of collective subconscious. It’s not scientific enough, but it’s fairly mystical… After figuring out the situation of the “Wishes” ability, Klein had a preliminary idea of how to act as a Miracle Invoker.
That was to walk the real world, and as the most powerful “magician,” he would allow different people to witness a miracle and satisfy their wishes.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s no wonder the Dark Demonic Wolf’s original title was the God of Wishes… When such a belief spreads, many people would use the method of praying to voice out their wishes, allowing the Miracle Invoker to respond from afar. This makes acting a lot simpler. It can save a lot of time, but the problem is that the potion’s name is Miracle Invoker and not the God of Wishes. The role one needs to act as is that of a deity, so there are still some differences between the two…
I can roam the various countries and let different people witness miracles while using The Fool’s name to satisfy some of the believers’ wishes. I’ll then see which would be more effective…
However, this isn’t the only way to act as a Miracle Invoker… I still need to take the initiative to create a miracle in real life, leaving behind the corresponding legend? Klein tapped the edge of the long mottled table with his finger as he silently muttered to himself.
During his scrutiny of his own body moments ago, he realized that he had digested more than half of the potion. After all, he had created miracles several times. He had even been “revived” three times.
Of course, Klein believed that it was very coincidental because he could create a “miracle” and act in advance, mainly because of Sefirah Castle.
It’s as though someone set me up… Klein sighed inwardly as he didn’t feel relaxed. Instead, he became more serious and wary.
As for who arranged it, he had a suspect.
The “Mysteries” that the ancient sun god mentioned, the existence suspected to be “The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.”
And what made Klein even more puzzled was that when he advanced to Sequence 2 and became an angel, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings didn’t appear, neither did “He” awaken in his body after he experienced the qualitative changes.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was completely different from what he had expected.
There weren’t any traces of it at all. Apart from the initial mental corruption from the Primordial One—something that will definitely arrive—it should be the spiritual imprint left behind in the Beyonder characteristic… Could it be that The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings has completely perished despite making all the arrangements? “He” doesn’t have the ability to influence me and revive from my body? If that’s the case, then I have to thank “Him”! Klein teased himself and stood up with caution and puzzlement.
With this thought, he appeared on the grayish-white cloud and arrived in front of the strange door of light.
Glancing at the transparent “cocoons” hanging above his head, Klein slowly extended his right hand and touched the door of light.
When he truly became the owner of this mysterious space, he had clearly realized a fact when he returned. It was that the strange door of light was core to this place. It was Sefirah Castle in the truest sense of the word, and this boundless void belonged to the divine kingdom that Sefirah Castle came with.
As for the ancient palace, the twenty-two high-back chairs, the long bronze table, and the items that the members of the Tarot Club usually conjured, Klein believed that they were a manifestation of the “Wishes” power.
In other words, back when he wanted a palace and a gathering place, Sefirah Castle had satisfied his wish.
And because he didn’t have a specific description of his wish, Sefirah Castle had extracted scenes from similar wishes in the past. Klein suspected that the ancient Greek palace and the twenty-two high-back chairs were conjured by the existence that was suspected to be the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.
As he moved inch by inch, Klein pressed his right hand against the edge of the door of light.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This time, his palm didn’t directly pierce through it as he touched something corporeal.
Suddenly, the door of light began to tremble slightly, along with the hanging “cocoons” which contained human figures.
Above the grayish-white fog, there was only an ancient palace in the endless void. Numerous skyscrapers rose rapidly. Cars appeared one after another as pedestrians suddenly appeared.
In one of the residential districts, in an ordinary rental apartment, there was a window illuminated by an energy-saving bulb that wasn’t bright enough.
This was what the old metropolis from before the First Epoch looked like before the disaster. This was the place Klein had once lived.
Looking around, Klein sighed, letting everything disappear before his eyes.
Indeed, I can preliminarily use Sefirah Castle’s powers… By relying on this point, I would already be close to the level of a King of Angels when I’m above the gray fog. Furthermore, the authority I show isn’t only that of Miracles, but also a portion of a Planeswalker and a Trojan Horse of Destiny…
If I were to return to the real world, apart from being able to further utilize Sefirah Castle’s aura, I would be able to directly obtain a portion of its powers… This should allow me to form a nascent divine kingdom and reach Sequence 1 in here… Unfortunately, in reality, I can’t use the high-level Beyonder powers of Marauder and Apprentice… As Klein evaluated the situation, he cast his gaze at the transparent cocoons hanging above the door of light.
He ultimately didn’t release the people inside, because they would definitely be used by Amon.
Composite Start
Composite End
After confirming everything, Klein returned to the ancient palace and sat on the high-back chair of The Fool.
He remembered that some of his memories were sealed, so he summoned the piece of paper from the junk pile.
Upon opening it, Klein’s eyes narrowed and his lips quivered as he muttered to himself, “Great Old Ones, Outer Deities, Cosmos, Creator, Above the Sequences… So that’s how it is…”
At that moment, he completely understood the rationale behind the battle of gods that had just ended. He understood the possible origins of the apocalypse and understood why the seven deities had given tacit consent to the birth of a Black Emperor, and their indifference towards the Red Angel evil spirit’s return to the real world.
From the information provided by Leonard and Miss Justice, Loen ultimately clinched victory. It’s very likely that the God of Combat has already perished… In other words, the Goddess has succeeded, but I don’t know what other conditions “She” is lacking to become a Great Old One that’s Above the Sequences… I’ll summon Arrodes later to inquire about the details of the situation and grasp the present situation… With this in mind, Klein recalled the various details of the past and connected many matters together.
Earth Mother, whose identity had been unknown, had succeeded in acting as the Giant Queen Omebella for thousands of years without being exposed. It’s impossible without the help of Concealment… Man, the Goddess has been plotting something like this from the Third Epoch or even the end of the Second Epoch?
W-why does this feel more terrifying than Amon…
Yes, Concealment can only hide traces of various aspects. It can mislead the corresponding prying and divination attempts, making it impossible for a person to don a disguise. For the Earth Mother to be able to pretend to be Omebella, without being suspected by the God of Combat, there may be other factors involved… For example, a particular existence helped “Her” steal the fate of the Giant Queen? At that time, there was only one person who had the authority to participate in this matter—the ancient sun god, the second Creator, Amon and Adam’s father…
If that’s the case, the Goddess and the ancient sun god should’ve cooperated from a long time ago. Until the new Creator awakened the Primordial One in “Him”… This can also explain why the first existence that Dark Angel Sasrir sought out was the Goddess. Of course, Concealment is also an important factor…
Ever since I obtained the Uniqueness of the Death pathway, the Goddess has been setting up the trap. On the one hand, “She” wants me to take over the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction in Backlund to pretend that everything is normal. On the other hand, “She” didn’t deal with the people or objects that might’ve discovered something was amiss, resulting in the leak of information. This way, in the eyes of the God of Combat, the situation became the Goddess trying “Her” best to conceal the secret, but due to “Her” lack of control while digesting the Uniqueness, “She” was unable to do so…
Composite Start
Composite End
After that, be it tacitly acquiescing George III becoming the Black Emperor, or the aid provided to me in destroying “His” ritual, the Goddess doesn’t care about the final outcome of the matter. “Her” main goal was to show that “She” didn’t have the ability to directly interfere with the real world, further deepening the impression that “She” was attempting to accommodate the Uniqueness of the Death pathway…
There are a lot of similar details…
To the God of Combat, as “He” had a deeper understanding of the Goddess, “He” definitely wasn’t fully convinced in regards to this matter. Therefore, “He” chose to take it safe by first shaking the Goddess’s anchors, allowing “Her” psyche to be corrupted. To “Him,” this definitely made “Her” divert a large portion of “Her” efforts to resist the corruption before “He” chose to attack the Goddess together with Earth Mother…
This… And it’s because of this that “He” fell into the Goddess’s trap…
In other words, the true goal of the Goddess’s various actions wasn’t to lay a trap with the Uniqueness of the Death pathway, but to let the other deities place their focus on this matter, and ignore the possibility that there was something wrong with Earth Mother…
How terrifying…
Klein sighed from the bottom of his heart. He felt that Adam and Amon were probably inferior to the Goddess when it came to horror.
He shook his head, conjured a pen and paper, and wrote his warning:
“Always remember you are a he, not a ‘He.’”
Chapter 1270 “Visiting“
On the ship, Sea God, the members of the City of Silver, like Liaval, Candice, and other City of Silver scouts, were seated on chairs that didn’t suit their size. They watched the “dwarfs” around them warily.
Of course, they knew that these were normal humans. After all, they all knew that their exaggerated heights were brought about by potions, but they still felt that the people on the ship were too short, including Lord Danitz, who called himself an oracle. After all, in the City of Silver, other than children, the residents who had yet to reach Sequence 6 had an average height exceeding 1.8 meters. Among them, there were no lack of Sequence 9 Beyonders who were more than two meters tall.
The slight sway of the boat made the “half-giants” feel somewhat uncomfortable, but their strong physique helped them quickly overcome this influence. And the contrast between the sea and the lone boat beyond the window made them unable to contain their unease, fear, and anxiety. It was like the first time they participated in an expedition. The surroundings seemed to have monsters lurking in the darkness that could attack them at any moment.
At that moment, Danitz entered the room that had been transformed into a dining mess. He smiled at the tall, wary, cautious, strangely-dressed people who sat stiffly and said, “Your food is ready. Next, you can enjoy your food as you please.
“By the way, don’t forget what I told you just now. These waters are very dangerous.
“There’s no need to get up. You can stay in your seats.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When Danitz saw that the young Elder who introduced himself as Derrick, and the other “half-giants” wished to get up and speak to him in the most polite manner, he hurriedly lowered his hands and stopped their uncivilized behavior.
If I was as tall as them, I would’ve already begun mocking the people around me… Danitz muttered as he clapped his hands, signaling the crew to send the food in.
A strong fragrance immediately drilled into the noses of Derrick and the other residents of the City of Silver. It was the scent that they were familiar with when roasting meat-type mushrooms, but there was an additional indescribable smell. It was rather strange and slightly stimulating.
The smell was so alluring that Liaval, Candice, and the rest began to have saliva secrete from their mouths as their stomachs churned to attention.
“Desi-style roasted meat,” Danitz said as he pointed at a crew member who walked in.
He held a large steel plate that had a piece of roasted golden-brown piece of meat that glistened with oil. Evenly spread across its surface were fennel, basil, and other spices.
“Steak, pan-fried fish, white bread, seafood soup, and light beer…” Danitz introduced each and every dish, smiling when he was done. “Don’t worry about anything. Feel free to indulge. We have plenty of food reserves.”
With that said, he glanced at the “half-giants” who seemed eager to stand up. Then, he left the room chuckling.
The short-haired Candice retracted her gaze from the food with great difficulty and swallowed her saliva.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Elder Derrick, what do we do now?”
Although Derrick believed that Mr. Fool’s Oracle wouldn’t harm them, he habitually gave a very cautious opinion.
“Split into two groups. One group is to wait for their turn to eat. One team is to eat now.”
“Alright, Elder Derrick.” Candice suddenly stood up. “I apply to join the food-tasting team!”
A group of ten people quickly formed. At the same time, Liaval and Candice walked to the long table near the wall, and they took a portion of what they found the most tempting, the so-called Desi roasted meat.
After taking a bite, the rich juices, the fragrance and pure meat mixed in the texture formed a complex and unique experience in their mouths. They could only chew twice before swallowing the food ravenously into their stomachs so as to take a second bite.
This was many times more delicious than the meat-type mushrooms they had eaten previously.
Unknowingly, the ten residents of the City of Silver were already eating with tears in their eyes, their vision blurred.
On the deck, Danitz looked at the safe sea route in the ruins of the battle of gods. He considered how to settle the problems of Mr. Fool’s flock.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, a sailor ran over and panted.
“Lord Oracle, they’ve already finished eating. They want seconds!”
…Where did these guys come from? Danitz was taken aback.
“Prepare another set for them.”
Seeing that the sailor was about to turn around, Danitz quickly added, “From tomorrow onwards, the crew is to begin fishing!”
…
In the Sonia Sea, on an uninhabited island.
Klein had gotten used to his current state, and he restrained his spirituality. He planned on “Teleporting” back to Backlund and summoning the magic mirror, Arrodes, to ask some questions.
He wasn’t in a hurry to extract the residents of Moon City to the outside world. He planned on waiting for Danitz to settle down the City of Silver’s vanguard unit. With sufficient experience, he could turn his attention to this matter. After all, the path to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods had been opened. He could use the method of responding to prayers, and rely on the power of the Staff of the Stars to move all of Moon City out.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, if the door closed once again, Klein also had a solution. He would first transfer the residents of Moon City to the Giant King’s residence and let them open the door themselves. Without the first Blasphemy Slate and the Dark Angel evil spirit, ordinary Beyonders would be able to open the door.
As for whether the True Creator would interfere or stop him, Klein didn’t consider it. This was because the Sequence 0 true god was capable of doing so now. He wasn’t able to stop “Him” even if he was disagreeable to it.
In addition, Klein believed that the focus of the True Creator wasn’t placed on this matter. “His” most pressing concern was to capture Amon and retrieve the first Blasphemy Slate.
Strictly speaking, this is a family drama… Klein lampooned inwardly. He grabbed Creeping Hunger from the air, and he wore the Sealed Artifact that had accompanied him for a long time on his left palm.
His body quickly turned transparent and disappeared.
In the saturated and stacked spirit world, Klein rapidly moved through the indescribable figures as he approached the coordinates that represented Backlund.
Suddenly, he came to a stop and stood in the chaotic void, looking at the seven pure lights that occupied the highest spot in the spirit world.
Previously, due to my low Sequence, I didn’t dare wander the spirit world. Nor did I attempt to visit the Seven Lights that had shown their kindness towards me. Now, it seems it’s time we meet… They’re the embodiments of all kinds of knowledge, and they’ve lived in the spirit world for countless years. They might know quite a bit of secrets… Just as Klein finished his thoughts, a light suddenly appeared in front of him. An elder in an orange robe appeared.
This old man was plump and had a short white beard. He looked very amiable.
He looked at Klein and nodded with a smile.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Your Excellency, please allow me to introduce myself. You should remember me. I am Orange Light Hilarion.”
The last time I saw you, you were very thin… As Klein lampooned, he asked with a smile, “You seem to have predicted that I would visit you?”
Hilarion didn’t hide anything as he smiled frankly.
“The spirit world itself is interwoven with all sorts of information. Some come from the past, some come from the present, and some indicate a certain future. Whether it’s divination or prophecy, most of the methods are actually using the spirit world, followed by the prying into the secrets of fate.”
What Orange Light meant was that since Klein was in the spirit world and had the intention of visiting, and was prepared to take action to do so, there would definitely be a corresponding exchange of information. This allowed the Seven Lights who controlled the spirit world to a certain extent to sense it and make a prophecy.
Klein wasn’t surprised at all. He nodded slightly and said, “Other than you, who else wants to meet me?”
He had originally planned on using honorifics, but considering the Seven Light’s attitude and the way Orange Light addressed him, he gave up on this plan, so as to maintain the status of the proxy to Sefirah Castle.
Orange Light Hilarion immediately smiled and said, “All of them. Your Excellency, you don’t mind, do you?”
Klein shook his head and replied politely, “Of course. It will be my honor.”
As soon as he finished speaking, different colors of light rose up around Hilarion, transforming into different old men.
“Your Excellency, please allow me to do the introductions.” When Orange Light saw Klein nod, he pointed at an elder in a red robe and said, “He is Red Light Aiur Moria.”
The one who previously answered my question… Klein immediately smiled and showed his gratitude and friendliness.
In turn, Hilarion introduced Yellow Light Venithan, Blue Light Kuthumi, Green Light Serapis, Indigo Light Iesus, and Violet Light Saint Germain.
Yellow Light Venithan… Is this the one who made an apocalyptic prophecy regarding the Abrahams’ ancestor? Klein looked at the thin, long-bearded elder in a lemon-yellow robe and said with a smile, “Let’s sit down and have a chat.”
As he spoke, he raised his right hand.
Dark red flames lit up in the surrounding area. It came from a fireplace burning high-quality charcoal.
These flames immediately lit up a reclining chair, a grayish-yellow carpet, cupboards, sofas, coffee tables, cast sculptures, white porcelain teacups, and other items, forming a classic Backlund-styled activity room.
“Please take a seat.” Klein faced the Seven Lights as he smiled and pointed at the sofa and high-back chairs.
After the Seven Lights settled down, Klein sat on the reclining chair, picked up a teacup, and said in a natural tone, “To be honest, I’ve always wanted to pay a visit to all seven of you, but I couldn’t find a chance. Now, I’ve finally fulfilled this wish.”
“This has also been our wish.” Orange Light seemed to be the brightest and most outgoing person among the Seven Lights. He immediately responded on behalf of all his companions.
Eh, I have the feeling that I’ve fulfilled someone’s wish… Klein was delighted as he probed, “Might I ask what do you know about the cosmos, or should I say, the Great Old Ones and Outer Deities?”
Indigo Light Iesus, who wore a linen robe and looked relatively young, answered seriously, “Your Excellency, the Great Old Ones eyeing our world are Mother Goddess of Depravity, Mother Tree of Desire, Son of Chaos, Primordial Hunger, Ring of Comeuppance, Supernova Dominator, Inextinguishable Ravings, Monarch of Decay, and High-Dimensional Overseer…”
…Isn’t that a little too many? Klein was a little stunned when he heard that.
Chapter 1271 Seven Lights
Upon hearing Indigo Light Iesus’s reply, Klein’s mind tensed up as he recalled the crimson moon, the Brown Planet, the Scarlet Planet, the Blue Planet, and Gold Planet. He felt like they were looking down at him from above with their eyes.
Silently, a connection was established. The impending fatal corruption made all of Klein’s Worms of Spirit feel uneasy.
As an angel in control of Sefirah Castle, Klein had many ways to sever this connection. Firstly, he could use the status and strength of a complete Mythical Creature. Secondly, he could suppress his anchors, using the mental imprint the Primordial One left in him to offset it. Thirdly, he could use the aura of Sefirah Castle that he could now utilize one step further.
Without any hesitation, he chose the simplest and most convenient method to not leave behind any hidden dangers.
A grayish-white fog appeared around him as all the celestial body projections in his mind vanished.
After being stunned for a second, Klein organized his words and said, “There are that many Outer Deities?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Indigo Light Iesus symbolized the domain of prayers. “He” touched the ruby ring on “His” right hand and nodded.
“Ever since the Oldest One awakened and split apart, the most powerful Outer Deities in the entire Universe gathered around this tiny solar system. Some of ‘Them’ wish to retrieve ‘Their’ sefirot and characteristics that had been ripped from ‘Them,’ and were attracted here. Some of ‘Them’ have the hope of getting neighboring sefirot and high-level characteristics which ‘They’ can accommodate.”
Oldest One… The Seven Lights address the original Creator as the Oldest One, and not the Primordial One… In terms of the name’s meaning, there isn’t much difference… Klein deliberated and asked, “Sefirot and characteristics that were ripped and attracted over?”
He could understand the rest of the words Indigo Light had mentioned, and he had even made some speculation towards such matters. There was just one point that caught him by surprise.
Blue Light Kuthumi, who was a symbol of the domain of Cogitation and used love and wisdom as a characteristic of “His” body, explained kindly, “Your Excellency, you shouldn’t be unfamiliar with the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics.”
Seeing Klein nod, the thick-bearded elder with a “sapphire” tied around his forehead continued, “This isn’t just a law for the Sequence pathways. It’s also suitable for describing the sefirot and the characteristics related to the Outer Deities, especially the ones that were directly nurtured and created from the Oldest One. For example, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, Son of Chaos, and the Mother Tree of Desire. As for the other Outer Deities, we aren’t too sure. In short, the three Great Old Ones who lost a portion of their sefirot and characteristics are most concerned and proactive when it comes to invading the real world. ‘They’ have been trying to influence the spirit world and corrupt us.”
Klein nodded slightly and asked in a confirmation-seeking tone, “In other words, a portion of the current twenty-two pathways and nine sefirot belong to the Outer Deities?”
“Yes.” The amethyst-wielding Saint Germain, who symbolized the domain of ritualistic magic, took the opportunity to answer. “When the total number of 22 pathways and the nine sefirot was reached, everything finally reached a balance. This might be the mysticism connection that originated from the Oldest One.”
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “What are they exactly?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Saint Germain. whose face was suffused with a faint purple glow, making “Him” look rather mysterious, said, “For example, the Moon and the Earth pathway both belong to the Mother Goddess of Depravity. ‘She’ is an existence that stands atop all the Outer Deities. Even after a portion of ‘Her’ sefirah—that is, the Brood Hive—was ripped from ‘Her,’ that remains the case. ‘She’ is the sovereign of all the feminine forces in the entire Universe.”
Just as Saint Germain said that, Green Light Serapis suddenly laughed.
“In fact, after carefully analyzing the twenty-two pathways, you’ll discover that the Moon and Earth pathways are the two most contradictory ones. Heh heh, the Demoness pathway represents the Oldest One’s feminine side. The Red Priest pathway represents the masculine side. This happens to form a deformed aspect of balance, but the Moon and Earth can also make Beyonders of the corresponding pathways turn into feminine creatures at high Sequences. There are no pathways that balance it.”
Seeing Klein wince his eyebrows, Green Light, who had the long hair of an artist, added with a smile, “The Earth pathway’s Sequence 2 is ‘Desolate Matriarch,’ and the Moon pathway’s Sequence 1 is called ‘Beauty Goddess.’ Therefore, the Sanguine only have queens and no male princes.”
Then was the ancient goddess, Lilith, originally a male and a female? Klein mumbled inwardly and asked thoughtfully, “The Primordial Moon is the Mother Goddess of Depravity?”
“Yes.” Red Light Aiur Moria, who was wearing a diamond crown, nodded in a dignified manner. “‘She’ occupies the moon, and through ‘Her’ own level and influence on the Brood Hive and the Uniqueness of two pathways, ‘She’ has gradually infiltrated into reality. The Primordial Moon is ‘Her’ manifestation in this world.”
After saying that, Aiur Moria paused and said, “‘Her’ full title is ‘Mother Goddess of Depravity,’ ‘Origin of Evil,’ The Indestructible,’ and the ‘Brood Hive of Filth.'”
Klein recalled the exaggerated reaction of the moon when he first learned of the secret of the cosmos. He suddenly felt a chill as he hurriedly asked, “The Devil and Prisoner pathway come from the Mother Tree of Desire?”
Yellow Light Venithan, who was wearing a lemon-yellow robe, sighed.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes, ‘Her’ full name is the ‘Mother Tree of Desire,’ ‘Father to Devils,’ ‘Perpetual Blatherer,’ and the ‘Heartless God.’ Therefore, ‘She’ had seized the opportunity when something happened to the Chained God, easily achieving ‘Her’ goal of corruption.”
Mother… Father… Is that fellow a man or a woman… Yes, to an existence at this level, it’s normal for there to be no distinction between genders. Different incarnations have different images… Heh, ‘She’ even wanted to bear a child for me. From the present state of the Chained God, if I had been caught, I’d probably be the one bearing the child. Then, the child will inherit Sefirah Castle, allowing the Mother Tree of Desire to indirectly corrupt and control this sefirah…
From this angle, perhaps the Prisoner pathway’s desire of indulgence is the proper way of acting. However, this “correct” path leads to the Outer Deity, so temperance is still the better one… Klein frowned slightly as he raised a question he had guessed before, hoping to get an answer.
“Since there are so many Outer Deities, why haven’t ‘They’ entered our world yet?”
From what Klein had learned to date, he could guess that, even if it were only the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the Mother Tree of Desire, the Outer Deities could easily resolve existences like the former seven deities, the True Creator, and the Primordial Demoness.
The plump Orange Light Hilarion smiled and said, “All our suffering comes from the Oldest One. All our luck comes from the Oldest One as well.
“Not only did ‘He’ leave behind ‘His’ spirit, will, branding, and corruption, but ‘He’ also left behind the sefirot, characteristics, and power.
“The remnants of ‘His’ power formed an invisible barrier outside the planet, preventing the Outer Deities from directly invading it. However, with the passage of time, ‘His’ consciousness and powers haven’t truly been revived, and ‘His’ will and powers are fading. At the end of the Fourth Epoch, this reached a very serious state. The invisible barrier produced cracks, and the seven deities had no choice but to move ‘Their’ divine kingdoms into the astral world to mend the cracks.
It’s no wonder that the true deities from the Fourth Epoch could walk the land, but “They” rarely descended in the Fifth Epoch… Klein immediately came to a realization and asked, “When the Oldest One’s will and powers decline further, the invisible barrier will vanish and usher in the apocalypse?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Orange Light Hilarion, who had been smiling all this while, glanced at Yellow Light Venithan. His expression immediately turned serious.
“Yes.”
When the time comes, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, the Mother Tree of Desire, and the Son of Chaos and all the other Outer Deities would invade this planet. Even if the Goddess becomes a Great Old One, “She” wouldn’t be able to withstand so many of “Them”… The other Sequence 0 deities would be able to tie down one or two Outer Deities together, and that would be considered a miracle… It would take nine to fight one, or even more… Klein’s scalp tingled as he once again experienced the meaning of despair.
No wonder it was called the apocalypse!
With his upheaval in emotions, he immediately felt the Primordial One’s mental imprint strengthen, and more of it had eroded what the anchors had fixed in place.
Klein quickly calmed himself down and allowed the fragile balance to reappear again.
This is the reason why the corruption from underground will naturally dissipate as long as one doesn’t approach it or resist? Klein recalled some of the mysticism knowledge he had previously grasped.
“Your Excellency, you’re completely right.” Orange Light Hilarion gave an affirmative answer.
Klein immediately made other connections.
“Does that mean that the closer one is to the apocalypse, the easier it is for one to advance? This is because the Primordial One’s will is fading. ‘His’ awakening will become difficult, to the point of not waking up again?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Red Light, Aiur Moria thought for a moment and said, “This is the reason why the seven deities have only waited until recently to set ‘Their’ sights on Above the Sequences before taking concrete action.
“However, the Oldest One’s will can dissipate, but ‘His’ spirit will remain forever. It won’t be erased unless the entire Universe returns to the singularity. Therefore, the corresponding high-level existences still have the possibility of having the Oldest One awaken in ‘Them.’ The higher the level, the greater the possibility. The corresponding influence and corruption will become more serious.”
The extraordinary power and the curse that can never be broken are always two sides of the same coin… Klein sighed. Forcefully suppressing a problem that wasn’t at his level, he asked, “Do you know the potion formula for Attendant of Mysteries?”
The amethyst-wielding Saint Germain replied, “There’s a corresponding mystery attached to such knowledge. It’s not in the spirit world, but according to our observations, the Attendant of Mysteries ritual should be closely related to the spirit world.”
Orange Light Hilarion immediately smiled at Klein.
“Your Excellency, if you require anything, we’ll provide our full support.”
This fervor makes me a little afraid, just like facing Arrodes… Klein nodded slightly and prepared to change the topic.
After some consideration, he asked solemnly, “Do you know of ‘The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings’?”
He translated the title using Elvish.
The Seven Lights immediately fell silent. “They” looked at each other and didn’t reply for a while.
After a few seconds, Orange Light Hilarion sighed.
“We still can’t be sure if you’re ‘Him.’
“‘He’ was a Great Old One who had been active during the end of the previous civilization up to the mid-stages of the First Epoch. ‘He’ is ‘the great ruler above the spirit world’ that we speak of.
“The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings is ‘His’ title in the Western Continent. The other title is ‘King of Space-Time,’ ‘Beacon of Destiny,’ ‘Embodiment of Sefirah Castle,’ ‘Dominator of the Spirit World,’ and…”
At this point, Orange Light paused and said, “Lord of the Mysteries.”
Chapter 1272 “Spring“
The King of Space-Time, Beacon of Destiny, Embodiment of Sefirah Castle, Dominator of the Spirit World, Lord of the Mysteries… So the “Mysteries” mentioned by the ancient sun god refers to the Lord of the Mysteries… Klein silently repeated the titles as he felt the trauma in his heart increase.
He immediately thought of a question and hesitated before saying, “Based on what I know, a long time before the last civilization ended, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings had already appeared.”
After the Seven Lights exchanged looks, the thin Yellow Light Venithan, who was translucent like other spirit world creatures, sighed and said, “We weren’t aware of that. When the previous civilization came to an end, the Seven Lights from before had been wiped out when the Oldest One awoke. We were the pure lights that were born from the spirit world during the First Epoch.
“However, we have some guesses about ‘the great ruler above the spirit world.’ Perhaps this can answer your questions.”
Klein perked up and wore an attentive look.
Yellow Light Venithan continued, “We suspect that some of the Great Old Ones that were active in the First Epoch were Outer Deities who had been directly attracted to this planet. Some of them came alive as sefirots. In other words, some Great Old Ones were equivalent to the Oldest One—embodiments of the different personalities ‘He’ split into.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Whatever separates will definitely converge, and whatever converges will definitely separate. This description isn’t limited to Beyonder characteristics, but also refers to the Oldest One ‘Himself.’ As most of the sefirot and characteristics are from this supreme existence, there are natural inclinations of convergence. And the Oldest One is the amalgamation of all the contradictions in the Universe. Once the sefirot and characteristics are gathered, it will almost certainly separate.”
Is this the crux and origins of the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics? The Genie is an unlucky Outer Deity who got attracted to this world, only to encounter the Lord of the Mysteries? Klein nodded slightly and didn’t interrupt. He patiently waited for Yellow Light to share “Their” guesses.
Dressed in a lemon-yellow robe, Venithan glanced at Klein and said, “Perhaps the Oldest One had already had an inclination towards separating while asleep. Therefore, ‘His’ mind was split into different parts. ‘He’ used different titles to secretly interfere with the real world and prepare for the separation that was bound to happen once ‘His’ body woke up. For example, God Almighty or the Celestial Worthy…”
A reasonable guess; it can explain many of my doubts… Klein immediately felt enlightened.
He deliberated and said, “In other words, you believe that ‘the great ruler above the spirit world’ was a part of the Oldest One. To a certain extent, ‘He’ is equivalent to the Oldest One?”
“That’s right.” Orange Light Hilarion gave an affirmative response before comforting Klein. “Based on the present situation, the great ruler is also the same as the rest of the Oldest One. ‘His’ will and powers have faded over time. Your Excellency, regardless of you being ‘Him’ or not, it doesn’t hinder you from putting up a certain level of resistance. Keep what’s left of your humanity, and reach a particular balance with ‘Him.’ Heh heh, separation is inevitable.”
What kind of consolation is that? Klein couldn’t help but lampoon.
Then he realized a problem:
Since the Oldest One dissociated into different parts, the mental imprint in the body of a High-Sequence Beyonder of the corresponding pathway should also belong to the different Great Old Ones.
Composite Start
Composite End
If the Primordial One which awoke in the ancient sun god’s body is the God Almighty as described by the Seven Lights, then who would it be when the Primordial One’s mental imprint begins eating at me?
The answer to this question was very obvious. Without needing to think, Klein could answer it:
The Lord of the Mysteries, the Dominator of the Spirit World, the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings!
In other words, it wasn’t that the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings hadn’t left any traces as he had previously believed. “He” had already awoken in Klein’s body!
F*ck… Klein’s entire body turned cold. He inexplicably experienced what the ancient sun god previously felt.
At that moment, he was very worried that, one day, he would unknowingly become another person, becoming the resurrected Lord of the Mysteries, the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.
However, an awakening of this level is similar to what other angels have encountered. It’s not as strong and irresistible as I had imagined it to be… This is because I’m different from the ancient sun god. I wasn’t born with the status of an angel, or even in control of a Uniqueness. I advanced step by step, and I was able to complete the digestion in different stages? If that’s the case, I have to thank the grayish-white fog that sent the “curtain” into the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Perhaps, this involved the help of a particular, or several existences… Yes, that’s still not right. I’ve already become the owner of Sefirah Castle. There’s no reason for the corruption and contamination I suffer to be the same as other Sequence 2 angels… Klein secretly shook his head. He didn’t raise the corresponding question to the Seven Lights.
To him, this was one of his core secrets. He definitely couldn’t let other existences know what his current state was like.
He raised his right hand and placed it to his mouth. He coughed lightly.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I roughly understand.”
After chatting with the Seven Lights, Klein stood up and bowed.
“Thank you for your answers.”
“It was our pleasure. May Your Excellency return to the throne of the great ruler above the spirit world as quickly as possible.” The Seven Lights stood up at the same time, giving him a warm response.
Are “They” trying to curse me? Klein teased himself as he politely sent away the seven pure lights.
Following that, he activated “Teleport” once again, and returned to a secluded alley in Backlund.
Pressing his top hat on his head, Klein strolled down the street.
The first thing that caught his eye was the crowd of all kinds of people and the hustle and bustle that formed a heatwave.
Some people were wearing linen clothes, sawing down abnormally tall trees in groups of about four people. Some of them formed a team, busy repairing the streets and houses that didn’t suffer too much damage. Some held Desi pies and sweet ice tea in their hands, rushing past him, as though they were rushing to their workplace. Some of them rode cargo carriages, carrying food, meat, and vegetables, all heading in different directions…
Composite Start
Composite End
Although most of these people wore simple clothes with plenty of visible stitches, and there were still signs of numbness and pain on their faces, the vitality their bodies exuded seemed to interweave into a light of hope before Klein’s eyes. They were tenaciously brimming with life.
They were like grass that tried their best to tear through stones after a cold winter.
Klein slowed down his steps and gazed deeply at the bustling scene.
Although he hadn’t seen the tragedy in the later stages of the war, he had learned plenty from Miss Justice and Leonard. Furthermore, he had previously been traveling in the even darker and more repressed Forsaken Land of the Gods. It was inevitable that he felt some uncontrollable emotions.
Spring had arrived.
Klein’s expression gradually relaxed as the corners of his mouth curled up.
He walked through the streets and alleys that were rebuilt after the war, and he walked all the way to Saint Samuel Cathedral in North Borough.
The square was filled with potholes. The workers were doing the first round of cleaning. A small flock of pigeons had returned and landed in this once-familiar area.
Klein looked around but didn’t find any hawkers. All he could do was use historical projections as food and scatter it across the floor.
As the pigeons flew over, he crossed the square and entered the cathedral where the bell tower was being repaired. He sat in the front pew of the prayer hall.
Composite Start
Composite End
Looking at the Sacred Emblem that was the crimson moon surrounded by stars, Klein took off his hat and clasped his hands. He closed his eyes in this tranquil environment.
He gradually calmed down, feeling as if he was really praying.
At this moment, Leonard, with much longer black hair and darker green eyes, walked down the aisle in a black trench coat and red gloves. He came near him and sat on the pew two spots from him and began praying.
In the absolute silence, Klein opened his eyes, stood up, put on his hat, and walked past Leonard.
When he reached the door, Leonard slowly got up and followed behind.
One after the other, they arrived at a corner of the square not long after.
Leonard looked at the few pigeons on the ground and seemingly mumbled to himself, “I’m already a high-ranking deacon of the Nighthawks. In another two days, I’ll return to the Holy Cathedral for some studies, as well as obtain a corresponding Holy Artifact.”
In the final stages of the war, he advanced at the frontlines to Sequence 4 Nightwatcher.
“You don’t seem to be too happy.” Klein, who was standing beside Leonard, didn’t turn his head as he looked at the pigeons.
Leonard laughed self-deprecatingly.
“I have no right to be unhappy.
“I was just thinking that the battle of gods ended so quickly, and the result was unexpected. Does it mean that the previous defeat and the difficulties that everyone suffered were nothing but bait?”
“Before today, I shared your views. I was also puzzled and frustrated, but now, I’m a little lost. This might have been… a necessity.” Klein didn’t hide his feelings.
Leonard fell silent for two seconds before looking down at the pigeon that was prancing around him.
“That’s what Old Man said too…”
Without waiting for Klein to say another word, he turned his head and glanced at his former colleague.
“You’ve become an angel?”
Pallez Zoroast had told him that what Klein had done previously was perhaps to prepare for his advancement to an angel.
“Yes.” Klein nodded slightly. “But there isn’t any glory or power in this. Only pain, curses, and responsibility.”
“Why?” Leonard subconsciously asked.
Klein didn’t reply immediately. He looked down at the shadow by his feet and turned to walk out the square.
After a few steps, he turned his back to Leonard and muttered to himself, “You should still remember that sentence.
“We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.”
Leonard was taken aback. After a few seconds, he turned to look at Klein, but all he could see was Klein’s back which was just about to disappear around the corner of the street. He was wearing a half top hat and a black trench coat.
With a whoosh, the pigeons on the ground flew up into the light-blue sky.
Chapter 1273 The Poor Arrodes
Klein didn’t visit Benson and Melissa, because the matters he was involved in were at too high a level. Approaching his siblings would only bring them disaster. For existences who didn’t know Klein’s original identity, such acts would help them understand the relationship between Benson, Melissa, and Klein. To know of Klein’s past experiences, this would make “Them” confirm one thing—Klein still maintained his humanity and was still very concerned about his family.
Therefore, staying away from Benson and Melissa was the best form of protection he could give them.
Of course, Klein had already grasped the situation of his siblings through Miss Justice.
During the war, Benson had displayed his experience and ability at the Ministry of Finance. He received many promotions and had become the deputy director of the Fifth Department, and his annual salary reached 300 pounds.
Melissa won the favor of her mentor, Portland Moment, and was given a chance to become a Beyonder. The chancellor of the Backlund University of Technology was a believer of the God of Steam and Machinery, so he had long become a Beyonder. He was currently a Sequence 7 Appraiser. He wished for Melissa to become a Sequence 9 Savant so that she could better absorb the knowledge and improve her memory. This established a good foundation for her in her subsequent development in the mechanical domain.
This was Melissa’s secret, but she wasn’t able to hide from a Spectator at the demigod level. Besides, Audrey definitely informed Klein that Melissa was more inclined to agree, and would be making a decision in the next few days.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein’s attitude towards this matter was a tacit acquiesce. On the one hand, the spiritual perception enhancement one gained from the Savant pathway’s advancement was rather limited. Melissa wouldn’t really hear or see what she shouldn’t. On the other hand, with the impending apocalypse, the madness caused by the Low-Sequence potions would further decrease. Furthermore, there was also him, a Miracle Invoker, to help lower the risk of her losing control.
For an avid fan of machinery, a Sequence 9 Savant is enough… Moment shares the same attitude. He doesn’t wish for a believer of the Evernight to obtain too many potions from the Church of Steam…
Yes, the apocalypse is approaching, and the invisible barrier is weakening. The intrusion of this world by the Outer Deities will become more and more obvious. The chances of ordinary people encountering Beyonder incidents will definitely gradually increase. From this point of view, it’s also a good thing for Melissa to become a Beyonder. If she can successfully advance to Sequence 6 Artisan, or a Machinery Specialist, then she can fulfill her dreams and protect herself and Benson…
I’ll get Miss Justice to find an opportunity to disclose the “acting method” to Melissa in a discreet manner. The extent of her future growth will depend on her. At most, I can give her some good luck—uh, formulas and ingredients… I’m really like an older brother who can’t rest easily. Heh, I’ve been like this since the beginning. Does this count as granting a “wish” in a certain sense?
Wait, Melissa definitely wishes for Klein to come back to life. If I were to walk right in front of her, would I receive enough feedback?
…Forget it. This will bring her and Benson a devastating disaster… Klein shook his head and stopped himself from making excuses.
He then pressed down on his top hat and turned towards a hotel by the streets. He took out a gold pound and got a room.
The gold pound was real. It was an item that Klein had brought back to the real world some time ago.
In the previous war, Klein had donated 14,800 pounds in cash, 14,200 pounds worth of gold bars, and nearly 20 high-quality gems through Miss Justice. Apart from all the strange items left on the junk pile, he only had 39 Loen gold coins and ten high-quality gems left.
Composite Start
Composite End
Glancing at the hotel owner’s returning change in soli and pennies, Klein put them away and entered the room before walking to the full-length mirror.
Right on the heels of that, he took out a pen and paper and drew the incantation that summoned Arrodes.
Seconds and minutes passed, but nothing abnormal happened.
The full-body mirror remained silent.
A few seconds later, Klein chuckled and raised his eyebrows. He took out a gold coin from his pocket.
…
Chug! Chug! Chug!
A steam locomotive that was spewing thick smoke tore across the rail, heading west of the continent.
The disheveled Ikanser and a Machinery Hivemind member stood in a particular carriage as they focused on the metal cage in front of them.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The metal spikes above the cage extended outwards in all kinds of menacing ways, coruscating with a dim light.
The Machinery Hivemind member, who had the looks of a typical Loenese citizen, looked out the window at the plains rapidly sweeping past them. He couldn’t help but ask, “Deacon, are you planning on returning to Loen after reaching Intis?”
After the war ended, the Church of Steam, who had taken the wrong side, had no choice but to bear the consequences of its actions. It had to transfer all Beyonders above that of demigods, and Sealed Artifacts above Grade 2 out of Loen within a time period set by the two Churches of Evernight and Storm.
In other words, they had lost their original status. In the future, they could only maintain a small number of cathedrals, just like the Church of Earth Mother in Loen.
If it weren’t for the fact that there were too many people who believed in the God of Steam and Machinery, and some of them being key figures in the reconstruction efforts after the war, the Church of Steam might not have been able to retain such treatment.
Similarly, a smaller number of cathedrals only required a small number of Machinery Hivemind members. Most of the Beyonders in Loen had to migrate to Intis.
Ikanser fell silent for a few seconds before smiling bitterly.
“I have to heed the archbishops’ arrangements, but I will take the initiative to request a return to Loen. That’s where my childhood, teenage, and young adult life was. There are too many memories that I can’t forget…”
As he spoke, his gaze grew distant, and he seemed to see the Capital of Capitals.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, the metal cage that was overgrown with spikes suddenly trembled.
Silver bolts of lightning appeared out of nowhere and landed one after another. They were all absorbed by the metal cage, and through a few wires wrapped in rubber, the current flowed to the ground outside the steam locomotive, dragging out a line of sparks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The metal cage seemed to be hit by an invisible hand, but it was unable to break the barrier.
“The Magic Mirror’s reaction is very intense… It’s always been very quiet in the past,” the Machinery Hivemind member who had been asking was rather puzzled.
Amidst the banging, Ikanser subconsciously touched his hair.
“That’s not the case. It will sometimes show its crazy side. If it wasn’t for what had happened, we would’ve still treated it as a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact.”
“Is that so? Heh heh, I haven’t come into contact with it before, so it might just be me, but it feels to me that the Magic Mirror doesn’t want to leave Backlund,” the Machinery Hivemind member teased with a smile.
Pa!
Lightning struck and was absorbed by the metal cage.
Composite Start
Composite End
Bang! Bang! Bang! The slamming sounds dragged on slowly, as though it was making its last, helpless cry.
Ikanser took out an old and exquisite pocket watch and opened it.
“It only lasted two minutes. It’s much better than in the morning.”
Just as the member of the Machinery Hivemind, who had just been transferred over, was about to ask, he suddenly heard the slamming sounds stop abruptly. It was as though it had been affected by some factor that it couldn’t put up resistance to.
“This is the style of the Magic Mirror?” he asked.
Ikanser frowned slightly and said, “No.
“Normally speaking, it wouldn’t have the strength to last twenty to thirty seconds.
“Something’s wrong…”
“Deacon, don’t worry. There is a powerful figure on board the train, one who outranks the archbishops.” The Machinery Hivemind member beside him consoled him indifferently.
There were too many dangerous Sealed Artifacts on the steam locomotive. Without a powerful figure watching them, there would definitely be problems.
Ikanser nodded, indicating that he wasn’t worried.
Klein was sitting in a conjured carriage in a hamlet’s path more than ten kilometers away from the steam locomotive. In front of him was a mirror.
Just as he finished outlining the symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying, a wave of light suffused the mirror as golden Loenese text appeared:
“Exalted Great Master, you’re finally here! Your puny, loyal, and poor servant, Arrodes, misses you!”
Eh… Klein couldn’t accept the enthusiasm behind this line as he shrank back indiscernibly.
If Arrodes’s previous attempts to curry favor still maintained a hint of dignity, it was now complete fawning over him. Klein could even detect a hint of crying.
“The frequency of Amorous news popping up in Trier is far higher than in Backlund. It should be a place that you’re fond of,” Klein teased Arrodes with a smile.
“That’s because you don’t wish to go to Trier.” The golden words on the surface of the mirror faded their colors, turning a faint silver.
Klein secretly clicked his tongue.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Please ask,” Arrodes replied humbly.
“Do you know who Earth Mother is?” Klein went straight to the point.
The mirror instantly turned dark as the faint silver words turned palish white:
“I don’t know… But during the war of gods, I heard a voice coming from deep within Tenebrous Heaven. ‘He’ shouted a name… That’s the true name of the Sanguine Ancestor.”
This magic mirror didn’t dare to directly present Lilith’s name.
Lilith? It’s actually Lilith… Klein was surprised, but he also felt that this answered many of his questions.
Then, he thought of The Moon Emlyn.
This vampire kept going in circles, imagining all kinds of developments, only to have never changed his faith.
If Emlyn had Anderson’s personality, he would definitely say to the Sanguine’s Grand Duke and Marquises, “Hey, are you also coming to believe in the Mother Goddess…” As Klein imagined the funny scene, he said to Arrodes, “It’s your turn to ask.”
“Supreme Master, please continue asking. I’ll ask it all at once towards the end.” The palish-white words regained their faint-silver luster.
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “How’s the situation like now? For example, the situation in Feysac.”0
Chapter 1274 The Stabilization of the Situation
On the surface of the mirror, silver words surfaced one by one amidst the aqueous light:
“…adopt Beyonders from the Church of the God of Combat and the Feysac military who are willing to pledge their loyalty. Only the extremely pious, faithful, and those willing to be martyrs, as well as a few mid- and upper echelon members of the Church are to be eliminated. This is both the benevolence and compassion of the Goddess, as well as the necessary measures to deal with the subsequent situation … With the apocalypse approaching, the number of Beyonder incidents will inevitably increase all across the world. To maintain the stability of the world, we have to do our best to increase our strength as quickly as possible.
“If we were to cull the Beyonders of the Church of the God of Combat and the Feysac military, obtaining their corresponding characteristics, that still doesn’t aid us in nurturing a Beyonder of the same level within a few years. A Beyonder with rich experience, be it in their digesting of the potion or accumulated knowledge, requires a sufficient amount of time…”
Upon seeing this, Klein mumbled inwardly. He felt that this wasn’t the usual tone of Arrodes. It was more like an official document.
It’s showing documents of unknown origins that it peeped at… By using words like “digesting,” it means that both the writer and the reader have mastered the acting method. And from the tone of the document, it’s from the Church of Evernight… Based on these two points, it’s not difficult to tell that these documents are for the eyes of archbishops and high-ranking deacons. The author should be the Apostolic See from the Cathedral of Serenity… Arrodes’s secret-prying abilities are very impressive… Klein nodded indiscernibly as he waited for the contents in the mirror to “flip the page.”
The silver words vanished one after another, quickly forming new sentences and paragraphs:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“There’s no need to spread the fact that the Goddess has replaced the God of Combat to the ordinary nobles and citizens of Feysac. This allows them to retain their faith in the God of Combat. On the one hand, it’s beneficial for us and the priests, bishops, and various major cathedrals who have surrendered to us. It will stabilize the situation in Feysac in the quickest way possible. On the other hand, it also prevents the Goddess from being disturbed by the unresolvable problem of faith before “She” completely gains control of the God of Combat’s authority.
“An update will be disseminated after a new revelation is given. Now, we will only draw up the corresponding draft.
“…Try not to incite the strong resistance of Feysac and other countries. We’ve lost too many Beyonders and soldiers, and we have expended a large amount of resources and items. Be it the Church, the countries, or the people of different classes, we are all very weak. We need some time of peace and stability to recover… We should work with the Church of Storms, the Church of Knowledge, the Church of Earth Mother, countries like Feynapotter or Lenburg. We will force Intis and Feysac to make an unconditional surrender. We will obtain what we hope for at the negotiation table. During this process, we can use the purging of the stubborn old-fashioned faithful to exert pressure on them.
“When dealing with the domestic situation and the filling of the void left behind by the Church of Steam, the Church of Storms should be given enough respect. We can even make concessions on certain matters. This is the will of the Goddess.
“Finally, from this moment forth, the number of times the crimson moon that appears in the sermons, preaching, rituals, and Masses should be reduced. In official canon, the Goddess’s title of ‘Lady of Crimson’ shall no longer be mentioned…”
“Lady of Crimson” shall no longer be mentioned… Klein’s brows twitched as he felt a strong sense of confusion towards the last sentence.
Soon, he thought of the Sanguine Ancestor, the ancient god of the Second Epoch, and the present Earth Mother, Lilith, who was once a Sequence 0 of the Moon pathway. She was the true Lady of Crimson. In a moment of enlightenment, he vaguely understood that this might be an exchange under the table. It was a necessary price.
Yes… The Goddess’s attitude is very clear. That is to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible… Before “She” truly controls the authority of Death and that of the God of Combat, and becomes a Great Old One, “She” undoubtedly doesn’t wish for any more orthodox deities to perish. If that happened, the invisible barrier left behind by the Primordial One will have no one to mend it; this will allow the Outer Deities to find an opportunity to bring the apocalypse forward… Also, based on Loen’s present situation, if we continue the war, the anchors will waver even more. It might lead to the awakening of the Primordial One in the Goddess…
The Goddess took a huge risk having the frontline retreat all the way to Backlund. “She” had to divert more strength to suppress the Primordial One. If Earth Mother betrayed “Her,” “She” might’ve perished even faster than the God of Combat. Uh, could “She” have other trump cards?
Composite Start
Composite End
The losses that the Church of the Evernight Goddess and the Church of Storms suffered seems quite significant. It’s no wonder that after the Resistance announced that they would retain the corresponding cathedrals and respect the Storm religion, that bunch of irascible fellows didn’t attempt to retaliate, and they silently agreed to the establishment of the new government… Klein mumbled to himself as he had a rough idea of the current situation.
He asked a third question:
“If the Evernight Goddess wants to advance further, does ‘She’ need to find the River of Eternal Darkness?”
This was one of the nine sefirot. Klein remembered Arrodes mentioning it once, saying that this “river” was related to the ancient Death, the Phoenix ancestor, Gregrace. The clues seemed to be hidden deep in the spirit world’s Calderón City.
“Yes, Great Master.” The silver words twisted and distorted, forming new text. “The Death at the end of the Fourth Epoch should’ve been able to use the River of Eternal Darkness. ‘He’ attempted to use this sefirah to forcefully accommodate the Uniqueness of neighboring pathways. Then, ‘He’ went mad.”
So that was how Death went mad back then. I knew it; a Sequence 0 true god, one who has lived for three Epochs and has seen the Blasphemy Slate, wouldn’t lack common sense and randomly drink potions. It’s not like “He” is Alista Tudor, having reached a point of only having the options of madness or death… It’s no wonder Death challenged the fractured seven deities with just a Primordial Demoness. Back then, “He” was equivalent to half a Great Old One… Yes, Mr. Azik had a golden phoenix accessory that came from Death… Klein strung up certain matters.
Suddenly, he inwardly let out an exclamation. He suspected that the price of so many bestowments was the River of Eternal Darkness.
Just like how the True Creator had repeatedly tolerated him so as to force him into the Giant King’s residence to obtain the first Blasphemy Slate!
As the owner of Sefirah Castle, he was probably the only relatively high Sequence Beyonder who could resist the corruption of other sefirot.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, the Evernight Goddess could also wait up to a decade or so. After the Primordial One’s will faded further, “She” could personally retrieve it. However, this way, Klein wasn’t sure if “She” could complete the ritual before the apocalypse happened.
He composed himself and raised the fourth question:
“Where can I get the potion formula for Attendant of Mysteries?”
Arrodes made the silver words reassemble into brand new content:
“Zaratul; first Blasphemy Slate; second Blasphemy Slate; The Card of Blasphemy, The Fool; The Fool Uniqueness that has become a Mythical Creature.”
The first choice and second choice might be plotting against me… Zaratul is even more terrifying and cunning than the Dark Demonic Wolf. If I were to plot against “Him,” there’s a high chance of me falling into “His” trap. The danger is extremely high… The third choice is Amon’s brother. “He” should’ve used this war to become a Visionary. If I were to provoke “Him,” Sefirah Castle might not be able to save me… The fourth and fifth options are related to The Half-Fool of the Antigonus family. It’s related to the Goddess’s foggy town. Uh, the Goddess should have a way to circle around The Half-Fool and extract the Card of Blasphemy, but perhaps I’ll need to use the River of Eternal Darkness to exchange for it… Klein realized that he had reached a dead end.
The path ahead was the River of Eternal Darkness, and behind him was the leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul.
Unfortunately, if I can find the Dark Demonic Wolf, I can try to negotiate with “Him.” “He” should’ve seen the first Blasphemy Slate and grasp the potion formula of Attendant of Mysteries… Sigh, “He” will flee far away once he smells me… Klein thought for a moment and said to Arrodes, “Fifth question, what did you mean when you said you saw a pillar and support from me?”
The aqueous light in the mirror swirled slightly as the deepness became more obvious. The corresponding silver text seemed to turn a little whiter.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Great Master, this is a feeling that I can’t describe using words.
“However, I’ve experienced similar feelings in another existence before. Apart from ‘Him,’ only you possess it. That existence is the ancient sun god.”
The ancient sun god… Klein nodded in thought.
“Alright, it’s your turn to ask.”
On the surface of the mirror, the words on the silver screen suddenly turned golden:
“Supreme Master, do you think you can take away your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes?
“Supreme Master, do you think you can take away your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes?”
…
This question appeared five times in a row, completely covering the surface of the mirror.
Having become an angel, Klein no longer feared Arrodes. After thinking for a few seconds, he smiled and said, “Let me talk to that angel. This is basic courtesy.”
Composite Start
Composite End
With a boom, illusory beams of different colors spewed out from the mirror and exploded into fireworks in the carriage.
Almost at the same time, two dark rays of light reached out from the edge of the mirror. Two arms that appeared surreal grew out.
The two “arms” originally wanted to reach out to Klein’s calf, but they silently shrank back and gently swayed on the spot.
“Praise the Supreme Master!” After the fireworks fell, a golden message appeared in the mirror.
…
In the middle section of the steam locomotive, in a simple room.
A tall and handsome young man with long chestnut hair sat on a hardwood chair. Facing the triangular Sacred Emblem, he clasped his hands and closed his eyes as he sincerely prayed.
On the side of the narrow table was a mannequin made of metal components. Behind the mannequin was a faint meshed glow.
Suddenly, the young man opened his eyes and looked towards the other side.
Someone had appeared there.
And in the young man’s blue eyes, the figure only looked like a person. In essence, it was an invisible vortex wearing a silk top hat and a black trench coat. Inside the vortex, there were transparent and distorted maggots squirming about in the cluster.
“Gehrman Sparrow.” The young man calmly read out a name.
All the items around him floated up, but there was no wind in the room.
Klein pressed his top hat and revealed his human face.
“How may I address you?”
The young man nodded slightly and said, “Bornova Gustav.”
Chapter 1275 A New Journey
Bornova Gustav… Klein’s gaze swept across the young man’s face, landing on the floating items and the mannequin made from metallic components.
The mannequins have a postmodern style… Some of the physical laws here seem to have changed a little… Klein nodded in thought.
“I want to take the mirror.”
He very honestly stated his request.
Bornova’s expression didn’t change, as though he was just a puppet.
“You’re a Blessed of Evernight?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I guess so,” Klein said with a smile.
Bornova nodded.
“Then take it away.”
He’s of the impression that I’m asking for the spoils of war for the Church of Evernight? Klein didn’t explain as he politely took off his hat and bowed slightly.
“Thank you very much.”
As he spoke, Klein’s figure suddenly faded and vanished.
He had only come in the form of a Historical Void projection.
Following that, in the carriage where Ikanser and the Machinery Hivemind member were, nothing happened.
Of course, they were only situated in a historical scene, and the actual situation in the car had been covered up without their knowledge.
Composite Start
Composite End
On a carriage more than ten kilometers away, a mirror suddenly appeared in Klein’s hand.
It was silver in color, and the patterns on its back were ancient and mysterious. On both sides was an eye-like ornament.
“Don’t speak.” Klein looked into the mirror and gave a simple instruction.
“Yes, Supreme Master.” Silver words surfaced from the depths of the mirror.
Klein immediately took out a pen and paper and used the magic mirror as a backing to write.
He thought for a moment and wrote with a faint smile:
“Dear Mr. Azik,
“It seems like I haven’t written to you for a long time, as I went to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and had a wonderful journey.
“There are only two types of living creatures there. They are either living sentient creatures, or monsters. Those sentient beings either bear a curse or have obvious physical mutations. They’re even more tragic than I imagined.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I tried helping them. This wasn’t only for the ritual, for my anchors, or to satisfy my sympathetic heart. It holds meaning on its own…
“Putting aside the suffering, the situation in the Forsaken Land of the Gods is completely different from the outside world. It’s like an oil painting with a black theme… What’s surprising is that Artificial Death can influence the undying creatures there. I was very confused back then, but today, I finally had a guess. I suspect that this is related to the River of Eternal Darkness, one of the nine sefirot…
“This reminds me of Calderón City in the spirit world. I’m reminded of the golden phoenix accessory you mentioned before… Rumor has it that the Phoenix Ancestor—Death of the Fourth Epoch—could use the River of Eternal Darkness to a certain extent. I wonder if you know anything about this?
“The war that lasted for more than a year has finally ended. The Evernight Goddess clinched victory in the end, and the God of Combat has perished. I believe that, with your level and status, you should know what this means…
“No matter what, the long-awaited peace has finally arrived. People are gradually returning to their normal lives. This is a scene that I like to see, but some wounds may never heal…
“I don’t know if the apocalypse will arrive on time, and I don’t know when you’ll wake up. I can only hope that everything’s heading in the right direction.
“Finally, let me mention something trivial. I’ve already advanced to Sequence 2 and am now a Miracle Invoker. This is both a curse and hope.
“I wish you well.
Your eternal student,
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein Moretti.”
After he finished writing, Klein examined it carefully before folding the letter. He blew Azik’s copper whistle and summoned the bone messenger.
When the gigantic messenger emerged from the ground, its bones trembled as though it had sensed the aura of “the great ruler above the spirit world.”
Klein chuckled softly and handed the letter to the messenger whose number was unknown. He watched it clumsily bow before disintegrating into a fountain and burrowing into the ground.
After doing this, Klein cast his gaze at the magic mirror on his thigh.
Sensing his gaze, the aqueous light on the surface of the mirror rippled and produced silver words:
“Great Master, where are we going next?”
Where to next? Klein repeated the question inwardly. He really wanted to “Teleport” to the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range and enter the ancient palace that bordered reality and foggy town. He wanted to see if he had the chance to take away the most useful Card of Blasphemy from the Antigonus family’s Half-Fool.
With his present strength being equivalent to half a Sequence 1, this wasn’t an impossible task. Back when Zaratul was a Sequence 2, he had managed to obtain the main ingredient of Attendant of Mysteries from The Half-Fool.
Of course, the premise was that the Evernight Goddess maintained the suppression and seal of the Antigonus family’s ancestor.
Composite Start
Composite End
Hence, he had gone full circle, circling back to a deal with the Evernight Goddess.
The present me is the owner of Sefirah Castle. I can split a portion of the Worms of Spirit to stay above the gray fog, constantly responding to any prayers. This way, apart from having certain latent problems to my mental state, I’ll gain quite a bit of benefits in other aspects. Yes, I can help my main body at any time, giving me another resurrection method… Even if my main body is completely destroyed, with the Worms of Spirit above the gray fog, I can still reassemble my will and body… However, if I were to walk in the real world and get “Concealed,” and also end up having my connection with Sefirah Castle severed, the Worms of Spirit left in Sefirah Castle will lose control and turn into monsters, just like Zaratul from back then… Klein quickly analyzed the situation. With his current strength, he felt that it was best if he didn’t venture deep into Calderón City for the time being.
Even if he were to search for clues regarding the River of Eternal Darkness, he would have to fulfill many wishes and obtain the true strength of a Miracle Invoker.
With this in mind, Klein patted the mirror and said with a smile, “Next, let’s go wander together.
“Where do you want to go?”
“Trier—no, you can go wherever you want,” Arrodes replied humbly.
Klein smiled and jumped off the carriage, heading towards the city closest to him.
After the carriage continued for several meters, it disappeared inch by inch and returned to the fog of history.
At the same time, Klein’s trench coat turned into a black robe. His top hat changed in shape, giving off a classic vibe.
This made Klein feel like a wandering magician walking through the streets and alleys.
…
In a rather intact house in Backlund.
Dressed in holy white robes, the beautiful Demoness of Unaging, Katarina, put down the mirror in her hand and turned her head to the young man who was rocking in a reclining chair.
“The war is over. They finally decided to summon me back to headquarters.”
“I’ve been waiting for this day for too long,” the young man sitting on a reclining chair scoffed.
He was wearing a long black robe with red patterns. He had a pale-white brown-skinned face with a soft outline. He was the Gatekeeper possessed by the Red Angel evil spirit.
Katarina pressed down on the table with both hands and sat on it. The corners of her lips curled up as she said, “You don’t seem testy at all.”
“When you get locked underground with two detestable fellows for nearly two thousand years without being able to escape, you’ll know that two years of waiting is extremely easy and relaxing. I’m not in a rush at all,” the Red Angel evil spirit said with a chuckle. “After this matter ends, I’ll let you experience it. Of course, I’ll remember to throw you two male companions. As for how long you can last, it’s up to you to decide if you can hold yourself back.”
As “He” said this, the Red Angel evil spirit’s two cheeks didn’t reveal any retorting mouths. This was because, to “Them,” this was the truth.
“They” and two other detestable fellows had been locked underground for nearly two thousand years without any means of escape.
Upon hearing this answer, Katarina’s eyes darted around as she asked with a faint smile, “Aren’t you worried that Primordial would learn of this once you head to our headquarters?”
“So what? There’s always a need to take risks in doing things. Furthermore, the worst outcome is to fuse with ‘Her.’ I’m already three in one, so becoming four in one isn’t a problem,” Sauron Einhorn Medici said with a nonchalant attitude.
“Let’s set off.” Katarina hopped off the table with a smile.
Just as she finished speaking, a red-haired man with a trademark imprint on his forehead was reflected in her eyes.
The Gatekeeper, who wore a black, red-patterned robe, stopped breathing. His skin and flesh rapidly rotted, turning into yellow-green pus.
In just a few seconds, there was only a white skeleton and a Beyonder characteristic left on the reclining chair.
Katarina waved her hand, pulling the Beyonder characteristic over by using invisible threads. It fell into her palm.
Immediately after, she lost all corporealness and suddenly entered the mirror she had used before.
A dark and illusory path that appeared surreal presented itself in front of the Saintess of White. It formed a complicated and mysterious “web” with similar objects in her surroundings, interweaving into a strange world that was different from reality.
Katarina quickly traversed the mirror world and approached the target node.
At that moment, she felt a powerful suction force. She couldn’t help but deviate from the path and cast a dark and blurry fog. It represented a mirror in the real world.
In an instant, Katarina, along with the Red Angel evil spirit, left the mirror and came to an unfamiliar room covered in carpets.
At the edge of the room, a young man with ordinary facial features who was dressed in common clothes leaned against the staircase railings and smiled at the Demoness of White.
His left hand was constantly tossing an item, a strange crown covered in rust and blood.
Before Katarina could react, the young man took out a crystal monocle and put it on his left eye.
“Heh…” The Red Angel evil spirit’s sneer echoed in Katarina’s mind.
The next second, the young man took off the monocle and shifted it to his right eye before saying with a smile, “Sorry, I wore it in the wrong spot.”
Chapter 1276 Wandering Magician
Upon seeing this scene, Katarina’s body took a step back uncontrollably as her mind fell silent.
Two seconds later, she opened her mouth and let out a male voice:
“Hey, little raven.”
Without waiting for the young man to respond, Katarina smiled and said, “Aren’t you looking down on me by bringing just a few avatars?
“Could it be that you’re a mailman, specifically here to deliver me Beyonder ingredients?
“Tell me, what kind of cooperation do you want? I don’t hate you too much. After all, what happened back then was planned by that zealot. The mastermind was Alista Tudor, and you can only be considered an accomplice.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The man opposite “Him” caught the crown that was covered in rust and blood. “He” straightened up and shook “His” head with a smile.
“I have my reservations in cooperating with you after hearing your voice. Why don’t you get Sauron and Einhorn to talk to me?”
“Tsk, tsk. It’s been so many years, yet you’re still as willful as a child. Do you still remember who was responsible for carrying you when you were still a baby? Who was the one who burned away your hair?” The Red Angel evil spirit mocked without any compromises.
The young man opposite “Him” used “His” empty hand to straighten “His” monocle and calmly turned around before walking out the door without any hesitation.
During this process, “He” sighed softly.
“Childish.”
Seeing that Amon had no intention of stopping, the Red Angel fell silent for a few seconds. Before the other party walked out of the room, it controlled Katarina’s body and chuckled.
“Don’t think that I don’t know what you want to do, but it doesn’t matter. Since you don’t have the same thoughts as that zealot, then there’s room for cooperation.”
Amon stopped and turned halfway to look at Demoness of White Katarina, who was possessed by the Red Angel evil spirit.
Composite Start
Composite End
The monocle on “His” right eye seemed to glimmer slightly.
…
Awwa County, in a city that was being rebuilt after war, inside a bar which had burn marks.
“Toby, did you add too much damned water to your beer?” A man wearing an old cap took the cup and took a sip. He couldn’t help but complain.
The boss, who doubled up as bartender, wiped his cup and snorted.
“Do you still remember the alcohol ban from before? Olić, you should be thankful that you even have alcohol to drink!”
The burly man, who was named Olić, murmured a few words before he focused on drinking his beer.
Beside him was a bronze-skinned man with rolled-up sleeves. He looked up and surveyed the area.
“I heard that the alcohol ban will soon be lifted because Feynapotter’s food will soon be sent over. Also, Feysac and Intis will pay reparations with plenty of food!”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I can only say that I hope so. May the Lord watch over us.” The bar owner, Toby, had just responded when he heard the door open.
He looked up and saw a young man who seemed to be a wandering magician walk in.
This man was wearing a long black robe and a classic top hat. He walked to the bar counter and sat on a high stool.
“A cup of Southville beer.” The man placed several copper pence on the counter.
The burly man named Olić turned his head to look at the stranger and asked curiously, “Not from around here? A magician?”
The young man, who didn’t have any outstanding features, laughed and said, “Yes, the magic that I’m best at is to satisfy the wishes of people.”
Olić immediately whistled.
“What did I hear?
“To satisfy the wishes of people!?
Composite Start
Composite End
“Lord, there’s a fellow pretending to be a deity here!”
This teasing caused everyone to burst into laughter.
The young man who claimed to be a magician wasn’t angry. He smiled and said, “That’s just a special magic trick.”
Olić gulped down a mouthful of bland beer and laughed.
“Then fulfill my wish and let this stingy boss treat me to a glass of beer.”
“Alright.” The young man in a black robe raised his right hand and tapped lightly on the table.
With the glass slamming onto the counter loudly, the bar owner poured a glass of beer and pushed it in front of Olić. Then, he retracted his hand and repeated his glass wiping.
This scene that seemed familiar to him stunned Olić. He shouted blankly,
“Toby, you know him?”
“No.” The boss, Toby, glanced at Olić like he was a fool.
Composite Start
Composite End
“…” Olić raised the glass of beer with uncertainty and took a careful sip to see if Toby would make him pay for it.
Seeing that the bar owner no longer bothered with him, the burly man turned his head in surprise and looked at the young man in a black robe and a tall hat.
“How did you do it?
“I told you that it’s a special magic trick.” The young man leisurely drank a mouthful of Southville beer.
While Olić remained in shock, the man beside him with rolled-up sleeves sneered.
“I dare bet that you and Toby must have colluded beforehand. Your knocking on the table is to say that you’ll pay for the beer.”
“You can make another wish,” the wandering magician replied nonchalantly.
“My brother and I have a house that collapsed during one of the bombings and is being rebuilt. My wish is that it will return to its original state before I return,” the man with his sleeves rolled up said smugly.
This wasn’t an easy task.
The wandering magician raised his right hand and snapped his fingers before smiling.
“Alright, your wish has been granted.”
The people who were paying attention to this broke out into laughter. They no longer paid attention to the foreigner and his clumsy magic show.
After drinking, the man with his sleeves rolled up left the bar in a drunken stupor with Olić, and staggered down the street towards the suburbs.
Fifteen minutes later, they returned to the area where they were rebuilding their home. They were about to enter the tent that was issued by the government.
At this moment, a gust of cold wind blew and made them shudder at the same time.
Soon after, a two-story building appeared before their eyes. It was a house that they were very familiar with and had spent years building.
Olić and his brother subconsciously turned their heads and saw the same confusion in each other’s eyes.
“I didn’t drink that much… That damn Toby mixed so much water into the beer!” Olić murmured, as if he was seeing things thanks to his intoxication.
His brother didn’t respond. After being stunned for a few seconds, he suddenly widened his stride and rushed to the house, touching the wall and the door.
“It’s real, it’s real…” He kept muttering to himself as if he had gone crazy.
Olić did the same thing. Finally, he confirmed that their house had been restored to its original state. This made him both surprised and scared.
At this moment, his brother suddenly said, “My wish was granted. That magician, that magician…”
Before he finished his sentence, he turned around and ran towards the bar. Olić came to his senses and followed closely behind.
Bang!
They pushed open the bar’s door and rushed in, casting their gaze at the bar counter.
However, the black-robed and tall-hat wearing wandering magician had already left.
Olić and his brother looked around. They appeared relieved, but they also felt like they had lost something.
In the square of the city, the young wandering magician was squatting in front of a ten-year-old girl.
“My magic is to fulfill your wish.” He turned his head and glanced at the nearby Evernight cathedral.
The little girl had run out from the Evernight Mass, seemingly preferring the empty square.
After some thought, she looked at the gentle Mr. Magician and said, “My wish is for my father, uncle, and brother to come back to life. I don’t want their bereavement money…”
The wandering magician didn’t respond as he gazed deeply at the little girl in front of him.
The girl pursed her lips and forced a smile.
“I was just joking. Mommy said that such a wish is not something even the deities can grant…”
As she spoke, she lowered her head and looked at her toes.
“I just want Daddy to hug me again…”
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly realized that there was a shadow in front of her. She quickly raised her head and looked to the side.
Standing there was a Loen soldier dressed in a red shirt and white pants. He didn’t hold a rifle and was wearing a hearty smile on his face. He crouched down and spread open his arms like always.
“Daddy…” The little girl pounced forward and threw herself into the warm embrace. “I miss you so much…”
At that moment, the young magician pressed down his hat, straightened himself, and walked towards the entrance of the square.
Amidst the night breeze, his long black robe swayed gently in the vast plaza.
…
In a blink of an eye, it was Monday. In the ancient palace above the gray fog, the members of the Tarot Club appeared simultaneously and greeted Mr. Fool in unison.
Klein looked around and suddenly felt emotional.
The Hanged Man is currently a cardinal of the Church of Storms, and he’s in charge of the Rorsted Archipelago diocese. Although Justice has temporarily lost contact with the Psychology Alchemists, she has the right to become one of their councilors. The Sun is an Elder of the six-member council in the City of Silver, and The Moon is a Sanguine Earl. The Star is a high-ranking deacon of the Church of Evernight’s Nighthawks. The Hermit is a hidden queen at sea, one of the ten pillars of the Moses Ascetic Order.
Apart from The Magician and Judgment, the other members of the Tarot Club are all demigods. They are the upper echelons of different factions in the mysterious world.
And with the support of the Abraham family, The Magician has a high chance of advancing to Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer within the year.
In other words, Judgment is the one who has the hardest time improving her strength. She is only one of the mid-to-upper echelons in MI9, so it’s extremely difficult for her to become a demigod.
Klein, who was shrouded in grayish-white fog, quickly retracted his gaze and laughed self-deprecatingly in his heart.
It’s finally like a high-end secret organization… However, it always gave me the feeling that this is some conference between the various factions…
He then nodded at the Tarot Club members and said, “Let’s begin.”
Chapter 1277 A Qualitative Change
Upon hearing Mr. Fool’s words, Alger’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly felt the feeling he had when praying to the Lord of Storms on Pasu Island.
When he greeted The Fool, he didn’t notice any changes in him. Everything seemed to be the same as before, but at that moment, he believed that Mr. Fool was different from before.
This was something at the spiritual level, one that Alger wasn’t able to describe accurately with words. He only felt that the body that was enveloped by the grayish-white fog contained a terror that was tens of thousands of times more terrifying than before. A simple sentence or simple action could suppress a person’s natural order.
Mr. Fool has awoken further… After The World went to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and brought out the City of Silver, Mr. Fool went one step further in “His” awakening… “He” already has the level of a Sequence 0? If it wasn’t for the fact that the Sailor pathway is sensitive to the level of a high-ranking person, I wouldn’t have even noticed it… Alger wanted to say something, but he forgot what he was about to say.
Leonard surveyed the area and saw the other members remain silent. He probed, “According to the information we have gathered, there was indeed a battle of gods. The participants that have been confirmed to appear high above Backlund include the Evernight Goddess, God of Combat, and Earth Mother. As for the outcome, I believe everyone knows it very well. What are your thoughts on this?”
During the Tarot Gathering last week, Leonard had already mentioned the corresponding matter and had taken the initiative to ask Mr. Fool what had happened.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Unfortunately, Mr. Fool only told him that “He” was recently paying attention to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and didn’t give a direct answer.
“I can’t understand why such an outcome would occur. Earth Mother and the God of Combat should’ve collectively defeated the Evernight Goddess as a mother-son duo…” Cattleya didn’t conceal her puzzlement.
Alger retracted his thoughts and said after some deliberation, “I received a report. Just as the war ended, Feynapotter changed sides.”
“This means…” Audrey vaguely grasped something.
At that moment, Derrick mimicked the lady across him and raised his arm.
“I roughly know why.”
“You?” Emlyn uttered a voice of distrust. After all, The Sun had previously been isolated in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, so his understanding of the outside world was all thanks to the other members of the Tarot Club. How could he know more about the details of the battle of gods than everyone present?
Alger, who knew that The Sun had always been honest, suppressed his curiosity and excitement from the bottom of his heart as he asked in a deep voice, “Why?”
Derrick looked around and calmly said, “You have to promise with Mr. Fool as a witness that you can’t reveal what I’m about to tell you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“No problem.” Cattleya took the lead.
After everyone made a promise to The Fool, Derrick nodded.
“Earth Mother isn’t the Giant Queen, Omebella. The real Omebella has long died. ‘Her’ remains are in the City of Silver.”
This news was like a bomb that landed in the hearts of all the members. It created a massive upheaval that threatened to destroy their minds.
For a moment, Alger, Audrey, and company were unable to say a word. It was as though they had been struck by lightning. They were paralyzed in their positions like stone statues.
After a while, Leonard asked in disbelief, “Are you sure?”
As soon as he said that, he began regretting his question. Since the City of Silver had the remains of the Giant Queen, Omebella, it meant that the whole matter was highly credible.
Subconsciously, Audrey, Fors, and Xio cast their gazes at the figure at the end of the long, mottled table. They discovered that there was a smile in Mr. Fool’s eyes as he maintained his sitting posture without any changes.
This indirectly means that “He” is in agreement with the information that Little Sun just provided… Before Audrey answered The Sun’s question, she nodded indiscernibly and said, “This can explain many things, but if Earth Mother isn’t the Giant Queen, then why would Angel of Fate Ouroboros believe that “She” is Omebella?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Oh, why does the God of Combat want to work with ‘Her’? Who is ‘She’?”
Upon hearing Miss Justice’s series of questions, Alger suddenly felt a little emotional.
The topic of discussion amongst the Tarot Club had finally raised from Kings of Angels to true deities!
Previously, although they had stopped the descent of evil gods and had communicated knowledge of secret histories, they had rarely directly discussed the true deities. This was a subconscious fear, a deep mark left in them due to their upbringing in the present world.
And now, the members of the Tarot Club had unknowingly lost the reverence that came from the depths of their souls.
Cattleya didn’t notice this as she focused on Miss Justice’s questions. She said thoughtfully, “Perhaps that Earth Mother has always been disguising herself as Omebella. This has managed to fool the Angel of Fate, as well as the God of Combat…
“How is that possible…” Xio instinctively muttered.
Fors took a deep breath and said, “What a horror story.”
At that moment, The World, who had been silent all this time, said, “Nothing is impossible.
Composite Start
Composite End
“What if this cover-up had the assistance of the Evernight Goddess and other true deities?”
…A conspiracy that lasted for two to three thousand years… Alger’s eyes froze as he instinctively shrank back. He had an instinctual fear of the Evernight Goddess and Earth Mother that stemmed from his soul.
The Tarot Club members fell silent once again until Leonard repeated Miss Justice’s final question:
“Who exactly is Earth Mother?”
As he spoke, he looked at The World, Klein Moretti, and attempted to get an answer from his former colleague.
At this moment, they heard a long-awaited knock.
It was Mr. Fool knocking on the table.
Audrey and company perked up as they turned to the end of the long bronze table, waiting respectfully for Mr. Fool’s answer.
The Fool Klein chuckled and said, “I can give you some hints.”
He looked around and continued, “Why does the Church of Earth Mother like to turn the Sanguine into believers?
Composite Start
Composite End
“The Earth and Moon are two neighboring pathways.
“Legend has it that during the Second Epoch, the ancient god, Lilith, who represented the Moon, died because of the Giant King’s betrayal.
“‘She’ occasionally responds to the Sanguine’s prayers as though ‘She’ hasn’t completely perished.”
After the four prompts, all the Tarot Club members, including The Moon Emlyn, thought of an answer:
Earth Mother’s true identity is Sanguine Ancestor Lilith!
Emlyn’s eyes widened as he instinctively sat up straight. His mind was a mess as all sorts of ideas ran through it.
Leonard was first astonished before he muttered in thought, “A few days ago, the Church of Evernight stopped promoting the title of ‘Lady of Crimson,’ and changed the prayer sign from the crimson moon to that of stars…”
As a high-ranking Nighthawk deacon, he was qualified to read the corresponding documents.
“The Evernight Goddess used the authority of the Moon domain as a bargaining chip?” Cattleya said the conclusion that lingered in everyone’s hearts.
At this moment, they no longer had any doubts about the true identity of Earth Mother.
“Thank you for your hints.” Audrey immediately bowed to Mr. Fool.
After the others expressed their gratitude, they looked at The Moon Emlyn, who was still looking stupefied.
Mother Goddess is the Ancestor… The Ancestor is Mother Goddess… So I’ve never changed my faith… It’s no wonder I still continue going to the Harvest Church even without Father’s corresponding psychological cues… That’s because my intuition told me that the Mother Goddess is the Ancestor! Therefore, the Ancestor has favored me and made me the savior of the Sanguine… Thoughts flashed through Emlyn’s mind as he found a reasonable explanation for the guilt he had previously felt.
He began to believe that he was the most devoted Sanguine!
Glancing at the “Earl,” Fors smiled with interest.
“Mr. Moon, perhaps you might become the archbishop of the Church of Earth Mother after some time. No, it should be the sole Sanguine representative of the Church of the Earth Mother.”
This writer immediately came up with a nickname.
“Why?” Emlyn asked in puzzlement.
He believed that the Ancestor would allow the Sanguine to maintain their former state and not merge with the Church of Earth Mother directly.
Leonard smiled and said, “Since the Evernight Goddess doesn’t have the title of ‘Lady of Crimson,’ Earth Mother will soon have a similar honorific name. It’s impossible to fool the other Churches.”
Emlyn roughly understood what the upper echelons of the Church of Evernight were thinking. He nodded slightly and began imagining a series of scenes.
His kinsmen, who had previously mocked him for believing in Earth Mother, would queue up in front of him and accept his baptism.
With this in mind, Emlyn’s mood turned extremely happy as he couldn’t help but raise his chin.
After the exchange, the members of the Tarot Club fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to say.
A few seconds later, Alger broke the silence and calmly said, “Most of our members are demigods, so the time it will take to advance will lengthen. Furthermore, we have our own factions. We might need a few years before having a single chance of obtaining Beyonder characteristics, potion formulas, and Sealed Artifacts. The focus of the gathering now might switch to exchanging information and engaging in secret cooperation.”
Audrey, Cattleya, Leonard, and company nodded in agreement.
At this moment, The Fool Klein surveyed the area and chuckled.
“With the matter regarding the Forsaken Land of the Gods over, my condition has recovered quite a bit. You can exchange items of higher levels from me.”
He pretended to be calm as he revealed the “truth” that he was recovering. This was an answer that every member of the Tarot Club had long guessed.
Just as Audrey and company were guessing which level Mr. Fool had awakened to, Klein smiled and added, “Those items of higher levels include:
“The Sea God’s identity, level, and strength.”
Chapter 1278 Reminder
Sea God’s identity, level, and strength… Hearing Mr. Fool’s example, Alger’s mind went blank for nearly two seconds.
This was something that he had never dreamed of!
From his point of view, by obtaining the authority of Sea God through Gehrman Sparrow and replacing Kalvetua, Mr. Fool had obtained a stable and large number of believers. This was a crucial step for “His” recovery. Therefore, this secret existence definitely wouldn’t give up on the corresponding identity.
To his surprise, at that moment, he actually heard Mr. Fool inform everyone that the Sea God’s identity, level, and strength could be exchanged.
After further recovery, Mr. Fool no longer needs the identity of an entity at the level of Sea God, as well as the corresponding believers? This is the performance of a great existence. Something that isn’t qualified is only used temporarily, never monopolized… Alger first sighed inwardly before feeling excited. He felt that Mr. Fool’s words were directed at him.
In the Church of Storms, he had relied on external forces to become a Sequence 4 demigod. Although he barely managed to rise up to the brass, it was almost impossible for him to advance any further. As for the theft of the Book of Calamity, he couldn’t see any hopes of doing so at the moment. Therefore, Alger could only temporarily suppress his ambition and patiently wait for the opportunity to arrive.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Now the opportunity was here. And it came fast!
Alger was currently a cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms in charge of the Rorsted Archipelago. Once he secretly became Sea God and controlled the authority of those waters, he would become the king of the Rorsted Archipelago, a true king!
With this in mind, Alger nearly couldn’t contain himself. It took him a great deal of difficulty to calm himself down.
Although Audrey, Derrick, and company couldn’t hide their shock that the Tarot Club was beginning to trade the identity, level, and strength of a deity—even if it was only a false god—they didn’t have any intentions of switching to the Storm pathway. Compared to Alger, they weren’t that excited. They quickly controlled themselves and cast their gazes at Mr. Hanged Man.
Alger took a deep breath and humbly said to the end of the long bronze table, “Honorable Mr. Fool, what price is needed to exchange for these items?”
The Fool Klein was waiting for The Hanged Man’s question and said with a smile, “The missions I shall give you, as well as frequent praying and the sincere making of wishes.”
What he wanted to emphasize were the words towards the end of the sentence, but he believed that the members of the Tarot Club wouldn’t be able to tell.
As for how he could complete the corresponding wishes, he currently had two methods. First, he used the other Beyonder powers he possessed to achieve the corresponding effects. For example, he could summon historical scenes and repeat the segment of gifting beer to fulfill the wish of the “bar owner treating the patron.” Second, he could directly grant a relatively low-level wish with his accumulated power of “Wishes” and create a true miracle. For example, using a snap to cause the collapsed house to instantly return to its original state, succeeding in rebuilding it in the full spirit of the wish.
In addition, Klein could use Sefirah Castle’s level and powers above the gray fog that was equivalent to a King of Angels who had yet to accommodate a Uniqueness. In other words, when he responded to prayers, he could use the core powers of a Sequence 1, which was also the core power of the Attendant of Mysteries.
Composite Start
Composite End
After this period of experimentation, Klein had a rough idea of the two effects:
The first was to create a nascent divine kingdom, and the second was “Grafting.”
The term “Grafting” was coined by Klein himself. After all, he wasn’t a real Attendant of Mysteries, nor did he obtain the corresponding mysticism knowledge.
This ability could allow an object that couldn’t be directly connected under normal circumstances to achieve an inconceivable effect by “Grafting.”
A simple example was to mix the concept of the beginning and the end of a path into one common node, making it impossible for anyone who walked that path to leave.
To Beyonders, there were quite a number of powers that could do something like that, but an Attendant of Mysteries’s “Grafting” directly acted on a “concept” itself. Not only was it at a very high level, like the descent of a true deity, but its effects were bizarre and had a hint of concealment.
In addition to the replication powers of the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, the Staff of the Stars, Klein could completely respond to prayers like a King of Angels while inside Sefirah Castle. Furthermore, he could do more things.
Upon hearing Mr. Fool mention missions, Alger suddenly recalled something. He hurriedly lowered his head and asked, “Honorable Mr. Fool, do you still need me to carry out further investigations regarding the three targets of the Feysac Empire that participated in the Konotop sea battle?”
He had previously obtained information regarding the three suspected owners of Creeping Hunger, but he hadn’t found anything abnormal.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Fool Klein nodded slightly and said, “There’s no need for that anymore.”
He originally wanted to use this clue to grab the tail of the Twilight Hermit Order, but since Adam had likely become a god, it was better to avoid doing so.
Respecting a Sequence 0 true deity was Klein’s usual principle. He had to compromise and give up if necessary.
Without waiting for Alger to speak again, The Fool Klein said in a relaxed tone, “Your current mission is to cooperate with the Sea God believers, and settle down the people who have left the Forsaken Land of the Gods.”
“Your wish is my will!” Alger replied without hesitation.
This made Derrick silently heave a sigh of relief. He no longer had any doubts, hesitations, or worries about the subsequent developments.
He had full trust in Mr. Hanged Man’s ability to handle matters.
At this moment, The Fool Klein looked around and smiled.
“Apart from the Sea God’s identity, level, and strength, there are many things that can be exchanged for. For example, the Imperative Mage potion formula and Beyonder characteristic.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t list down too many examples so as to prevent himself from damaging The Fool’s standing. As for having said so much, it could be explained away that Mr. Fool was in a good mood from having taken another step towards recovery.
Moon City had been passed down the heritage of an Imperative Mage, something Klein could exchange for when granting them the wish of “being saved.” Of course, even if he directly made the residents of Moon City sacrifice the corresponding items, the people who had finally found his blessings and protection would definitely be very willing to do so.
They were more afraid that Mr. Fool would abandon Moon City and not accept their sacrifice.
Apart from that, Klein himself had a Silver Knight marionette; the Seer pathway’s Sequence 9 to 3 Beyonder characteristics; the Sealed Artifact, General of the Pupil-less Eye; a drop of the Primordial Moon’s blessed blood; and various kinds of charms and bullets that came from Worms of Spirit.
If the wish maker wanted a consumable or something for a temporary loan, Klein could even take out more from the Historical Void.
The Imperative Mage’s potion formula and Beyonder characteristic… Xio inexplicably felt that Mr. Fool was looking at her.
To be frank, she lacked the motivation to advance. On the one hand, she was only one of the mid to high-ranking members of MI9, so the chances of getting a ticket to the ranks of a demigod were very low. On the other hand, her father’s reputation had been restored to a certain extent, so she had no pressing goals.
At the same time, the war had ended. Her mother and brother had returned to Backlund and were about to start a normal life. With Xio’s current overall income, it was enough to support a wealthy family.
All of these reasons made Xio feel that her current life was pretty good, and she didn’t really want to change it.
Of course, if she had the chance to advance to the demigod level, she wouldn’t let it go. Due to the war, she had experienced the helplessness of a Sequence 5. Furthermore, in the Tarot Club, aside from her and Fors, everyone else was a demigod. There was no doubt that she didn’t want to fall behind that much.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst her thoughts, Xio looked at Fors before bowing her head to the entity at the end of the long mottled table to indicate that she would work hard.
Fors could roughly guess her friend’s attitude because it was roughly the same for her.
If it wasn’t because she needed to advance to Sequence 4 to effectively resist the “full moon ravings” so as to stop troubling Mr. Fool, as well as the Abraham family having prepared the potion formula and Beyonder ingredients for her, she wasn’t in a rush to become a Secrets Sorcerer.
As a Traveler, she could go wherever she wanted. She could immediately head to a location to eat whatever delicacy she wanted. It completely satisfied Fors’s initial expectations of being a Beyonder.
Of course, she had another motivating factor to improve herself. After becoming a demigod, she could further help her teacher and family.
Seeing the fog-covered Mr. Fool leaning back into his chair, Audrey didn’t say another word. After some hesitation, she opened her mouth and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a question:
“If there’s a matter, and you’re aware that its outcome has nothing to do with you at all, with it solely being the result of the feelings and gambling of certain existences, what will you do?”
Just as she said that, Alger laughed.
“Everyone is destined to die. It’s inevitable no matter how hard you try to change that. Then, does that mean one’s life is meaningless?”
He seemed to have long since thought of this problem before adding, “Since you can’t change the outcome of the matter at the moment, then try your best to improve yourself, obtain more power, and wield more authority until, one day, you can participate in the gambling. If you die during this process, it’s better than not doing anything.”
That’s the most sincere words Mr. Hanged Man has ever said. It seems to come from his heart… The insignificant can also become great… Audrey was touched and nodded indiscernibly.
At this moment, The World Gehrman Sparrow looked around and spoke:
“Everyone, I have something to remind you of.”
When the Tarot Club members looked over at the same time, Klein controlled The World and said in a deep voice, “The apocalypse will arrive in about a decade. There’s a possibility for everyone to be destroyed, including the deities.”
Apocalypse… Although Audrey had long learned about the prophecy of the apocalypse from the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom demigod, she never found it corporeal enough, feeling that it was meant to deceive the people.
Even though she had already slightly experienced a war where the individual was puny, she didn’t believe that the world was just about a decade away from the apocalypse.
There were no signs of this at all!
However, the person who had given the apocalyptic prophecy was Mr. Fool’s Blessed, Mr. World, who had always been trustworthy and daring to strike at angels. Furthermore, his tone was firm, as though he had already seen what was about to happen a decade later.
This made Audrey choose to instinctively believe him. Her heart sank as she felt nervous and flustered.
Apart from that, she also felt her confusion fade significantly—there was still another decade before the end of the world. Even those who were drowning would struggle a little, much less a perfectly fine Sequence 4 demigod.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Apocalypse… As a cardinal of the Church of Storms, Alger had recently seen many apocalyptic prophecies, but those unverifiable matters couldn’t compare to The World Gehrman Sparrow’s abnormally serious warning. The impact brought by the two sources wasn’t on the same level.
At the same time, he acutely noticed a detail—the World said that even deities would be destroyed.
Alger’s first reaction was that Gehrman Sparrow was being disrespectful to Mr. Fool, as Mr. Fool was also a deity.
However, he quickly rejected this idea. After all, The World Gehrman Sparrow was Mr. Fool’s Blessed and was the most devout believer. The other members of the Tarot Club might accidentally blaspheme Mr. Fool, but it was impossible for The World Gehrman Sparrow.
Due to the two prerequisites that “Gehrman Sparrow wouldn’t be disrespectful to Mr. Fool” and “him saying that even deities would be destroyed,” Alger quickly came to another conclusion:
In The World’s Gehrman Sparrow’s heart, Mr. Fool’s level was higher than that of a true deity!
This… Alger never doubted The World Gehrman Sparrow’s knowledge; after all, he was a powerhouse who often interacted with angels.
This knowledge made him both shocked and puzzled, momentarily unable to find an even more reasonable explanation.
Having used the blood of a Snake of Fate to advance to the level of a demigod, Cattleya would also occasionally dream of the scene of the dawn of the apocalypse thanks to her pathway having Clairvoyant as its Sequence 3. In addition, Queen Mystic Bernadette would occasionally remind her, so she didn’t feel any surprise or shock regarding Mr. World’s words. She just felt like the dust that had been stirred had finally landed on the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for the future, this Mysticologist was equally lost. Apart from improving herself, she didn’t know where to direct her efforts.
Apocalypse… Xio and Fors looked at each other across Ma’am Hermit and sensed the raging upheavals in each other’s hearts.
They had never thought that the wonderful life they were living wouldn’t last more than two decades unless something happened.
This was a time where they were in their prime. Even if they weren’t demigods, they didn’t have to worry about the inclination towards losing control due to their aging bodies.
As the person who spoke was The World Gehrman Sparrow, the two ladies didn’t suspect the authenticity of the prophecy. They momentarily felt fearful and heavy.
At the beginning, Derrick couldn’t help but feel depressed. This was because the City of Silver had just left the Forsaken Land of the Gods and came to the world of light. Yet, none of this would last long before the apocalypse was ushered in.
Soon, he composed himself and chose to believe in Mr. Fool.
Since this great existence was able to rescue the City of Silver from the Forsaken Land of the Gods, “He” too could also stop the apocalypse.
Although I’m the savior of the Sanguine during the apocalypse, I never expected it to happen so soon… I’m only an Earl… Emlyn couldn’t help but frown. It was as though a student who had just attended a few days of lessons had to suddenly sit an exam.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, this also made him excited. After all, it wouldn’t be long before he would fulfill his mission and display his greatness in front of his fellow kinsmen.
Leonard had heard of the doomsday prophecy from Old Man Pallez Zoroast. Although he didn’t know the reason behind such a development, he had long been mentally prepared. At this moment, he was the first to snap back to his senses and asked, “Why would the apocalypse suddenly happen? There are no signs of it…”
Klein controlled The World to reply:
“It’s just that you didn’t notice the signs.
“Do you think that a battle of gods erupted for no reason?”
Seeing that all the members of the Tarot Club were stunned and lost in thought, The World Gehrman Sparrow added, “You aren’t qualified to know the exact reason. Just understanding it would bring about an irrepressible corruption. Only angels and above can resist it.”
This is similar to what the demigod from the Church of Knowledge’s demigod said… It’s close to the corruption from the cosmos… I seem to have forgotten something… Mr. World seems to have figured out the whole story… Isn’t he afraid of being corrupted? H-he’s already an angel? He is now a “He”? Thoughts flashed through Audrey’s mind as she acutely sensed that The World Gehrman Sparrow might’ve completed his advancement and become a true Mythical Creature.
In ancient times, this could even be called a subsidiary god, a member of the deity lineup!
Right on the heels of that, Alger, Cattleya, and the other members of the Tarot Club understood the truth. They knew that The World Gehrman Sparrow had already reached the top of the real world, becoming an angel that walked the land.
Composite Start
Composite End
Their guesses were related to Gehrman Sparrow’s plan to deal with a Mythical Creature. Some believed that it was the benefits that Mr. Fool’s recovery gave to “His” Blessed.
But no matter what, it was the first time the Tarot Club had a member at the level of an angel, aside from its host and convener!
Of course, they weren’t too surprised by The World Gehrman Sparrow’s advancement to Sequence 2. They had long been numb to his progression rate.
Klein controlled The World and made him look around.
“You can think about what you plan to do next and how you would go about doing it.”
Xio, Fors, and the other Tarot Club members nodded slightly as acknowledgment.
Another ten minutes of free exchange followed before this session of the Tarot Gathering gradually came to an end.
…
After returning to the real world, Xio surveyed her bedroom. Her expression slowly turned solemn.
She once again felt a pressing sense of urgency.
Composite Start
Composite End
After walking out of the room, Xio saw that Fors had also walked out to the corridor at the same time. She no longer suffered from momentary paralysis before coming out.
“Where do you plan on going?” Both of them asked in unison before falling silent.
A few seconds later, a handsome young man walked out of the guest room. He wore a pair of narrow-framed spectacles and had slightly fluffy hair. He held a few thick books in both hands.
“Oh no, I forgot that I have classes this afternoon!” The youth mumbled to himself as he rushed towards the staircase, completely ignoring the presence of the two ladies.
He was Xio’s younger brother, Rio Derecha. He had just entered a pre-law school.
In Backlund, one had to pass a pre-law examination before becoming a paralegal. Such a paralegal had to study and work for at least five years under a full lawyer before one was allowed to take part in the qualification examination and get a license to practice law.
If one wanted to become a senior lawyer, one had to enter the Backlund Lawyer School to receive university-level education.
Xio watched her little brother run down the stairs, and a smile subconsciously appeared on her face.
She immediately looked up and said to Fors, “I plan to return to MI9 and work hard.”
“I plan on making a trip to Teacher’s place,” Fors answered the question.
Right on the heels of that, the Traveler’s figure quickly turned transparent and vanished.
A few seconds later, Fors appeared at a relatively intact building in the rebuilding Pritz Harbor.
Then, she took out a pen and paper from her pocket and wrote a note. She planned on telling her teacher that she had finished digesting the Traveler potion.
Putting away the fountain pen, she stuffed the paper into the mailbox at the door.
This wasn’t Dorian Gray Abraham’s residence. It was the place where Fors and the gentleman had previously agreed to send letters to.
The next day, when Fors arrived, she saw Dorian providing her with the meeting location and time.
…
Emlyn opened his eyes in his room and changed into his coat with a standing collar, intending to visit Marquis Nibbs.
When the carriage passed Rose Street, he subconsciously looked out the window and was somewhat surprised to discover that the door to the Harvest Church had opened.
After a brief hesitation, he got the carriage driver to stop the carriage, and he paid for the ride.
After putting on his top hat and holding his cane, the red-eyed Sanguine Earl walked up the steps and entered the Harvest Church. He saw Father Utravsky, who seemed to have grown a little taller, cleaning the prayer hall with his back hunched.
He has been released as expected… It really was protective custody… Emlyn shook his head inwardly.
At this moment, Father Utravsky raised his head and looked at him.
“Wipe the candle stand.”
…I’m trying to please Mother Goddess, Emlyn mumbled. He walked to the room behind him, changed into the brown priest robe of the Church of Earth Mother, and began working.
Neither of them spoke a word. They did their own jobs and tried their best to restore the Harvest Church to its former cleanliness and tranquility.
After an unknown period of time, a group of people suddenly entered the door.
Emlyn subconsciously looked over and saw Baron Cosmi Odora. He saw Viscount Ernes Boyar, who had once “worked” at the Harvest Church, and many familiar faces.
Emlyn’s lips subconsciously curled up.
Chapter 1280 Chance Meeting in the Tiny City
On a steam locomotive heading for Midseashire’s Constant City.
Klein, who was dressed as a wandering magician, looked at the young man and his parents across the narrow table with items placed on it.
“I have two types of magic tricks. The first is to let your wishes come true. The second is to use a mirror to answer your question. Of course, the first type of magic requires payment, and the second requires you to answer questions posed by the mirror. What kind of performance do you want to watch?”
The young man had black hair and brown eyes. He seemed to have received a good education. He looked at his parents sitting beside him and said with a smile, “My wish is too difficult, so I won’t trouble you.
“In comparison, I’m more curious about the mirror that can answer questions.”
Klein sighed as he shook his head. With a flip of his left hand, he revealed a silver mirror with a black gem on both sides.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“It seems to be an antique.” The young man opposite him commented with piqued interest before saying, “My question is, what is the purpose of my visit to Constant City?”
A commonly seen smile, one which was often seen on the faces of street magicians, appeared on Klein’s face as he stroked the surface of the mirror with his right hand and said in a serious tone:
“Mirror, Mirror, please tell me the answer to the question.”
After repeating it three times, he released his right hand and showed the surface of the mirror to the three passengers.
There were a few silver words on it:
“To get married.”
“…Amazing.” The young man and his parents looked at each other in disbelief.
After boarding the train, they had never mentioned anything related to the wedding, nor did they reveal anything that people could use to make the connection.
This was the first time they had seen a magic trick that didn’t rely on props or a fake audience.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright, it’s time for the mirror to ask.” Klein smiled as he covered the surface of the mirror with his right hand.
“Alright.” The young man replied, feeling intrigued.
“Next, let’s see what question the magic mirror will raise.” Klein released his right hand in an exaggerated manner as though he was performing a formal magic trick.
The silver words on the surface of the mirror had already changed, extending into a complete sentence:
“You would prefer your bride to be a woman in her forties or above, right?”
The young man’s expression froze for a moment before turning pale and then completely red.
“How is that possible!” He immediately rebutted. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at his parents and grumble, “What kind of strange question is that!”
“…It’s just kidding.” Klein smiled apologetically as he hurriedly pressed his right hand onto the surface of the mirror, as though he didn’t know that would happen.
Then, he released his right hand.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Indeed, the words on the mirror changed again.
“How old are you?”
“25 years old…” The young man replied carefully, afraid that he would fall into a trap.
He felt the gazes of his parents and the surrounding passengers on him change.
“Alright, that’s the end of the magic performance.” Klein smiled as he put away the mirror. “You can try another magic trick.”
Just as he finished speaking, the steam locomotive whistled. This was the sign that it was about to enter the station.
“Sorry, that’s my call.” Klein took out his golden pocket watch and checked the time.
He carried his luggage and left the steam locomotive along with a group of passengers. He arrived at the station platform that had yet to be lit up with the gas lamps.
This was Midseashire’s Belltaine City, a city that had both prospered and declined due to the coal mines.
Composite Start
Composite End
To Klein, the greatest significance of this place was that it was a strategic node in the previous world war.
Feysac had taken three routes in its invasion. One attacked the border along the Amantha mountain range to break through the land defenses. Another involved setting off from Sonia Island, attacking the coastal harbors, and attempting a landing. The third was to follow the main railway as they marched towards Backlund for the invasion.
Among them, due to the existence of the Church of Storms and the combined might of the ironclad warships and high-level Arbiters, the naval forces of Feysac and Feynapotter failed to obtain the results they expected. They even failed to obtain naval superiority. And on the battlefields on the Amantha mountain range, the headquarters of the Church of Evernight blocked one wave after another. It didn’t fall throughout the war, thus preventing Winter County and East Chester County from going through the fiery crucible of war.
Of the three routes, the only successful one was the Midseashire troops. They did a joint naval-land operation and conquered Loen’s second biggest city—Constant City, the capital of Midseashire. Then, they made their way southeast, rendezvousing with the Intis troops in the greater area of Backlund.
Klein acted as a wandering magician. On the one hand, he had to accumulate wishes, display miracles, digest the potion, and increase his strength. On the other hand, he was planning on taking the path of the war, using his eyes, ears, and his soul to truly see the damage brought about by war.
After knowing the secrets of the cosmos and the underground, he could understand the Evernight Goddess’s plan and accept it to a certain extent. However, this didn’t mean that he was indifferent to the sacrifices.
At the same time, he confirmed one thing: even if he didn’t stop George III from becoming the Black Emperor, the world war would’ve still erupted. However, Loen would’ve had the upper hand. The Evernight Goddess and “Her” allies would face the God of Combat head-on, forcing “Him” to seek help from Earth Mother.
When that happened, the number of battles between the gods, the intensity, and scale would far surpass what had transpired.
Due to this reason, Klein followed Feysac’s invasion path and wandered forward.
After leaving the station that still had traces of gunpowder, he carried the worn suitcase with a set of clothes and made his way towards the area where hotels were located.
Composite Start
Composite End
At night, he would stroll along the streets and alleys of the city and perform wishing magic for everyone.
After taking a few steps forward, Klein’s spiritual perception stirred as he cast his gaze to the end of the street.
There was a black-haired woman wearing a simple linen robe and a tree bark belt with no socks or shoes.
Arianna!
The leader of the Church of Evernight ascetics, the Grounded Angel, Arianna!
Why would “She” be here in Belltaine? Shouldn’t “She” have returned to the Evernight cloister at the Cathedral of Serenity? Or be sent to the Feysac capital, St. Millom to preside over the handing over of the God of Combat’s “estate”? It isn’t a simple matter if a Grounded Angel were to suddenly appear in such a small city… Klein was puzzled as he frowned slightly.
He hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask.
This wasn’t because he was a busybody; if anything happened while they were in the same city, no one could escape.
However, at this moment, Arianna had already vanished from the crowd. As a Servant of Concealment, Klein couldn’t track her down even if he wanted to. Similarly, when it came to the matter of “Concealment,” Arrodes was helpless.
Klein slowly took a deep breath and turned to enter the hotel in thought. He got a room and stowed his luggage away.
Then, he maintained his attire as a wandering magician and brought Arrodes along with him. Following his spiritual intuition as a Seer, he walked all the way to the municipal square of Belltaine City.
Erected near the municipal hall was a noticeboard that had many notices pasted over it.
Klein saw that several people surrounded it. There seemed to be a brand-new notice, so he approached them and stood in the periphery of the crowd, looking at the wooden signboard.
In the middle of the signboard, a slightly yellowed piece of paper covered over the other notices. On the surface were black ink and Loenese writing:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am your new consul.
“Now, I will issue three new laws:
“First law: Without my permission, no living being can leave this place.
“Second law: All life is equal in front of the law. Even ordinary people can kill angels.
“Third law: Those who commit the crimes mentioned below will be punished severely. The highest penalty being the death sentence.
“1. Murder;
“2: Theft;
“3. Chanting the complete honorific name of a deity;
“4. Offering sacrifices to evil deities;
“5. Fraud;
“6. Leaking secrets;
“…”
An announcement like this… Klein pricked up his brows when he saw this. Without using his spiritual intuition, he could sense that there was something wrong with the content.
He instinctively tried to make his Spirit Body return to Sefirah Castle.
But an invisible force blocked his “departure,” making it impossible for him to make contact with the grayish-white fog.
This… Klein narrowed his eyes as he took a few steps back to distance himself from the crowd.
From his point of view, an abnormality of this level had reached a near-deity level.
He had previously been in situations of not being able to return to Sefirah Castle, but the reason was that he didn’t have the time to take four steps counterclockwise, recite the incantations, or he had been obstructed and interfered by “himself.”
There was only one instance when he failed to leave the real world due to external forces:
It was a powerful seal personally created by the Evernight Goddess in the foggy town.
Apart from that instance, even Blasphemer Amon couldn’t do such a thing. Of course, at that time, Amon’s main goal was to force Klein to stir Sefirah Castle before “He” seized the opportunity to use a loophole to replace him as the “great ruler above the spirit world.” Otherwise, this Angel of Time could’ve used “His” ability to steal Klein’s thoughts to stop him from returning.
Who is this new consul of Belltaine City…? Is this the reason Ma’am Arianna came here? As his thoughts raced, Klein made the magic mirror slip from his wide sleeve into his left hand.
“What happened?” Klein asked softly.
The aqueous light on the silver mirror’s surface shook wildly as slightly pale silver words appeared:
“A few rules here have been replaced. As for who did it, there’s no way of knowing. Great Master, you can try finding the Servant of Concealment, Arianna, to learn the truth from ‘Her.’
“Are you satisfied with my answer?”
The rules have been replaced… Lawyer? Arbiter? Or a “bug”? Klein thought as he looked around. He realized that the citizens in the square were puzzled, perplexed as to why the new notice would mention angels. Why did they have to request permission to leave?
The war had already ended!
Chapter 1281 Anomaly
Inside a bar in Belltaine City.
Roy, Biles, Phil, and Pasha sat around a small round table, guzzling down Southville beer.
They didn’t talk much as they listened to the drunkards in the next table discussing supernatural powers and mysticism incidents.
“Before this, hic. I saw that, not only do the Feysacians look like bears, but they could also control fire, throwing them out like javelins!”
“No way… Supernatural powers actually exist?”
“Haha, that’s because you don’t know a thing. I was drunk one day and slept near the cemetery. I saw people from the Church of Evernight appear with a few ghosts out. Yes, ghosts! They floated in the air, and it was terrifying!”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
It was unknown if the drunkards were sharing stories from personal experiences or from hearsay, but the way they described it was with so much agitation that saliva kept flying as their faces flushed red.
“That’s what they’re like. They only become more excited after drinking. They always like to brag and be dramatic despite usually being depressed.” Biles was a Belltaine local. Upon seeing this, he explained, “Ever since the coal mines began to run dry, young people gradually left Belltaine and headed for Constant and Backlund. The atmosphere here has become more and more oppressive, and the city is just declining by the day.”
This man, who was less than thirty years old, had also been a miner when he was young. He was lucky to survive in the mines, his skin was tanned from all the labor.
His exposed muscles weren’t too exaggerated, but it gave people the feeling that they were made of steel.
As the leader of the group, Roy smiled and said, “What they’re saying might be the truth. They’re not bragging. The previous war has indeed exposed supernatural powers to many people, especially the soldiers who were directly involved. As long as they’re still alive, they will have the corresponding experience.
“Besides, this also brings about many fortuitous encounters, making it so that people who had zero chance of interacting with supernatural powers or true mysticism to become Beyonders.”
The way he expressed himself was very subtle, as though he was talking about others, but in reality, this was exactly what the four of them had experienced.
Biles and Roy had participated in the defense of Belltaine City before. Phil had once been ransacked by the Feysacians, but he was lucky to not have died. Pasha and her former citizens had seduced and ambushed a few Intis soldiers in the harbor battle.
Composite Start
Composite End
They had witnessed the deaths of many of their friends and obtained supernatural powers due to various reasons.
After that, due to the chaos brought about by the war, they either lost contact with their unit, or they avoided it on their own accord without the officials learning about it. Slowly, they got to know each other and became friends with each other due to their common experiences.
This time, they had come to Biles’s hometown in Belltaine to seek out any friends and family who might’ve survived.
“The reality of this world far exceeds our imaginations.” Pasha, who had long dark-blonde hair and deep-blue eyes, sighed.
She was only in her twenties, and she was quite good looking. However, her face was a little thin, accentuating the protrusion of her cheekbones. This made her look much older than her actual age.
“In the future, we will lead different lives.” Roy, who had the typical Loenese characteristics, raised his cup. “To a brand new future…”
Before he could finish speaking, someone in the bar suddenly screamed.
The experienced Roy and company quickly raised their vigilance and cast their gazes over.
They saw a young man dressed in ordinary clothes, lying on the ground, rolling back and forth as if he was in extreme pain.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Under the dim yellow gas wall lamps, everyone realized that the clothes on the young man’s back had been torn open, revealing blood-red streaks. It was as if he had been whipped by a whip.
However, no one around him held a whip. The victim had only let out one scream. This was only possible if he had been whipped countless times in an instant.
But if that were the case, how could no one notice it?
“…He’s holding a wallet… Could this have something to do with the anomaly just now?” The thin Phil took several looks and said after some deliberation, “Shall I take a look?”
Roy thought for a moment and nodded.
“Be careful.”
Phil grunted and walked over from the small round table. With the help of the crowd, he approached the young man who was now whimpering instead of rolling about.
He quietly extended his left hand. His target was the seemingly ordinary leather wallet.
“Ah!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Phil suddenly screamed as he watched his left wrist snap and land on the ground.
Blood splattered from the stump onto the faces and bodies of the people around them.
The scene instantly froze. The drunken guests were first stunned before swallowing their saliva. Then, they turned around and ran frantically towards the door or to the corners!
“Something’s wrong… No one attacked me!” Phil nearly fainted from the pain, but he still forced himself to tell Roy, Biles, and Pasha what he had just experienced.
Roy’s eyes narrowed as he decisively said, “Let’s get out of here first!”
He then turned his head and said to Biles, “Pick up Phil’s hand and preserve it well. I remember that a military doctor I met before is also from Belltaine. After he got discharged from the army, he came here and opened a private clinic. H-he can effectively treat this kind of wound.”
The military doctor named Weber was also a Beyonder. When he participated in the war in the south, he had advanced step by step, obtaining medical skills that surpassed reality. It was said that he could sew up a severed limb and restore it to its former flexible state.
“Alright.” Biles agreed without hesitation.
He took a few steps forward, took out a wooden box, picked up Phil’s severed hand, and put it in.
At the same time, Pasha used the mystical ointment she had bought previously to stop Phil’s bleeding, and bandaged it.
Composite Start
Composite End
Soon after, the group of four left the bar.
After many inquiries, they finally found Weber’s clinic with the help of passersby.
The clinic hadn’t closed for the day, and the light from the gas lamps inside spread outwards, casting a dim yellow light.
Roy politely pulled at the doorbell again and again as he heard the ringing echo inside.
However, after a few minutes, no one came to open the door.
“He’s drunk?” Pasha looked at the miserable Phil and made a guess.
Roy shook his head.
“I remember that Weber isn’t one to drink. Other than being more amorous, he doesn’t have any bad habits. Perhaps, he’s currently…”
As he spoke, the middle-sized man with a face full of weathered pockmarks pushed the door open and realized that it was not locked. It was ajar.
As the door opened, Roy, Biles, and the others saw two figures.
Two figures were hanging in the middle of the clinic. Due to the wind blowing in from the outside, they swayed gently.
One was a man in his thirties wearing a white coat, while the other was a young lady in a nurse’s uniform. Their lower bodies were naked and their eyes were protruding. Their mouths were half-open, and their tongues were squeezed out. They were hung on the ceiling by an invisible rope. Their expressions were filled with fear, despair, and blankness.
“Weber…” Roy recognized the dead man.
He, along with Pasha, Phil, and Biles, felt a chill run down their spines. They didn’t know why something like this had happened, nor did they know what kind of horrors such an unknown might bring.
Boom!
The sound of a chair being knocked over sounded from the side, jolting the dazed Roy and company.
They looked in the direction of the voice and saw a lady carrying a baby standing up in a fluster. She whispered in horror and confusion, “They were having an affair…”
What had this got to do with their encounter? Roy took a deep breath. He felt that he shouldn’t stay here for long.
He quickly instructed, “Let’s go!”
He didn’t ask Pasha to comfort the lady, nor did he attempt to obtain the clinic’s disinfectant and bandages.
Biles and the others swallowed their saliva with great difficulty, turned around, and warily left the clinic.
To Phil, the horror of the unknown had completely suppressed the pain in his left hand.
“What exactly happened?” Phil asked as he turned into another street, asking as his facial muscles winced.
“How would I know?” Biles blurted out. He had seemed to lose control of his emotions.
Roy looked around and exhaled.
“Calm down.
“This should be a terrifying Beyonder matter that has exceeded our imaginations.”
“Right. All of this is too strange. That can be the only reason.” Pasha nodded in agreement.
“Then what should we do?” Phil asked anxiously.
Roy thought for a moment and said, “Let’s try to leave Belltaine.
“Also, analyze what happened before and summarize the patterns hidden within.
“We can’t be sure of the anomalies we might encounter later. We can only ensure our own safety after knowing the underlying rules.”
“Right.” Biles calmed down and agreed with Roy.
They discussed as they walked, gradually having some ideas.
“Weber was hung for adultery. Before Phil’s hand was cut off, he tried to take the wallet. That’s a form of theft…” Pasha summarized the common point the two incidents had in common.
Roy suddenly had an idea:
“Could it be that they suffered such a situation because they did something illegal?”
“How is that possible?” Biles and Phil both replied.
As soon as he said that, they suddenly had a corresponding guess, and their expressions turned solemn.
“Maybe there’s an invisible law enforcer. That’s the essence of this Beyonder incident…” Biles said in thought.
Roy tersely acknowledged and said, “That’s highly possible.
“Next, we’ll take note of our actions.”
Pasha and the others nodded and walked on the streets cautiously.
Not long after, they arrived at the municipal square and saw that there were many people standing around the noticeboard.
“Notice?” Roy and the others exchanged looks, wondering if it was a warning that the officials had given to the supernatural incidents.
Hence, they approached and used the light from the street lamps to look at the notice on the wooden board.
There was a piece of white paper stuck in the middle, and beneath it was a piece of yellow paper. It seemed to be an annex.
As they quickly scanned through the notice, Roy, Pasha, and the others quickly had their eyes filled with horror. They seemed to understand the source of the matter.
After reading the paper, their eyes landed on the yellow paper.
“All citizens are to arrest foreigners using all possible means.”
Arrest foreigners… Roy and the others felt their hearts tighten as they instinctively looked at the citizens around the noticeboard.
As if sensing their gazes, the citizens turned around and cast their gaze at them.
Under the dim yellow light from the gas lamps, their eyes seemed to glimmer with a strange light.
Chapter 1282 Crime
“Haha, how can someone tell at a glance if another person is a foreigner? How do you distinguish that?” Roy forcefully composed himself and pretended to be discussing the yellow paper’s contents with his companions.
He used the hidden meaning in his words to console Phil and Pasha so that they didn’t need to panic. After all, other than Biles, who was a native, the remaining three were also citizens of Loen. They didn’t have any Southern Continent blood in them. Nothing about their facial features stood out.
“But, but this is a supernatural incident…” Pasha stammered.
This couldn’t be judged by common sense!
Roy’s heart froze as he looked at the citizens who were slowly approaching in a deadpan manner. He quickly shouted in a low voice:
“Run!”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and ran towards the nearest street entrance. Pasha and Phil followed closely behind.
As a local, Biles tacitly held the rear, covering the surface of his skin with illusory fish scales.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A few citizens raised their dual-barreled hunting guns and fired.
Roy, Phil, and Pasha were Beyonders who were relatively good at fighting. While running, they would occasionally change directions or roll forward, successfully dodging the attacks.
Following that, under Pasha’s guidance, they passed through the streets and escaped their pursuers before hiding in an empty dark corner.
“What should we do?” Phil, who had lost a hand, panted as he asked, “From the contents of the notice, we probably won’t be able to leave this city.”
“We need to figure out the rules and find a way around them.” Although Roy was also very flustered, he still forced himself to calm down and think, lest the morale of the entire squad crumbled.
Pasha looked at the wary Biles and asked, “Has such a notice ever appeared in the past?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Biles nodded.
“Yes, although I rarely had the chance to go to the municipal square, I’ve been assembled there back when I was recruited into the army. I’ve seen that noticeboard.”
“There shouldn’t be any problems with the noticeboard. Perhaps those two pieces of paper are the key. The laws written on them contain mystic intent,” Pasha said.
Roy immediately expressed his agreement.
“That’s right.
“Besides, I suspect that the laws have to be made public before they are put into effect. If we can find an opportunity to rip off those two pieces of paper, the corresponding restrictions might disappear.”
After hearing Roy’s words, Pasha, Phil, and Biles fell silent.
After a few seconds, Phil’s facial muscles twitched as he said, “Let’s give it a try! If we continue to be trapped in the city, even if we aren’t caught by those citizens, we might be punished for various reasons.”
Although they were all Beyonders, their Sequences weren’t high. It wasn’t a problem dealing with a few ordinary people, but facing the enmity of an entire city was extremely dangerous.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Roy, Biles, and Pasha were more or less people who had been on the battlefield before. They knew that hesitation was the worst action to take in such situations, so they agreed to Phil’s suggestion.
Under the guidance of the rather experienced Hunter, Pasha, the group of four made a detour and returned to the municipal square from another street.
At this moment, the residents who were surrounding the notice were no longer there. It was as if they were searching the entire city for foreigners.
When they saw the noticeboard that stood silently in the middle of two gas lamps, Roy and company carefully approached it, ready to escape at any moment.
After approaching the target, Roy suddenly thought of a question. He hurriedly lowered his voice and asked, “Is destroying the notice considered an illegal act?”
“In theory, yes…” Pasha was taken aback.
They then cast their gaze at the noticeboard and scanned through the list of crimes stipulated by the third law.
“…
“8. Destroying public property.
Composite Start
Composite End
“…”
“It really exists.” Biles blurted out.
Phil, whose face had turned pale due to the blood loss, turned paler. After some thought, he said, “What kind of punishment does destroying public property entail?”
This wasn’t a very serious crime, and the corresponding punishment should be relative lenient.
If that was the case, Phil decided to take the risk to tear the notice and end this horrifying, bizarre event.
“First-timers get whipped.” Just as Roy, Pasha, and Biles were pondering over the answer, a voice sounded from behind them.
The four turned around in shock and saw a young man in a black robe and a tall hat. He looked ordinary.
The man continued, “A repeated offense is to have one’s hand lopped off.
“I’m not sure what happens after that.”
“How do you know that?” Fully alert, Roy frowned as he gripped his concealed dagger.
Composite Start
Composite End
The young man smiled and said, “I’ve tried. It’s useless. The notice gets restored very quickly.”
“So, you’ve been whipped?” Pasha asked in enlightenment.
“Yes.” The young man nodded with a relaxed expression. “However, because I also committed fraud, I was later punished with having my hand lopped off.”
“Fraud?” Biles asked, puzzled.
The young man chuckled and replied, “To put it simply, I didn’t personally destroy the notice. Instead, I created a dummy to do it. The one who was whipped was also the dummy.”
As he spoke, he raised his right arm.
Like Phil, his wrist was cut neatly. His stump was ghastly-white and red, as though he was still bleeding.
Suddenly, the stump’s flesh squirmed and twisted, as transparent worms crawled out. They intertwined with each other and formed a new hand.
During this process, Roy and the others didn’t feel the slightest bit of fear. This was because the moment they saw those worms which had details they couldn’t discern, their thoughts were thrown in a mess. Random thoughts ran through their minds as they found it difficult to control their emotions.
After the palm was “covered” with skin and became normal, the Beyonders recovered. They retreated a few steps in shock, surprise, and fear.
The scene just now had exceeded their understanding!
“By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m a wandering magician.” The person who had committed a fraud and a case of destruction of public property was none other than Klein.
He swept a glance at the four Beyonders and said with a smile, “My best magic trick is to grant someone’s wishes. Do you have a wish you would like granted?”
Upon hearing this question, Roy’s spirits rose as he asked with hope, “Can you take us away from Belltaine?”
“Of course, I’ll do my best to do this, but not now.” Klein gave his promise.
Then, he looked at the handless Phil.
“He just said his wish. What’s yours?”
“…Let my hand recover,” Phil probed.
“Alright.” Klein cast his gaze at Biles. “Take out his hand.”
After hesitating for a moment, Biles took out the wooden box as per the mysterious man’s instructions and returned the hand inside to Phil.
“Come here,” Klein said with a smile.
Phil mustered his courage and walked over with his severed hand.
“Remove the bandages,” Klein continued to instruct. “Place the severed arm in its original spot. Let me remind you, don’t have it reversed. Otherwise, you’ll have to chop it off again and repeat the process.”
Seeing how confident the other party was, Phil felt a little more confident. He quickly pulled off the bandage that had been stuck to his wound with a twisted expression as he hissed.
After placing his severed hand at the stump, Klein took out a piece of white paper and approached.
Then, he reached out to wipe the wound.
Silently, the piece of paper split into two while Phil felt the pain disappear.
He quickly looked down and saw that his left wrist was perfectly intact. He couldn’t even tell that he had been hurt before.
Phil subconsciously moved his fingers and realized that he didn’t lose any of his motor skills at all.
“Your wish has been granted.” Klein took two steps back and smiled.
“Thank you…” Phil replied in a daze.
Klein looked at the other two Beyonders.
“What’s your wish?”
Upon seeing that Phil’s wish had really been fulfilled, Biles immediately stepped forward and said, “I want to know where my family is.”
Klein flicked his left arm and took out a silver mirror with ancient patterns. He lowered his head and said with a smile, “What is the answer to that question?”
The surface of the mirror shimmered with aqueous light as silver words appeared one after another.
“Belltaine Glorin Cemetery…”
Upon seeing this, Biles, who had his neck craned, felt his heart sink as he couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of sorrow and disappointment.
In the next second, new silver words appeared from the aqueous light.
“…’s grave keeper’s hut.”
…This means that… Biles felt his sorrow turn to happiness as he sincerely said, “Thank you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly thought of two questions.
How many people could live in the graveyard? How many grave keepers could there be?
His family members definitely numbered more than two or three!
Biles’s expression turned oscillated between gloom and joy before he fell silent.
As a result, he didn’t see the question posed by the silver mirror.
“Great Master, did I answer kindly enough?”
“Yes.” Klein nodded indiscernibly as he cast his gaze at the remaining lady.
Pasha thought for two seconds and said, “My wish is for you to protect us until we leave Belltaine alive.”
She realized that Roy’s wish was problematic because they might not necessarily leave Belltaine alive.
“Smart.” Klein praised with a smile. “Your wish will be granted.”
“Then what price do we have to pay? I’m referring to the payment for watching your magic.” Pasha hurriedly asked.
“Your wishes are the price,” Klein replied briefly before asking thoughtfully, “If you know certain things are fake, but if you are willing to subjectively use them, it shouldn’t be considered fraud, right?”
When Roy and company heard this, they were puzzled. After pondering for a moment, they shook their heads and said, “Definitely not.”
“This is actually a game between two parties.”
“A voluntary action that has a clear understanding of the actions is definitely not a scam.”
“There’s no doubt about it.”
After hearing their answers, Klein smiled.
“Very good. This is what the average person will think.”
As he spoke, he grabbed a few times with his right hand, dragging out a woman in a simple robe with black long hair.
It was the Historical Void projection of the Evernight cloister’s matron, Arianna.
Klein looked around and saw nothing unusual. He smiled at the projection and said, “Madam, what exactly happened?”
Arianna’s eyes darted about slightly, turning deep and quiet instantly. It made one feel a sense of serenity from the bottom of their hearts.
“She” calmly spoke:
“The chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat, Larrion, escaped. I’m tracking ‘Him.'”
Arianna paused and said, “After I came to Belltaine, I received new information.
“According to our intelligence, Larrion took away a Sealed Artifact when ‘He’ escaped.
“0-02.”
Chapter 1283 Gradually Deepening
0-02… Klein inwardly repeated the serial number, feeling that the problem might be more troublesome than he had expected.
Although it couldn’t be said that 0-02 was definitely more terrifying than 0-05 since the true essence of the Magic Wishing Lamp was that of a sealed Outer Deity, an entity far stronger than the present true deities, “He” could definitely destroy this world or even this solar system if not for the restrictions of the outer shell. However, the smaller the number meant that 0-02 was likely more dangerous and more difficult to seal than 0-05 in most cases.
At the end of the Fourth Epoch, the seven Churches had serialized the batch of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts to two-digit numbers. Being only second to 0-01, it’s totally possible to imagine how terrifying 0-02 is… However, the God of Combat didn’t seem to make use of this Sealed Artifact in the battle of gods… Was it not suitable for direct combat, or was it too dangerous? It didn’t distinguish between friend and foe? Thoughts ran through Klein’s mind.
His expression gradually turned serious.
“Ma’am, what do you know about 0-02?”
Arianna slowly shook her head and said, “When the various Churches inform each other of the Grade 0 and Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, they only mention the serial numbers.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
That’s right. The information regarding a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact is strictly confidential internally to a Church. As part of the brass, they usually have to be in charge of a particular Grade 0 Sealed Artifact before they can come into contact with any related information. Furthermore, there’s a high chance that the corresponding memories will be erased after everything is over… This is, on the one hand, to prevent important information from leaking, and on the other hand, there’s the fact that just knowing about Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in most cases can result in danger, or cause the seal to be ineffective… Klein asked in thought, “Didn’t the Church already take over the Church of the God of Combat?”
That way, they could have obtained all the files on 0-02.
Arianna looked at the nearby Roy and company and said, “Larrion destroyed all files regarding the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts before escaping.”
Impressive… Such an abnormally cautious fellow is really annoying… Klein thought and said, “What comments does the Goddess have of 0-02?”
From his point of view, the Evernight Goddess and the God of Combat were existences from the same period. Furthermore, “She” was in control of the Concealment authority. The Goddess had a high chance of understanding the situation that the latter grasped.
In addition, it was impossible for the Sealed Artifacts at the level of 0-02 not to leave any traces in history. They might have created many disasters, so they were no stranger to high-level figures of that era.
Arianna seemed to have recalled the situation from a long time ago. She stated without any pause:
“In the past revelation, the Goddess called 0-02 ‘the Book of Rules.'”
Book of Rules… That’s even more terrifying… Klein’s eyes narrowed as he made plenty of connections.
Composite Start
Composite End
In his past life, he was a gaming enthusiast who played a broad genre of games despite not being too obsessed. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the term “Book of Rules” at all.
At this moment, Arianna added, “The fact that you happened to be in Belltaine City might reveal some of the characteristics of 0-02.”
Yes, it’s quite normal for Ma’am Arianna to encounter such an anomaly while tracking the chief shepherd, Larrion, to Belltaine, but for me to also be here, it’s too much of a coincidence… In mysticism, excessive coincidences often mean that there’s something wrong…
Is someone setting me up, or is it the effect of the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence? Based on the present situation, the set up doesn’t seem targeted., and how I’m already the owner of Sefirah Castle, I can more or less sense something abnormal… If it’s the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence, eliminating the exiled Mr. Door and the Antigonus ancestor who is sealed in the foggy town, the only ones that can influence me to this extent are Zaratul and Amon…
However, I’ve always been deliberately avoiding Zaratul. Amon’s true body should be under the True Creator’s pursuit. If it’s just an avatar, it’s impossible for it to produce such a powerful convergence effect… Yes, there’s another possibility. The law of convergence between sefirot… 0-02 attracted Sefirah Castle, causing me to coincidentally come to Belltaine today?
If that’s the case, even if 0-02 isn’t a sefirah, it’s definitely related to one… Klein, who had already suspected something, suddenly thought of a lot. He had a vague grasp of 0-02.
He thought for a moment and said, “From the development of the situation, the rules are gradually becoming stricter. That piece of yellow paper is evidence. Does this mean that the extent of 0-02’s coming to life or the degree of reawakening is becoming deeper?”
Arianna nodded serenely and said, “That’s right. We have to find it before something happens, and also try to seal it.
“That’s why it’s best we split up and expand the search radius, saving as much time as possible.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein had no objections to this. After some thought, he said, “Ma’am, you’ve told me so much. Isn’t this considered leaking secrets?”
“No.” Arianna gave a rather clear answer. “Leaking secrets refers to informing the outside world of the anomaly in Belltaine via any way.”
This has cut off any physical connection between us and the outside world… That’s fine. At least, there’s no need to worry about any problems with our usual conversations. In short, it’s fine if we don’t curse… Klein silently heaved a sigh of relief and asked, “The Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers here will abide by the rules on the notice?”
“Yes.” Arianna gave an affirmative answer before her figure faded away and disappeared.
After watching the matron of the Evernight cloister leave, Klein quickly sorted out the information he had just obtained and gained some understanding of the possible developments that were to come.
Combat wasn’t the main point. The crux of the problem was whether he could find 0-02 in time and think of a way to seal it.
During this process, what they would face as foreigners would become more and more complicated. They would find it increasingly difficult to abide by the rules and the citizens that were controlled.
With this in mind, Klein cast his gaze to Roy and company not far away. He asked with a smile, “What are your thoughts on what you just heard?”
Roy exchanged looks with Pasha and said, “We don’t know what a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact is, but we can guess that 0-02 is a very terrifying item. It can set the rules and even change reality to a certain extent. Furthermore, this anomaly seems to change as time passes.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat should be a very powerful Beyonder.”
Klein gently clapped his hands and smiled.
“That’s about it. If we don’t work hard and hope to avoid danger by hiding, then there will be more and more things that we need to take note of. If we aren’t careful, we might commit a crime. Heh heh, perhaps in the end, we will be executed on the spot because we stepped out the door with our left foot first.”
His words left Pasha, Biles, and the others in a panic.
It was indeed funny to hear the possible developments, but on second thought, they could sense the extreme horror hidden within!
A few seconds later, Pasha said with a solemn expression, “Furthermore, the citizens can use any means to deal with us, but we are unable to fight back. This is because killing and voluntarily causing harm are very serious crimes…”
“We can try to deceive their senses, but we can’t use it too many times,” Klein said casually. “What we need to do now is to quickly summarize the rules that 0-02 follows. That way, we can find it and seal it before it comes to life or awakens to gain true intelligence. What are your thoughts?”
Marauder Phil thought for a moment and probed, “It doesn’t seem capable of attacking us directly. It can only punish us when we violate the rules and commit crimes.”
Klein snapped his fingers and said, “That’s right. I can summarize this law for now: 0-02 cannot punish those who do not commit crimes.”
Biles blurted out, “But it can make the citizens arrest foreigners. Foreigners aren’t considered criminals.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“This does contradict the previous law from before,” Klein replied with a smile. “However, in history, many cities have come up with laws that include discrimination and the expulsion of foreigners in the different stages of their development. Did you decipher any deeper laws from this matter?”
The four Beyonders frowned one after another, unsure what the powerful magician opposite them was trying to express.
After a brief silence, Pasha, who thought of the question he had asked—asking whether a particular action was considered fraud—hesitated and said, “The rules issued by 0-02 must match the public’s understanding and be acknowledged to a certain extent?”
“That’s a good idea,” Klein praised. “This is a guess thanks to the law regarding the arrest of foreigners. It has been verified from your previous feedback, so we can temporarily list it as its second law. This can help us determine which actions are crimes and which aren’t.”
Seeing Pasha receive the praise of the powerful “magician” twice, Roy hurriedly added, “It will constantly increase the number of laws, reaching a certain level of complexity, thereby limiting us. No matter what we do, we will be punished. Yes, on the basis of arresting foreigners, clauses such as the trespassing of private property and the prohibition of defecation or urination in public will make life harder for us with the passage of time.”
Just as Klein nodded in agreement, his spiritual perception was triggered.
He instinctively raised his head and looked at the noticeboard. He realized that a goatskin parchment had appeared on it at some point in time.
“Curfew Order…”
“This…” Pasha and the others also noticed this change and their eyes widened.
It was already late at night. If they stayed outside for some time, they would violate the curfew and suffer some punishment. Then, the punishment would worsen each time until they were sentenced to death.
“Let’s go. We haven’t got much time.” Klein pressed down his tall hat and said with a smile, “Our target is most likely a book. It might still be with the chief shepherd, or it might’ve already been hidden somewhere. My intuition tells me that it might be the latter. This is because, to anyone, that item is too dangerous, and it will only become more dangerous. Of course, the premise is that the chief shepherd hasn’t gone crazy—only using 0-02 to create a chance to escape pursuit.
“By the way, I forgot to tell you that the chief shepherd is a Grounded Angel.”
Angel… Roy, Pasha, and the others, who had just begun to move, froze.
Chapter 1284 Limitation Loophole
In the present era of this world, belief in a deity was common. The difference was which deity they believed in. Therefore, even if Roy, Pasha, and company didn’t understand the meaning of angels in mysticism, they had more or less heard of legends about angels from the priests, bishops, and seniors around them. They knew that they were the servants of deities, and were powerful creatures that were qualified to be addressed as “Him” or “Her.” Every action of theirs could create miracles. They were definitely not something ordinary people could compare with.
In the hearts of these four Beyonders, angels were of a whole different level, holy spirits of another world. Under normal circumstances, “They” lived in the divine kingdoms and wouldn’t descend into the real world. “They” could be treated as true legends without considering the meaning “They” had in reality. Just like the battles they had experienced in the past, although they would occasionally encounter Beyonders today who struck terror in their hearts, like today, them being angels was the last thing on their mind.
The two weren’t on the same level!
But today, a wandering and mysterious “magician” had informed them that the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat was an angel who walked the land.
Phil and the others believed in the mysterious gentleman, who had shown all kinds of amazing feats, from the bottom of their hearts. Firstly, he had granted their wishes and was friendly enough. Secondly, they didn’t believe that they were qualified enough to be deceived in such matters. To them, the chief shepherd was an angel or an abnormally powerful Beyonder. In essence, there was no difference between the two.
The reality of this world far exceeds our imaginations… The words that Pasha often said flashed through her mind.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Roy made further connections.
He remembered that the lady, whom Mr. Magician had invited from thin air, mention that she was pursuing the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat. Furthermore, she seemed to be qualified to see the Evernight Goddess’s revelation.
The only person who can track an angel is probably another angel… With Mr. Magician’s performance in front of that lady, his level can’t be that much lower… Roy hurriedly retracted his gaze from Klein’s back and didn’t dare to look at him directly.
He looked left and right and realized that Phil had come to a similar guess as well. A complicated feeling emerged from his pale face, one that was a result of his blood loss.
Biles held his breath and only spoke after a few seconds.
“No wonder there’s such an inexplicable change in Belltaine…”
“It’s not the time to feel poignant about this. Let’s hurry up and leave. The curfew is about to take effect,” Klein reminded with a smile without any signs of nervousness.
Pasha quickly looked at the noticeboard and imprinted the contents into a brand in her mind.
“…From eight at night to eight in the morning. Free movement and assembling in the streets are forbidden…”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Where should we go?” she blurted out.
Under the double restrictions of the curfew and the no trespassing clause, it appeared as though they could only await punishment.
Klein smiled and said, “Only movement and assembly in the streets are forbidden.”
As he spoke, he pointed at a nearby manhole which led to the sewers.
Biles’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, it didn’t say that we can’t pass through the sewers!
“When curfews were in place previously, the tramps hid in the sewers or abandoned buildings.”
Roy and the others didn’t hesitate any longer. They immediately went forward and used the advantage of their strength to push open the manhole cover and climbed into the sewers.
In the pitch-black darkness, a dim yellow light lit up as a lantern appeared in Klein’s hand.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As they followed the mystical “magician,” Phil said thoughtfully, “We can head to a hotel next.
“Biles is a local. He won’t be attacked, so he can get a room. Then, we can climb through the window and enter from the outside. As we have gotten permission from the owner, we wouldn’t be considered as trespassing on private property.
“In that case, we can stay until dawn and wait for the curfew to end.”
“It’s a very interesting idea, but our goal isn’t to survive until dawn,” Klein replied with a smile as he walked ahead of them with the lantern in hand.
Roy nodded and said, “If we don’t do anything and stay in the hotel, the rules will increase one by one, becoming so detailed that guests aren’t allowed to stay in hotel rooms.”
“Actually, the most interesting thing about that proposal isn’t the finding of loopholes to the restrictions, but that it reminded me of something.” Klein turned his body slightly and looked at Biles. “As a local from Belltaine, he actually didn’t attempt to capture us foreigners.”
In other words, he wasn’t affected by the yellow paper’s orders.
This… Pasha and the others all turned warily to look at Biles, clearly showing suspicion on their faces.
Their encounter earlier had made them certain that the citizens of Belltaine City had lost their minds in the foreigner-arresting affair.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I don’t know why either…” Biles also murmured in confusion.
“Are you still a Belltaine citizen?” Klein asked casually as he slowly walked in the damp and smelly sewer.
Biles followed behind him and answered with some certainty, “Of course.”
Klein thought and asked, “On the one hand, you are a citizen of Belltaine. On the other hand, you are a standard foreigner. Two of your attributes overlap, causing a contradiction. Under that order, you will neither be attacked, nor will you have your rationality affected.”
“If we can create such a ‘contradiction,’ does it mean we will be able to escape the limitations of the rules?” Phil asked spiritedly.
Pasha shook her head.
“But such a ‘contradiction’ is very hard to create. At least I can’t think of any possibility right now…”
She suddenly paused and hesitated before saying, “The most important thing is that we’re far away from the noticeboard. We don’t know what other laws will follow. We have no way of avoiding them.”
When that happened, they wouldn’t dare to do anything!
Klein smiled and said, “Don’t worry. This mirror can help us see the new content on the noticeboard.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He casually displayed the magic mirror that had slipped into his left palm.
Pasha heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously, “Isn’t this a crime of peeping?”
On the surface of the silver mirror, words that resembled dripping blood appeared:
“The way I look at the noticeboard is like looking at the sun in the day. There’s no need to peep.”
Klein retracted his magic mirror and added with a smile, “Besides, this is just an item. How can it commit a crime?”
That really makes sense… Biles and Phil couldn’t help but nod.
After Roy figured it out, he exhaled and asked, “Next, the most important thing is to find that item, but we don’t have any clues. As a book, it can be anywhere. We can only carpet search the entire city, but we clearly lack the time to do that.”
“Indeed, we don’t know where 0-02 is. We don’t even have any clues, but there’s an existence that knows the answer very clearly,” Klein replied leisurely as he heard the footsteps echoing in the sewers.
Pasha’s heart stirred.
“You mean that chief shepherd?”
Klein smiled and nodded.
“0-02 is either in ‘His’ hands, or it has been hidden by ‘Him’ somewhere. And a ‘book’ is clearly unable to move on its own. This isn’t something that the current rules can help it achieve.”
“But how do we find that chief shepherd?” Biles blurted out.
Perhaps it was because the magical Mr. Magician was by his side, he wasn’t that afraid of searching for the Grounded Angel.
Klein calmly held the lantern and said, “As long as 0-02 doesn’t provide the chief shepherd immunity, ‘He’ too would have to abide by the laws on the notice.
“‘He’ was originally from Feysac, so ‘He’ is undoubtedly not a citizen of Belltaine. ‘He’ is unable to enjoy the treatment of the locals. Similarly, although ‘He’ is an angel from elsewhere and not a foreigner in the narrow sense of the word—he isn’t human, ‘He’ too will be pursued by the citizens. This can be confirmed.”
“In short, that chief shepherd has to abide by the curfew and not trespass private residences. He can’t hide in a public area that isn’t open to the public at night. At the same time, as a fugitive, ‘He’ likely doesn’t have companions who have dual traits like Biles. Tell me, where do you think ‘He’ will be?”
Roy’s eyes darted around as he gave several answers:
“Sewers, cemetery, cathedral before midnight, abandoned buildings…”
“You can’t enter the cemetery at night. The abandoned buildings are owned by someone or some group by virtue of its property rights,” Pasha reminded.
“Yes. Once the sewers are restricted, we will head to the cathedral to search for the chief shepherd or wait for “Him,” Klein said in a relaxed tone as though he was deciding on a trivial matter.
Roy, Phil, and the others were stunned. They hadn’t expected that they would be able to lock onto their target so easily.
It just took a few words of discussion to expose an angel’s whereabouts!
“However, there are quite a few cathedrals in Belltaine. We have to act in concert to save time. Also, the cathedral might be able to forcefully resist the punishment by relying on ‘His’ level as an angel and his powers.” With that said, Klein lowered his head and said to the magic mirror in his hand, “Arodes, monitor the entire city and pay attention to any anomalies.”
After giving his instructions to the mirror, Klein once again dragged Ma’am Arianna out of the fog of history and asked “Her” to be in charge of the cathedrals of the Church of Evernight.
After doing so, he turned around and said to Roy, Pasha, and company, “If we still can’t find the chief shepherd after all that is done, it means that ‘He’ has either left Belltaine, leaving 0-02 behind to attack the enemy, or he has already gained control of 0-02 to a certain extent. In short, we can proceed by means of elimination for now.”
Roy and company nodded in unison as they continued following Klein in the sewers.
After a few minutes, the ancient silver mirror reflected a scene:
On the signboard, there was another piece of paper with new rules:
“…Because of municipal maintenance works, no living being is allowed to enter the sewers from now on.”
“Content is being added at an increasing rate…” Klein frowned indiscernibly as he muttered to himself before taking out a human-skinned glove.
Immediately after, he gestured for Pasha and the others to hold hands.
Then, he grabbed one of them by the shoulder and led them out of the sewers to “Teleport” to the nearest Storm cathedral.
During this process, the four Beyonders first saw the rats and cockroaches in the sewers twitching as they died one after another. Following that, they were attracted by the strange and abstract spirit world, as though they had suffered some sort of catharsis at the mental level.
Chapter 1285 Forget About Leaving, All of You
Although there weren’t many supplicants in the Storm cathedral in the evening, Klein chose to appear on a corridor that led to the garden so as to avoid conflict.
“How magical…” Pasha muttered to herself as she looked at the settling surroundings.
Roy suppressed his emotions and looked around.
“If that chief shepherd comes to the cathedral to tide over the curfew, he could be somewhere like this.”
“If one isn’t worried about accumulating the number of crimes they commit, an angel has too many ways to fool the average person,” Klein said casually. “I’ll send you to the other cathedrals later. Try to stay in places with glass windows and mirrors. Once you discover any outsiders that might be from Feysac, find an opportunity to draw a symbol…”
Before he could finish his sentence, his head suddenly turned as he looked at the door leading to the garden in the prayer hall.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
A figure over 2.6 meters tall slowly walked out. He was wearing a long black robe with white edges, one completely filled with his bulging muscles.
This was an old, white-bearded man wearing a square hat. His eyes were pale blue, and he had few wrinkles. He had an aura of superciliousness.
The chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat, Larrion… Without needing to identify the figure, Klein’s spiritual intuition told him that the person opposite him was an angel, the reason for coming to the cathedral.
Larrion glanced at him and said in surprise, “It’s not Arianna…”
“He” immediately restrained “His” expression and said rather indifferently, “Appears to be ‘Her’ helper.
“You can tell ‘Her’ that I’ve reached an agreement with 0-02, which has come alive to a certain degree. I’ll give up sealing it in exchange for permission to leave. And y’all will stay here, enduring the changes in the rules and the increasingly stricter laws until y’all are completely dead…”
The chief shepherd didn’t seem to be worried that Klein would stop “Him” at all. This was because when “He” spoke, “His” body was rapidly aging. The surface of “His” skin quickly became covered in wrinkles, with aging spots appearing on it, dripping with a rotting liquid.
In just a few blinks of an eye, Larrion looked as though he was about to evaporate into thin air from his aging.
Then, “He” turned into a pool of rotten liquid that completely evaporated.
Composite Start
Composite End
The impact of this scene sent shivers down Biles and company’s spines. They felt as if their minds were about to go haywire and that their emotions were about to collapse.
This was just like the countless tiny worms that had crawled out from the wound on Mr. Magician’s wrist when he reformed his hand. It was just as terrifying and harrowing!
A strange ability; it has something to do with Twilight? Klein didn’t have any intention of stopping Larrion. He only nodded in thought.
In the spirit world corresponding to Belltaine, Larrion’s figure appeared and returned to normal.
Right on the heels of that, as though “He” could control spirit world creatures, he passed through an invisible barrier and escaped the many restrictions of Belltaine City.
But just as Larrion was about to begin “tearing” through space, everything suddenly darkened and “He” saw a seamless patch of dark “cloth.”
It was like a wall that blocked Larrion’s path!
Larrion cautiously stopped his actions, looked up at the infinitely high area where the Seven Pure Lights were. However, “He” could only see an illusory “curtain” hanging down from it, enveloping the spirit world of the area corresponding to Belltaine, isolating it and creating an independent world.
At the same time, Larrion’s intuition as a Demon Hunter had told “Him” that the barrier formed by the “curtain” was extremely strong and difficult to break through. “He” needed to spend a lot of time and effort to do so.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To this chief shepherd, what was happening had a strange comical feeling, making him unable to contain his rising anger.
This was akin to “Him” finally finding the key to a secret chamber after countless hardships. Just when “He” had the chance to open the door and leave before others could, “He” was surprised to find that there was an additional lock on the chamber’s door—a rather sturdy lock!
It lacks a sense of realism. It’s a projection from the Historical Void… It’s fraud! No, it’s outside of Belltaine City, out of the law’s jurisdiction… This historical projection should’ve existed here a long time ago. It can’t last more than two minutes, so it will dissipate on its own… Larrion quickly regained his composure, allowing his anchors and inclination towards madness to once again form a balance.
…
In the corridor of the Storm cathedral, Roy and company finally recovered. They turned their heads to look at Mr. Magician, who was in no way inferior to the angel from before.
Pasha hesitated for a moment before saying fearfully, “‘He’… ‘He’ seems to have escaped.”
This way, they wouldn’t be able to obtain any information about 0-02’s location. Relying on a carpet search would be too late.
Furthermore, no one present knew what the terrifying Sealed Artifact looked like. Describing it as a book made it too wide a scope.
“I can only think of other solutions,” Klein replied with a smile. “Do you have any suggestions?”
Composite Start
Composite End
He had been waiting for Larrion to return and negotiate with him, but he realized that the chief shepherd would rather wait in the spirit world for the “curtain” historical projection to disappear. And although he could enter the spirit world as well, he was unable to break through the strange barrier created after 0-02’s law-changing.
As he spoke, Klein seriously considered other solutions and made a few Worms of Spirit control his body. He spoke to the Beyonders beside him in an attempt to find inspiration through their discussion.
“We should take the initiative to create a ‘contradiction’ that’s similar to what happened to Biles so that we’ll be in a relatively safe state. Only by doing so will we be able to begin our search.” Phil brought up the idea that he had previously had.
Pasha shook her head.
“But if we use this kind of ‘contradiction’ to do something, 0-02 will definitely add new rules to resolve the corresponding problems.”
“But this can still buy us some time,” Phil emphasized.
“That is something that can be done,” Roy agreed, and added, “but our focus should be on finding 0-02. Perhaps we can create some ‘contradiction’ that will make it expose its location?”
As for what kind of “contradiction” could achieve such an effect or how to create it, he hadn’t come up with an idea.
In the event of a contradiction… New rules will be added to resolve it… Klein wore a smile as he listened silently. Sparks flew as his thoughts crashed in his mind.
At that moment, aqueous light appeared on the surface of the magic mirror in his hand as silver words appeared:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Pasha, do you want to know what the new content on the noticeboard is?”
The mirror directly asked me… Why did it ask me directly? Pasha was taken aback for a moment before she hurriedly nodded and answered, “Yes.”
The aqueous light in the silver mirror quickly returned and presented a scene of the noticeboard.
There were two new rules:
“…In compliance with the curfew order, the various cathedrals will shut down early…”
“…All hotels shall only accommodate guests who have registered their identities…”
Phil panicked.
“…Where do we go now?”
He had no idea how he, Roy, and Pasha could escape the punishment.
Roy and Pasha exchanged looks as various thoughts surged through their minds, but none of them were viable.
At this moment, Klein, who had been maintaining his silence, smiled and cast his gaze at Biles.
“Where’s your house in Belltaine?”
“A rental apartment on 18 Maple Street, but that apartment has already collapsed from the blast of an artillery shell,” Biles answered, slightly perplexed.
Klein smiled and said, “You can make a wish to return your house to its original state. I’ll grant it.”
“…Can that be done?” Although the magical “magician” had healed Phil’s severed hand with unbelievable powers, Biles still felt that it would be much more difficult to restore a collapsed house to its original state. After all, Dr. Weber, the military doctor who Roy mentioned, was capable of doing that.
“Of course.” Klein smiled and reminded him. “Make haste.”
At that moment, the supplicants in the cathedral were leaving one after another.
Biles didn’t dare to delay any further as he immediately said, “I wish that my house will return to its original state.”
“Alright.” Klein raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. “Your wish has come true.”
Uh? While Roy and company were in a daze, Klein activated Teleport once again and brought them to 18 Maple Street. He stopped outside a two-bedroom room.
Biles stared blankly at the familiar wooden door in front of him. Subconsciously, he reached out his right hand and pushed it open.
The cupboard, gas stove, bunk bed, wooden table covered in oil, and the messy old newspapers strewn everywhere were reflected in his eyes as his eyes immediately moistened.
Before the war broke out, he often saw his mother busying herself around the coal stove when he came back from the mines. His father and brother either made use of the time to do some repairs or help to handle the spoiled parts of the fruit and vegetables. They did some of the work that could be taken home. His young niece learned the alphabet from old newspapers under the guidance of her mother while she put together matchstick boxes.
Although such a life was tough and didn’t have any ability to avoid risks, it was still a wonderful memory for Biles. It was many times better than the dark mine paths, heavy ores, and the whipping from the supervisors.
But now, even this tiny bit of beauty was completely destroyed.
“Aren’t you going to invite us in?” Phil stood at the door, not daring to trespass on the private property.
After snapping back to his senses, Biles hurriedly said, “Please come on in.”
After entering the unoccupied house, Klein pulled a chair that could break at any moment and sat down. He then fell silent.
Roy, Pasha, and the others did not dare to disturb the gentleman as they waited quietly by his side.
After twenty to thirty seconds, Klein suddenly looked around and said with a smile, “I have an idea that requires verification. Who wants to work with me on this?”
“I’ll do it,” Roy replied without hesitation.
Klein smiled and replied, “Afterward, don’t truthfully answer the questions. I’m looking for the loopholes hidden in 0-02’s rules.”
Roy nodded and said, “That wouldn’t be an issue.”
Klein immediately took out the magic mirror and said to Roy, “Ask it a question.
Roy thought for a moment and said, “Where can I find my next potion?”
A scene appeared on the surface of the silver mirror. It was the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat, Larrion, who was pacing around the spirit world!
“…” Roy’s expression instantly stiffened. Then, he heard Mr. Magician say, “It’s your turn to answer its question. Remember, don’t give it the correct answer.”
Roy hurriedly reined in his thoughts and looked back at the mirror. He saw that the mirror had already transformed into Mr. Magician himself and a few more lines of blood-like text appeared:
“Who did you give your first time to?”
Roy instantly recalled the past as his face flushed red. Then, he answered according to Mr. Magician’s instructions, “I’m not sure.”
“A lie!” The blood-colored text on the silver mirror instantly condensed into the terrifying words.
Pa!
A bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere and struck Roy.
Roy convulsed in pain as his body was charred black. His hair stood on end, but his life wasn’t truly in danger.
Biles, Pasha, and Phil were all startled, unsure what had just happened.
At this moment, Klein looked around and smiled.
“Look, the mirror didn’t get punished for voluntarily causing harm.
“A real opportunity lies in here.”
Chapter 1286 New Applications of Old Methods
A real opportunity… Pasha, Biles, and Phil were delighted to hear this. It was as if they had finally seen the light after searching for a long time in the dark night.
“What kind of opportunity?” Roy blurted out from his dazed state.
Klein wasn’t in a rush. He smiled and said, “Did you guys not notice?
“There is no clear indication on the notice of who the enforcer is.”
As a keyboard warrior in the past, Klein had always claimed to be a jack of all trades. Furthermore, he had interacted with many lawyers in his life and had an Earl of The Fallen marionette before. He had the basic foundation needed when it came to the law and rules.
That’s right, the announcement only mentioned a new consul, and it’s not clear who the enforcer is. We encountered an invisible justiciar previously… Pasha and the others revealed a thoughtful expression.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon seeing this, Klein reached out his hand and stroked the surface of the magic mirror as though he was combing an animal.
“Under normal circumstances, everyone has tacitly acknowledged that the police and the authorities responsible for dealing with supernatural cases enforced the law. This is confirmed through a series of legal documents or the corresponding public knowledge. But this time, the rules haven’t reached such an airtight level.
“If we say that the rules are built on a blank slate composed of the original laws, directives, and rules, then we should’ve seen the police, the Nighthawks, or the Mandated Punishers when we committed crimes, but that’s not the case.
“In other words, the corresponding enforcer is indeed vague.”
Pasha, who was the most knowledgeable among the four Beyonders, thought for a moment before saying, “Perhaps, the law enforcer is an abstract concept. Or perhaps, it is tacitly equivalent to the new consul.”
“The latter isn’t clear either. It doesn’t make it clear who the new consul is. This way, it can be anyone. The former isn’t obliged to make it known…” Klein simply replied.
Phil frowned and said, “But we can’t enforce the law like the citizens.”
“The corresponding authority is determined by eliminating groups via labels,” Klein explained with a smile. “Foreigners are targets of ostracization and pursuit, so they obviously lack the required law enforcement rights. As for the citizens, they only have it when dealing with foreigners. This is confirmed through the notice.”
Without waiting for Roy and Biles to speak, Klein continued, “So, I just used the contradiction hidden in this matter to get Roy to test it. The result is exactly as I predicted.
Composite Start
Composite End
“First of all, the magic mirror isn’t a foreign living being, neither is it a local. It’s just an item with a certain level of intelligence. It cannot be placed into any particular group. This way, in a situation where the law enforcer isn’t clear, those who aren’t part of the elimination process have the right to enforce the law.
“Secondly, it had punished a foreigner. Those notices imply that ‘all who deal with foreigners are law enforcers.’
“Finally, the magic mirror itself has the rules of punishment. Before this rule is announced to be illegal, it has the right to punish others.
“Based on the three points above, I believe that 0-02 should be in a lot of conflict right now. Next, it will definitely issue a new law to clearly determine the main body of law enforcement, to mend the loopholes in this area. Once the main body of the law enforcement is revealed, it will contain a lot of information. It will help us lock onto the target.
“Heh heh, if 0-02 uses a method of adding prohibitions, it will definitely restrict itself, as it shares the same attributes as the mirror. This is definitely not its first choice.”
At that moment, Roy, Pasha, and the others, who were listening to Klein’s recount, suddenly had the feeling that he was a knowledgeable and highly intelligent person.
Could it be that Mr. Magician is a wise man who likes to travel among the commoners in legends? The four Beyonders each made similar but different guesses.
At this moment, the magic mirror in Klein’s hand emitted a misty aqueous light.
Amidst the aqueous light, the silver mirror’s surface showed the noticeboard.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Two more lines appeared on the bottom of the original piece of paper:
“All law enforcement must be carried out by the Trunsoest Brass Book or the group it authorizes.
“Any private rules can’t surpass the official decree.”
Trunsoest Brass Book… This is the full name of 0-02? The opportunity is here! Klein’s expression turned serious as he entered Cogitation.
He had forced 0-02 to clarify the main law enforcement to obtain more information so as to further understand the situation of the terrifying Sealed Artifact.
And based on Klein’s deduction, 0-02 was more or less related to a particular sefirah, just like how he was back when he had yet to become the owner of Sefirah Castle.
Therefore, furthering his understanding of it would inevitably result in reverse corruption, thereby establishing a certain connection.
To a certain extent, the sefirah was equivalent to a Great Old One, Outer Deity, or the Cosmos!
Back then, Klein had used such mysticism knowledge to lock onto the location of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar. Now, he was using it in the opposite direction.
Composite Start
Composite End
From his point of view, 0-02 was definitely more corrupted by a sefirah than him. After all, Sealed Artifacts were in a state of having lost control. This was why they needed to be sealed.
Under such circumstances, further understanding of 0-02 would result in corruption.
The reality proved Klein’s hypothesis!
And it was also because of this danger that he didn’t show the new content presented by Arrodes to the four Beyonders.
In Cogitation, Klein quickly sensed that he had an invisible connection with a certain spot. The indescribable corruption was surging over.
Ding!
At the same time he flicked out a gold coin, he used Sefirah Castle’s aura to cut off the connection and isolate the corruption.
Immediately after, a clear image appeared in his mind.
Klein grabbed the gold coin with his left hand. After the glove suddenly turned transparent, he instantly vanished from the room and appeared in a hall filled with bookshelves.
On the side of the hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, there were many long rectangular tables. On one of them was a book bound by thin brass sheets.
Composite Start
Composite End
I’ve found you! A smile appeared on Klein’s face.
He made use of the brief connection to do a divination. Then, he relied on the attraction between sefirot, to make the “Teleportation” become abnormally precise!
The law of convergence between sefirot would allow Klein to accidentally enter the library and discover the brass book. However, it might’ve happened two days later, two weeks later, or even two years later. It wouldn’t happen in time to stop anything. Furthermore, this was under the prerequisite that 0-02 didn’t do any corresponding interference or avoidance measures.
Pa!
The clothes on Klein’s back suddenly cracked as blood-red strokes appeared.
This was a punishment for trespassing into a public area.
Whipping!
Thankfully, this crime is very light… And I won’t be punished for this crime for the next one or two minutes. The rules will give the trespasser time to withdraw… Klein immediately reached out and grabbed a few times in the void.
He didn’t really pull out the figure of the ascetic leader, Arianna. This was because, to a noncommittal “person,” a historical projection was a form of fraud. He only used this method to send his location information to the Servant of Concealment.
Due to the same reason, Klein dispersed the glove on his left hand.
During this process, the brass book started flipping and displayed the rules:
“When one’s rationality drops to 20% of its original value, there would be signs of losing control…
“… Scholar of Yore has the ability to summon Historical Void projections. The success rate of summoning depends on the familiarity and friendliness of the target…
“…
“…The Trunsoest Brass Book is the most precious item. No living being is permitted to touch it. Those in violation are to be sentenced to death!
“…One is not allowed to change the condition of the Trunsoest Brass Book in any way. Those in violation are to be sentenced to death!
“…”
The rules made Klein’s eyelids twitch. He felt his rationality constantly dropping.
This caused the Primordial One’s mental brand in his body to become more active.
The first part of the rules is presented in grayish-black, as though it’s in a state that can’t be changed… This requires 0-02 to awaken further? If it awakens to the extent of changing the rules in front, it’ll be very terrifying. It might even reduce the success rate of my summonings, causing Beyonders to show signs of losing control if their rationality falls a little… This, with this we’ve fixed the problem of this variant of a Seer being too strong? As expected of 0-02. It fully lives up to its serial number…
The text behind is presented in silver… Does this mean that the rules can be altered or enhanced?
I can’t touch it. I can’t change its state. That also means that I can’t take it away, nor can I directly “Conceal” this Sealed Artifact… Perhaps I can use the Staff of the Stars or the Box of the Great Old Ones to directly move this library into the cosmos and let 0-02 face those Outer Deities… But if the Outer Deities were to grasp this Sealed Artifact, the problem might be greater than it is now… Klein hesitated for a moment and didn’t risk summoning his Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
The next second, he heard a “smacking” sound.
The figure of Arianna’s simple linen robe and tree bark belt was quickly outlined at his side. She was lashed by an invisible whip, leaving behind an obvious bloody mark.
“The first problem has been resolved. Now, we need to consider the second problem. That is how to seal this fellow,” Klein said as he made haste.
It wouldn’t be long before he would suffer a second punishment.
Arianna shook “Her” head.
“The corresponding information has been destroyed. We can only resolve it through trial and error.”
That’s a little dangerous… We don’t know, but someone definitely knows… Klein’s heart stirred as he made his Spirit Body leave his body and enter the spirit world.
Through the invisible barrier created by 0-02, he said to the Church of the God of Combat’s chief shepherd, Larrion, who was waiting for the curtain to disappear,
“Perhaps we can make a deal.”
“You want the method to seal 0-02?” Larrion turned around and chuckled. “Do you think I’ll agree?”
“Actually, I’m very puzzled. Why must you sacrifice yourself for the fallen God of Combat? By joining the Church of Evernight, you can still be an angel, and you can also receive blessings. You can also live for a very long time,” Klein didn’t directly respond as he said.
Larrion’s expression darkened as he said, “A Mythical Creature without any pious faith wouldn’t be able to understand me.”
…As an evil god, isn’t it normal for me to not be devout? Klein couldn’t help but mutter inwardly.
This was his humanity.
Chapter 1287 Guidance
Seeing that Klein was momentarily at a loss for words, the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat, Larrion, revealed a solemn expression.
“Furthermore, the fall of a deity is only temporary. ‘He’ will eventually return and awaken using my body.”
“…” Klein frowned slightly when he heard that. He didn’t know whether the angel was having mental problems and wasn’t far from losing control because of his shaken anchors, or if “He” was too affected by the God of Combat. In a certain sense, “He” had become “His” backup.
Ignoring the Sequence 0 true deities, even Kings of Angels and a number of angels would often not completely die!
“You should know very well that the apocalypse will come in another ten or so years. I believe that the speed of the God of Combat’s resurrection won’t be fast enough.” Klein attempted to awaken him with the cruel reality.
Larrion snorted.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You will never be able to imagine the power of God.”
“He” didn’t give Klein the chance to continue his persuasion and revealed a smile.
“In short, I won’t make a deal with you. Pray, pray to Evernight. Pray to the deity you believe in to seal 0-02 and save you!
“But all I need to do is wait another thirty to forty seconds before I can leave this place.”
Klein looked up at the “curtain” hanging from infinitely high above and didn’t say anything else. He made his Spirit Body return to the library where the Trunsoest Brass Book was.
“Do you have any ideas?” he asked without any delay.
Arianna shook her head slightly and asked, “What did Larrion say?”
“‘He’ told us to pray to the deities to seal 0-02…” As Klein spoke, he was suddenly stunned.
What Larrion said didn’t seem to be problematic, but he had inadvertently revealed a very important piece of information.
Composite Start
Composite End
He believed that deities could seal 0-02, no matter who “They” were!
Then, what does a deity rely on to seal it? By forcefully suppressing it with “Their” Sequence 0 status, or use a might that can destroy the world? Many questions appeared in Klein’s mind.
At this moment, Trunsoest Brass Book flipped to a blank page, producing silver words one after another—the language it used was the one on the first Blasphemy Slate. It seemed to be the source of all the languages that were still in use.
In the blink of an eye, the silver words formed into new text:
“The Belltaine City Library is the place where the Trunsoest Brass Book is kept. It is a place that must be heavily protected. Living beings who intrude without the Trunsoest Brass Book’s permission will be severely punished.”
It’s an elevation of the punishment. I might be sentenced to death next… Klein’s pupils dilated as he quickly deduced the most likely development.
However, he didn’t panic at all. Instead, he smiled and said with sincerity, “My wish is to shrink the size of the Belltaine City Library, so that the spot where Ma’am Arianna and I are is the boundary line.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he snapped his fingers and granted his own wish.
As the snapping sound reverberated, the lawn that corresponded to the Belltaine City Library disappeared. The building shrunk and the walls retreated. Soon, only a tenth of its original size was left.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein and Arianna subconsciously “arrived” outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the open window, they stared at the Trunsoest Brass Book that remained on the rectangular table.
There was no change in the distance between them and the target. They were still very close, but they were no longer within the confines of being severely punished. However, due to their first violation of the curfew, they were once again whipped by an invisible law enforcer.
After accumulating the wishes of restoring buildings one after another, Klein could create quite a miracle in this aspect!
He didn’t make another wish and continued thinking. He analyzed the hidden meaning behind the words of the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat.
No, it shouldn’t have been forcefully suppressed using a deity’s status and level. Otherwise, my spiritual intuition would’ve told me the answer long ago. That would’ve made me activate Sefirah Castle’s aura and complete the seal…
From a mysticism point of view, this is understandable. This is because 0-02 is clearly related to a particular sefirah. It’s difficult to suppress it by relying on the status and level of a Sequence 0…
By relying on the might of the deities “Themselves”? This might be possible, but there’s a high chance that it’s not the real method. This is because Larrion knows of a sealing method that can be completed without relying on the deities…
What’s special about a Sequence 0 deity? And what methods can an angel use to achieve such a special sealing method?
The most special thing that I can think of at the moment is that a Sequence 0 deity contains a Uniqueness. This is something I can’t summon from the Historical Void. It really has the characteristic of being “unique.”
Composite Start
Composite End
But how can an angel indirectly simulate a Uniqueness?
Countless thoughts collided in Klein’s mind, producing large amounts of sparks, but he still couldn’t figure out the key to the problem.
At this moment, the mercury-colored words on the Trunsoest Brass Book continued to seep out, forming new paragraphs that stipulated that Klein and Arianna were a group of people that needed punishment.
Arianna observed silently for a while before suddenly saying, “I’ll try to ‘Conceal’ the soil beneath the table to make 0-02 fall to the core. Raise your level of alertness to prevent any accidents.”
Conceal” the soil… Fall to the core… Klein’s heart stirred. He felt that this was a rather good solution.
The Trunsoest Brass Book had only forbidden the touching and changing its condition at present. The environment wasn’t equivalent to its condition. In addition, they were only forbidden from entering Belltaine City Library. It didn’t mean that Klein and Arianna couldn’t exert certain influences on it.
And when 0-02, which hadn’t been banned from leaving, passed through the concealed “soil” and fell to the core, it would lose its influence on Belltaine City due to the distance, causing the laws it had set up to fail. That was the case unless it was awakened further or came to life, allowing a larger region to fall under its jurisdiction.
This way, Klein and Arianna no longer needed to be restricted by the rules. They could seek help from the Evernight Goddess!
However, when Arianna finally thought of a solution and was preparing to carry out the plan, a new law was completely formed:
“The Belltaine City Library the place where the Trunsoest Brass Book is stored. It is a place that must be strictly protected. No living thing or object is to deal any form of damage to it in any way.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Indeed, 0-02 has also noticed this loophole… This loophole… As Klein frowned slightly, he suddenly had an idea of what he had been thinking about.
The Uniqueness of a Sequence 0 deity was indeed unique, but “Their” sealing of 0-02 wasn’t directly done by using the authority and power that came from it.
It was very likely that “They” could rely on this trait of a Uniqueness to lure 0-02 into setting up a series of contradictory rules, causing the Sealed Artifact to fall into a paradoxical cycle!
In this aspect, angels, saints, and even ordinary people could accomplish that by themselves. The key was to think of paradox and guide it into establishing it.
As for how to seal 0-02 after it entered a paradoxical cycle and was preparing to fix the loophole, Klein didn’t have any clues at the moment, so he needed to make further observations.
How should I create a paradox… All the rules and regulations set up by 0-02 quickly flashed through Klein’s mind.
In just a few seconds, he acutely grasped a point where he could create a paradoxical cycle. He quickly turned his head and said to Arianna, “Ma’am, let’s not destroy the city library. We will directly ‘Conceal’ the other parts of the Belltaine, indirectly causing it to lose the necessary support. This place will then collapse on its own; thus, falling into the core.”
Arianna didn’t immediately do as he said. Instead, “She” turned “Her” head and gave Klein a deep look.
“This will cause the deaths of many civilians.”
“We have to make a choice between the lesser of two evils,” Klein said seriously.
Arianna didn’t respond and fell silent. It was as though “She” was in an intense mental struggle or making the appropriate preparations.
At this moment, the two brass pages that had just written the two articles quickly created more new rules:
“Belltaine is the city where the Trunsoest Brass Book is located, a true Holy Land in all senses of the phrase. No living thing or object is to deal any form of damage to it in any way.”
Upon seeing this text, Klein wasn’t disappointed. Instead, he smiled.
With a snap, he snapped his fingers, causing scarlet flames to surge out of his pocket and quickly drown him.
In just two to three seconds, a stream of flames descended from the sky. Klein jumped out and carried a person.
That was one of the four Beyonders he had saved previously. He was the Belltaine local, Biles!
“Go in and quickly flip through the brass book,” Klein said calmly as he pointed at the 0-02 on the rectangular table.
Biles didn’t know exactly what had happened, but he believed that this magical “magician,” who had fulfilled two of his wishes, had found a way out of the situation plaguing Belltaine. Thus, after taking a deep breath, he entered the city library through the miniaturized, open floor-to-ceiling windows.
During this process, he didn’t receive any severe punishments. In fact, he wasn’t even whipped!
Upon seeing this scene, Klein’s smile widened.
0-02 had produced a paradox!
Due to Arrodes’s existence, the Trunsoest Brass Book could only do a most comprehensive prohibition, preventing any living being or object from dealing any form of damage to it in any way.”
As a city, Belltaine’s definition didn’t just include its terrain and buildings. It definitely included the residents here.
This way, if 0-02 punished a Belltaine citizen like Biles, any damage to him would go against the law it had just issued. If it didn’t punish him, it would go against the laws that prohibited him from entering the city library. Hence, the Trunsoest Brass Book had entered a vicious cycle!
Of course, Klein believed that such a paradox would quickly be corrected by appending additional clauses. He only hoped that Biles would be able to flip through the brass book and find clues to sealing it!
“Pay attention to the currently open page. Once an article is about to take shape, immediately come out,” Klein instructed as he stared at Biles and 0-02.
Although Biles had witnessed Phil’s severed hand, Weber’s hanging, and Mr. Magician’s palm fused from worms, and also had a certain understanding of the horrifying anomaly brought about by 0-02, his lacking level and experience made him unaware of the true horror behind this matter. He mostly explained it away as a horror tale coming to life.
Therefore, despite feeling afraid, he mustered up his courage and quickly approached the rectangular table under the watch of the magical Magician and Grounded Angel. Of course, him being from the Sailor pathway was partly responsible.
Within two or three steps, Biles had reached a spot where he could touch the brass book.
Without thinking, he reached out his right palm and grabbed the brass pages on 0-02 and quickly flipped them.
During this process, the back of Biles’s hand held up the brass page, which hadn’t completely been filled, to prevent it from being blocked, so as to allow him, Mr. Magician, and Ma’am Angel to observe the changes on it and react in advance.
Amidst the flipping sounds, this Sailor saw the line that touching the Trunsoest Brass Book would result in the death sentence. He was first alarmed before he was filled with a strong sense of puzzlement about his current state.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, this didn’t affect his action of flipping the pages forward. Klein’s eyes reflected the different brass pages, and each page had different rules.
The projections of these brass pages didn’t appear by making lines disappear and having new ones substitute them. Instead, they appeared side by side and gradually increased in number.
In the end, Klein’s eyes reflected a different number of brass pages in them. They were neatly arranged, one line after another. It was as though he had split the 0-02 into a single page and placed it on a glass platform to bask in the sun.
This was a dream divination technique at the angel level, allowing Klein to reproduce the scenes he had just seen before his very eyes.
With the passage of time, the brass pages in his dark brown eyes began to spin and pinpoint one of them:
“…The Trunsoest Brass Book originates from a Justiciar Uniqueness that had been corrupted by the Nation of Disorder…”
It’s exactly as I expected. Since the Trunsoest Brass Book can produce all the low-level rules, the corresponding content must contain a description of itself! This is determined by its essence. Unless it completely awakens or comes alive, and has the sufficient intelligence to know how to selectively hide it… Just as a thought of joy flashed through Klein’s mind, he saw a new word in mercury color appear on the unfilled brass page.
This meant that 0-02 had finally diverted a portion of its power from its vicious cycle. It was preparing to add text as a supplementary explanation to fix the flaws.
“Leave!” Without any hesitation, Klein shouted.
Composite Start
Composite End
Biles strictly obeyed the orders of a high-leveled figure, immediately withdrawing his right hand, turning around, and sprinting out the window.
“Make a move to attack me.” Seeing that the Sailor with dual attributes had left the city library, Klein suddenly added.
Biles’s heart was filled with puzzlement, but he still raised his right arm and pulled back his shoulder. He put on a stance that looked like he was about to throw a punch at Klein.
At this moment, a new article finally took shape:
“With regards to the rules above, the Trunsoest Brass Book and the group of people it permits have immunity while enforcing the law…”
However, even if this article was successfully published, Biles wouldn’t suffer any punishment.
Clearly, the Trunsoest Brass Book wouldn’t pursue problems that led to a vicious cycle or unclear definitions. It was just like how it didn’t pile crimes on Arrodes after it mended the loopholes in the rules.
By the same logic, Biles, who had truly come into contact with 0-02, didn’t suffer any contamination from a sefirah. Before the supplementary clauses were published, Biles was a part of the Belltaine. He couldn’t be damaged in any sense, so he couldn’t be corrupted. But with the additional clause, he wouldn’t be “retroactively” punished for his previous actions.
In fact, after Biles left the city library, he had violated the curfew order as well, but Klein had already noticed a problem. It was that when the Belltaine citizens pursued foreigners while outside, they weren’t restricted by the curfew. Therefore, he made Biles attack him in a manner to avoid the corresponding punishment.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Right on the heels of that, he seized the opportunity while 0-02 was fixing the loophole to quickly recall the detailed information regarding the Trunsoest Brass Book.
“…This book possesses a living characteristic, but most of the time, it’s at a very low level…
“…The first half of the book displays almost all the underlying rules, while the second half is blank. It needs to be filled in autonomously…
“…Once there are no restrictions, it will naturally set up laws with certain biases for the surrounding areas and strictly enforce it. During this process, it will change and correct the rules based on the feedback.
“…As the law gradually becomes stricter, ‘His’ living characteristic will deepen… Once a law that can interfere with all aspects takes form, the Trunsoest Brass Book will completely come alive. It will possess true intelligence, and has the ability to modify the first half of the underlying rules to a certain extent… The exact extent that it can reach is as follows…
“…If there are contradictions in the laws that can’t be corrected, or if the pages are all filled without being able to form a sufficiently airtight system of rules, the Trunsoest Brass Book will produce a new line at the boundary between the first and second half: ‘All the following rules are ineffective.’
“…After this line takes form, the rules in the second half will disappear and the pages will return to a blank slate…
“…After the second half is completely blank, the clause ‘All the following rules are ineffective’ will be erased, and the Trunsoest Brass Book will repeat its previous actions until there is a set of laws that covers all aspects…
“…The rules that it creates have to be publicized or informed to the masses before having them take effect… When there’s no clear rule for a particular action, whether it’s against the common knowledge of the surrounding living beings…
Composite Start
Composite End
“…Trunsoest Brass Book hates distorted and ugly rules. It hates having loopholes found…”
What a detailed description… There should be a method to seal 0-02 in all of this… Klein’s thoughts raced as he attempted to find information that he could use from every line of text.
At this moment, the leader of the ascetics, Arianna, whispered, “Think of a way to fill the pages behind 0-02, without making it airtight enough.”
That’s right! In that case, the Trunsoest Brass Book will declare that all the following rules are ineffective. It’ll redo it again. When that happens, its restrictions on the surroundings will temporarily vanish, allowing us to have the chance to touch it, take it away, or directly pray to a deity… But, how should we go about doing this? The Trunsoest Brass Book hates distorted and ugly rules. It hates having loopholes found… Klein’s heart stirred as he had an idea.
Without any hesitation, he stretched out his arms, as if he was hugging the air.
In the next second, inside the building whose dimensions had shrunk to one-tenth of the original Belltaine City Library, a hall that was covered with deep-black stone slabs with all kinds of scuffing descended into the real world.
There were eight black stone pillars erected in the hall, and metal poles hung from the high dome. At the bottom were candlesticks carved into different creatures, 41 on the left and 40 on the right.
This was the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire’s Hall of Consuls that Klein had seen before. At that time, both consuls were still Sequence 1 Princes of Abolition of the Black Emperor pathway, so this place was filled with distortions. It didn’t match the normal circumstances and didn’t have any rules of aesthetics.
Apart from that, when Klein summoned this historical scene, he also used his domain’s ability to add the details of the Fourth Epoch which he knew. It made the order that stemmed from the Black Emperor become more and more detailed, as though it was corporeal.
Pa!
Composite Start
Composite End
His wrists were severed as they landed on the ground. Blood spurted out from the wound, just like an ordinary person.
This was the second time Klein had committed fraud!
The two palms and fresh blood that gushed to the ground quickly separated into transparent maggots and sticky, nearly shapeless liquid.
As the Worms of Spirit convulsed and died, Klein grimaced due to the pain as he made numerous worms crawl out from the stump to form new palms.
At the same time, he tried his best to maintain the scene he had created through multiple summonings, not letting it dissipate.
On the rectangular table, inside the book that had bound brass pages, many new lines of text appeared:
“…All buildings and structures have to follow the golden ratio and principles of symmetry…
“…Strange clothes are not permitted…
“…The following crimes have the death penalty…
“…”
The Trunsoest Brass Book flipped through the pages quickly as it targeted the laws that stemmed from a Black Emperor. The further it went, the faster the new text appeared. There were no more pauses that lasted nearly a minute.
Inside the hall, the candlesticks that fell from the ceiling broke and disappeared. Then, the other parts of the hall experienced various changes, wiping away the original details of the order one by one.
Finally, the hall could no longer be maintained. It collapsed and returned to the Historical Void.
At that moment, the Trunsoest Brass Book had already flipped to the last two pages. It was spread out there without any movement.
With the last page filled with text and no longer able to form a tight system of rules with what 0-02 had previously set, Klein silently exhaled and relaxed a little. He felt that his spirituality was almost depleted.
“Let’s wait for an hour at Biles’s house.” He turned his head and said to Arianna.
If they stayed where they were, they would suffer increasingly severe punishments from breaking the curfew until they were sentenced to death.
As for monitoring the Trunsoest Brass Book, this mission that couldn’t allow for mistakes was naturally handed over to Arrodes. Although this magic mirror couldn’t directly look at 0-02, it could pay attention to the noticeboard and determine the disappearance progress of the laws on it.
Chapter 1289 Fooling
After returning to Biles’s house, Klein pulled a chair over and sat down without waiting for Roy and company to make inquiries. He made a rather pious wish:
“I wish for my spirituality to be restored.”
With that said, he raised his right hand, snapped his fingers, and granted his own wish; thus, allowing his spirituality to return to its normal state.
Right on the heels of that, he extended his left palm, preparing to end the maintenance of the historical projection of the “curtain” before summoning a new one, so as to continue sealing off the spirit world area corresponding to Belltaine City. This prevented the Church of the God of Combat’s chief shepherd, Larrion, from escaping.
“There’s no need to do so. There’s always a next time.” At that moment, Arianna slowly shook “Her” head, indicating that Klein no longer needed to summon the “curtain” that originated from the Dark Demonic Wolf.
There was a limit to the power of “Wishes.” A Miracle Invoker couldn’t satisfy the same wish in a short period of time, which meant that, within the next one or two hours, Klein couldn’t recover his spirituality by granting his own wishes.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, to a qualified Seer-pathway angel, this limitation was something that could be avoided. For example, he could get Pasha, Roy, Biles, and Arianna to take turns to wish for Klein to regain his spirituality before granting their wishes as a Miracle Invoker.
However, the problem was that, even if he could recover his spirituality that many times, he wouldn’t be able to maintain the “curtain” which was at the level of a Sequence 1 for more than an hour. Furthermore, he needed to wait an hour before 0-02 erased all the previous rules and rewrote them.
After some deliberation, Klein nodded slightly and replied with a smile, “Let’s give it a try first. After all, we’re rather free right now. I’ll give up after my last spirituality recovery attempt. Yes, this will purely depend on the chief shepherd’s luck. Perhaps ‘He’ might lose control because of anxiety, frustration, and nervousness?”
As he spoke, Klein dispelled the maintenance of the original “curtain,” and his left hand moved forward immediately after that. He pulled out a new “curtain,” allowing it to appear inside the spirit world that corresponded to Belltaine City.
In an area where saturated colors overlapped one another, Larrion, who was wearing a black robe with white edges and a square hat, felt the restriction disappear. Just as “He” was about to make “His” way out, he saw a new “curtain” descend, sealing him off again.
The smile on his face instantly froze.
Phew… A few seconds later, Larrion slowly exhaled and composed “Himself” mentally as he continued to wait.
In the next hour, the chief shepherd of the Church of the God of Combat repeatedly experienced the despair and pain of having “His” hopes extinguished.
“He” attempted to find the pattern and attempt to figure out the time interval so as to grasp the fleeting opportunity. “He” wanted to rush out of the barrier the moment the old “curtain” disappeared and before the new “curtain” was produced.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, “He” eventually discovered that the intervals didn’t follow any pattern. The person stopping “Him” didn’t restore the barrier only when his spirituality was about to be depleted. At times, the other party would recreate the barrier far ahead of time.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Feysacian citizens weren’t forced to change faiths from the God of Combat, and that the decree that Larrion was considered a traitor hadn’t been widely spread, this Grounded Angel might’ve already lost control on the spot.
As time passed, Larrion once again sensed the collapse of the old “curtain.”
However, this time, there was no new “curtain.”
“He” has finally reached his limit… Larrion was delighted. Without any hesitation, “He” rushed out of the collapsing nascent divine kingdom.
In the next moment, “He” saw a woman holding four blonde, red-eyed heads, dressed in a complicated long dress, an unknown existence that was wrapped in bandages with yellowish-brown liquid covering the entire, and several strange but abnormally powerful spirit world creatures…
The “curtain” that Klein had summoned the previous times were Historical Void projections that had been tainted with Sefirah Castle’s aura. It naturally attracted objects sensitive to it. He wouldn’t even be surprised if Amon was among the group!
The smile on Larrion’s face froze again.
…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Belltaine City, in Biles’s rental apartment.
Klein suddenly raised his head and looked up into the sky. He muttered softly, “Impressive…”
Following that, he became silent again until the magic mirror emitted an aqueous light that reflected the noticeboard’s current state.
The rules on the paper disappeared in reverse order of their appearance.
This meant that 0-02 was beginning to erase the rules that it had set up, and was preparing to redo everything.
Once the curfew order was abolished, the highly-focused Klein immediately pulled Ma’am Arianna and used Flaming Jump to appear outside the shrunken Belltaine City LIbrary.
As he looked over, he realized that, on the brass pages of 0-02, the speed at which the rules were being wiped clear had become very fast. In just a blink of an eye, the second half of the book was only left with the clause: “All the following rules are ineffective.”
Following that, the clause disappeared as a new set of rules rapidly emerged without any gaps:
“The Trunsoest Brass Book is the most precious item. No living being is permitted to touch it…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Before this clause was completed, Arianna’s figure had already appeared beside the rectangular table. “Her” finger touched the brass page.
With a crack, the leader of the Church of Evernight’s ascetic had “Her” neck suddenly constricted as though an invisible rope had hoisted “Her” up.
As an angel, “She” had actually suffered bone fractures and had difficulties breathing.
Death by hanging!
However, with Arianna’s finger sliding over with some difficulty, the first clause that appeared was “erased” before it was fully displayed. It entered a “Concealed” state.
As for all the rules set by 0-02, it had to be publicized or announced before it could truly be effective!
With a whoosh, Arianna picked up the Trunsoest Brass Book and threw it to Klein, who was outside the window.
In the previous hour, Klein had already anticipated all the possible developments and had a discussion with Arianna. He was in no way nervous or flustered. While 0-02 was still in midair, he dragged another himself wearing a human-skinned glove out of the void.
Then, he grabbed the Trunsoest Brass Book and used his historical projection to “Teleport” away.
After his figure disappeared from his spot, Arianna landed on the ground with a loud thud, a deep mark left on “Her” neck.
Composite Start
Composite End
In just a few seconds, Klein, who was holding 0-02, appeared at the top of the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range. He used his Spirit Vision at the level of an angel and saw the collapsed, dilapidated, and fogged palace.
Without any hesitation, Klein allowed his historical projection to take the Trunsoest Brass Book and “Blink” to the main door of the palace before pushing the door open.
What appeared before him was a hall with many corpses hanging from above. Every corpse was different. There were men and women, either dressed beautifully, simply, exquisitely, or casually.
Behind each of these hangers was a transparent and slippery tentacle with complicated patterns. They came from the depths of the hall—from that ancient stone chair.
On the huge stone chair, transparent and distorted maggots were formed into a ball. They grew wantonly and extended out strange tentacles.
This was The Half-Fool of the Antigonus family, who had lost control and gone mad!
Sensing the door open, and sensing Klein’s historical projection approach, the cluster of maggots left the stone chair and fiercely flailed their slippery tentacles, causing them to surge towards the door as if they were being affected by an invisible suction force.
Similarly, at the bottom of the stone chair, the tarot card with Roselle’s image, which was written with a stellar radiance, flew towards the door.
Just seeing this scene pushed Klein’s historical projection towards experiencing a breakdown. Thankfully, he didn’t possess any sentience and was remotely controlled by Klein. He didn’t suffer the chaotic thoughts and the negative side effects of the mental mutation, nor did he stand motionless and helpless.
Before the historical projection dissipated, it threw the Trunsoest Brass Book at the terrifying cluster of maggots.
The transparent and slippery tentacles sensed danger and instinctively reacted by wrapping around Sealed Artifact 0-02.
Under such interference and the invisible strong winds, The Fool card had reached the door one step ahead of the strange tentacles.
Klein’s historical projection had mostly collapsed. Seeing this, he mechanically extended his right hand, grabbed the Card of Blasphemy, and threw it behind him.
In the next instant, the slippery tentacles that were reassembled had reached out to the door, but they were blocked by the fog, unable to exit. All it could do was wildly pound at the barrier.
The open door slowly closed, blocking out this scene.
Klein, who was hiding somewhere on the mountain peak, frowned slightly. He felt a sense of joy and relief, as well as a strong sense of doubt.
In other words, I used 0-02 to exchange for The Fool’s card? The Goddess doesn’t need me to seek clues regarding the River of Eternal Darkness for the time being? Klein silently muttered to himself. He walked out of the hidden area and arrived not far from the ancient palace. He bent down and picked up the Card of Blasphemy.
On the surface of the card was Roselle Gustav, who was wearing colorful clothes and holding a stick and luggage. His eyes were filled with a longing for the future, and behind him was a puppy.
On the upper left corner of the card, the resplendent stellar radiance outlined a few words:
“Sequence 0: The Fool!”
…
Inside the ancient palace, the Trunsoest Brass Book fell to the ground and opened up to the first page of the second half of the book.
New rules began to form:
“…The Trunsoest Brass Book is the most precious item. No living being is permitted to touch it. Those in violation are to be sentenced to death!
“…One is not allowed to change the condition of the Trunsoest Brass Book in any way. Those in violation are to be sentenced to death!
Just as the two rules just appeared, and before it could “inform” the owner here, a line of words suddenly appeared between the two halves of the book:
“All the following rules are ineffective.”
An hour later, the two rules were wiped out, and new rules were written. However, after just two lines, there was an additional clause in front of them—0-02 seemed to have reached a blank slate that happened when the entire book was filled up.
Again and again, the Trunsoest Brass Book fell into an endless cycle.
Chapter 1290 Fulfilling Wishes
Putting away The Fool card, Klein took out Creeping Hunger from the void, equipped it to his left hand, and activated “Teleport.”
After returning to the miniaturized city library, he immediately said to the Servant of Concealment, Arianna, “It has been thrown into the abandoned palace on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range.”
That was an entrance to the foggy town.
As for how to deal with 0-02 later on, it was the Church of Evernight’s problem.
“Alright.” Arianna nodded and didn’t say anything else. “She” entered a “Concealed” state and vanished, as though “She” had been erased.
“She” didn’t thank him, nor mention any payment. It was just like how “She” had never made any requests when “She” helped Klein in the past.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Does Ma’am Arianna know that I’ve obtained The Fool card? Klein looked around thoughtfully and slowly sighed in the darkness.
Although the supernatural incident had been resolved in less than two hours, there were still quite a number of people who had lost their lives under the strict “rules.”
The Belltaine citizens had more or less committed certain mistakes, but the punishments they suffered were far more disproportionate to the crimes they had committed. The most innocent party in the matter were the tourists who came or passed by Belltaine. They had to face a nightmare simply because they were foreigners.
Klein had tried his best to do some things to protect many outsiders, including Roy and the others, but he was also limited in what he could do due to the restrictions he suffered. There weren’t many loopholes that could be made use of, making it impossible to make it seem like none of that had ever happened.
What I need to do next is to mainly provide treatment to the survivors… Klein retracted his gaze and planned on “Teleporting” to Biles’s house to deal with the remaining problems.
At that moment, Reinette Tinekerr, who was holding four blonde, red-eyed heads and was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, walked out of the void. One of the heads bit onto a black goat’s horn.
“‘He’…” “Escaped…” “The spirit world…” The remaining three heads of Miss Messenger said.
“As expected of a former chief shepherd.” Klein, who had long sensed it, sighed without any surprise.
Then, he pointed at the black goat’s horn.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Did Larrion leave that behind?”
After Klein received the item, Reinette Tinekerr’s head that hadn’t spoken earlier said, “Yes.”
After encountering the curse of deformity, “He” had still managed to barge out of the encirclement and escape from the spirit world. “He” is indeed powerful… Is this a Sequence 2 angel who’s best at fighting head-on? Klein flicked his wrist, causing the black goat horn in his palm to shatter into countless tiny specks of light as it dissipated, dispersing the remnant psyche.
The limbs left behind by a Beyonder after them undergoing a “Transformation” contain a portion of their Beyonder characteristics that couldn’t return to the main body.
When the points of light were reassembled from Sequence 9 to Sequence 7, as well as a Sequence 4 Beyonder characteristic, Klein chose the Sequence 8 Pugilist from it and returned the rest to Miss Messenger with a smile.
“These are your spoils. I’ll only collect the intelligence fee.”
Reinette Tinekerr didn’t stand on ceremony. “She” raised one of the blonde, red-eyed heads and had it open its mouth, absorbing the Sequence 9, Sequence 7, and Sequence 4 Warrior Beyonder characteristics.
After watching Miss Messenger leave Belltaine, Klein “Teleported” back to Biles’s home and smiled at Roy and company.
“The problem has been resolved. You are no longer foreigners who have to be treated with animosity.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The four Beyonders were just about to respond with heartfelt and relieved smiles when they saw the magical Mr. Magician invite a stranger from the air.
It was an old man with a dark red bow tie. He wore a shirt, vest, formal suit, and blue striped trousers. His hair remained thick despite it being all-white. His aura was warm and elegant.
This was the marionette, Hvin Rambis, whom Klein had once possessed. He planned on using this Manipulator to seal away their memories of 0-02.
Not being corrupted by a sefirah didn’t mean that Biles wouldn’t encounter terrifying matters when he recollected the matter!
As there was only one relevant period of memory for Biles, and he didn’t know the truth of the matter, what Klein needed to do was rather simple. Therefore, he didn’t seek Miss Justice’s help. He planned on using his marionette’s Historical Void projection to complete it.
“You didn’t tell them about what happened in the city library, right?” Klein got Hvin Rambis to walk to his side as he asked Biles.
Biles hurriedly shook his head and said, “I remember your advice.”
“Very good. Next, I’ll give you some psychological treatment. I’ll help you forget all those matters. Otherwise, you’ll be targeted by 0-02 and never be able to obtain peace until you die. Believe me, Sealed Artifacts at this level can definitely do something like that—even if it has been taken away,” Klein explained his goal frankly.
Biles’s lips quivered as he said, “Alright.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He chose to obey and believe.
After inviting Roy, Pasha, and Phil out of this rental apartment, Klein controlled Hvin Rambis to do a series of mental control processes and successfully made Biles forget the brass book he had seen, as well as the contents on it.
After doing this, Klein carefully took out the magic mirror and looked at it.
“Arrodes, are there any other hidden dangers?”
On the surface of the ancient silver mirror, the aqueous light flickered and reflected a line of silver words:
“Great Master, there aren’t any latent risks in Belltaine. As for other places in Loen and Feysac, as it involves 0-02 itself, I’m unable to see it clearly.
“Perhaps you can confirm it yourself?”
“Alright.” Klein nodded slightly, took out a gold coin, and softly chanted the corresponding divination statement.
With a ping, the gold coin flicked up and tumbled in the air.
During this process, scenes naturally surfaced in Klein’s mind. They were chimneys, streets, and cities. They were extremely vague and lacked specific directions.
Composite Start
Composite End
With a slight frown, he collected his thoughts and reached out to catch the gold coin.
Then, he got Pasha and the others to return to Biles’s home. He smiled and said to Roy, “Didn’t you wish to obtain the next potion? You can make a wish now.”
Roy’s eyes revealed surprise and he asked nervously, “I can still make another wish?”
“This is a gift,” Klein replied with a smile.
Roy’s heart stirred. Without asking any more questions, he seized this opportunity to fulfill his wish of obtaining the next potion.
Klein then threw the Warrior pathway’s Sequence 8 Pugilist Beyonder characteristic to him.
“This is essentially a potion, but for safety, I suggest you search for the corresponding formula and find the correct supplementary ingredients.”
“Your amazing feats are worthy of praise.” Roy expressed his gratitude.
His first potion had, in some sense, been a Warrior Beyonder characteristic that he devoured. As the apocalypse was approaching, along with his relatively low Sequence and good luck, he didn’t lose control on the spot. He didn’t even have any serious psychological problems.
After that, he gradually came into contact with other Beyonders and came into contact with true mysticism. Only then did he learn how dangerous his actions were, and he didn’t dare make a similar attempt again.
Faced with Roy’s praise, Klein looked around and smiled.
“Next, follow me out of Belltaine. This doesn’t mean that there’s still danger here, but I have to make use of this time to fulfill your wishes.”
One wish involved Roy hoping that Klein could help them leave the Belltaine, while the other wish involved Pasha’s wish to have Klein protect them and allow them to leave Belltaine City alive.
Although these two matters were meaningless under the present situation, to Klein, he had to fulfill the wish even if there was no point in doing it.
I’m just a heartless “wish-granting machine”… Klein lampooned himself as he smiled at Biles and company.
Pasha and the others glanced at each other, not daring to raise any objections. Just like before, they held each other’s hands.
Then, Klein brought them to the outskirts of Belltaine with “Teleportation.”
“The magic show has come to an end. It’s time to say goodbye.” Klein took off his hat and bowed. He tried his best to make himself a true wandering magician.
This was a habit of his acting.
Upon seeing this, Pasha blurted out, “Can we know your name?”
Klein smiled and said, “I have too many names. Different people have different names for me. You can call me the ‘Miracle Magician,’ Merlin Hermes.”
“Mr. Hermes, are you a believer of the Evernight Goddess?” Roy asked after some hesitation.
“…” For a moment, Klein didn’t know how to answer. He really wanted to say that he once was, but not anymore.
After some consideration, he decided to act as an Attendant of Mysteries in advance.
He immediately restrained his smile and solemnly said, “The one I serve is The Fool, the Lord of the Mysteries, the great ruler above the spirit world.
“If you wish to believe in this mighty existence, or wish to gain more of an understanding, you can go to the Sonia Sea’s Rorsted Archipelago. The Lord’s missionary, Danitz, is currently preaching there.”
Furthermore, the City of Silver definitely has all the potion formulas from the Warrior pathway under Sequence 2… Klein silently added, but he didn’t say it out loud.
Roy nodded slightly and said, “It’s my first time knowing of such a mighty existence in this world. Your miraculous nature has shown ‘His’ brilliance.”
He didn’t directly respond to Mr. Merlin Hermes because he was still hesitant.
Pasha, Biles, and Phil were the same.
Without another word, Klein turned around and left the four Beyonders, before making a detour to Belltaine.
He didn’t forget his purpose in alighting at this tiny city. He planned on immediately finding a room to study The Fool card above the gray fog.
…
In a city in Midseashire, at a particular library.
A young law researcher took out a book from the bookshelf and walked to a table by the window and sat down.
As he carefully read through the book, he realized that there was a page of yellowish-brown paper in it.
“What is this?” the young law researcher muttered to himself in confusion and reached out to pull out the paper.
After confirming that it was written in ancient Feysac, the content was rather rare.
“…In the Fourth Epoch, there was a book named the ‘Trunsoest Brass Book’…”
Chapter 1291 Two Rituals
Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace, Klein’s figure appeared.
At that moment, on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool sat a person shrouded in grayish-white fog.
As Klein returned to Sefirah Castle, this “person” instantly disintegrated, turning into transparent and distorted Worms of Spirit that flew to Klein and entered his body.
Thankfully, the restrictions placed by 0-02 only involved no leaking of secrets or returning. I didn’t have my connection with the Worms of Spirit that were guarding Sefirah Castle severed. Otherwise, they would’ve already lost control and become monsters… Klein sighed inwardly as he sat at the seat belonging to The Fool and picked up The Fool card he had previously sacrificed to himself.
As the Card of Blasphemy had already been activated, there was no need for him to seek out any additional incantations. All he needed to do was inject spirituality into it to see the corresponding changes.
The Fool card quickly transformed into a miniature, illusory book. With Klein’s guidance, it kept flipping back until it reached the last two pages.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Sequence 1: Attendant of Mysteries
“This is an angel who serves the profound mysteries. ‘He’ has gained initial control of the corresponding domain’s authorities. ‘He’ can summon Spirit Body Threads of objects that originally existed. ‘He’ can combine many physical objects or abstract concepts together…
“The potion formula is as follows:
“Main ingredients: One Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic.
“Supplementary ingredients: Nine spirit world specialties.
“Advancement ritual: Build a town consisting only of marionettes, and design a trajectory of fate for every marionette. By letting them interact with each other, they would act as a sufficiently real-life painting and create a corresponding area in the spirit world.
“The larger the town, the more the marionettes involved, the more detailed the daily lives are, and the more realistic and extensiveness the different fates are, the better the ritual’s effects would be.
“Sequence 0: The Fool.
“This is a true deity. In a sense, ‘He’ is an embodiment of the corresponding authorities…’He’ is adept at using all kinds of methods to fool all things, showcasing all kinds of fascinating miracles…
Composite Start
Composite End
“The potion formula is as follows:
“Main ingredients: The Uniqueness of The Fool. Two Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristics apart from one’s characteristic.
“Supplementary ingredients: Control at least a quarter of the fog of history.
“Advancement ritual: Fool time, history, or fate once.”
As he read, Klein slowly frowned and silently muttered to himself, Compared to the advancement ritual of Attendant of Mysteries, The Fool’s ritual is just too abstract… What does it mean to fool time, history, or fate? How does one decide if it’s successful?
Controlling at least a quarter of the fog of history is relatively simple for me. On the one hand, I know a lot of ancient secrets and have lit up many historical fragments. On the other hand, I can directly influence the fog of history through Sefirah Castle…
I’ll put The Fool’s matter aside for now. Currently, my focus is on Attendant of Mysteries. You have to walk one step at a time before running is possible. Uh, of course, some lucky ones can fly directly…
It’s very easy to find the nine specialties in the spirit world. Be it to get Miss Messenger to help, or to seek the Seven Light’s advice, this isn’t a problem… The advancement ritual is very close to the environment around Zaratul and the Antigonus family’s ancestor. Furthermore, it matches what the Seven Lights said about having a close connection with the spirit world. I can determine it to be true for now.
With this in mind, Klein took off the topaz pendant wrapped around his left wrist and used divination to confirm the authenticity of the Attendant of Mysteries potion formula.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Emperor Roselle, but his fellow countryman had likely been influenced by Mr. Door before he created the Cards of Blasphemy. He had gone to the moon and suffered the corruption and contamination of the Mother Goddess of Depravity; thus, resulting in distorted memories.
It was precisely because of this that it was highly possible that Roselle had buried some traps in the key areas of the Cards of Blasphemy in his final days.
In this aspect, Klein had always been cautious and careful.
Speaking of the Primordial Moon’s true form, the most powerful Great Old One, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, could it be that the Emperor had unknowingly been tainted based on “Her” title… On the moon, perhaps there are many younger brothers and sisters that Bernadette has never met before. Of course, it’s unlikely that there are gender differences…
The marionettes needed for the Attendant of Mysteries ritual can be obtained from the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The copious number of monsters there is a good thing. Furthermore, I’ve accumulated quite a few of them previously. As Klein’s thoughts wandered, he turned his head to look at the other side of the ancient palace and made the grayish-white fog beside the junk pile dissipate.
As the fog receded, rows of brownish-yellow seats appeared, each of which sat a figure.
Those figures were either giants covered in silver armor, humans with deformed facial features in linen clothes, and large chunks of flesh overgrown with eyes… They sat quietly in their rows of seats, their eyes glazed over and indifferent as they stared in the direction of the long mottled table.
These were all marionettes that Klein had gathered in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Every time he needed to switch location, and it wasn’t convenient for him to carry too many with him, he would sacrifice a batch of them above the gray fog.
Of course, this had nothing to do with environmental protection. Instead, it was what had happened to the foggy town and the scene displayed by Zaratul. It made Klein instinctively believe that there was a high chance that a particular ritual would require many marionettes. Therefore, he had always been very frugal in this aspect.
Composite Start
Composite End
As for why he didn’t hang these marionettes up, and had made them sit in rows in a conjured theater as members of the audience, this was because Klein felt that the actions of the Antigonus family’s ancestor and Zaratul were a little perverse.
He had tried to imitate and mimic them, but the goal was for acting. Now, he didn’t need it anymore.
But how can such a marionette city produce corresponding spirit world information? The spirit world is a gathering of the past, present, and future information, but it doesn’t directly include such fake objects…
Generated from what others know? Every living being’s actions and words would be reflected in the spirit world in an abstract manner, becoming the source of divination. When their actions, words, and certain intense feelings are clearly built into a marionette city, the city’s spirit world projection would appear, turning into a “true” existence…
The interactions involved in this are linked to the more profound secrets of the spirit world… Klein closed The Fool card in thought and played with it.
As he had already reached the angel level, he had a certain understanding regarding the creation of the Cards of Blasphemy.
Back then, not only was Roselle able to draw powers from knowledge, but he could also give actual powers to abstract knowledge!
As for what kind of material the Emperor used to create it, and how he accomplished the effects of anti-divination and anti-prophecy at the level of deities, Klein was unable to figure it out.
After some thought, Klein tried to accommodate The Fool card in his body.
His condition immediately changed. His body was covered with colorful clothes, and there was an extremely gorgeous piece of headwear on his head. His aura was deep and terrifying, but it gave off a comical, ridiculous, ludicrous feeling. It was a condition filled with a strange conflict.
Composite Start
Composite End
The space attached to Sefirah Castle gently swayed, as though it wanted to surrender to the feet of this indescribable deity.
My level has been enhanced a little. There aren’t any substantial changes. After all, I’m already the owner of Sefirah Castle. Heh, it’s like I have a fashionable costume that can accentuate my aura… Klein shook his head and said a few self-deprecating words.
At the same time, a transparent and distorted Worm of Spirit crawled out from his body, forming a figure that was identical to him.
After splitting off a Worm of Spirit of “himself” that could respond to prayers at any moment, Klein returned to the real world and strolled around Belltaine City. He used the method of granting wishes to treat the injuries of people, and he learned about the war from them.
…
“Dogsh*t!” Danitz couldn’t help but curse when he heard the crew’s report. “They actually finished the whale oil? Why didn’t you stop them?”
As they passed by the Gargas Archipelago, Danitz and his crew bought a batch of whale oil that hadn’t been refined. They planned on bringing it back to Bayam and selling it at a high price. Who would’ve expected that a portion of it had been “secretly eaten” by the City of Silver’s half-giants?
The crew member glanced at the Oracle and whispered, “They don’t understand what we’re talking about. We don’t understand what they’re talking about either. Only the shortest one can communicate, but it doesn’t mean we can find him at any time. He always Cogitates in places where the sun shines, changing positions every time.”
Danitz subconsciously sneered.
“This is what happens to illiterates.
“If you could grasp all sorts of languages like ancient Feysac, Jotun, and Elvish like me, something like that wouldn’t have happened.
“Of course, linguistic talent is related to intelligence. You don’t have to force yourself.”
The crewman carefully looked at Danitz again.
“Oracle, they ate the portion of whale oil you bought.”
…Dogsh*t! Danitz’s reaction was faster than his thoughts as he rushed towards the cabin.
After a period of chaos, Danitz received compensation with a Sequence 8 Beyonder characteristic. He didn’t know if he had profited or suffered a loss. After all, the dirty bodily fluids left on the characteristic made him feel disgusted and nauseous.
By the time the ship returned to peace, City of Generosity, Bayam, was already in front of the City of Silver’s reconnaissance team.
Derrick led Liaval, Candice, and the others to the deck and looked at the destination of their “journey.”
Although they had passed by many ports, they had never been allowed to alight from the ship. They could only watch from afar. Now, it was finally time for them to step onto the land outside.
Even so, the large number of people, houses, and hardships that they had seen from afar were still unable to conceal their bubbling enthusiasm. They continued to yearn for life in the world of light.
Of course, having been used to the darkness and lightning, they took quite some time before they could get used to the sun outside. If not for the fact that they were Beyonders, they would’ve suffered permanent damage to their eyes.
As he looked at the docks and the numerous people, the airships that were traveling high in the sky, and the other ships around him while hearing noises that he could barely understand, Derrick suddenly felt a sense of nervousness. This would be the area where the City of Silver would take up residence in the future.
As he swept his gaze, he suddenly saw a man standing on the coastal lighthouse. He was wearing a long robe embroidered with the symbol of Storm. His hair was dark blue— nearly black—like a clump of seaweed. His face was rough and carved.
As their gazes met, Derrick instantly calmed down and no longer felt uneasy.
Chapter 1292 Entering Bayam For the First Time
After the huge ship belonging to the Resistance docked, all of the City of Silver citizens changed into round-neck shirts, brown jackets, pantaloons, and dark-colored caps before following Oracle Danitz down the ship. They prepared to pass through the dock to enter the City of Generosity Bayam. Those clothes had been prepared beforehand.
“It’s really uncomfortable wearing this. It’s not suitable for battle…” As he walked, Liaval moved his limbs and whispered to Elder Derrick.
Derrick nodded slightly and said, “But it’s better to hide ourselves and not be too eye-catching. We don’t want to become the focus of attention.”
Derrick’s analysis wasn’t a problem at all. After all, they were outsiders and they only numbered twenty-one people. It was best if they didn’t attract the attention of others, but he seemed to have forgotten a crucial detail.
“B-but, they’re all looking at us…” Candice quickly surveyed the area and whispered.
The workers who were dressed crudely or half-naked at the pier all looked over at the tourists who wore all kinds of getups.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“They’re tall…” A Bayam resident with bronze skin and slightly curly hair could not help but sigh.
His height was only around 160. This was the height of all the male commoners in the current colonial era. As for the people of the City of Silver, other than Derrick, who was only slightly over two meters tall, the rest were on average above 2.3 meters. The tallest of them exceeded 2.5 meters.
To have such half-giants walk through the docks amidst the crowd was equally eye-catching no matter what they wore.
“Feysacians?” A Loenese in a top hat and formal suit turned his head to gossip with his companion. “Has the slave trade begun again?”
He believed that the City of Silver entourage were Feysacian slaves that the Rorsted government had bought from the Loen Kingdom. After all, in this world, the only ones he could think of who had such heights in such numbers were the barbarians who claimed to be descendants of giants.
His partner shook his head and frowned.
“It doesn’t seem like the case. Most Feysacians have light-blue eyes. Furthermore, even if they are Feysacian, few of them exceed two meters in height. Un-unless these are nobles or high-ranking prisoners of war…”
Although Feysac didn’t have a clear rule, in all kinds of industries, especially in the military, there was a phenomenon that one’s height determined one’s status. Of course, this wasn’t the only condition. It was also a combination of family background, nobility, and ranks.
Due to such “traditions,” the descendants of Feysacian royalty and the military brass were generally taller than two meters.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was actually a superficial phenomenon that, at its essence, was an influence of their Beyonder characteristics.
Those who became one of the brass of the Feysac military were either nobles or at least Sequence 5. And for the latter, due to the repeated influence of the Giant pathway’s potions, their height would definitely reach the “standard” height. Those who chose the Red Priest pathway would also have a certain increase in height. However, the signs weren’t as obvious in their early stages as those from the Giant pathway, and the total increase in height was only a few centimeters. They had to become a demigod to experience a qualitative change.
For noble descendants, their ancestors were more or less “giants,” or had marital alliances with “giants.” Regardless of whether they inherited the Beyonder characteristics, the corresponding genes accumulated over generations would definitely allow their normal height to exceed two meters.
Among them, families who were still in control of a portion of the Giant pathway’s potion formulas, and those who had a certain heritage, tend to be in the same situation as the residents of the City of Silver.
The royal family in charge of the Red Priest pathway maintained the heights of their descendants through marital alliances.
The residents of the City of Silver, who were being scrutinized by numerous gazes, felt increasingly uneasy. It was as if they had returned to the cursed land where they were being watched by monsters as they walked in the dark.
Derrick was very calm and composed. He looked around and said to the members of the reconnaissance team, “They don’t have any ill intentions.”
After confirming that Mr. Hanged Man was in this city and how he knew that he had arrived, Derrick no longer felt isolated and helpless.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the messenger that Mr. Fool had appointed, but that he believed that he didn’t want to trouble a god as much as possible in his daily life. The best thing to do was resolve problems himself.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And when it came to dealing with his own problems, Derrick was ultimately unfamiliar with the outside world, so he wasn’t too confident. At this moment, to have an experienced, trustable, extremely intelligent “native” with a meticulous mind help him would definitely be the best option.
Of course, Derrick also knew that Mr. Hanged Man wouldn’t make any contact with him on the surface because he belonged to another faction. He wasn’t a believer of Sea God, so if he acted too warmly over matters regarding the City of Silver, he was bound to be suspected.
However, there will always be a proper reason and suitable opportunities to meet… Derrick thought in anticipation.
Amidst his thoughts, he and the members of the City of Silver’s reconnaissance team followed Danitz out of the dock and arrived on the streets.
Their vision suddenly broadened as they saw more people than before and heard all sorts of voices.
To the people of the City of Silver, this was even more lively than the grandest “harvest” in their hometown. At a glance, there were countless people dressed in strange clothes with all kinds of unique characteristics. Some were in a hurry, others were strolling leisurely, and some were carrying large pieces of fruit. They used pipes to suck in the liquid, or held food that looked like the delicious pies on the ship, occasionally taking a bite.
Apart from these, horse-like creatures that pulled carriages producing tinkling sounds, the metallic objects that moved extremely fast, and the smell of the various spices that filled the streets made people of the City of Silver feel like they had come to another world.
And to them, this was indeed another world.
Even though they were a little fearful and uneasy, and were not too used to such a scene, everyone could clearly feel the vibrancy of this scene.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was like the sunlight in one’s soul, reflecting the sun in the sky.
This is the place where we will live, battle, and reproduce in the future? Derrick, Liaval, Candice, and the others subconsciously had similar thoughts. They felt a little uneasy but didn’t reject any of it.
Danitz looked at their faces which had been stunned silly by Bayam’s bustling scene in satisfaction as he inwardly muttered, This is only Bayam. If you were to go to Trier and Backlund, are you going to kneel down and kiss the ground?
This world-famous pirate controlled his urge to mock them, as he was now Mr. Fool’s messenger. He couldn’t ruin the image of a deity.
After leading the City of Silver people to a rather luxurious hotel, Danitz gestured for the crew to handle the check-in as he spoke in fluent Jotun to his guests:
“It’s getting dark. We’ll stay here for one night and leave the city tomorrow.
“The place where you will build your city has been arranged. It’s on the other side of the forest. There’s a natural harbor and a few roads that lead to Bayam. Heh, roads to this city. After that, we’ll expand the main road and build a railway that leads to your city.”
Railway… Derrick, who had studied during the Tarot Gathering, knew what it meant. He nodded gratefully and inwardly praised Mr. Fool once again.
Danitz continued,
“We’ve already helped you level the area, and left the space needed for some basic facilities such as water pipes and gas pipes. When you begin building houses, we’ll send a team over to help with the matters.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, the corresponding construction materials and temporary tents have been prepared for you. Thank Mr. Fool. Uh, there’s also the help of the Church of the Lord of Storms in this matter. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to purchase so much material. However, they mainly did so to earn additional funds.”
The Rorsted new government hadn’t been established for long, and its connections with the outside world weren’t comprehensive enough. What they didn’t expect was that the Church of the Lord of Storms had taken the initiative to provide help on the City of Silver’s matter.
Water pipes… Gas pipes… Derrick gradually couldn’t understand what was being said, but he still put on a pensive expression.
There were a few times when Danitz nearly said the word “dogsh*t” in passing. Without speaking another word, he introduced the hotel:
“This is a hotel that Feysacians like to live in at Bayam the most. The ceiling might be a little too low for you, but it won’t be low enough to hit your heads.”
With that said, Danitz smiled.
“At the end of this street is Red Theater…”
He revealed a smile that all men understood.
However, the people of the City of Silver didn’t understand.
Seriously, the Emperor said that the most ancient human occupation is the selling of their bodies. They actually don’t know what I’m talking about… The corners of Danitz’s mouth twitched as he gave up on the topic.
After his second and third mates were done with the check-in, he led the entourage up to the second floor and assigned them their rooms.
After doing this, he took out a stack of cards that he had long written, and he distributed them to the members of the City of Silver, who were scouting the area.
“Every card has a few words in the local language and the corresponding word in Jotun. If you need any services or food, you can ring the bell here. When the attendant comes over, show him the card. Of course, they might not be able to understand it, but they will definitely seek help from people who understand it.”
This was a simple and easy method to understand. The people of the City of Silver easily grasped how to use the cards, secretly excited that they could finally communicate with the people here.
Following that, Danitz demonstrated how to switch on the water and how to use the toilet, and how to light up the gas wall lamps. It made Derrick, Liaval, and Candice feel like they had arrived at a divine kingdom.
All it took to have water flow was to press a switch. A button was enough to wash away their excrement without leaving any stains. There was a lantern that kept emitting light once it was ignited. These were all things that they didn’t dare to imagine in the past.
And these things would become part of their new lives.
By the time the City of Silver’s members had gotten used to the hotel, the sky had completely darkened. Night had begun to rule the city.
Although Derrick and company had long confirmed that there was no danger of monsters attacking in the dark in the outside world, they were still instinctively afraid. Therefore, they would either emit light themselves or light up the gas wall lamps.
At that moment, they saw gas lamps lighting up one after another on the streets, the houses—both near and far—outside the glass windows. These lights dispersed the darkness in their respective areas.
In the eyes of the people of the City of Silver, the bright and dim lights were like the galaxy landing on the ground at night.
Chapter 1293 Devil“s Oil Painting
In a warehouse that was being rebuilt in Pritz Harbor.
Fors met her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, once again a few days later.
“Are you ready?” Dorian asked in a low voice.
Back when they met, he had already informed Fors of the ritual requirement of the Apprentice pathway’s Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer, so that she could make advanced preparations.
“More or less… I should be able to satisfy the requirements…” Fors replied without much confidence.
The advancement ritual of a Secrets Sorcerer was relatively simple, but in this case, “simple” was the antonym for “complex,” and not “difficult.” To Fors, she wished that it was something else.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The ritual required the candidate to seal a demigod-level creature with clear animosity. The less external help one received, the better the ritual’s effects. As for the target’s level, as long as it wasn’t lower than a demigod, it was fine. It had virtually no effect on the ritual.
Upon hearing that, Dorian nodded and said, “That should be fine. That ritual is really difficult for a Sequence 5 Beyonder to complete it on their own. It’s necessary to seek help at appropriate times, but you mustn’t go overboard, such as exceeding the corresponding limitations. Otherwise, the ritual will definitely fail.”
The suggestion he had previously provided to Fors was to borrow a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It would be best if she didn’t even hire a saint-level helper.
Fors said vaguely, “I only plan on making a wish to Mr. Fool to increase the success rate of advancement after consuming the potion. This is closer to obtaining good luck when consuming the potion, rather than being blessed and protected while sealing the demigod creature.
“Other than that, I’ll be using the painting that you mentioned.”
The painting wasn’t a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, the Scroll of God, but the Abraham family’s Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It was called “Devil’s Oil Painting.”
In the Fourth Epoch, when many members of the Abraham family had advanced to Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer, they had created the oil painting to seal the corresponding demigod-level creatures.
However, after being attacked by the Aurora Order and losing a lot of documents, Dorian Gray wasn’t sure how many terrifying creatures were sealed in the Devil’s Oil Painting. He was only certain that there was definitely more than one sealed inside.
His original plan was to release a demigod-level creature that was completely insane from the Devil’s Oil Painting, one that acted purely out of instinct. This could then be his student’s ritual target. This made it much easier than dealing with a rational and intelligent saint. Furthermore, it was completely in line with the ritual’s requirements, but he never expected Fors to directly borrow the Devil’s Oil Painting.
Composite Start
Composite End
Dorian frowned and reminded her, “The Devil’s Oil Painting only has the effect of imprisonment and sealing. It doesn’t have the ability to actively affect the target. In other words, you have to stuff a demigod-level creature into the Devil’s Oil Painting.”
Fors nodded, indicating that she knew this.
“Teacher, you mentioned that one’s ‘Record’ ability isn’t considered external help.”
“Yes,” Dorian Gray gave a definite answer.
If her “Record” powers were considered external help, almost no Traveler could advance. After all, “Record” was the core ability of the Apprentice pathway before they became demigods. Once it was “excluded,” Fors would be left only with the means to flee, making it difficult for her to do anything to her enemies.
“In theory, that’s the case. However, you can only record at most five demigod-level powers…” Dorian said worriedly.
Before he finished his sentence, he thought of Mr. Fool and “His” Blessed and felt a little more at ease.
“If the powers are matched well, it isn’t impossible for me to succeed. It’s just a mad creature that’s acting on instinct.” Fors tried convincing both her teacher and herself.
Dorian nodded indiscernibly and didn’t say anything else. He immediately summoned his contracted creature, Malmouth, who loved music, and took out the Secrets Sorcerer main and supplementary ingredients. He then concocted a bottle of Secrets Sorcerer potion for his student.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“If there’s no way to complete the seal, there’s no need to forcefully consume it. Even if the potion and glass bottle fuses together and turns into a Sealed Artifact, we can also pray to Mr. Fool to restore it to a Beyonder characteristic.” Dorian continued to warn her worriedly before handing the potion to Fors.
Inside the glass bottle were layers of stellar radiance, as though the Milky Way in the sky had been sucked into the potion.
“Alright.” Fors nodded heavily, indicating that she wasn’t worried that the potion would be wasted.
She had made plans ahead of time. She would immediately “Teleport” away once she realized she couldn’t seal the released demigod-level creature before making a wish to Mr. Fool and getting him to resolve it.
Dorian then took out an oil painting from his suitcase, which was filled with abstract images. It was an image that no one could understand. Just looking at it would make one feel dizzy and mentally weak.
This was the Devil’s Oil Painting that had sealed countless terrifying creatures.
“If you can successfully advance, I only have one request.” Dorian held the Devil’s Oil Painting and said solemnly to Fors, “That is, on the night of the full moon, listen to what Mr. Door is saying and ask ‘Him’ the reasons for ‘His’ actions.”
The members of the Abraham family still couldn’t fully accept that the curse they had suffered from had stemmed from their ancestor. They felt that Mr. Door might not know the consequences of “His” plea for help.
They wished to figure out the full truth.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright.” Faced with her teacher’s sincere request, Fors agreed without any hesitation.
Following that, she took the Devil’s Oil Painting, “Teleported” out of Pritz Harbor, and came to a vast desert where no humans lived.
This way, even if an accident happened during the ritual, she had plenty of time to resolve it and not affect ordinary people.
After checking the surroundings and preparing herself, Fors inserted the Devil’s Oil Painting into the ground.
She then clasped her hands together and bowed her head to pray to Mr. Fool. She wished that “He” could increase her chances of advancing after consuming the potion.
Without any pause, she saw the illusory grayish-white fog and knew that Mr. Fool had already responded.
After stalling for a few seconds, Fors finally convinced herself. She took out the herbal powder she had prepared, and she scattered it on the Devil’s Oil Painting.
Then, she recited the incantation to release the seal in Jotun.
This was an incantation that only released one creature.
Without a sound, the powder that was floating in the air landed on the oil painting and rapidly spun around a central point.
Composite Start
Composite End
As it spun, the surface of the oil painting turned illusory as if a deep vortex was forming.
Suddenly, a bluish-black hand emerged from the “vortex,” one that showed signs of decay.
It stretched out from the oil painting to the outside world!
Fors’s body suddenly turned cold as though she had fallen into a frozen lake.
While clearing up her mind, it also made her seem to lose control of her body. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move her limbs.
At that moment, Fors seemed to return to her past state of writing books at night and sleeping during the day. At that time, she often felt that she had woken up, but she couldn’t move at all. It was as though she was being pressed down by an invisible creature.
Although the terrifying creature in the Devil’s Oil Painting had yet to fully escape, its influence on the outside world with its godhood made Fors lose most of her ability to resist. Once it fully escapes from the oil painting, Fors would even lose control merely from looking at it directly.
The difference between the two in their lives’ natural order was unimaginable in certain aspects.
Gradually, Fors’s consciousness blurred a little, having a nagging feeling that she was already lucid. She raised her arm and moved her feet, but on second thought, she realized that it was only her imagination. As her body turned colder, the feeling of being pressed down by an invisible creature became more obvious.
Fortunately, she had a bunch of demigods providing her information, allowing her to close her eyes in time. She didn’t look at the Devil’s Oil Painting; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.
Using Cogitation to maintain a certain level of clarity, Fors began counting down.
According to Mr. World’s warning, she knew that the terrifying creature would need five seconds to completely escape the Devil’s Oil Painting.
4… 3… 2… With just one second left, an illusory book appeared in Fors’s eyes. It quickly flipped and stopped on one page.
1! Just as Fors finished counting, she suddenly spread open her arms.
Around her, peach blossoms fell in a colorful resplendence.
The bluish-black hand that was about to grab her neck moved away from her and was blocked by the peach forest that was blooming with vegetation and flowers. It was separated by a mountain that was the forest’s river source, making it only possible for it to enter through a small cave.
This was a fairytale magic Fors had “Recorded” from Ma’am Hermit. It was called:
Peach Blossom Source!
It could create an isolation barrier from the outside world, making it very difficult for the outside world to connect to it.
Seizing this opportunity, Fors, who barely managed to regain control of her body, took out a “Queen” chess piece from Roselle’s chess from a pocket and threw it at the source of the peach blossom scene, throwing it at the cave that penetrated through the flowing river.
This was another fairytale magic she had “Recorded,” called:
The Chessboard of Time!
Its effect was to slow the target’s movements, as though it had entered a region in which time flowed slower.
With a smack, the actions of the bluish-black palm that was trying hard to break through the Peach Blossom Source changed from extending outwards to squirming.
Fors didn’t even look at the effects. She used an invisible hand to pick up the Devil’s Oil Painting that was stuck in the sand, and she held it right up to the cave.
After one or two seconds, the bluish-black palm returned to normal. Its movements became extremely fast as it charged out of the Peach Blossom Source and crashed into the oil painting.
As the oil painting shook, the terrifying creature penetrated the surface and landed in it.
Fors was delighted. Without any hesitation, she recited the incantation and closed the outer seal of the Devil’s Oil Painting.
Thankfully, that demigod creature has already lost control. It’s left with nothing but madness and lacks intelligence… I wonder if I will directly hear Mr. Door’s shouts after consuming the potion… Still nervous, Fors took out the Secrets Sorcerer potion bottle and poured it into her mouth.
Chapter 1294 Conversation
If that demigod creature didn’t slam into the Devil’s Oil Painting on its own accord, I’d have to summon Mr. World’s Historical Void projection… Uh, I wonder if that can be considered as directly hiring a helper at the angel level… As Fors pondered, she drank the potion.
To her, the potion was like icy water that could hurt someone due to the extreme temperature. All her senses vanished in the areas that it passed, leaving only her still thoughts.
It was inevitable that a person would hallucinate in extreme cold temperatures. In Fors’s vision, a night sky instantly appeared. It was dotted with countless stars that weaved together to form a dream-like river.
Fors’s body began reflecting bits of stellar radiance as if they came from her own body.
The tiny bits of pure stellar radiance formed an invisible connection with the different stars in the night sky. As the light shimmered, they twisted and squirmed as insect-like creatures crawled out of Fors’s body. They wanted to seek refuge in the Milky Way formed by an array of embedded diamond shards.
Each of them carried a portion of their own flesh and consciousness, as though they were uncontrollable avatars.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors’s thoughts quickly turned chaotic, and she fell into confusion. She almost couldn’t control the urge to separate herself.
At that moment, she sensed an illusory object.
It was the seal that she had completed using the Devil’s Oil Painting. It was projected into the mysterious world created by the potion, forming an abstract, blurry mark.
Fors didn’t think further as she instinctively extended a portion of her consciousness along with her spirituality, and intertwined with the abstract symbol.
The mark wasn’t exactly harmonious with her, as if it wasn’t part of her, but it managed to barely merge with her.
Suddenly, in Fors’s mind, the abstract symbol became rather clear. It consisted of a “door” that was layered with mysterious symbols.
This door hid Fors behind it, allowing her to isolate herself from the surrounding cosmos.
At the same time, on the other side of the “door,” the sealed creature seemed to sense the aura of an enemy. Using its own godhood, it wildly corroded the illusory door. It happened to be able to reduce the influence the cosmos had on Fors.
After maintaining it for more than ten seconds, the resplendent Milky Way’s night sky slowly faded away. The stellar radiance then returned to Fors’s body fused with her.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, a deep darkness appeared in front of Fors. Deep in the darkness was a perpetual storm and occasionally flashing lightning.
The next second, Fors heard a familiar voice. It stabbed into her head like steel nails stirring her brain matter.
Fors grimaced immediately. If she hadn’t experienced such things over and over in the past, and had some level of resistance, as well as the fact that she was at the saint level, she would have likely lost control.
Of course, there had to be some influence of “good luck” here.
After a few seconds, she finally managed to calm herself down and hear what the voice was shouting by using Cogitation.
It was calling for help!
It wasn’t Jotun, Elvish or ancient Hermes. Instead, it was a language that Fors had never come into contact with before. However, she could understand it the moment she heard it. She felt like it was the true source of many languages.
Mr. Door would crazily shout for help every full moon. How disgraceful of a King of Angels… However, even if “He” is seeking help, it’s still a terrifying thing that I can’t withstand… Fors lampooned silently. She was considering if she should pretend not to hear it and wait until she had converged her spirituality and grasped the Beyonder powers of a Secrets Sorcerer before conversing with Mr. Door during the next full moon, or to do it now.
Suddenly, the shouts from afar stopped and the surroundings became deathly silent.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After two to three seconds, a wispy voice that could pierce through Spirit Bodies entered Fors’s mind.
“You used the Beyonder characteristics of the Abraham family.”
This sentence was said in a flat manner without any rise or fall, but it made the blood vessels on Fors’s forehead throb. Her eyes turned bloodshot as her body turned resplendent.
She almost lost control of herself.
“Who are you?” Fors composed herself and asked deliberately.
The voice that seemed to lure her into losing control said in a low smiling voice, “You can call me Mr. Door.
“You should be familiar with me.”
The King of Angels from the Fourth Epoch directly pointed out that Fors had a certain connection with “Him.” She could hear the full moon ravings.
…I’m going to write you into a novel! Fors secretly gritted her teeth and asked, “Honorable Mr. Door, are you the ancestor of the Abraham family, Your Excellency Bethel?”
Composite Start
Composite End
The voice that had crossed countless barriers returned to its flatness.
“Yes.”
“Then, do you know that your cry for ‘help’ has caused the entire Abraham family to be trapped in a curse that has lasted for more than a thousand years? It’s basically impossible for anyone to become a Traveler or even a Scribe? They often lose control during advancements or the night of the full moon.” Fors felt that she couldn’t speak to Mr. Door for a long time; otherwise, her inclination towards losing control would be irreversible. She directly posed the question that the Abrahams were most concerned about.
Mr. Door fell silent for two seconds before saying, “They no longer have Secrets Sorcerer or demigods?”
“There aren’t any after the War of the Four Emperors. And the curse you brought has made it impossible for them to advance to a demigod. If you can stop crying for help for ten years, a new Abraham demigod might be born. This will greatly aid in your escape,” Fors sincerely suggested.
Mr. Door sighed and said, “I have been exiled to an eternal darkness, and suffer the blockage of a perpetual storm. I have no way to know what’s happening in the real world, nor did I expect that there isn’t a single demigod left in the entire Abraham family.”
Lies… The one who calmly made this conclusion wasn’t Fors, but rather Klein, who had accommodated The Fool’s card as he held the Staff of the Stars while sitting in Sefirah Castle. He had been closely monitoring the corresponding crimson star.
He remembered that the Emperor had mentioned in his diary that Mr. Door had a certain understanding of reality. “He” seemed to be able to use the changes brought about by the full moon to see the situation outside the seal.
After sighing, Mr. Door continued, “Besides, I can’t control the cries for help during the full moon.”
“Why?” Fors asked in surprise.
Composite Start
Composite End
Mr. Door said in an ethereal voice, “You’re already a demigod, so you should know very well that the higher the Sequence, the greater the threat of going mad.
“An ordinary angel, even those who can walk the land freely and do what they like, without needing to engage in any additional battles, could also be gradually influenced by the Beyonder characteristics and become less like themselves. They might even enter a half-crazy state. I’m a King of Angels who has been exiled and sealed for more than a thousand years, and I don’t even have someone to communicate with. My not going crazy means that I’m sufficiently powerful and lucky.
“On each full moon, the madness in me will be strengthened. I can’t control it and can only constantly call for help.”
So that’s how it is… If I were locked up like this, I might’ve gone crazy in a few months… Uh, if I’m provided alcohol, newspapers, magazines, all kinds of books, and various delicacies, I can last a year—no, half a year… Fors nodded in enlightenment and asked in a perfunctory manner, “Is there anything I can do for you? How can the Abrahams dispel the curse?”
Mr. Door fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “Set up a ritual and help me escape. That way, the curse will cease to exist.
“There are two rituals that can be used. One is to sacrifice three demigods that are respectively from the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway… The other is to extract the blood of at least ninety-nine Beyonders from the Abraham family. Use it to draw such a symbol…”
“…I’ll tell them,” Fors immediately replied.
At the same time, she added inwardly, That’s if Mr. Fool permits it.
Mr. Door laughed and said, “If I can escape because of this, I will help you become an angel…”
“His” voice became more ethereal and weaker, as though “He” was slowly returning to “His” original state as Fors advancement came to an end.
About two to three seconds later, Fors couldn’t hear the sounds that slowly pushed her onto the path of losing control. The deep darkness and horrifying storms in front of her also vanished.
However, before the scene completely faded away, Fors could vaguely see that, on a vast land formed from dark red rocks, there was an ancient building that resembled a pyramid erected there. Behind the building was a deep darkness and twinkling stars. It was completely different from the cosmos that she had seen as an Astrologer on the ground.
What’s this? Fors shook her head and controlled her scattered thoughts as she began to carefully rein her spirituality back.
After getting accustomed to the state of a Secrets Sorcerer, she immediately took on a praying posture and reported her previous experiences to Mr. Fool without missing anything.
After doing this, Fors put away the Devil’s Oil Painting, “Teleported” back to Pritz Harbor, and met her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, who was waiting in the warehouse.
Seeing that his student was safe and sound, Dorian heaved a sigh of relief and said in a pious manner, “Thanks to Mr. Fool for ‘His’ blessings.”
He had finally taught a Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer who didn’t show signs of betrayal.
Due to Mr. Fool’s lack of response, Fors didn’t inform her teacher of her conversation with Mr. Door. She planned on waiting until the next full moon.
She also relaxed and smiled.
“Apart from thanking Mr. Fool, I have to thank you, Teacher.”
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Klein didn’t have any doubts about Mr. Door calling “Himself” half-crazy. He only felt that there had to be more secrets hidden in the matter. For example, why did Mr. Door keep enticing Emperor Roselle to visit the moon? It was a place that was occupied by an Outer Deity.
After some thought, he took out the Scarlet Lunar Corona and Master Key from the fog of history. He planned on creating a full moon environment and listening to Mr. Door’s shouting.
The effects of the combination had long been confirmed. Klein quickly heard the voice that seemed to pierce through his Spirit Body.
The content of the shouting was:
“Don’t save me… Don’t save me…”
Chapter 1295 The Aftermath from the War“s Frontlines
“Don’t save me… Don’t save me…”
Being located in Sefirah Castle and having accommodated The Fool’s card, Klein already had the status of a King of Angels. He no longer suffered any direct corruption from Mr. Door’s cries, but the contents of the cries made his scalp tingle. His pupils dilated, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of horror surging in his heart.
He originally believed that Mr. Door was constantly shouting for help, but what he heard now was:
“Don’t save me!”
Amidst Klein’s silence, the weak, wispy voice pierced through his Spirit Body like needles. After shouting for more than ten seconds, it suddenly changed.
“Help me… Help me…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This time, there was a certain change in the language used.
“…” Klein expressionlessly leaned back into his chair and listened for nearly ten seconds.
Following that, he removed his control over the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona’s Historical Void projection, allowing the atmosphere of the space above the gray fog to completely return to silence.
Phew… He exhaled as he tapped the edge of the long mottled table out of habit and muttered to himself, Mr. Door is indeed half-mad, but the mad part isn’t the “Him” who is desperately screaming, but the “Him” who appears calm, the one that’s able to communicate with people rationally… The latter can influence the former to a certain extent, distorting the contents of “His” shouts?
When Mr. Door is lucid, “He” actually shouts “don’t save me”… To a King of Angels who had been imprisoned for more than a thousand years, this definitely isn’t a normal reaction. Unless “He” feels that “He” will bring a disaster that “He” doesn’t wish to see upon returning to reality… A King of Angels that has completely lost control?
Together with Mr. Door’s communication with the Emperor, and how “He” had been constantly enticing him to visit the moon which is occupied by an Outer Deity. There is another possibility to this matter:
Mr. Door, who was exiled, lost the protection left behind by the original Creator. “He” encountered the corruption of a particular Outer Deity and lost most of “His” rationality. “His” condition is only slightly better than the Chained God…
The Apprentice pathway can wander the cosmos at Sequence 3. Mr. Door’s honorific name also includes the title of “Guide of the endless cosmos”… Does this mean that before this King of Angels was exiled, “He” might have already made contact with Outer Deities and came under some influence?
Yes, what does Miss Magician’s final glimpse of the crimson land, pyramid-like buildings, and cosmos in a different area represent? This doesn’t seem like it’s in the current solar system, but it’s a little different from the mausoleum that a Black Emperor needs… It’s the lair of some Outer Deity who affected Mr. Door; or should I say that when Mr. Door became a Planeswalker and left legends behind on other planets with living beings, this is one of “His” anchor points? It’s highly likely the latter, because when Miss Magician saw this scene, she didn’t encounter any corruption from the cosmos…
Composite Start
Composite End
The more Klein thought about it, the heavier his heart became. This was because it was possible that this was a reflection of how the apocalypse would dawn.
The apocalypse was definitely not something that wouldn’t happen by not thinking about it or pretending not to know!
It’s no wonder Yellow Light Venithan had prophesied that the day when the curse is removed is the beginning of the true disaster for the Abrahams… Mr. Door keeps calling for help, causing the Abraham family to be unable to produce another demigod. Perhaps it’s a certain form of protection… Although this will make the Abraham family lose their status and most precious items, making them mediocre, it can at least save their bloodline… Heh heh, in the prophecy, the solution to resolving the curse is in the hands of an Apprentice who has obtained the help of a secret existence… Klein chuckled softly and had an idea about the response to give Miss Magician.
He planned on getting Fors to give a half-truth when informing her teacher.
Firstly, it was to emphasize that Mr. Door was already half-crazy and extremely dangerous. Even communicating with “Him” implied tremendous risks. Secondly, it was to not mention the second ritual for the curse removal. All she would say was about the sacrificing of a Seer, a Marauder, and an Apprentice demigod.
With the first point, the Abrahams could understand why their ancestor was insistent on calling for help. This was because “He” had already lost “His” mind and could do all sorts of terrifying things.
This could effectively eliminate the anxiety of the Abrahams, preventing them from helping Mr. Door escape, and allowing them to quickly start believing in The Fool.
The second point was to dispel the small number of extreme Abrahams who wanted to try their luck. This was because they lacked the ability to complete such a ritual.
At the same time, informing the Abrahams of the ritual increased the trust they had in Fors.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Ignoring the small number of Secrets Sorcerers available, those who can become Bizarro Sorcerers are definitely very difficult to capture. Furthermore, most of them are concentrated in the Secret Order. To deal with them is to provoke Zaratul. Even if the Abrahams have a demigod, and can use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact for a short period of time, it’s impossible for them to complete the ritual so easily. Yes, dealing with a Parasite is the most dangerous. If they aren’t careful, they might end up targeting Amon’s avatar. When that happens, it will be equivalent to serving Amon desserts…
Also, I’ll use The World’s Gehrman Sparrow in the future to remind Miss Magician to keep her guard up against the Abraham family’s extremists… Klein thought for a moment before replying Fors’s prayer.
…
After returning from the fog of history to the real world, Klein boarded a steam locomotive and arrived at the capital of Midseashire. In the past, it was the second-largest city in Loen, and also the frontline of the recent war, Constant City.
…The damage suffered here is very serious… After getting off the train and leaving the platform, Klein stood up high and looked at the industrial city.
Although it was his first time here, he had seen all sorts of pictures of Constant in newspapers and magazines.
Those photos were all black and white, and they recorded the various aspects of this city.
Among them, there were three points that left a deep impression on Klein:
Firstly, it was filled with chimneys and tall blast furnaces. It was as though it was a man-made forest. It gave a striking visual impact, one that was more representative of industry than Backlund.
Composite Start
Composite End
Secondly, the majority of the buildings used concrete and steel. They were more densely built than their counterparts in Backlund.
Thirdly, there were many places that were stained with coal ashes, including the bodies of humans, but the air quality was better than Backlund because the sea breeze was strong.
And now, the towering blast furnaces, chimneys, and tall buildings had become rather sparse. All that was left was a pile of ruins.
However, in comparison, the damage dealt to the factory district was lesser than the residential areas. This was because there were many steel and military factories that were equally important to Feysac.
The death toll here is definitely more than 100,000… Klein sighed inwardly. He carried his luggage and walked down the stairs to the steam locomotive station and entered Constant City.
On the way to the hotel, he continued his acting as a Miracle Invoker and randomly chose a young, burly man in his thirties.
“I’m a wandering magician. My best magic trick is to grant anyone’s wishes. Do you want to try it?” The previously thin-skinned Klein was now able to strike up a conversation naturally.
The burly man glanced at him and waved his hand impatiently.
“Can you let my father, mother, two brothers, and a child be revived?”
With that said, he didn’t wait for the magician to respond as he walked towards the nearest public carriage station in a slightly irritable manner. He struck his left chest with his right fist.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein stood where he was and maintained the smile on his lips as he quietly watched the man leave.
He recalled a magazine he had read on a steam locomotive. It contained several pages of images reflecting the current state of each cemetery in Constant City.
The tombstones were similar to the original chimneys and blast furnaces. The racks that held up urns of ashes resembled tall buildings that had collapsed…
The entirety of Constant City seemed to be buried in a cemetery.
Retracting his smile, Klein walked around the already dried-up fountain and walked to a nearby inn.
Along the way, he heard many pedestrians discussing haunted places and the places with terrifying monsters.
“When I was passing by the Maris River, I heard a lot of people crying in the water. I didn’t dare to look and ran back into the city like the wind…”
“That’s nothing. I saw something even scarier on 9 Hyacinth Street! There was a face plastered on the window there! A very pale face!”
“A few passersby disappeared behind my house, and the blood continued all the way to the nearest ruin, but the police couldn’t find the bodies…”
“How terrifying. May the Goddess bless us!”
“Holy Lord of Storms. Let these ghosts and monsters stay away from us.”
“By the way, City Hall has posted an announcement that we are to report it to the police the moment such things are discovered.”
From the looks of it, the meatgrinder-like war made it impossible to placate many corpses, allowing them to turn into ghosts. Phew, most of the time, some of the dead might not even have their bodies left intact… Yes, there are definitely many Beyonders who lost control due to a mental breakdown or from losing their limbs… Also, most of those who didn’t consume the potion according to the normal procedures also easily lose control… The Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers will definitely clear up these matters, but at least in Constant City, people might have encountered plenty of Beyonder matters for quite a long period of time. After all, some ghosts and monsters are good at evasion and hiding. They are innately very cunning… Klein walked straight and gained a new understanding of Constant’s situation.
Here, encountering supernatural events was no longer a coincidence. Instead, it was a daily occurrence with a certain probability.
At this moment, Klein saw a group of Nighthawks wearing red gloves and black trench coats walk across the crossroad ahead of him. However, he didn’t recognize any of them.
Indeed, the Cathedral of Serenity has sent the Red Gloves team to help… Uh, what’s happening nearby? Klein nodded indiscernibly and, following his spiritual intuition, cast his gaze to a particular apartment building behind a pile of ruins.
On the fourth floor, behind an oriel window, a greatly rotting face was plastered to the window, looking out through the glass. Pale yellow liquid with black hints slid down the window one after another.
Chapter 1296 Amateur Astronomer
Eric had become a captain of a Red Gloves team during the later stages of the war, as well as advancing to Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock.
He had witnessed the deaths of the ex-captain and ex-ex-captain. He knew that a higher Sequence wasn’t a guarantee that he would be safer. Care and caution was what mattered.
To the elite Red Gloves of the Nighthawks, this was a concept that almost everyone believed in. This was because ordinary Nighthawks might only encounter ordinary problems that looked like supernatural events. Occasionally, there would be slip-ups, and it was highly likely that they would rely on their Beyonder powers to turn the situation around. As for Red Gloves who worked on various important cases, their hidden targets were definitely rather dangerous.
At that moment, Eric stood on the fourth floor of the apartment on 14 Priya Street. Facing the tightly-shut dark brown wooden door, he surveyed the area and said, “Two Nighthawks have already gone missing here. We must not be careless.”
Initially, several residents of this apartment block reported it to the police. They claimed that Unit 403 had a stench, and the tenants of Unit 303 often heard heavy footsteps from above.
The policemen in charge of the area took two days before coming to investigate. However, they didn’t walk out of Unit 403.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After the police confirmed this, they immediately transferred the case to the Church of Evernight. However, the two Nighthawks who came to deal with it also disappeared. The door to Unit 403 remained tightly shut.
Due to this premise, the Church of Evernight’s archbishop of the Midseashire diocese entrusted the matter to Eric’s team and allowed them to apply for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact as support.
“Yes, Captain.” The members of the Red Gloves team either nodded or spoke in response.
Eric didn’t say anything else as he stood in front of the dark-brown door of Unit 403 which remained tightly shut. He raised his red-gloved left hand and knocked on one of his teeth.
A blurry figure suddenly appeared in front of him. As though it had no substance to it, it passed through the gap in the door and entered Unit 403.
Eric’s expression was unusually focused, as if he was observing the situation in the room through that blurry figure.
It was a natural spirit that he controlled. It wasn’t especially powerful but it had special abilities. It usually lived on his left front tooth.
Under the current situation, Eric believed that they shouldn’t barge in directly. It was best to do reconnaissance first. Even if his team had a good mix of powers and a powerful Sealed Artifact to help them, they had to be cautious.
If he could figure out the situation inside and prepare for it in a targeted fashion, he believed that things would be much easier.
Composite Start
Composite End
Right at this moment, tiny blood vessels protruded in Eric’s eyes, and some of them even exploded.
When his vision turned bright red, Eric heard a heavy creak.
The dark-brown door suddenly opened!
There were a total of six figures in the room. Three police officers wore black-and-white uniforms. They were sitting on high-back chairs, high stools, and the sofa. Two of them were wearing half top hats, black trench coats, of which one was standing by the door, and the other was standing behind the oriel window. His face was pressed to the surface of the glass as if he was watching the streets downstairs.
There was also a figure sitting on a high stool at the edge of the balcony. In front of him was an exquisite astronomical telescope.
The skin of the six figures began to swell, as though they had been injected with gas. Some parts of the body had even cracked and were highly decomposed, but they still hadn’t dried up. They exuded a bluish-black glisten as light-yellow liquid with hints of black flowed out.
Sensing the door open, the six figures turned to look at Eric and the others.
The first was the Nighthawk standing in front of the door. The last was the man wearing a cotton shirt behind the astronomical telescope. He had one of his eyeballs—its blacks and whites separated clearly—glued to the telescope’s lens, allowing him to only use his remaining black, empty socket to scan the Red Gloves team outside.
A faint stench drilled into the noses of Eric and the others as an indescribable coldness filled the surroundings.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Eric instinctively raised his hand to hit his teeth, releasing more spirits. Then, he used his Nightmare Beyonder powers to forcefully drag all his targets into a dream.
However, no matter how he tapped his teeth, he didn’t release his soul. His Spirit Warlock Beyonder powers seemed to have vanished instantly.
At the same time, a Nightmare in the Red Gloves team also discovered in surprise that he was unable to pull someone into a dream!
At that moment, apart from the enhancement in their physique brought by the potion, their Beyonder powers mysteriously vanished.
“Leave this place!” Eric ordered without hesitation.
He had never encountered such a strange situation before. All he could do was get the team to retreat first before choosing a Sealed Artifact to handle the situation in a targeted manner.
However, he and his team members didn’t move despite his orders. It was as though their bodies were no longer taking orders.
Eric instinctively lowered his head and looked at his lower body. His legs were swollen and his pants were torn.
In addition, he could clearly feel that his skin was decaying, rotting, and running with pus.
Composite Start
Composite End
He and his Red Gloves team had yet to truly come into contact with their target, but they had fallen into a “nightmare” of watching themselves die, swell, and rot bit by bit with no way to escape.
Right at this moment, Eric’s bloodshot eyes reflected a normal palm. He held the handle and gently pulled it.
Thud!
The dark-brown door of Unit 403 closed once again, separating Eric and his Red Gloves team from the creatures in the room.
They instantly regained control over their bodies. However, their legs seemed to have suffered significant injuries. It was a little difficult to move them, be it raising their feet or bending their knees.
Eric didn’t bother checking on his injuries. He quickly cast his gaze on the palm that closed the door, and its owner.
It was a young man wearing an ancient hat and a long black robe. His facial features were ordinary, making it impossible for one to have a deep impression of him. It was a face that one forgot in seconds.
“I sincerely advise you to return now and leave the matter to the archbishop or high-ranking deacons to handle. Of course, you have another choice. That is to ask me to grant a wish. I’m a wandering magician named Merlin Hermes. My specialty is granting the wishes of others.” Klein spared no effort in enticing others to make a wish.
When he saw the rotting face on the oriel window earlier, he suddenly had an ominous feeling, so he specially came over to confirm what had happened.
Grant wishes… Eric recalled the education he had received during his training in the Holy Cathedral:
Composite Start
Composite End
A High-Sequence Beyonder might be in a state of being imprisoned or sealed. They will pretend to be mystical items that can grant wishes, and they will entice you into helping them escape. The corresponding examples include: granting three wishes and wishing pools…
Is this a High-Sequence Beyonder? But he doesn’t look like he’s imprisoned or sealed… Eric looked left and right and deliberated for a few seconds before probing,
“If we don’t ask you to grant us our wishes, will you not resolve the abnormality in the room?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the wandering magician who called himself Merlin Hermes fall deep in thought, looking a little troubled.
A few seconds later, Klein raised his hand to stroke his tall top hat. He smiled and sighed.
“Even if you don’t make the wish, I will still attempt to resolve it.”
“…Do I need to read your honorific name or your true name to have my wish granted?” Eric asked after exchanging glances with his team members.
Klein shook his head.
“No, just tell me your wish.”
This wouldn’t create a mysticism connection… Eric probed in a joking tone, “Then I wish the abnormalities in this room will be resolved and will no longer affect the surroundings.”
Klein curled his smile and gently clapped his hands.
“Your wish will come true.”
Without waiting for Eric to respond, he smiled and said, “The abnormalities inside can suppress Beyonder characteristics, causing the corresponding powers to be ineffective, but that isn’t absolute.
“Typically in such cases, my suggestion is…”
As he spoke, Klein reached out with his left hand and took out an eyeball-shaped glass ball. He then twisted the handle with his right hand, opening the door a little.
Then, through a crack, he threw the glass ball into Unit 403.
As the glass ball flew, it constantly absorbed the surrounding light and gave off a brilliant, pure, extreme sunlight that resembled a miniature sun.
The next second, Klein closed the door with his right palm, lest Eric and company’s eyes couldn’t take it.
“My suggestion is to use a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in the Sun domain to purify the entire area.” While saying that, Klein recalled the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem behind Tingen City’s Chanis Gate. Although it was only a Grade 3 Sealed Artifact, it could still deal with the rotting creatures inside given enough time.
Just as Eric was about to say that they had brought a similar Sealed Artifact, but just didn’t have the chance to use it, he saw Mr. Merlin Hermes open the door to Unit 403.
The six figures inside had vanished into thin air, and the different Beyonder characteristics were slowly condensing. The originally cold and sinister stench had been completely melted by the warm feeling.
“It’s been resolved?” Eric asked after some hesitation.
Klein shook his head with a smile.
“No, the root of the problem is still here.
“Have you investigated the owner of this place?”
Eric replied immediately, “He calls himself John, an amateur astronomer. He likes to study the cosmos using specialized telescopes at night.”
Studying the cosmos… Klein walked into the room without batting an eyelid, and he casually instructed:
“Search the area and find any possible clues.”
For some reason, Eric suddenly felt that Mr. Merlin Hermes was the captain from back when he first joined the Nighthawks. He was professional, calm, and trustworthy.
He nodded at his team members, signaling them to follow his instructions.
As for him, he continued following Klein. It was both to provide him help, and also for necessary precautions.
Klein ignored him as he swept his gaze and approached the exquisite astronomical telescope. Then, he bent down and drew his eyes towards the lens.
This might be dangerous… Eric had planned to warn him, but he fell silent when he thought about how high the other party’s level and status expressed.
At that moment, through the telescope, Klein saw a resplendent, dream-like dark night sky. Every star there was blinking slightly.
Suddenly, his vision was occupied by a huge eye.
The eye seemed to be directly attached to the lens on the other end of the telescope. It was grayish-white with a pale-yellow iris. Veins swelled outwards and seeped out disgusting translucent pus.
Chapter 1297 “Forest“ of Miracles
Boom!
The Red Gloves captain, Eric, shivered involuntarily as he saw Merlin Hermes, who claimed to be a wandering magician, explode behind the telescope.
However, there was no splattering blood or flesh. The shredded limbs disappeared into the air like soap bubbles.
“…” Eric and his team members, who looked over due to the commotion, were stunned. They didn’t understand the reason behind such a sudden sequence of events.
A second later, Eric said in a deep voice, “Retreat!”
He wanted to evacuate his team before the danger truly spread.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, another figure walked in from the open door of Unit 403. It was none other than Merlin Hermes who had just exploded.
This wandering Magician was wearing a tall hat and a long black robe. As if nothing had happened, he spoke to Eric and his team members:
“The root of the problem really is from that telescope.”
As he spoke, Klein walked to the balcony and tapped the telescope with his right hand.
Another bang rang out as the telescope suddenly shattered into metallic points of light that emitted a foul stench of bluish-black gas.
The moment the grayish-white fog appeared, the stench vanished and the room returned to normal.
…What exactly happened? Eric forced himself to forget about the other party’s death and asked cautiously.
As a captain of the Red Gloves who was rather experienced, he had some guesses about the truth of the matter. The main goal of asking was to seek confirmation.
Klein smiled and said, “Simply put, the telescope mutated for some reason, causing the owner of the room to see something that he shouldn’t have seen.
Composite Start
Composite End
“If you want to understand more details, you can only search for clues yourself. I’m not too sure either.”
Eric nodded slightly and cast his gaze at his team members, signaling them to continue their investigation.
After a series of work, Eric said to Merlin Hermes, “There aren’t many clues left in the room. We can only confirm a few things:
“One, John is a local resident, and he served in the military during the war. It seems that he had some mental problems as a result. Two, he had been an amateur astronomer. At the end of the war, he joined an academic organization known as the Celestial Research Association, but we didn’t obtain any information about this organization. Three, John was seeking the way to see the true cosmos.”
Upon mentioning the word “cosmos,” Eric paused slightly, as though he had received a warning from the upper echelons of the Church of Evernight.
He joined an organization known as the Celestial Research Association after the war ended… Sought the way to see the true cosmos… Klein combined this knowledge with his “experience” and had a certain level of confidence in the matter. He nodded and said, “You should know that the cosmos means danger. You can’t even try to understand it.”
“We will report this case to the archbishop as soon as possible and classify the Celestial Research Association as a dangerous organization,” Eric said as if speaking to a Nighthawk superior who wasn’t directly in charge of him.
Klein didn’t respond as he walked to the door and sighed.
“Indeed, war really does have an irreversible impact on all aspects…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After the fall of the God of Combat, the already crumbling barrier set up by the Primordial One lost parts of its support. As for the Evernight Goddess, “She” has yet to fully gain control of the corresponding Uniquenesses. As for becoming a Great Old One, who knows how much longer that will take. Under such circumstances, the intrusion of the Outer Deities into this world would naturally deepen. This has combined with the damage that many ordinary people have suffered from the war.
Klein suspected that, during the subsequent period of rebuilding after the war, many cults that pointed to the different Outer Deities or Cosmos would appear secretly in Loen. If he allowed them to spread their faith and attempt various risky attempts, the apocalypse would definitely be brought forward.
As he sighed, he walked out of Unit 403. His figure blurred, turning transparent until he disappeared.
In a hotel near Priya Street, Klein, who had long since moved in, picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip.
Taking advantage of the fact that it was still early, he went out once again and took a carriage to the outskirts of the coastal Constant City.
There was a cemetery. The stone tablets stood erect like a short forest.
Klein walked through the cemetery and found a tombstone with the help of his spirituality.
The name on the tombstone wrote:
“Welch McGovern.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the original Klein’s university schoolmate. As he had bought the Antigonus family’s notebook, he had mysteriously died in Tingen. This had indirectly caused Zhou Mingrui to “transmigrate.”
Welch McGovern’s father was a banker in Constant City. He had spent money to bring his son’s corpse back to his hometown and buried it in this cemetery.
Klein stared at the photo on the tombstone for a few seconds. He bent down and placed the bouquet of white flowers in his hand in front of Welch’s grave.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Twenty to thirty seconds later, an old man with a black cane walked over from another direction.
Klein recognized him and knew that he was Welch’s father. He was the Midseashire County banker who had once invited him and his schoolmates to a sumptuous meal.
However, compared to a few years ago, this gentleman had aged significantly. He was originally a very energetic middle-aged gentleman, but now, his hair was half white. There were many wrinkles on his eyes, mouth, and forehead.
“Who are you?” Welch’s father looked at the stranger in front of the grave. He asked, puzzled and wary.
Klein sighed and said, “Mr. McGovern, I’m Welch’s friend. I just happened to pass by Constant City recently.”
Welch’s father nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, “He’s a very sociable person. I only know a number of his friends.”
His words were an attempt to explain why he hadn’t invited Klein to the funeral and how sorry he was.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein didn’t say anything else as he looked around and said, “Is there anything you need help with? Or do you have any wishes that you wish to have fulfilled? I hope I can provide you with some strength.”
Welch’s father looked around and smiled bitterly.
“Can you allow all the dead here to stand up again?”
It’s not impossible, but they will be different from what you have in mind… Klein sighed and shook his head.
“Then can you allow Constant to return to its original state?” Welch’s father asked with a bitter smile.
Without waiting for Klein’s reply, he sighed and continued, “There’s no need to provide any help. I can achieve what is possible myself. If it’s impossible, then I can only pray to the deities.”
As he spoke, the banker went past Klein and walked to his son’s tombstone. He bent down and put down the bouquet of white flowers.
Klein looked at his back and muttered to himself, “I will try my best.”
With that, he turned around and left the cemetery.
…
Constant City, in a bar with a style that resembled the previous century’s.
A man donning a thick jacket carried his beer and walked to a wooden board beside the bar counter. He tried to find a part-time job on the notices pasted on it.
Suddenly, he saw a strange mission:
“I’m a reporter. I want to gather all kinds of stories from different people. It’s best if you had personally experienced it yourself. The remuneration I can provide is to satisfy your wish to repair and rebuild your house for free. I have sufficient resources in this aspect.
“Merlin Hermes.”
The man subconsciously frowned. He felt that this request was too strange, like it was a prank.
“Can you read the words on it?” A thin man who was sitting beside the wooden board took the opportunity to ask.
Few patrons of this bar were literate. Even if they wanted to find a job, or accept the corresponding commissions, most people were unable to understand the notices on the wooden board, and the bartender could only remember the few with the highest pay.
As a result of this situation, the thin, feeble man relied on the common Loenese terms he learned at the free schools to provide the corresponding interpretation at a quarter-pence.
This was how he made a living.
The man shook his head, indicating that he understood Loenese. He pointed at Merlin Hermes’ request and said, “Is this real?”
“It is. That reporter is sitting by that corner, the one wearing a very tall hat.” The thin, feeble man enthusiastically pointed him in the correct direction.
The reporter had promised him a quarter-pence for every person he introduced.
The man holding the beer fell silent. After hesitating for a full ten seconds, he walked to the corner and found the reporter named Merlin Hermes.
“W-will you really help me rebuild my house?” he asked worriedly.
Klein pointed at the documents on the small round table and said, “We can sign a contract.”
“…There’s no need. Even if you provide some materials, I’ll still be very satisfied.” The man sat opposite Klein and said rather cautiously, “I don’t have a very touching story.”
“As long as it’s real enough.” Klein nodded slightly in encouragement.
The man looked down and stared at the table.
“I’m a Constant native, and I used to have a decent job. I bought a terrace house along Lowtide Street. Later, war broke out. My house was reduced to ruins during one of the bombings. My eldest son, the child who just entered primary school, was buried inside…
“We had no choice but to rent a two-bedroom room until the Feysacians occupied Constant. Th-they dragged my wife away and she never returned…
“Some time ago, someone requested me to identify her corpse. I couldn’t even recognize her. She had rotten so much that you wouldn’t even call it a corpse. However, in the pockets of her clothes, there was still… there was still our old water bill…
“When she was still at the rental apartment, she had always missed our home. It’s the same for my younger daughter. I don’t have much money now and can only barely maintain my life, but I wish to rebuild that house bit by bit.
“To be honest, I don’t like telling others about my misfortune. I’d rather stay silent. But if I can really get help with the rebuilding efforts, then I can…”
Klein held a pen and paper and pretended to jot it down. He nodded gently and said, “Your wish will come true. Wait for me in front of the ruins of that house on Lowtide Street tomorrow.”
At the same time, he pushed a one-soli note over.
“This is for your drinks. My treat.”
The man’s eyes flickered. He seemed to want to refuse it, but in the end, he still picked up the note.
The next day, after sending his younger daughter to the church school, he walked along the familiar path to the familiar Lowtide Street and saw that familiar house.
Its chimney, its windows, its door, and the weeds on its walls hadn’t changed at all. It was so familiar, as if its beautiful female owner would open the door in the next second and walk the two children out to welcome their father.
The man was stunned, unable to believe that this was real.
However, even if it was an illusion, he was willing to embrace it.
…
After several days, Klein, who had completed a slew of similar wishes, pushed open the window of the hotel and snapped his fingers in the morning light fog.
In an area of the city overlooking Constant, Welch’s father woke up out of habit due to his dreams of his dead son and family. He walked to the balcony to take in the morning air.
Under the light of dawn, he suddenly saw chimneys and blast furnaces that resembled a forest. Alongside them were tall buildings.
The former Constant City had presented itself to him, bathed in the orange light of dawn.
Chapter 1298 Departure
As the residents of Constant were stunned by the miracle in front of them, Klein had already carried his suitcase and left the city with Arrodes.
After creating such a huge commotion, he was worried that Zaratul would lock onto his location, so he didn’t dare to stay any longer.
With his present level and strength, he wasn’t too afraid of fighting Zaratul head-on. However, he didn’t wish to be ambushed. For Beyonders of the Seer pathway, being prepared and not was completely different. Once Klein revealed his location and didn’t leave in time, an unprepared him would end up facing Zaratul. He could imagine that even if he was now Sefirah Castle’s owner and still had one more resurrection chance, there was also a huge risk of completely perishing.
Furthermore, he didn’t know what state Amon was in right now. Was he still being pursued by the True Creator? Was it possible for him to suddenly appear by his side and steal everything?
Due to this thought, Klein once again embarked on his journey.
…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In the basement of a house in Southville County.
The few Sequence 7 Beyonders of the Abraham family gathered here according to a prior agreement.
“…That’s pretty much it.” Dorian Gray shared what Mr. Door had said in its entirety through his student, Fors. “The years of exile and being sealed was enough to drive the Ancestor crazy. He only occasionally regains lucidity. Even just directly speaking to ‘Him’ can result in mental corruption from ‘His’ evil intent.”
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses looking like a university professor sighed.
“So that’s the reason…”
His expression revealed some relief, as if he could finally admit that the curse was a result of the Ancestor’s pleas for help.
After a one-second pause, the man said with a determined expression, “We have to think of a way to help the Ancestor escape. This way, our curse will be completely removed.”
“Verdu, are you crazy? If a crazy King of Angels returns, it will destroy the entire family!” Dorian couldn’t help but chide him.
The man named Verdu looked at the other family members and said with a sullen expression, “That’s why we have to hurry. While the Ancestor still has a portion of ‘His’ lucidity, we should let ‘Him’ return to the real world!
Composite Start
Composite End
“Once ‘He’ escapes from ‘His’ exiled, sealed state and has enough anchors, ‘He’ would definitely gradually regain ‘His’ rationality.
“Dorian, you’ve degenerated! You no longer wish to restore the glory of our family, to allow us to return to the apex of the Northern and Southern Continent. You only wish to live a stable but mediocre life! Besides, can you be sure that Mr. Fool will keep providing blessings? Perhaps one day, ‘He’ will be like the seven deities who won’t respond to most prayers.”
Dorian fell silent for a few seconds.
“However, the risk in this area will definitely be lower than helping the Ancestor escape. Ever since I believed in Mr. Fool and sincerely prayed to ‘Him,’ I haven’t been affected by the full moon ravings for many months. If not for the fact that I’m no longer young, I’d even have the confidence of consuming a Sequence 6 Scribe potion.
“Even so, given time, I still have a good chance of advancing.
“If someone like me who’s older than a certain age can do it, our next generation and their descendants will definitely be able to break free from our original restrictions and have a chance to become demigods.”
Hearing Dorian’s words, the two men and two ladies other than Verdu nodded in agreement.
They had already made some of their descendants believe in Mr. Fool, and through a few months of observation, they were certain that it was effective. They were planning on praying to Mr. Fool themselves.
Noticing Verdu’s nasty expression, Dorian softened his tone and said, “More importantly, we don’t have the strength to complete the ritual at all. A demigod of any pathway is not easy to deal with. Among them, the corresponding demigods of the Seer and Marauder are cunning, bizarre, and dangerous. Even if we’re willing to sacrifice ourselves and use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, it’s difficult to capture them.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Verdu nudged his gold-rimmed spectacles and slowly exhaled.
“I won’t stop you from changing your faith to The Fool. If you can get that existence’s help to aid the Ancestor’s escape, that would be the best development. But before that, I will do my best to prepare the ritual. Dorian, you have to remember that the bloodline and glory of the Abraham family comes from the Ancestor. Without “Him,” there will be no us.
“If this matter requires a sacrifice, then I’ll do it.”
He stood up, put on his hat, and walked out of the basement.
Dorian watched him leave and finally sighed.
“Verdu has been studying all kinds of mysticism information, hoping to find a way to completely resolve the family’s curse. I believe that such persistence is already in his blood…”
The other Abraham family members nodded in unison.
“After he confirms that he can’t complete the ritual, he should give up…”
They too hoped that Verdu would succeed, but they found it virtually impossible.
Composite Start
Composite End
…
On Blue Mountain Island where Bayam was located, the private harbor that originally belonged to the Resistance.
A group of workers, who had just finished laying the gas pipes, were just about to find a place to rest and wait for the carriage sent by the Church of the Sea God to ferry them back to Bayam when they saw the half-giants purportedly from the northern Feysac’s islands carry heavy, grayish-white stone materials. Each step left an imprint on the land.
These workers had participated in the construction of harbors, cathedrals, and art museums, so they knew how heavy the grayish-white stone materials were.
They remembered that, even with the help of logs, horses, and machinery, it was very difficult for people to transport such stone materials. Yet, the half-giants held them as easily as holding toys.
This display of strength was simply ridiculous.
When Derrick saw that the outer walls and some of the buildings of the town had been built under the efforts of the City of Silver’s reconnaissance team, he nodded and said to Liaval and Candice, “It’s time to return to the City of Silver and tell the Chief about the situation here.”
None of the members of the City of Silver’s reconnaissance team objected. They were very excited as they agreed with Elder Derrick’s decision.
Although they hadn’t been here for long, they had long fallen in love with this new “hometown.” They had fallen in love with the warmth of the sun in the day and the peace of the crimson moon in the night. They couldn’t wait to let their family and friends experience it and enjoy it.
Upon seeing this, Derrick subconsciously straightened his back. He controlled himself and didn’t let his smile appear. He calmly said to Candice, “Come back to the City of Silver with me and tell the Chief and the other Elders of the six-member council about the situation here.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Oh, you too, Jinord. Liaval, you’re in charge of maintaining order here.”
He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to convince the current Chief, Waite Chirmont, and company, so he decided on bringing two companions with him.
After settling the corresponding matters, Derrick led Candice and Jinord to a secluded spot in the new City of Silver. He lowered his head, clasped his hands, and prayed to Mr. Fool, making a wish to return to the City of Silver immediately.
Without a sound, the scene around them became blurry and stretched. Then, it immediately fixed and quickly became clear.
In front of their eyes, they saw a city wall with weeds fluttering in the air.
In just a few seconds, Derrick and his two subordinates returned to the entrance of the City of Silver.
…This is a miracle… Candice rubbed her eyes with a hand that wasn’t holding a weapon, and marveled from the bottom of her heart.
She had imagined many ways of returning to the City of Silver, but she had never thought of returning so directly.
To her, this was a miracle bestowed by a deity.
Jinord shook the glass lantern in his hand and muttered without thinking, “This is much brighter than the beast hide lantern…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he came to his senses and revealed a pure smile without a hint of gloominess.
This time, they would be the messengers of dawn who would lead the residents of the City of Silver out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
Derrick heaved a sigh of relief and maintained his stern expression.
“Let’s immediately find the Chief and arrange for everyone to carry out the migration.”
He had heard Mr. Hanged Man talk about many matters that failed at the cusp of success. He didn’t wish for the City of Silver to have such an outcome.
As such, all the other matters had to be done as quickly as possible.
When they passed through the door, the City of Silver residents in charge of guarding the door looked curiously at the three scouts and saw hope from their rosy, glowing faces.
“Did Liaval and the others not come back?” Someone asked worriedly, afraid that the other members of the reconnaissance team had already sacrificed themselves.
Derrick simply replied, “They’ve remained in the outside world to build a temporary camp.”
The guards didn’t ask further, afraid that they would delay their time. They watched as Derrick and company headed for the twin towers.
Not long after, Derrick, Candice, and Jinord saw Chief Waite Chirmont and the other members of the six-member council. They described the key points of what they saw and heard in the outside world.
At the end of the report, they even took out pocket watches, music boxes, and other exquisite machinery to prove it.
The members of the six-member council other than the 2.5-meter-tall Waite Chirmont, who had a tattooed symbol on his head, and Derrick, looked at each other and sighed.
“Your experience is like a dream. No, I can’t even dream of such a scene.”
With that said, he solemnly asked, “Has the dungeon meant to store the Sealed Artifacts been constructed?”
“That was the first building we completed.” Derrick gave an extremely clear answer.
Waite nodded slightly and immediately issued an order.
“Get everyone to bring their necessary items and gather at the training ground.
“To prevent any accidents, we will directly pray to Mr. Fool and ask him to transfer us over.”
Having said that, Waite pondered for a moment and said, “Mr. Fool has previously sent a revelation to let us wait for another three hours for the ancient survivors from Moon City to rendezvous with us. However, this doesn’t affect our preparations ahead of time.
“Also, tell everyone that the environment in Moon City is very tough. Many of them have deformities. We have to look at them normally.”
Although the City of Silver had the Black-Faced Grass as their staple, they would eat the flesh of monsters from time to time to replenish their strength. This made them occasionally have deformed children. Therefore, everyone was no stranger to this phenomenon.
“Alright!” The other members of the six-member council responded without any hesitation, revealing an irresistible, excited expression.
This time, they were no longer seeing the light, but were directly welcoming the day.
Chapter 1299 Milk and Honey
The Forsaken Land of the Gods, Moon City.
When A’dal, Xin, and Rus heard the High Priest’s voice resound throughout the city, they became abnormally excited.
They stood up almost at the same time and carried the beast-hide bags that they had prepared earlier on their backs.
Inside were distributed mushroom powder, dried mushrooms, and various monster leathers, as well as different Beyonder characteristics of different states.
To them, even though they were excited and were full of hope for the future, the suffering they had been through made them take precautions. They tried their best to carry as much food as possible.
A few flashes of lightning before, the priests of Moon City had received Mr. Fool’s divine revelation and stopped sending out hunting teams. They also instructed every resident to pack their important items and prepare to leave at a moment’s notice.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In less than a minute, A’dal and company walked out of their houses with lanterns in hand and arrived on the streets.
As their eyes met, their faces which were either filled with tumors or deformities were filled with unconcealed joy. They had no negative emotions towards abandoning Moon City and leaving their hometown.
This was the source of their nightmare. It was unknown how many generations of people had lost their happiness in their childhood.
When they were gathered at the square with a high platform, they suppressed their excitement and lined up in an orderly manner, checking to see if the neighbors had already arrived.
Soon, all the residents of Moon City arrived. High Priest Nim walked up the platform and said with a smile, “Everyone, I received a divine revelation.
“Mr. Fool is about to help us leave this cursed land and obtain a new lease of life.
“Praise be to Mr. Fool!”
He took the lead and pressed his right palm against his left chest.
This was a gesture they had invented to praise Mr. Fool, and Mr. Fool hadn’t objected to it.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Praise Mr. Fool!” The residents of Moon City pressed their right palms to their left chests, expressing their gratitude and devotion.
As their voices echoed, the gray-haired Nim raised his hand and lowered it for silence.
“We’ll head to the City of Silver first and meet with the survivors there. Then, we will head to the world of light together.
“Don’t worry. Mr. Fool will protect us.
“Okay, shut your eyes and start to pray.”
With that said, the High Priest clasped his hands and pressed them against his lips. He sincerely prayed to Mr. Fool, hoping that the mighty existence could satisfy the greatest wish that the Moon City had accumulated over the past two to three thousand years—generations.
In the next second, the demigod of the Evernight pathway acutely sensed the changes in his surroundings. He opened his eyes, surveyed his surroundings, and discovered that stone pillars were becoming clearer. Lanterns hung on it as tall figures rapidly outlined.
This is the City of Silver? We’ve already arrived in the City of Silver… This is the might of a deity… Praise Mr. Fool! A’dal, Xin, and company quickly observed their surroundings.
They subconsciously had a certain good impression of the City of Silver. As a missionary of God, His Excellency Gehrman Sparrow had once mentioned that he had first arrived in the City of Silver after entering this cursed, forsaken land.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the beginning of where god’s brilliance spread out from the eternal darkness. It was the origins of all hope.
The figures quickly became clear. Most of them were more than two meters tall. Their facial features and bodies were normal and there were no signs of deformation. They too were sizing up the residents of Moon City with curious and wary gazes.
Their oppressive height and the enviousness of their normality made Xin, Rus, and the others nervous. They felt inferior and uneasy.
However, with a sweep of their gaze, they saw quite a number of City of Silver residents biting mushrooms that had roasted surfaces. From time to time, they would suck the hot liquid from white, full mushrooms.
This familiar scene caused the people of Moon City to gradually relax as they treated these half-giants as their own.
The Chief of the six-member council, Waite Chirmont nodded and said to Nim, who was supposedly the leader of Moon City, “Are you ready?”
His gaze was calm and natural. He didn’t look down on them because of their “terrifying” appearance.
Afraid that an accident would happen, Nim immediately replied, “Ready and good to go.”
Waite Chirmont immediately cast his gaze at the City of Silver residents.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Finish your meal within three minutes and begin praying.”
In less than a minute, the residents of the City of Silver finished their “milk” and put away the remaining food in their hands. They sincerely prayed to Mr. Fool.
The miraculous descent of the ancient survivors of Moon City made them more confident in leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods. They truly believed in Mr. Fool.
A few seconds later, everyone in the City of Silver’s training ground disappeared.
The city was left completely silent. Soon, the corrupted weeds would grow, and monsters would wander around the streets and houses.
In just a few blinks of an eye, the residents of the City of Silver and Moon City arrived in front of the Giant King’s palace, which had the dusk frozen.
This was a “ritual” that Klein had deliberately planned. It was to allow the ancient survivors of the Forsaken Land of the Gods to bid farewell to the past.
Shocked by the grandeur, epicness, and mythical impression of the Giant King’s Court, the residents of the City of Silver subconsciously turned their heads and looked down and into the distance.
Beyond the orange-red dusk, the ground was completely blanketed in darkness. Occasionally, lightning would flash across the sky, revealing the outline of ancient buildings, towering mountains, and the deformed plants.
As the lightning descended, darkness surged in again, devouring everything.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, the City of Silver and Moon City residents turned their heads and cast their gaze deep into the Giant King’s palace.
There was an open door, and outside the door was a blazing golden ocean.
The people who were blinded by the sunlight immediately felt their surroundings become blurry, and the scene quickly shattered.
The fragments quickly reassembled, turning into a deep blue ocean, the smell of fish, striking sounds, and the orange-red sun that had yet to come close to the horizon.
The residents of Moon City and the City of Silver looked around in shock and anticipation. They saw the luxuriant forest that wasn’t distorted at all. They saw the stone buildings that had yet to have been refurbished. They saw Liaval and company and saw the path towards the harbor and the ship that was docked there.
Many people’s vision turned blurry as though they were undergoing the catharsis of the holy light.
They could clearly sense that there was no depravity, filth, or mysterious power here.
Most of the City of Silver and Moon City residents lowered their heads and knelt on the ground, praising Mr. Fool loudly as they kissed the sweet-smelling soil.
It wasn’t that the others weren’t grateful to Mr. Fool, but that they were still spellbound by such a scene. Every fiber of their being was shocked.
After they recovered from their initial shock, Liaval went up to meet his wife and daughter.
As he approached, he couldn’t hold back his excitement and joy. He opened his mouth, wanting to tell his wife and children what he had seen and heard during this period of time. However, he realized that there were just too many things he wanted to share. Like countless rushing rivers, they surged to his throat and blocked his voice.
After a few seconds, Liaval said, “We… We have a new home…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the nearly 2.5-meter-tall half-giant hurriedly reached his hand into his pocket and extended it towards his wife and daughter.
“This is given to us by the Oracle—milk candy. A-all of them say it’s delicious…” A smile appeared on Liaval’s face.
There were two objects which were the size of a thumb and wrapped in thin sheets of paper. Its surface was wrinkled, having soaked in a little sweat.
“Milk candy…” Liaval’s wife didn’t quite understand this term. It was a new word in Jotun that mixed “milk” and “honey.”
Their daughter was infected by her father’s emotions. She boldly took the candy and was about to stuff it into her mouth.
“No, no, you have to peel off the outer layer.” Liaval hurriedly took back the two milk candy and peeled off the wrapper before handing one each to his wife and daughter.
His daughter bit down and ground her teeth forcefully, producing a cracking sound.
She narrowed her eyes slowly and her expression gradually became more intoxicated.
During this process, she couldn’t bear to even speak.
Seeing her daughter’s behavior, Liaval’s wife ate the candy.
She felt that this was a very precious thing. She didn’t bite it to pieces directly, but used her oral cavity to wrap around it and let it slowly melt away.
The indescribable milk fragrance and sweetness slowly spread out, intoxicating Liaval’s wife.
When Liaval saw this, his smile widened as he said what had been left stuck in his throat.
“The Oracle said that we can find a job in Bayam City, receive commissions, and earn gold pounds. That way, we can buy more milk candy. We can also sell Beyonder characteristics and monster leather we have no need for to the Church of Sea God…
“Sea God is Mr. Fool’s subsidiary god…
“It’ll be dark soon. I’ll bring you to the beach to watch the sunset. It’s really beautiful. I visit it every day. I’ve always been waiting to bring the two of you there when you arrive…”
…
It’s finally done. My anchor has stabilized significantly… Furthermore, granting the wishes of the City of Silver and Moon City has allowed my Miracle Invoker potion to digest by quite a bit. However, it isn’t as much as restoring Constant City. Indeed, being a God of Wishes isn’t the most accurate form of acting… Above the gray fog, Klein slowly exhaled and threw the Staff of the Stars back onto the junk pile.
Following that, he would continue wandering and creating miracles. He would occasionally head to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and transform some monsters into marionettes to prepare for the subsequent ritual.
As for the next stage of acting as a Miracle Invoker, Klein planned on accumulating wishes of changing appearances and figures to solve the deformities of Moon City, thereby creating a miracle.
This isn’t too difficult… Many maidens and ladies have a wish to remove acne, have double-eyelids, and make their noses sharper. And I have a way to do it… This way, by accumulating the simple to the difficult, it will just take a matter of time to treat the deformed people of Moon City… In the outside world, they will feel even more inferior… Klein mumbled inwardly before he suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly.
“In that case, I can call myself the ruler of the beauty industry, the guardian of architects and the construction workers, the miracle creator of long-distance travel…”
…
After entering the waters that didn’t have a safe sea route, Queen Mystic Bernadette seemed to have lost her sense of time. If not for the precise wall clock in her captain’s cabin, she definitely would’ve forgotten how many days it had been since she entered this perilous region.
The violent winds and torrential rain made the boat fly up from time to time, sometimes getting thrown to the side, as if it was a preview to the impending apocalypse.
Bernadette watched calmly as she waited patiently without interfering with the Dawn’s situation.
After some time, the storm finally calmed down.
At this moment, a black outline appeared in the distance.
Chapter 1300 The Fourth Person
Bernadette stared at the outline for a long time until it gradually became clearer as the Dawn approached. It was the silhouette of a large island.
On the island, there were huge, towering, dark-green trees that almost bordered on black covering the ground and mountain.
Although Bernadette couldn’t be sure that this was the primitive island that her father had once visited, her intuition as a Clairvoyant told her that this was likely the place she was seeking.
As the coastline entered her eyes, she pursed her lips and lowered her head. She chanted an honorific name:
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
Right on the heels of that, Queen Mystic Bernadette raised her hand and made the crewless Dawn stop in the nearby waters without approaching the shore.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, the sound of pianos, violins, cellos, flutes, and other musical instruments interweaved together into a lively tune.
As the music echoed, the toast, steak, mashed potatoes, fried mushrooms, and other dishes on a plate jumped up one after another and returned to the oven amidst a dance or threw themselves into the trash can.
The red wine bottle, white dining cloth, and other items had all returned to their original positions. They either sealed themselves with wooden corks or kept folding themselves neatly.
Then, Bernadette gently threw out a bright and unrealistic ball of yarn with her right hand.
The ball rolled into the void, leaving a thread behind. Bernadette followed it and strolled through the spirit world before arriving at the border of the nameless island.
This Queen Mystic wasn’t in a rush to head deeper. She searched for the possible existence of the Black Emperor mausoleum, and she cautiously made her sea-like blue eyes turn dark and deep. She temporarily lost focus, as though she was prying into the secrets of the river of fate.
A few seconds later, Bernadette’s eyes returned to normal as she subconsciously looked up into the sky.
She felt that she was being watched by a certain existence.
Of course, this was something she had expected, as she had taken the initiative to recite Mr. Fool’s honorific name.
Composite Start
Composite End
Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace, Klein accommodated The Fool’s card, draped himself with the “curtain,” and held the Staff of the Stars. He was checking the situation on the island through Queen Mystic’s prayer light.
In his true vision’s field, the island was shrouded in a thin layer of distorted blackness. It made it impossible for him to see the situation inside directly. He could only obtain Bernadette’s point of view.
Even if it’s not the primitive island that Emperor Roselle discovered, this place isn’t simple… Klein nodded indiscernibly as he waited for Queen Mystic to do a deeper exploration.
Bernadette didn’t use the ball of yarn anymore, because she had a premonition that she was going to lead herself into a dangerous abyss that she had no way of fending off.
She took out an illusory hat and wore it.
Her captain-looking figure disappeared, her existence concealed.
This was also one of the fairytale magic that stemmed from Mystical Re-enactment. At its core was a hat that made one invisible.
Then, Bernadette followed a path that appeared to have been opened up by humans and entered the forest consisting of huge trees.
There were no birds chirping, no wild beast roars, or disturbance caused by crawling insects. It was so peaceful as if time had frozen, so dead that there was no sign of life.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
According to Bernadette’s understanding, there should be many supernatural beings that had already gone extinct in the outside world. Normally, it would be quite lively. But now, she felt as if she was walking through an uninhabited cemetery. Every giant tree was a tombstone.
If it were any of the Beyonders with weaker minds, they would definitely feel tense. Burdened with a heavy pressure, they would slowly approach the edge of losing control. However, Bernadette’s expression didn’t change at all, as though she was already used to proceeding through danger and strangeness.
After walking for nearly half an hour, she still didn’t see any living thing or even sense the wind.
Suddenly, her vision opened up, because the huge trees in front of her had become sparse.
Bernadette didn’t feel any joy. Instead, she slowed down and raised her hand to press against her glabella.
A pair of eyes that were without eyelashes appeared in front of her, looking cold and heartless.
Then, the pair of Eyes of Mystery Prying was grabbed by invisible hands and placed on an invisible person’s face.
This was Bernadette’s Invisible Servant.
The Invisible Servant brought the Eyes of Mystery Prying and quickly crossed the remaining path to the open forest.
Composite Start
Composite End
During this process, its vision gradually became clearer, as if it was no longer affected by the faint blackness in the air.
Finally, the Invisible Servant arrived at the boundary of the open region and transmitted the situation to Bernadette through the Eyes of Mystery Prying.
Outside the sparse forest, there was an empty space. There were countless creatures prostrating there.
Among them were red dragons with skin flowing with flames. There were treants that had gnarls for eyes and hollows for mouths. There were demonic wolves with eight legs, giants with four long limbs, and feathered serpents with oily feathers and scales with a dark green shade. The latter coiled there, resembling small hills. There were also different kinds of creatures that looked like human and wild beast hybrids.
At this moment, they were all facing one direction. They had their upper bodies or heads prostrated, as though they were worshiping an unknown existence. None of them made a sound.
There were even a few humans among them.
One, two, three, four, five… When Bernadette counted a few humanoid creatures, her blue eyes suddenly widened.
She had learned from Admiral of Stars Cattleya that the primitive island which her father had discovered had a special type of corruption that allowed dead creatures to return here—to the source—regardless of where their corpses were.
Amongst the “knights” who served Emperor Roselle, Grimm was first to be killed because of this, followed by William and Poli. However, apart from the three of them, no one else was sacrificed in corresponding matters. And at that moment, there were five supernatural or mutated creatures present.
In addition, Bernadette also knew that her father had eventually resolved the corruption problem and made the primitive island his secret base.
Composite Start
Composite End
Is this not the island? Queen Mystic examined the five humans through the Eyes of Mystery Prying.
They were dressed in opulent clothes from Roselle’s era. Their faces were pale, their skin shriveled, and they looked more like zombies than humans.
As the five of them were prostrating, Bernadette temporarily couldn’t see their faces. She could only patiently wait for the “praying” to end.
A few minutes later, those creatures straightened their bodies and the entire forest came alive.
Seizing this opportunity, Bernadette saw the five of them and compared them with her memories and the images she knew.
Grimm, he really is Grimm. This is the primitive island…
That’s Uncle William. I remember him. He taught me swordplay before…
Uncle Poli…
When she recognized the fourth person, a look of astonishment could be seen on Bernadette’s face.
That person was:
Edwards!
In Bernadette’s memory, the knight had outlived her father’s death. Then, he migrated his family to Lenburg. He hadn’t died on this primitive island.
According to the information she received from Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, Edwards had lived for nearly a hundred years. He died peacefully and was buried in a cemetery in the suburbs of Lenburg.
Uncle Edwards has also returned to this island… Didn’t he not experience any corruption and didn’t die because of this… Thoughts flashed through Bernadette’s mind one after another. As a result, the Eyes of Mystery Prying on the Invisible Servant’s face kept staring at the human suspected to be Edwards.
The “gentleman” had an old appearance and his hair was completely white. It was the same portrait of the ancestor in his advanced years—the one that Edwina Edwards had shown her. And from his facial features and outline, Bernadette could tell what he looked like in his prime.
At that time, Edwards had been her equestrian teacher.
Suddenly, the human who was suspected to be Edwards turned his head and gazed coldly at the Invisible Servant.
Although Bernadette had inherited quite a bit of Emperor Roselle’s inheritance, she definitely didn’t rely on items to advance to this point in the mysterious world. At that moment, she made a prompt decision and directly made the Eyes of Mystery Prying vanish, allowing the Invisible Servant to return to the spirit world.
Right on the heels of that, she quietly changed her position.
At the same time, above the gray fog, Klein tapped the edge of the long mottled table and enhanced the probability of Bernadette not being discovered.
When the person suspected to be Edwards retracted his blank gaze and walked to a different spot in the primitive forest with the surrounding creatures, Klein frowned slightly and muttered to himself, “What kind of anomaly happened?”
He remembered that the Emperor had already resolved the corruption of the cosmos on this primitive island when he was alive. However, these creatures were still worshiping an unknown existence, holding a mysterious ritual that was close to the earliest descriptions in the diary.
After the emperor’s death, did a particular entity from the cosmos infiltrate this place again? Or is it that they’re worshiping some symbol left behind by the Emperor? Who are the other two? They look like Edwards and Benjamin Abraham from the historical fragment? Klein, who was temporarily unable to see what was being worshiped due to the faint black interference of the island, could only follow Bernadette’s eyes to observe the surroundings.
After a while, Bernadette, who was proficient in prophesying, finally confirmed that there was no living creature in the open space. She summoned the Invisible Servant again and gave it the Eyes of Mystery Prying.
The Invisible Servant passed through the sparse areas of the forest and the empty area, carefully arriving at the spot where the creatures had been worshiping.
There was a huge rock, and on it was a simple baldachin made of dark red wood.
The Invisible Servant circled halfway and arrived in front of the baldachin. It was empty inside. There was no statue, nor was there an emblem formed from symbols.
The creatures on this island were praying to something that didn’t seem to exist.
Chapter 1301 “New Life“
Through the Eyes of Mystery Prying, Bernadette saw that the interior of the dark-red baldachin was empty—nothing was there. All she could see were shadows that usually shrouded things in reality.
She was unable to prophesize anything from it. Having no choice but to look away, she followed her intuition and made the Invisible Servant walk towards the other end of the open area, which was also part of the primitive forest filled with towering trees.
As the Invisible Servant couldn’t be too far away from her, she silently followed behind while wearing the Invisibility Hat. She unhurriedly passed through the area where all the creatures on the island were gathered.
Here, the sky seemed to be perpetually gloomy, one permeated by a faint blackness.
Time passed quickly. The Invisible Servant entered the forest that blotted out the sky with the tree branches and everything before it suddenly dimmed.
Right on the heels of that, the nearly transparent, cold, and undetectable Eyes of Mystery Prying saw through the dim environment. There were pale-white corpses placed in between the trees. Skulls and rotting corpses hung down from many branches.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They consisted of dragons, avian creatures, and some had eight legs, while others were strange giant trees that occupied every empty spot in the forest.
At a glance, Bernadette seemed to have arrived at a cemetery. A scene naturally surfaced in her mind:
It was a scene of supernatural beings giving birth to their descendants before they died, thus passing on their Beyonder characteristics to them. And these creatures would struggle towards this region in the primitive forest from every direction, in search of an unoccupied spot. Then, facing a particular direction, they would silently die, gradually rotting and being reduced to bones.
What’s the meaning behind this? As a Clairvoyant, Bernadette fully believed that the scenes produced in her mind were what had happened in the real world. However, she was puzzled about the type of power that made the creatures on this primitive island choose this area as their tomb.
Furthermore, since Grimm, William, and Poli, who had died long ago, appeared to remain alive in some form, it didn’t make sense that supernatural and mutated creatures that had stayed on this island all this while and had suffered even more corruption would end up dying.
This made Bernadette frown slightly as she directed the Invisible Servant to continue proceeding deeper into the creature cemetery.
Just like that, the Invisible Servant proceeded forward for nearly fifteen minutes in this forest filled with bones and corpses.
Finally, it saw a fourth object beyond trees, weeds, and corpses.
It was a black stone pillar. It was very thick, with a width spanning about six arm spans, and thirty to forty meters tall. Its surface was covered with rings which were signs of weathering. It resembled a finger wearing rings that didn’t suit its size.
Composite Start
Composite End
Bernadette made the Eyes of Mystery Prying observe the stone pillar for several seconds, but she didn’t discover anything mysterious about it. It was as though it was a symbol that was casually erected.
The Invisible Servant looked around and discovered that the surrounding corpses around the stone pillar didn’t suffer from serious rot. They were even covered in rather intact flesh and skin.
There aren’t any supernatural powers or magical effects that are different from other places… Unless the new deceased were gathered near the stone pillar, it’s impossible for them to have such a unified trend… Bernadette suspected that it wasn’t because there was no mysterious influence in this matter, but that it would only happen at a specific moment.
She didn’t use her powers of prophecy to search for the reason. This was because a prophecy, at its core, was to pry into the secrets of the river of fate. The more serious the problem involved was, and the higher her status and level, the more damage the backlash would bring to her. And at this moment, it was impossible for Bernadette to not be cautious. She was afraid that it might involve an unknown existence.
In addition, this hadn’t caused any harm to her. She didn’t have to take the risk to make a “prophecy.”
After searching for a while to no avail, the Invisible Servant continued forward, attempting to pass through the cemetery and head to other regions of the forest.
Just then, Bernadette heard a rustling sound.
It was the sound of a breeze passing through the vegetation, a tidal wave in the void.
Ever since she landed on this strange island, this was Bernadette’s first time feeling the wind.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Subconsciously, she made the invisible servant look back at the black stone pillar.
In the Eyes of Mystery Prying, the corpses around the stone pillar began to rot and shed one by one. New flesh and blood grew out like they had their own spirituality, and their skin slowly covered this harrowing scene one inch at a time.
This change lasted for less than ten seconds before stopping. A small number of the corpses no longer showed any signs of decay. It looked like they had just died.
In the next second, a mutated curly-haired baboon and a wolf with eight legs wobbled to their feet.
Their fur was slightly white and their skin was slightly dry, their eyes dull and cold.
Then, the two originally deceased creatures each got their bearings and left the cemetery from different spots.
Bernadette’s gaze froze as she watched this. Her brows raised slightly as she finally understood why the creatures on this island had struggled to come to this area before dying and why they had to die here:
Here, death—an endpoint—didn’t mean entering the state of eternal slumber, but rather a new beginning!
Furthermore, this wasn’t the “resurrection” of a zombie or skeleton that a Spirit Guide was capable of. It was a “new life” with a certain will and vitality.
Composite Start
Composite End
A distortion and disorder of the world’s underlying rules? In addition, it seems to contain some mystery from the Black Emperor’s resurrection… However, those who obtained new life aren’t in a proper state. They’re even closer to zombies… Such revivals are very problematic… Klein, who was above the gray fog, also saw this scene and had many guesses.
Of course, this was under the premise that the Emperor had fundamentally left his last mausoleum here and exerted some form of influence here.
As he thought about it, Klein rejected this idea.
This was because, before the Emperor became an angel, this primitive island had a similar situation. The dead Grimm was proof!
Yes, the exact details that happened back then might not be the same as what’s happening now. Perhaps, compared to the past, it has already been distorted and “disordered”… Klein nodded gently, prepared to bless and protect Bernadette at any time.
Bernadette also came up with a guess. She didn’t allow the Invisible Servant to stay in its spot to wait for a “new tide of life.”
This was because she had foreseen a development:
After being repeatedly affected by the “new tide of life,” the Invisible Servant would oddly develop some sort of sentience and come “alive”!
In addition, it wasn’t that the Invisible Servant hadn’t done any investigation prior to this, but it had ultimately failed to discover anything special about the black stone pillar. Bernadette didn’t believe that it would gain anything new by remaining here.
In such a situation, it was better to establish a basic understanding of the primitive island rather than alarming an unknown existence due to a deeper study.
Composite Start
Composite End
Many a time, there were problems that eluded one in the beginning, but the answer might be nearer to the end.
This was thanks to the experience that Bernadette had accumulated over all these years.
The corpses on the trees and branches gradually grew fewer as the Invisible Servant moved forward. During this process, Bernadette discovered another phenomenon:
In the “new tide of life,” it wasn’t certain that a corpse would be revived. However, once they revived and left the empty area, the rest of the corpses would be attracted like metal to magnets in the next five minutes. They would stiffly move towards the center, filling up the corresponding spots like they were in line for a bestowment.
The law of Beyonder characteristics convergence? No, it doesn’t seem like it. The deceased have already passed down their characteristics… As Bernadette’s thoughts wandered, she suddenly thought of a question:
It’s impossible for the deceased to produce new Beyonder characteristics after obtaining new life, but do they still possess their powers in their previous lives?
Once I have a complete grasp of the situation on this island, I can find a “resurrected” being to test it out… Bernadette quickly made a decision and followed the Invisible Servant’s route forward.
She didn’t use any Beyonder powers other than her Invisibility Hat. She hoped that she wouldn’t disturb the environment and miss out on any details. Therefore, she didn’t walk too fast. She took about fifteen minutes to leave the cemetery.
The Invisible Servant had already entered the forest up ahead. It could hear the occasional bird chirping and beast roars. The vibrant vitality here was different from the other remaining regions.
Above the gray fog, Klein sighed.
Thankfully, I’m now the owner of Sefirah Castle. Here, I have the status of a King of Angels. I can observe reality for as long as I want to, and I don’t have to worry about draining my spirituality. Yes, the only thing I need to pay attention to is my body that’s hidden in the ancient city located in the fog of history before the First Epoch.
After traveling for another few minutes, the Invisible Servant suddenly saw something that appeared incongruous to the primitive island’s environment.
It was a log cabin that seemed to be a residence of a forest ranger.
The log cabin was brown in color and was less than 2.5 meters tall. It looked like it was prepared for humans, but every detail was rough and crude.
At that moment, the cabin’s door was open, allowing Bernadette to see the situation inside through the Eyes of Mystery Prying.
A wooden table, a fur-covered bed, and a low-back chair formed a scene of a residence lived by humans.
Who lives here? With a thought from Bernadette, the Invisible Servant rapidly approached the cabin in search for possible clues.
It then realized that the interior of the cabin was ice-cold. Apart from the furniture, there was nothing else. It seemed like no one had lived there for a very long time.
Just as Bernadette was using the Eyes of Mystery Prying to carefully inspect every detail in the cabin, she suddenly had a premonition. She hurriedly made the Invisible Servant turn around.
At some point in time, a person had appeared behind the Invisible Servant!
He was wearing luxurious clothes from the Roselle era. His hair was completely white, and he looked old. He had a pair of light blue eyes that were extremely cold and blank.
Edwards.
This was the knight who had outlived the Emperor, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina’s ancestor.
Edwards stared at the Invisible Servant for a few seconds. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and said in a low voice, our Highness.”
Chapter 1302 The Scene in the Prophecy
Bernadette fell silent for two seconds before replying through the Invisible Servant:
“Uncle Edwards, why are you here?”
She used the way she addressed him when she was young to reduce the chances of an accident.
Her voice reverberated in the surrounding air with the Invisible Servant as a conduit. It was dry, dull, and completely different from normal.
Edwards’s face was pale. It was as if he had just crawled out of the grave without any warmth.
“I don’t know either.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“When I woke up, I discovered that I had returned to this island.
“This might be my destiny. A destiny of guarding His Majesty.”
He paused with every word he said, but he didn’t give the impression that he was out of breath. It seemed like he hadn’t spoken for a long time, so much so that his throat was “rusty.” He wasn’t used to speaking.
Without waiting for Bernadette’s further inquiries, the knight, who was famous across the continent more than a hundred years ago, added with a flat tone, “His Majesty’s mausoleum is nearby.
“I’ve been guarding this place, waiting for ‘Him’ to revive.
“But after so many years, the mausoleum has never changed.
“There haven’t been any signs of a resurrection.”
Bernadette made the invisible servant look around and said, “This log cabin is where you live?”
Edwards’s exposed skin was slightly shriveled. It matched the aging spots he originally had. His voice was low and hoarse as he answered, “That’s right.
Composite Start
Composite End
“I used the surrounding trees to make materials to build this cabin.”
Bernadette’s Invisible Servant looked in the direction where she had come from.
“Uncle William and the others aren’t with you?”
Edwards’s cold, wooden eyes moved.
“They have long been corrupted and are dead.
“Although they’ve come back to life, they’re more like monsters. They aren’t their former selves.
“Your Highness, you must be wary of them and avoid them.
“Do not trust anyone but Benjamin and me.”
Bernadette fell silent for a while before asking through the Invisible Servant:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Where’s my father’s mausoleum? I want to take a look.”
Edwards’s somewhat stiff neck moved.
“Okay.”
He then took a step towards the cabin and took out a rusted black axe.
“I’ll take you there,” Edwards said as he looked at the Invisible Servant that normally couldn’t be seen.
During this process, his expression was stiff and almost unchanged.
“Alright.” Along the periphery of the forest, Bernadette responded using the Invisible Servant to make her hoarse voice echo in the surroundings.
Edwards was almost 1.9 meters tall, and he looked rather thin. He carried his axe and walked behind the log cabin before saying in a flat tone, “It’s very close.
“Be careful along the way.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Bernadette immediately controlled the Invisible Servant and made it follow the luxuriously-dressed Edwards.
Walking through the forest one after another, Bernadette suddenly made the Invisible Servant ask, “Uncle Edwards, what were you worshiping in the empty space from before?”
Edwards didn’t turn his head as he maintained the same pace.
“His Majesty.”
At least two kilometers behind him and the Invisible Servant, Bernadette immediately pricked up her brows. She took nearly three seconds to control her emotions.
Through the Invisible Servant, she continued asking without any emotion, “Uncle William and the others are worshiping him?”
Edwards paused, but he kept his back towards the Invisible Servant and the Eyes of Mystery Prying.
“No.”
He slowed down as though he was thinking of an answer.
“I don’t know what they worship…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Bernadette’s eyes narrowed slightly as though she could see some changes in the river of fate.
She didn’t ask any more questions as she made the Invisible Servant silently follow Edwards. Amidst the dark-green, towering trees and the black, sharp shrubs, they headed for the island’s mountain peak.
In just four or five minutes, the trees up ahead disappeared.
This wasn’t a process that went from dense to sparse until there was nothing. Instead, the towering trees suddenly disappeared after an imaginary boundary line.
Beyond the invisible line was a mountain that was hundreds of meters tall. It was covered by dark-green trees that were almost black in color. From afar, it was almost as if it was one with the forest, virtually inseparable.
However, the side of the mountain facing Edward and Bernadette was mostly without vegetation—half of the mountain had been excavated.
In the middle of the mountain, a pitch-black mausoleum stood there with a majestic appearance.
Most of it was part of the mountain range. A small portion of it had signs of man-made constructions and polishing. It truly expounded on what it meant to be a “mountain mausoleum.”
Thus, the mausoleum didn’t look like the common pyramid. Instead, it looked more like a towering mountain. It wasn’t exactly symmetrical, but it was definitely majestic.
Perhaps the mausoleum itself had influenced its surroundings, or perhaps Edwards had cleaned the area, its surface was void of weeds, nor was it covered with vines commonly seen in other mountains.
This allowed Bernadette to see the various texts and symbols engraved on the mausoleum through the Eyes of Mystery Prying. She saw the heavy thirty-meter-tall stone door that seemed to be prepared for giants.
Bernadette wasn’t unfamiliar with those words and symbols. She didn’t take much time to recognize them as either the “Civil Code” that was created by her father, the new social trends that he had established, or even some design drafts of some invention.
Just as Bernadette was carefully examining it, Klein, who was above the gray fog, was completely certain that this was the last mausoleum left behind by Emperor Roselle.
This was similar to the mausoleum he had seen in the Tudor ruins. It had the majesticness and “distortion” traits of the Black Emperor.
After walking out of the primitive forest and passing through the invisible boundary, they arrived near the mausoleum. Edwards stopped.
He half-turned his body and aimed his pale face and cold eyes at the Invisible Servant. He said without any change in his voice, “Don’t go in.”
“It will interrupt the resurrection…”
Bernadette frowned slightly and thought for two seconds before using the Eyes of Mystery Prying to lock onto the mausoleum.
Then, her blue eyes that resembled the sea became extremely deep, like the surface of the sea before a storm.
Under such circumstances, her eyes clearly lost focus as her vision turned blurry.
She was prying into the secrets of the River of Fate and making a prophecy for what would happen next.
Klein tapped the long mottled table and increased the probability of her success. He then prepared himself to resist the corruption of the cosmos.
Of course, the latter wasn’t necessary, because Bernadette had a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that she could control.
Bernadette raised her right hand the next second.
Her skin instantly turned as white as snow. Her lips turned as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony.
An illusory, ancient mirror appeared in her hands.
This was Snow White of her fairytale magic. Bernadette had used it to enhance the success rate and accuracy of her “prophecy.”
Silently, she “saw” a scene:
The majestic and solemn dark mausoleum visibly shook as the tall, heavy stone door opened.
Then, a huge black arm stretched out from the stone door.
The style of this arm was close to that of the trees on the island. From its color and state, it looked more like a part of a shadow. However, it wasn’t a thin layer, but was instead filled with flesh and blood. It looked extremely strange.
It supported itself with its elbows and moved forward with great difficulty, as though it wanted to pull out bigger and more terrifying parts from within.
Boom!
The entire island began to shake.
Boom!
The transparent Eyes of Mystery Prying suddenly shattered.
Bernadette’s eyes immediately closed, as if she had seen a blinding light or encountered some unbearable damage.
Blood trickled down from the corners of her eyes as the color in her face drained significantly.
On her body, a pair of illusory and holy wings spread out, descending upon her with its clean, white feathers to neutralize the invisible corruption.
Indeed, she has the ability to resist. The Emperor sure left a huge inheritance for her… Heh heh, before I taught Ma’am Hermit a lesson, she liked to use the Eye of Mystery Prying to examine the people and objects around her. It definitely has something to do with how she was brought up… In short, it’s all Roselle’s fault! Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he couldn’t help but criticize the Emperor.
Then, his mind raced as he analyzed the scene that Bernadette had prophesied:
A terrifying creature crawls out from the mausoleum after the stone door is opened.
This might be the resurrected Roselle, or perhaps a symbol of some kind of disaster. For example, a particular Outer Deity who had once corrupted this island, or the Primordial Moon who secretly corrupted Roselle…
Yes, even if it’s Roselle, he definitely wouldn’t be taking on the form of a human. He’s even closer to that of a Mythical Creature, a deity… Also, I can’t be sure if the terrifying creature is rational or if it can communicate…
There’s another important problem. Was the stone door opened by Bernadette or someone else? Or did the terrifying creature in the mausoleum do it by itself? If it’s the latter, things might develop to the stage of the prophecy even if we don’t do a thing…
A prophecy is truly filled with ambiguity.
Klein conjured a gold coin and flicked it, making a divination.
The results of the dream divination showed that the mausoleum was both dangerous and safe.
How do I interpret this? As Klein pondered, he focused his attention back on Bernadette.
Bernadette took nearly a minute to recover and stopped appearing that weak.
However, she was temporarily unable to interpret the direction of the prophecy from the scene she saw. She could only confirm that the problem was definitely very complicated.
Due to the Eyes of Mystery Prying shattering, there was no way for her to use it to see the various secrets. All she could do was use the Invisible Servant’s perception to observe the situation around her.
She realized that Edwards remained silent and motionless when she was unable to control the Invisible Servant, as though he hadn’t noticed anything abnormal.
After some thought, Bernadette said to Edwards through the Invisible Servant, “Do you still remember the years you spent in Lenburg?”
Edwards’s indifferent blue eyes moved.
“I remember.”
“I think…”
At this point, he seemed to recall something. His expression twisted as though he was suffering some indescribable pain.
In such a state, his eyes suddenly glowed with a strange light.
“I think… I think I’m already dead…”
Chapter 1303 Coming to Life
“Already dead…”
Edwards turned his head and looked at Bernadette’s Invisible Servant with his light-blue eyes. His gaze was no longer cold and blank. It emitted a strange glint that was filled with disbelief.
It was only at this moment that he seemed to realize that he had long died and had come back to “life.” He was no different from William, Poli, and Grimm, who he claimed were individuals who they needed to keep up one’s guard against.
This transformation lasted for only two seconds before Edwards’s face twisted. His already pale skin rapidly dimmed as it ruptured inch by inch.
Beneath his skin, the red pieces of flesh began to rot at a discernible speed, dripping foul yellow liquid.
With a swoosh, Edwards raised the black axe in his hand.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Oof!
His axe ruthlessly cleaved the top of his head, as though it was trying to stop the bad thoughts that surfaced in his mind.
The axe was heavy and sharp. It tore through Edwards’s skull all the way to his glabella.
Drip, drip, drip. Drops of milky-white cerebrospinal fluid dripped down from the axe’s blade, sliding across Edwards’s grimaced and torn face, as though he had poured some milk onto a bright red strawberry.
“Don’t… Don’t come near me…” Edwards said in a low and hoarse voice to Bernadette’s Invisible Servant after striking himself in the head.
Before he could finish his sentence, his expression returned to its blank state. The look in his eyes gradually turned hollow as he turned around and walked towards the forest.
That thin and shriveled body of his stooped a little, as though his back was hunched.
Bernadette had probed him because of the doubts and concerns she had about entering the mausoleum. All she could do was indirectly determine the problem with Edwards’s existence, and see if she could obtain more clues from his answer. She never expected this knight from Roselle’s era, who had been famous across the Northern Continent, would react in such an intense and strange manner.
After two seconds of silence, Bernadette made the Invisible Servant say to Edwards’s back:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Your descendants are doing pretty well. All of them are accomplished in a certain sense.”
Edwards, whose back was facing the mausoleum, stopped for a moment. Then, he continued forward, passing the invisible boundary and entering the forest.
His target seemed to be in the direction of the cemetery with the stone pillar, the place where the deceased could obtain “new life.”
At the same time, Bernadette looked up into the sky.
The faint black colors that permeated the area had clearly faded, but there was an indescribable feeling. The entire primitive island underwent a subtle change that couldn’t accurately be described.
Suddenly, Bernadette, who was hiding at the edge of the invisible boundary, rubbed her back.
She felt that it was heavy, as though there was something there.
When her left palm touched her target, Bernadette realized that there was an extra strand of hair.
At this moment, she was wearing an Intis-styled blouse with a large lace flower around the collar, an indigo patterned captain’s uniform, a pair of beige trousers, knee-length boots, and a triangular hat with feathers on it. She was dressed like the leader of a pirate ship.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
She styled herself such that her long chestnut hair was tied into a bun, leaving the remaining strands in a way that would reach the middle of her back. But now, even though her hairstyle remained unchanged, her hair had grown longer and reached her waist.
Then, Bernadette lowered her head and looked at her right palm. She saw the fingernails of her five fingers extending.
Queen Mystic didn’t show any signs of surprise or panic. She followed the instincts of a Clairvoyant and from all the experience she had accumulated over time. She took a few steps forward, and through an invisible boundary, she completely left the primitive forest and entered the empty area where the Black Emperor’s mausoleum was.
During this process, Bernadette even made the Invisible Servant return to the spirit world.
Three or four seconds later, she felt the earth shake. The mausoleum began to tremble visibly.
Subconsciously, Bernadette turned to look at the primitive forest.
Her gaze froze for a moment.
The dark-green trees were waving their branches and uprooting their roots. Then, like humans, they approached Bernadette.
The entire primitive forest had come to “life”!
Composite Start
Composite End
Looking at the dense cluster of trees that seemed to blot out the sky surging at her, Bernadette had the feeling that doomsday was approaching. She felt as if the entire area would be blanketed by the forest.
A gigantic red dragon with flames flowing across its skin rapidly flew into the sky. An eight-legged demonic wolf began to run madly between the trees… All the supernatural beings and mutated creatures on this island stirred as they rushed towards the mausoleum.
Although she was a Clairvoyant, Bernadette still didn’t expect that her simple, indirect question would bring about such an anomaly. It was as though it was a key that had opened the door to the abyss.
Above the gray fog, Klein saw a lot more. Together with his knowledge of mysticism, he had a certain guess.
The situation of Edwards is different from William, Grimm, and Poli. It’s like a loophole of the order on this primitive island, or rather, a shadow…
When he realized that he was already dead, this loophole was discovered by the order, and it began to conduct “repairs.”
And the repairs brought with it an enhancement of the order, causing the entire island to experience an anomaly.
I can sense that the Black Emperor’s powers are present here to a certain degree. It affected Edwards, causing him to maintain a portion of his will after obtaining new “life.” And where did the original order of this primitive island come from?
Eh…
As Klein’s thoughts raced, he suddenly sensed that Bernadette was suffering certain anomalies.
Composite Start
Composite End
Thump, thump, thump. Bernadette could vaguely hear her own heartbeat.
This heartbeat was rather chaotic, as though it was a combination of two sounds.
Two… Bernadette’s heart stirred as she calmly directed her attention back to herself.
In the next second, she confirmed that there were two sources of her heartbeat.
One came from her heart, the other from her abdomen.
There seemed to be an additional heart in her abdomen, one that was rapidly expanding and contracting.
Furthermore, this “heart” was developing bit by bit!
Without needing to use her Mystery Prying powers to look at her abdomen, Bernadette immediately sensed that there was a fetus in her womb.
It had grown from the size of a grape to the size of a normal human palm. If it was left to grow, it didn’t seem like it would take long before it matured. It would then tear open her mother’s womb, and drill out while covered in blood.
Unknowingly, Bernadette had become pregnant. Her spiritual perception and the Sealed Artifact on her body had failed to detect it in advance or attempt to stop it. It was as though she was powerless to deal with such an influence.
Earth Mother… Primordial Moon… Mother Tree of Desire… Three divine names flashed through Bernadette’s mind.
According to what she knew, there weren’t many mysteries that could cause such an anomaly. Most of them came from domains related to the Earth and the Moon pathway.
Sequence 0 of the Planter pathway was Mother. The Primordial Moon could make a stone have reproductive powers, while the Mother Tree of Desire seemed to possess some High-Sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Moon pathway.
Bernadette wasn’t in a hurry to deal with the fetus in her stomach. Her gaze turned dark once again as she used her prophetic ability to see what her best choice was.
This time, she only took one second to obtain the corresponding prophecy:
“Survival lies inside the mausoleum.”
Without any hesitation, Bernadette reached out her right hand and quickly drew out words filled with stellar radiance.
These words, which were similar to the words on the Blasphemy Slate, quickly interwove into a strange symbol and opened a secret door that seemed to lead deep into the spirit world.
Following that, the “secret door” opened and a strong gust of wind blew out, transforming into an entity that was half-man, half-air. His upper body was wrapped in white cloth.
“Sage Frontlet,” Bernadette’s tone was calm as she ordered in a dignified voice.
The man responded respectfully and removed an accessory from the white cloth wrapped around his body.
The core of this accessory was a vertical eye embedded with “diamonds.” It shimmered with pure light, exuding an abnormal holiness. It was filled with intelligence, but it also appeared cold without any warmth.
Bernadette then took the accessory and “embedded” it into the middle of her forehead.
This was a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact which Bernadette usually didn’t carry with her, as the negative effects were too severe.
However, at this moment, the Sage Frontlet had an ability that was extremely important to Bernadette. She was willing to bear the consequences of not being able to use evil magic and the gradual influence that the Beyonder characteristic would have on her as it slowly fused with her.
If she didn’t remove the Sage Frontlet in a short period of time, it would be equivalent to having a Sequence 2 potion splashed on her. When the time came, she could either end up lucky and succeed in advancing to become a Sage, or lose control and become a monster. And without the supplementary ingredients and the corresponding ritual, the former’s probability was nearly negligible.
With the diamond vertical eye on her forehead, Bernadette’s body began to turn incorporeal as she dissociated into a series of complicated knowledge.
In that instant, she became a creature of pure information.
The baby in her womb failed to obtain such a state as it fell to the ground.
It was half the size of a normal baby. It already had facial features and limbs. Its skin was wrinkled, and it was dripping with sticky pus.
As it left its mother’s body, the undeveloped “it” began to regress and quickly melted in the air.
The baby was clearly unwilling to give up. It tried its best to open its eyes, which were sealed by the sticky liquid. It opened its mouth wide open in a bid to make a final struggle.
At this moment, Klein, who was above the gray fog, rapped the edge of the long mottled table.
Pa!
He increased the probability of failure with respect to the baby’s struggling.
Unable to maintain itself, the baby completely dissipated in front of the approaching black forest.
At the same time, the flood of information that Bernadette had transformed into had entered the Black Emperor mausoleum’s interior through the heavy stone door as she reformed her original body.
During this process, she seemed to see a black shadow.
Chapter 1304 The Importance of Ideas
When she entered the Black Emperor’s mausoleum, Bernadette vaguely saw a black shadow. However, after she extricated herself from being an embodiment of information, and reassembled her body with the pure, messy knowledge, she didn’t sense anything. It was as though what she had just experienced was just an illusion.
Queen Mystic wasn’t in a rush to venture deep into the mausoleum. She stayed in her spot and carefully observed her surroundings.
Without using the powers of Mystery Prying, everything was clearly presented before her eyes.
The interior of the Black Emperor mausoleum was empty. Apart from the pitch-black walls and the high platform in the middle, there was nothing.
On the high platform, there was a chair that looked like it was prepared for a giant. It was made of iron, and its surface was engraved with complicated and distorted patterns. At the top of the seat, there was a crown-shaped object.
At this moment, there wasn’t a single figure on the huge, heavy seat, as if it was waiting for its emperor to return.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as Bernadette was about to take a step forward and approach the platform, she suddenly realized that her body was completely immobilized, as if she was being bound tightly by invisible shackles.
Right on the heels of that, pairs of illusory and holy white wings appeared behind her as though they were passively resisting something.
In the next second, on the pairs of angel wings, white feathers dropped as they fluttered. They grew deformed, thin, and fluffy limbs. The gaps in the layers of feathers spread open one after another as though they had become countless eyes.
The deformed feathers immediately let out crisp laughter, causing a hollow chuckle to echo inside the mausoleum.
All of them had come alive, turning into miniature “winged creatures.”
This reminded Bernadette of some fairytales that her father had told her. There were always little pixies that weren’t as big as a thumb in them.
As this thought flashed through her mind, Bernadette felt her right eye itch.
The eyelashes of that eye grew rapidly, turning into tiny arms that took root on her face, trying hard to pull her eyeball out.
“I see it! I see it!” The veins in Bernadette’s right eye protruded as they let out a child-like voice as though they had gained sentience and consciousness of her body.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was also a form of new “life.”
Almost at the same time, Bernadette’s left ear suddenly drooped down and covered her ears.
“I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it!” the ear shouted with a sharp voice.
If she didn’t use her spirituality, Bernadette would definitely imagine that she had a young maiden by her side—one that was covering her ears, stamping her feet, and screaming.
Without cushioning anything, the Sage Frontlet in the middle of her forehead automatically left her body and floated into the air.
The surface of the vertical eye embedded with “diamonds” instantly flashed with countless cold beams of light. It was as though numerous tiny eyes had grown out of it.
Each eye reflected Bernadette.
The Sage Frontlet had also obtained a certain living characteristic.
Just as the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was about to awaken and affect its target, a pale-white, slender, illusory palm reached out and grabbed it.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Sage Frontlet’s living characteristic rapidly dispersed, as though it had reached the end of its life.
The ice-cold and pale hand that clearly belonged to a woman came from behind Bernadette. At some point in time, a figure with only an upper-body appeared.
This figure grew out of Bernadette’s back. It was almost transparent and rather illusory.
She was wearing the same clothing as Bernadette, and she was wearing the same feather triangular hat. Her blue eyes were like the projection of the ocean. It was like Bernadette herself, a part of her spirit that had drilled out of her body.
However, there was a pale-white face mask on Bernadette’s half-body phantom.
The mask only had holes where one’s eyes were with no other gaps elsewhere. This made Bernadette’s phantom appear extremely cold and noble, but it lacked the aura of a living being.
This was the third item she possessed, and also her last Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. It was an item made after Emperor Roselle returned from the Southern Continent in his later years, called “Pale Death.”
Its negative effect was to make the wearer slowly die until it became a corpse and become its slave.
At this moment, Bernadette had used this point to restrain the abnormal life growing in her.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as the half-body phantom appeared, her right eye quelled. Her eyelashes which had turned thicker and longer into arms began to fall off one by one.
Her ears didn’t make any noises either. They slowly opened and returned to normal.
Without such a suppression, Bernadette’s facial features, arms, and legs would’ve broken apart to seek “freedom.”
After stabilizing her body, Bernadette tried to take a step forward. However, she was still unable to do anything. All she could do was control the half-bodied Spirit Body.
After some thought, she made the Spirit Body behind her take out a ritual silver dagger from her pocket. Then, bending down, it drew a circle in the middle of her right boot.
With a ripping sound, the leather boot quickly shortened by half.
Then, Bernadette used her half-body Spirit Body to tear her pants near her left knee. She cut off a corner of her coat and blouse, removing one of the feathers on the side of her triangular hat.
This attempt didn’t seem to have anything to do with supernatural beings. It was just like a willful and rebellious girl who wanted to dress up in a different way from the normal sense of aesthetics.
However, as Bernadette completed this series of actions, she carefully took a step forward. Her body could actually move, as she no longer felt restrained.
The invisible suppression effect vanished instantly. The Black Emperor mausoleum seemed to accept Bernadette in this form.
Composite Start
Composite End
Who would’ve thought that something an ordinary person could do was able to deal with such abnormalities?
Furthermore, Bernadette suspected that the more she used her Beyonder powers to resist whatever she was facing, the deeper the effects.
This was because she had the feeling that she was facing an invisible deity. Only by pleasing the other party’s sense of aesthetics could she be pardoned. Otherwise, she could only rely on the authority of a Sequence 0 to circle around it.
In addition, the lucky thing was that Bernadette wasn’t once a knowledgeable Mysticologist, but she also had a deep understanding of the Black Emperor pathway. She knew what the authorities this domain consisted of. She knew that it represented the shadow of order, a distortion of order.
That was why Bernadette twisted the normal order around her using her dressing; thus, obtaining the recognition and acceptance of the invisible deity.
Yes, in the matter regarding mysticism, knowledge and ideas are more useful than abilities at times… In that situation just now, any resistance would’ve been viewed as a provocation towards the internal order of the mausoleum, triggering unpredictable and terrifying changes. Once one figures out the crux of the problem, the negative effects will be easily resolved… Klein nodded above the gray fog and learned quite a lot from Queen Mystic.
Although he was already a Sequence higher than her, to the point of being a King of Angels inside Sefirah Castle and having experienced quite a number of major events, his growth had been too fast. He was still lacking when it came to the details in problems. Now was the perfect time to make up for the deficiency through observation.
After taking a step, Bernadette began to follow her spiritual intuition and walk toward the huge, empty chair on the platform.
One step, two steps, three steps. Suddenly, a breeze blew past her neck.
This cold wind made Bernadette’s body turn numb.
At that moment, she felt a black shadow appear behind her.
Silently, her long chestnut-colored hair parted, revealing a pair of eyes on her scalp.
It was a pair of eyes without any eyelashes. They were almost transparent, cold, and heartless.
Eyes of Mystery Prying!
The pair of eyes turned slightly and saw that the shadow-like curtain in the mysterious world showed clear signs of distortion.
However, it didn’t notice the shadow, nor did it find the source of the cold wind.
Just as Bernadette attempted to close the Eyes of Mystery Pryer and lower the possibility of an accident, the cold and sinister breeze suddenly appeared in her mind.
Her thoughts became active as she became increasingly out of control. She was unable to direct her thoughts in the required manner.
This seemed to be a trend that couldn’t be changed—one that led to chaos.
Without any hesitation, Bernadette grabbed the few seconds of thought she was capable of. She let the half-body spirit on her back remove the pale-white mask.
Then, she put Pale Death on her face, while the half-body spirit retracted into her body and fused with her.
From this second onwards, Bernadette’s thoughts would gradually die along with her body. However, her thoughts could not help but stir and turn chaotic.
Both of these conflicting conditions offset one another, forming a weak and delicate balance that helped Bernadette regain her ability to think.
To Bernadette, compared to the Beyonder effects of Pale Death itself, its negative effects were even more effective at this moment.
Maintaining the balance, Bernadette took a few steps forward.
During this process, she always felt that there were shadows hovering around her, but she couldn’t find them no matter how hard she tried.
After thinking for a few seconds, Bernadette’s blue eyes darkened once again, losing focus.
She tried prophesying the consequences of her choice.
Soon, a corresponding scene appeared before her eyes:
After putting on the Sage Frontlet again, she once again transformed into pure and complicated information streams, using it to circumvent the obstruction and head to the high platform in the middle.
However, just as she approached, the flood of information suddenly disintegrated. It lost its order and formed several Bernadettes built on different tenets. There was a young girl in a layered dress, a tall young girl, a melancholic and confused girl, a woman with a twisted and pained expression, and a calm and determined queen.
The prophetic vision instantly disappeared and Bernadette’s eyes instantly regained focus.
At this moment, she saw the black shadow.
It was standing right in front of her, no more than a fist away from her!
That face formed from pure shadow completely occupied her vision.
Chapter 1305 That Black Shadow
The moment Bernadette saw the black shadow, she instinctively clenched her right hand and conjured an ancient spear.
From the tip of the spear to its handle, it was dyed with crimson red balls. It emitted a strong destructive aura, as though it could harm a true deity.
Spear of Longinus!
This spear had once appeared in an ancient era that couldn’t be traced back, stained with the blood of a great existence. At this moment, it had descended into the Black Emperor’s mausoleum through Mystical Re-enactment.
However, when Bernadette thrust it forward, she failed to achieve any effects because the tip of the spear was directed at her back.
Despite wanting to attack the black shadow in front of her, the Spear of Longinus had strangely thrust backward.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The area had been affected by “disorder,” or suffered some form of distortion.
Above the gray fog in the palace, Klein noticed the black shadow when it appeared in front of Bernadette. He didn’t hesitate to raise the Staff of the Stars in his hand.
He didn’t wait this time, unlike his prior observations of Queen Mystic’s actions before where he would consider if he would provide her with protection. This was because the level of danger of the black shadow sounded off alarms within him. He was an angel of the Seer pathway after all.
More importantly, Bernadette could sense the shadow’s existence after entering the Black Emperor’s mausoleum from time to time. As for Klein, he was unable to find clues through the true vision provided by Sefirah Castle.
This undoubtedly meant danger and terror.
When all the gems embedded in the black cane lit up, the sound of melodious bells resounded in the area where Bernadette and the black shadow were.
Gong!
The bell that came from an infinite distance exuded an indescribable emptiness. It made the interior of the Black Emperor’s mausoleum visibly freeze, turning Bernadette’s figure stiff as if she had been frozen. She couldn’t do anything.
However, the black shadow didn’t sink into the vortex of time. As though situated in another world built with completely different fundamental rules, the shadow continued moving forward in between the contradictory of two rivers of fate—one filled with raging torrents and one that was almost completely still.
Composite Start
Composite End
This only made it appear to slow down, in no way affected by the illusory bell.
This was the first time Klein had encountered such a situation after he gained the ability to replicate powers.
Although the Beyonder effects he had replicated with the Staff of the Stars were lacking compared to the original version, it would still be able to show a certain level of authority that wasn’t easy to ignore regardless.
However, the black shadow’s slow movements gave him a second chance to try again.
This time, he activated the Staff of the Stars’s powers and moved Queen Mystic out of the Black Emperor’s mausoleum. He wanted her to first conclude what she experienced before considering entering again.
Gems flashed on the tip of the staff, and Bernadette, who was almost about to make contact with the black shadow, disappeared into thin air.
In the next second, she appeared tens of meters away, appearing near the high platform in the mausoleum.
The Staff of the Stars’s teleportation was disrupted. The destination had been distorted, turning everything extremely chaotic.
The experienced Bernadette didn’t feel any fear or panic because she was stuck inside the Black Emperor mausoleum. She decisively raised her left hand and pressed the Sage Frontlet in the middle of her forehead as she used her fingers to stroke the Pale Death mask.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The shimmering golden mask suddenly became soft and rapidly squirmed as if it was about to form a face that didn’t belong to Bernadette.
The face had soft features and obvious characteristics of a Southern Continent native, but it exuded a bizarre and terrifying feeling. Anyone who witnessed it would believe that it would come alive once the face became clear enough—an entity that came from ancient times, the eternal darkness where the dead slumbered.
By then, Bernadette’s body, spirituality, and consciousness would all belong to this face.
With the protrusion of this face, the stone walls and floor tiles in the Black Emperor mausoleum began to weather. It happened so fast that thousands of years appeared to be washed away in a short span of two seconds.
They quickly became mottled, constantly dropping fragments or throwing up dust due to the wind. In between the cracks, thin white fur grew out.
In just the blink of an eye, the fur grew into white feathers, and their surface seemed to be soaked in light-yellow oil.
The aura of the black figure gradually weakened, as though it was running towards death with huge strides.
Its color faded away, its movements growing slower.
Within the area where the pale-white mask was, even the concept of “death” itself would weather away and dissipate.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, what was labeled as “death” wasn’t the endpoint. When the stone wall and the floor tiles in the mausoleum were weathered to a certain extent, and when the black figure degraded to a certain stage, new stone blocks began to take form as ethereal auras quickly grew.
During this process, the black figure stretched out his right hand.
This palm that was formed from shadows suddenly grabbed Bernadette’s neck from dozens of meters away!
This wasn’t fulfilled by extending the arm, but distorting the concept of distance for an instant—45 meters became equivalent to 45 centimeters.
The dark palm didn’t exert too much strength, but it made Bernadette feel cold.
Under such coldness, she realized that she couldn’t use the two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts of the Sage Frontlet and Pale Death.
Typically, as long as she injected her spirituality into it and gave the corresponding thoughts, the Sealed Artifacts on her would react in the correct manner, creating different effects. But now, the silent process and rules had been disrupted and distorted. No amount of thoughts that Bernadette willed were able to stir the Sealed Artifacts.
It felt like she was speaking to the air.
Klein, who was above the gray fog, didn’t waste any time after failing to teleport Queen Mystic away. A series of complicated symbols and magic labels quickly formed in his mind.
He wanted to replicate a Secrets Sorcerer’s “Space Concealment.” He planned on separating Bernadette’s location from the Black Emperor’s mausoleum and concealing it to help Queen Mystic escape her current predicament.
Composite Start
Composite End
In fact, it might be more appropriate replicating the fairytale magic, Peace Blossom Source, but considering how Bernadette was formerly a Mysticologist, Klein felt that it was better to use Space Concealment. Otherwise, it might expose some of The Fool’s secrets.
As for where he had learned “Space Concealment” from, it naturally came from the recently advanced Fors.
Previously, in the name of The World Gehrman Sparrow, Klein had rented Leymano’s Travels. He had also requested Miss Magician to “Record” the corresponding powers.
Then, he released and recorded it while summoning the complete Leymano’s Travels from the fog of history again and again. It didn’t take long for him to grasp the knowledge and technique, allowing him to replicate “Spatial Concealment.”
As more gems lit up on the Staff of the Stars, the area around Bernadette darkened, as though it was covered by a curtain weaved by shadows.
The curtain distorted as it concealed the space, isolating the black shadow and its palm outside.
This helped Bernadette regain her freedom.
In the next second, the black palm that had been forcefully separated reached forward again and touched the boundary of the concealed space.
In an instant, a transparent vortex-like “door” appeared in the abnormal void. Or rather, the secret “door” that originally existed appeared autonomously and opened up in front of the black palm.
All concealed space had a “door,” but the location of the door depended on the creator’s thoughts.
The palm formed by the shadows rapidly passed through the open “door” and entered the concealed space. It grabbed Bernadette’s neck and once again disrupted the connection between Queen Mystic and her Sealed Artifact, distorting the corresponding order.
At the same time, the black figure raised its head and looked at the top of the mausoleum.
It seemed to be studying Sefirah Castle and Klein through layers of space and fog.
Klein’s eyelids twitched instinctively.
He sensed that the shadow had a certain understanding of where he was and felt that it was distorting something.
Klein’s expression unknowingly turned abnormally heavy. The different gems on the Staff of the Stars lit up at the same time.
He wanted to attempt to steal the corresponding Beyonder powers of the other party. Only by doing so would he have the chance to restrict the black shadow.
And in order to increase the success rate of stealing his target’s powers, Klein turned his left palm and tapped the edge of the long mottled table.
However, his “theft” failed. He didn’t even get anything.
His target had long since escaped the lock-on, despite just standing there!
Klein’s gaze froze. Then, he saw the black figure flash and enter the concealed space, closing the distance between it and Bernadette.
This… It distorted my true vision, causing the situation I saw to be from one or even two seconds ago… A thought flashed through Klein’s mind as he made a preliminary judgment on the previous failure. He then decided to summon Will Auceptin’s historical projection to get “Him” to reboot the area.
At that moment, Bernadette, who was unable to use her Sealed Artifact, grew white, illusory swan feathers on her back.
This was her fairytale magic’s “Ugly Duckling.” It could make Bernadette reveal an incomplete Mythical Creature form while maintaining her clarity of mind. Should could use it twice a day, with each use lasting fifteen seconds.
At this moment, her thoughts went wild again. They started to boil and become more chaotic.
This caused her “Ugly Duckling” magic to be cut off before it could even show its effects.
Almost at the same time, she saw the black shadow stick to her body. It was sticky like a viscous, corrosive liquid that seeped into her body.
Bernadette’s eyes darkened as she suddenly sensed something. She grabbed the final moment of lucidity and opened her mouth slightly, speaking in a fluent Chinese accent:
“Home…”
The black shadow’s infiltration paused for a moment. Its upper body slowly rose as it looked at Bernadette.
Chapter 1306 Seal
The black figure froze as it released its grip on Bernadette’s neck. It was as though it was staring at Queen Mystic with its non-existent eyes.
A dry, hoarse voice echoed in the concealed space:
“Home…”
This voice was filled with hesitation and confusion as though it was seeking confirmation. It was as if it had come from another world.
The corrosion that Bernadette encountered vanished. Her connection with the Sealed Artifact was instantly restored.
Pale Death once again ate at her vitality little by little. This helped her resist the chaos in her thoughts, maintaining her basic clarity and rationality.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as she was about to say something, the black figure suddenly stretched out its palm.
But this time, it didn’t strangle Bernadette’s neck, but instead, it pushed her hard.
Following this push was the collapse of the concealed space. It was a voice filled with pain as though it was resisting something.
“Leave!”
As the voice echoed, the black figure vanished.
In an instant, it appeared on the huge, black, high-backed chair in the middle of the platform.
Two cracks appeared on its face, as though two asymmetrical eyes had grown out.
However, the “eyes” didn’t have any pupils. It was blood-colored.
Right on the heels of that, another crack appeared beneath the two “eyes.” They too were filled with a pure, blood-red light.
Composite Start
Composite End
This allowed the black figure to finally open its mouth.
It faced Bernadette as obvious sounds of pain resounded around it as though it was resisting something.
“Leave this place!”
After being pushed out more than ten meters away, Bernadette easily found her footing. However, she didn’t follow the voice’s order by leaving the Black Emperor’s mausoleum. She stood there, staring blankly at the central platform. As she looked at the black figure, her expression revealed an unspeakable sadness.
She could sense and now confirm that the black figure was her father, the man who called himself Caesar—Roselle Gustav.
In the next second, more cracks appeared on the black figure’s body. They ruptured from top to bottom, blooming blood-red flowers in different parts of his body.
This made Roselle look like he was left with a shadow that wrapped around a blood-red object that emitted pure light.
When Klein saw this scene above the gray fog, he naturally thought of the crimson moon high in the sky.
At that moment, Roselle seemed to have transformed into a shadow. He wanted to block the crimson moon, but openings ruptured from his body, allowing more and more moonlight to shine into the real world.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When these openings were connected together, the black shadow would completely split apart and give birth to a brand new crimson moon.
When that happened, something extremely terrifying would definitely happen.
At that moment, Roselle’s black figure turned much more illusory, as though it had become an illusion.
This made him look like he had been isolated in another world. There was an invisible barrier between him and the real world.
Then, Roselle raised his right arm with great difficulty and pinched his forehead.
The frequency at which blood-red cracks appeared on his body instantly decreased to a nadir. However, the “eyes” that had already appeared blinked repeatedly.
However, this didn’t bring any negative effects on the surroundings. It was as though it was just a simple change of order. The new “growth” of blood-red cracks was constantly being distorted to its original state of only having gradual activity.
After completing this, Roselle raised his head and looked at Bernadette who was dozens of meters away. He said with a hoarse voice, “You really have become an important figure in the mysterious world. You managed to come here alone.
“Come over, let me see how my little princess has grown.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Bernadette’s eyes reddened as she took a step forward.
Roselle laughed again.
“Back when I made sketchbooks, textbooks, and invented all kinds of small games for you, you were just a tiny midget. Now, you’re able to save your poor old father.
“I remember that you liked the clothes I designed for you when you were young. Unfortunately, you can’t wear layered dresses after you’re an adult…”
The Emperor rambled on, as if he had arrived in his twilight years and was someone who enjoyed reminiscing about the beautiful past.
Bernadette walked faster and faster. Above the gray fog, Klein frowned indiscernibly.
Suddenly, Emperor Roselle lowered his head and said with great force, “Stop!”
His voice carried an indescribable pain.
Bernadette was stunned for a moment before she slowed down and stopped.
She looked at the dark figure and her eyes gradually revealed an indescribable sadness.
Composite Start
Composite End
Roselle raised his head again and coughed lightly.
“Didn’t you really want to ask why the Black Emperor’s mausoleum has to be engraved with the order one implemented and the style that one ushered? In fact, this wasn’t necessary. I just wanted to let anyone who sees it remember my greatness…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the Emperor gripped the armrest by his side tightly. He suppressed his voice and said in extreme pain, “Don’t come near me!
“I’ve been corrupted…”
The sadness in Bernadette’s eyes deepened.
Her guess had finally been confirmed.
At that moment, the red cracks on Roselle’s face began to turn chaotic. They “closed” and “opened” randomly with no signs of having a unified will.
The Emperor took the opportunity and straightened his body. He looked at Bernadette and shouted with great difficulty, “Seal me!”
Seal… Queen Mystic Bernadette repeated the word silently. Her blue eyes quickly turned moist as a faint mist enveloped them.
Even though she had lived for many years and was no longer the little girl she had been in the past, she was still unable to contain her emotions.
However, she didn’t ask for the reason, nor did she hesitate. With just a slight struggle, she firmly raised her right hand and pressed it on the pale-white metal mask.
She calmly made a decision, just like how she had faced all the major events that happened on the Element Dawn over the years.
On the surface of Pale Death, the metal instantly turned soft as it reformed into a new face with two black eyes.
In the deep-black parts of the eye, white lines appeared, forming an extremely complicated and mysterious three-dimensional symbol. It was like a long-feathered bird or a coiled feathered serpent.
The symbol absorbed the surrounding light and quickly turned corporeal. Then, it separated from Bernadette’s eyes and extended its “body” before flying towards Roselle Gustav on the iron-black chair.
Along the way, the strange symbol caused the surroundings to become increasingly dim. The floor tiles and stone walls suffered another round of weathering as if the deity in charge of death had passed the final judgment.
The falling rubble and flying dust followed the corporeal symbol and came to Roselle’s side. Then, they coiled around him, enveloping the illusory black figure that seemed to exist in another world.
During this process, Roselle failed to control himself several times. He attempted to leave the iron-black chair, but he ended sitting back down. He didn’t resist the seal that Bernadette had exerted on him.
As the symbol fused with his figure, he immediately had a connection with Pale Death. He saw the illusory deity that lorded over the countless undead and the swollen body of a water ghosts loitering in a dark river.
Roselle’s aura immediately vanished as the cracked red openings closed one after another.
What awaited the Emperor was a quiet and peaceful sleep.
As for the symbol, it was sealed within Roselle’s body, constantly influencing him until Pale Death stopped responding.
In the blink of an eye, several blood-red cracks appeared on Roselle’s body again. After his aura declined to a nadir, it gradually began to glow as he fought back against the corporeal symbol.
Klein, who was above the gray fog, sighed when he saw this. He clenched his fist and pressed it against his mouth.
The “curtain” he draped around himself suddenly rose up, and the entire Sefirah Castle “boiled over” in an obvious manner.
Silently, the aura of new life that Roselle had just obtained began to dissipate.
After vanishing to a certain point, it gained new life once again. Then, it was affected by the Pale Death and continued to fade away.
Using the power of the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic and Sefirah Castle, Klein directly “Grafted” new life and death, and skipped the process in between.
The corruption that Roselle suffered was no longer able to recover to the extent needed to break through the pale seal.
Following that, Klein extended his right hand and used the power of Sefirah Castle to draw out the mysterious symbol behind The Fool’s high-back chair—the mysterious symbol made up of the Pupil-less Eye and the Contorted Lines.
The symbol absorbed the aura of Sefirah Castle and quickly turned corporeal. With a wave of Klein’s wrist, it entered the prayer light representing Bernadette and landed on Roselle’s black figure, fusing into his body.
Every time the “Grafting” vanished, this symbol that was directly related to The Fool and Sefirah Castle would draw upon new powers and complete the “Grafting” process once more.
As he constantly passed away and gained new life, Roselle’s face, which seemed to be a pure shadow, obtained facial features. Then, he looked to the top of the mausoleum, as though he was looking into an infinite height.
He then retracted his gaze and looked at Bernadette. He said with an abnormally weak voice, “This seal is good. I can sleep in peace…”
With that said, he frowned slightly as his tone changed:
“Who taught you how to dress like this?”
Bernadette felt a little lost as she listened. It was as if she had returned to her teenage years.
At that time, when she had dressed up to the nines for a ball held by other nobles. Roselle would use a similar expression and a similar tone to pepper her with a series of questions.
The mist in her eyes became obvious, and she could no longer control herself. She lowered her voice and shouted, “Daddy…”
Roselle’s facial features immediately turned gentle before tensing up again. He sternly said, “Leave.
“And never return!”
Bernadette opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her vision went black as though she could see the shadow of order.
In the next second, she found herself back at the edge of the primitive island.
Bernadette stared blankly at the mountain peak in the middle of the primitive island for a few seconds before slowly turning around and walking towards the sea.
This time, she didn’t stubbornly insist on walking straight without looking back. Every few steps she took, she would stop and turn back to take a look.
Soon, she returned to the Dawn and entered the captain’s cabin. She opened the room that was specially used to hold her collection.
At a glance, Bernadette saw books, stacks of textbooks, clothes, and skirts. She saw the chess game that few people in the world knew, and the neat pile of wooden block toys.
She leaned against the wooden door, slowly curled up, and sat on the floor.
She raised her head to look at the dark sky outside the captain’s cabin and pinched her lips with her right thumb and index finger. She whistled a melodious tune—it was a gentle, sweet, and sad melody that could calm people down.
As the melody echoed, water beads fell from Bernadette’s face and dripped onto the floor.
After an unknown period of time, the captain’s cabin was filled with a suppressed whimper.
“Daddy…”
Chapter 1307 Meeting
In the middle of the primitive island, in the Black Emperor mausoleum.
After sending away Bernadette, Roselle didn’t immediately fall into a deep sleep. He slowly raised his head and looked up once again into the infinite distance.
Above the gray fog, Klein sighed silently. He put down the Staff of the Stars and grabbed a paper figurine before shaking it.
With a smacking sound, the paper figurine rapidly thickened and expanded before flying into the translucent vortex formed from illusory mysterious symbols beside The Fool’s chair.
Although Bernadette had already moved to the edge of the primitive island and Klein could no longer see the situation inside the Black Emperor mausoleum through the prayer light. However, he could use the symbol of The Fool that had merged with Roselle’s figure to maintain a connection with the Emperor up to a certain extent.
After the paper figurine passed through the slowly spinning vortex, it descended into the dim mausoleum which had an unknown light source. It then turned into a human in front of the central platform.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This human’s black hair and brown eyes were somewhat similar to Gehrman Sparrow’s, but he didn’t have clear-cut features. The lines weren’t deep enough, and his bearing wasn’t cold enough. There were also certain differences in his facial features. His chin and stomach had a small amount of fat induced by an indulgent society. It was Klein’s original appearance as Zhou Mingrui, the Zhou Mingrui who had been hanging inside Sefirah Castle for thousands of years beside Roselle Huang Tao Gustav.
Roselle wasn’t surprised by his appearance. With one hand on the armrest, he leaned forward slightly and said, “You’re here.”
“I’m here.” Klein nodded indiscernibly.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Roselle sighed.
“I’m already here.” Klein very naturally participated in completing the meme populated by a popular Chinese novel by Gu Long.
Having completely confirmed the origins of the fellow in front of him, Roselle returned to his normal sitting posture, chuckling as he said, “I originally planned on asking where you’re from to see there’s any need for regional discrimination[1], but after some thought, there’s no need for that. We’re all anachronistic miserable wretches without a home.”
Without waiting for Klein’s reply, the Emperor’s voice sank as he asked, “You know the truth about the apocalypse?”
“Yes.” Klein nodded slightly.
Roselle continued asking, “You know that this is Earth?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes,” Klein answered frankly.
When Roselle heard that, he laughed self-deprecatingly.
“You actually learned about it so early. I only dared to confirm it after I went to the moon and saw the true appearance of this planet from high above.”
At this point, the Emperor sighed and said, “The moon is bizarre. I clearly felt terror, but I didn’t even consider the possibility of being corrupted. Then, I became more and more extreme.
“However, I did occasionally gain a certain level of clarity from the views of people around me, but I didn’t dare to write it in the diary in that state. I was afraid of exposing secrets and losing my final chance.
“I eventually decided to use all the groundwork I did previously to switch to the Black Emperor pathway. Apart from the impending apocalypse with Sequence 0s being the only ones capable of protecting the people ‘They’ wish to protect, ‘They’ can hide them in other planets in the vast universe and use the corresponding authorities to rebuild a set of order for humans to survive in desolate lands. I also saw the hope of escaping my corruption, by using the Black Emperor’s ability to ‘resurrect.’
“As long as I became a Sequence 0 Black Emperor and was truly killed after turning half-crazy, I’d have the chance of resurrecting in the mausoleum or in the astral world. When that happened, what would return to me would be a pure Uniqueness and three Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics. I wouldn’t be tainted at all, nor will I contain an uncontrollable madness.
“Speaking of which, I made use of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery to a certain extent back then.
“But the horror of the Great Old Ones far exceeded my imagination. Accompanying my revival was a new life of corruption… Perhaps only Great Old Ones can resist Great Old Ones.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I could only terminate the revival process, and live such an ignoble existence in my final mausoleum to prevent the Great Old One from using my body to be born in the real world. That would’ve brought about a devastating disaster.”
Klein had long guessed Emperor Roselle’s condition based on what he knew and what had just happened. He wasn’t surprised at all as he calmly replied, “The one who corrupted you is called the Mother Goddess of Depravity. ‘She’ has bewitched many believers as the embodiment of the Primordial Moon.”
The facial features that appeared faintly on Roselle’s face immediately changed.
He fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “I know the Primordial Moon, but I didn’t know that ‘Her’ true honorific name is the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
“Now that I think about it, my discovery of Mr. Door’s cry for help might not have been a coincidence…”
Upon hearing this, Klein was alarmed. He instantly recalled the situations happening off-island. He had some sort of premonition about what Emperor Roselle was about to say.
Roselle laughed and sighed.
“The biggest problem in the first half of my life was that I was too confident. I always had the feeling that I could reload a save file and redo things. I didn’t pay enough attention to the details.
“Back then, Grimm was corrupted by the strange powers on this island. He returned here after dying and regained new life. Isn’t this the influence of the Primordial Moon? After I finished all sorts of investigations and did the corresponding purifications, I felt that I was fine. But in fact, fate might’ve undergone a tiny change at that moment. This resulted in me encountering Mr. Door later, and was slowly guided to the moon by ‘Him’…
Composite Start
Composite End
“You can’t blame Mr. Door. ‘His’ condition might be worse than mine.”
Does the Emperor mean that he has been targeted by the Mother Goddess of Depravity the moment he discovered this primitive island? Klein sighed.
“At that time, who would’ve thought that the problem would be so serious?”
Before Sequence 2, understanding the cosmos and the Great Old Ones led to terrifying corruption. And without understanding it, one wouldn’t be able to accurately determine how serious the problem or what kind of patchwork was needed subsequently when faced with certain situations. This made Roselle treat this primitive island as his secret base; thus not informing existences that had the right to understand the Outer Deities, Great Old Ones, and Cosmos.
“That’s right.” Roselle seemed to be very gratified that he had committed a mistake that almost anyone would make.
He then said, “In that ancient and secretive organization, there was almost no mention of the Great Old Ones or Outer Deities.”
At that moment, Roselle paused for a moment before saying, “You should’ve read my diary. You should know what the ancient and hidden organization represents.”
Klein nodded.
“I know which organization it is referring to. I never expected that you wouldn’t dare mention the name of ‘His’ organization after having the level of a Sequence 0.”
“I have a nagging feeling that ‘He’ isn’t simple. ‘He’ might have an understanding of the Outer Deities that far exceeds our imagination, so it’s better to be more careful. After all, I’m not a complete Sequence 0 true god.” After Roselle said this simple sentence, his brows suddenly furrowed. “How much of my diary did you read?”
Composite Start
Composite End
If the atmosphere wasn’t that heavy and sorrowful, Klein would definitely find it irresistible to reply with “the taste of a Demoness ain’t bad” as a way to tease his fellow Earthling.
Finally, he replied calmly, “Plenty.”
After saying the word, he casually added, “I even found a few Cards of Blasphemy.”
“Which ones?” Roselle blurted out.
Klein controlled the paper figurine’s expression from above the gray fog and said in a flat tone, “Black Emperor, Tyrant, Red Priest, and The Fool.”
“Phew…” Roselle exhaled as the faint crease on his brows eased. “Thankfully, it’s not the Demoness, The Moon, and the Mother card.”
You had to mention it yourself… Klein didn’t respond as he looked at the Emperor without a change in expression.
After Roselle said that, he realized something and hurriedly coughed.
“Well we’ve all watched live-streams, so you should know very well how normal it is to cross-dress…”
As he spoke, he coughed again and sighed.
“Which pathway are you from?”
“Seer,” Klein replied succinctly.
Roselle immediately fell silent. After a few seconds, he said, “Unfortunately, if everything is fine and dandy, you should be responsible for pulling out a large-screen television and a game console from the Historical Void. We can chat while playing. That’s a romantic dream of us men.”
Unfortunately, there’s no electricity. I have to rely on you to invent it… Klein didn’t voice out his thoughts. He maintained his tone and said, “I hope such a day will come.”
Then, he pulled the topic back on track.
“I’m very curious why the Card of Blasphemy you created can’t even be found by deities? Such a level of anti-divination and anti-prophecy is amazing.”
Roselle immediately chuckled.
“It’s because knowledge can bring power, and power can also bestow knowledge. This is the authority of a Knowledge Emperor.
“After I infused the potion formula of the twenty-two pathways with power, they naturally produced the convergence powers between Beyonder characteristics. They also gained anti-divination and anti-prophecy effects to a certain extent.
“And then…”
As he spoke, Roselle suddenly paused, as though he had sensed something amiss.
After one or two seconds, he said in an ethereal voice, “The creation of the Card of Blasphemy was a year before I held the Black Emperor ritual. Back then, I had already suffered the corruption of the Primordial Moon, and I didn’t have the corresponding realization most of the time.
“Why can the twenty-two cards not be found by deities?”
Upon hearing this question above the gray fog, Klein’s heart tightened as he felt his scalp tingle again.
Without waiting for his response from the paper figurine, Roselle’s voice suddenly raised, bringing with it an indescribable fear.
“Don’t gather the twenty-two cards!
“Be careful of the Mother card!”
These two sentences echoed in the deep interior of the Black Emperor mausoleum for a long time.
[1] Something common in China. Instead of being “racist,” they look down on people from poorer regions.
Chapter 1308 Goodbye
Above the gray fog, Klein’s pupils instantly widened as he subconsciously looked down at the long mottled table in front of him.
There were four Cards of Blasphemy with different patterns on the back.
At that moment, he felt a little scared and relieved. He felt as though he had been wandering about on the edge of the abyss while blindfolded, but he never fell.
If he had done his best to gather all the Card of Blasphemy, or had obtained the Mother card, with the way how he liked to put the different cards in his body to obtain the corresponding levels and special characteristics, he might’ve already been corrupted by the Mother Goddess of Depravity, or be pregnant with something.
However, I’m not Roselle. Even if I have the Mother card, I probably wouldn’t have done so. Furthermore, in order to prevent the deities from finding it, Cards of Blasphemy are extremely difficult to gather. It’s almost impossible to gather all of them… From the looks of it, this is a casual arrangement made by the Mother Goddess of Depravity. If anyone were to unfortunately obtain the Mother card, they would become one of the latent dangers in this world… Klein retracted his gaze and continued using his stand-in Paper Figurine Substitutes to look at Roselle Gustav who was sitting on the black iron seat.
At that moment, Roselle raised his body slightly. His voice was sometimes low and sometimes high-pitched.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Everything has godhood in them…
“The Oldest One is still alive, alive in everyone’s bodies!”
Klein frowned slightly. He didn’t know if the one speaking was Roselle or the crimson moon in his body.
Not only did he have a certain level of understanding regarding such secrets, he had also personally experienced it before. Thus, he wasn’t that horrified or panicked. He only recalled the teachings of the Aurora Order he had seen in the past:
They promoted the belief that the Creator was omnipresent and existed in every living being’s body. Therefore, all living beings had godhood. Once godhood reached a certain concentration, they could become an angel. And the current orthodox deities are nothing more than slightly stronger angels. To ordinary people, as long as one was able to grasp that the essence of life was a spiritual travel, and tempered one’s mind, strengthen one’s spirit, and find their own godhood, as well as fuse with more godhoods, one would be able to escape their mortal coils and become an angel.
Back then, I felt that a cult like the Aurora Order had a complete set of mysticism and religious canon, just like the orthodox Churches, but now, I can interpret the truth underlying these words… From a certain point of view, it’s true. The only problem is that after fusing with more godhoods, they might no longer be themselves… The True Creator actually placed the deepest secrets of this world into “His” teachings. Isn’t “He” afraid that a believer might suddenly have an epiphany and learn of the underground corruption, eventually becoming a vessel for the Oldest One’s revival? This Hanged Man really is a little crazy. “He” doesn’t have much rationality most of the time… Klein mumbled inwardly as he waited for Roselle to say more.
Two to three seconds later, Roselle, who had been in a cycle of slumber and the obtaining of new life, sat back on his iron-black throne. He panted and didn’t say a word.
Klein then controlled the paper figurine to say, “Which of the words that you have just said should be trusted, and which ones should I be wary of?”
Roselle chortled.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Consider the answer yourself.”
“Heh, isn’t that how you Seers like to speak?”
He didn’t wait for Klein’s reply as he continued, “When I created the Pale Death mask, I sensed something: The Death of the Fourth Epoch might not have completely perished. ‘He’ might’ve left a hidden trump card for being revived. It might involve the River of Eternal Darkness. Heh heh, Death will definitely not die so easily…”
With that said, Roselle looked at Klein, who stood at the foot of the platform.
“Indeed, only by choosing the Seer, Apprentice, or Marauder pathway can a transmigrator enter Sefirah Castle. By the time I figured out this factor, it was already way too late.
“I don’t know if you want to become a Great Old One or not, nor do I know if this requires a ritual. I can only tell you that this is definitely more dangerous than becoming a deity—countless times more dangerous. Perhaps the existence who stored us and threw us back into the real world is waiting for you there.
“The only suggestion I can give you is to communicate with the Genie of the Magic Wishing Lamp before you make any attempts.”
Genie? Using the grudge between “Him” and the Celestial Worthy to obtain certain assistance? Klein nodded slightly and said, “Okay.”
After hearing his answer, Roselle sighed and said with a smile, “If you really can become a Great Old One, you can consider saving me. Only a Great Old One can resist a Great Old One.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this point, he fell silent for a moment before he slowed down his speech.
“If you can’t completely free me from the corruption of the Primordial Moon after becoming a Great Old One, then remember to wipe my existence off the face of the world. Destroy this mausoleum, support the creation of a new Black Emperor, and prevent me from ever being revived…”
The light inside the mausoleum seemed to dim a little. Klein fell silent for two seconds before saying, “I won’t forget that.”
Roselle fell silent. After a few seconds, he laughed self-deprecatingly.
“Of course, before that, you should try to save me a few more times.”
Such a sense of humor didn’t make Klein smile. Instead, it made his heart sink even more, making him unable to speak.
Roselle didn’t continue the topic as he recalled.
“My wife passed away a long time ago. The mistresses I once had definitely had their own endings. Towards them, I feel very sorry. I’ve never truly loved them. I only coveted their looks and the pleasure they gave me…
“I don’t have any illegitimate children. Towards such matters, a Beyonder is quite aware of that. As for the time before I became a Beyonder, I believe those ladies definitely coveted my looks and body to enjoy such pleasures. They won’t leave any trouble for themselves…
Composite Start
Composite End
“My eldest son, Ciel, should be dead for years. I don’t know how many descendants he left behind. My second son, Bornova, would definitely be an angel now if nothing unexpected happens. I have complicated feelings for him. On the one hand, I’m very detached, disappointed, and resentful, but on the other hand, I would occasionally secretly care about him. I remember how adorable he was when he was just born…
“You’ve already met my eldest daughter, Bernadette. Isn’t she beautiful? She was pretty from a young age, obedient, and smart. She knew how to be filial to her old father, protect her younger brother, and dote on her mother. Sometimes, she acted especially righteous and appeared a little silly. There were several times when I secretly cheated while playing chess or games with her, but she didn’t realize it. Such a temper made it difficult for her to accept what I did later. Of course, now, I can just push the blame onto the Primordial Moon. It’s all because of ‘Her’ corruption. I’m rather grateful for ‘Her’ on this point.
“I don’t know what right I have to make a request. After all, I’ve never helped you before, nor do I have much of a relationship with you. It’s just that we’re from the same era and same place—the ties as a fellow Earthling.”
Upon hearing that, Klein said in a deep voice, “Your diary gave me plenty of help. It allowed me to grasp a lot of high-level knowledge when I was weak, allowing me to avoid many dangers and know how to direct my efforts in a targeted manner.
“Also, those Cards of Blasphemy have shown their use at different stages.”
“Can you not mention the diary?” Roselle coughed lightly and said, “However, in the later stages, I was indeed consciously leaving a message to the next transmigrator. The only thing I couldn’t be sure of is which language you know.”
The Emperor slowly exhaled before saying, “My request is to help me look after Bernadette. When she needs help, provide her some help.
“Although she is about to become an important figure in the mysterious world, I still can’t feel at ease as a father.”
Without any hesitation, Klein got the paper figurine to answer directly.
“I’ll take care of her for you.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…Man, why does this sound a little awkward?” Roselle’s tone instantly turned odd. “By the way, I haven’t asked for your name. As for me, you should know very well that I’m Huang Tao.”
“Zhou Mingrui,” Klein answered frankly.
“Are you married? Do you have children? How old are you?” Roselle raised three questions in one go.
Emperor, why are you acting like a gossipy middle-aged woman from next door? Klein shook his head and gave a simple answer.
“No.”
Roselle immediately fell silent. After a moment, he said, “You and I are of the same generation. Bernadette should call you Uncle Zhou.
“Yes…”
As he spoke, Roselle’s tone suddenly became filled with pity.
“After coming to this era, I treated everything as a game in the beginning. I was having a great time playing, but I would occasionally recall my home, remembering the past where I cultivated most of my personality and hobbies.
“The longer I lived, the higher the frequency I felt this feeling. It’s like the fallen leaves will always want to return to the roots of a tree. However, at the very least, I have a daughter, a wife, and two sons. There are still many things in this world that I’m worried about, and some sense of belonging to a certain extent. As for you… I can feel your loneliness, the loneliness that comes from deep within your bones.”
Upon saying that, Roselle suddenly sighed.
“If only we were still living in that era. I’ll go to work punctually every day and work overtime from time to time. Whenever I’m free, I’ll visit my daughter’s extracurricular lessons, pick her up, bring her home stuff my wife constantly reminds me about. Every weekend, we’ll either head out for some fun or head to my parents’ place to accompany them…
“When one day I’m exhausted from life, I’ll use an excuse that you as my friend are treating me. As men, we can sit by the street and eat some skewers, drink some alcohol, brag, curse our superiors, reminisce about the days of our youth, and urge you to quickly find a girlfriend… When I wake up the next day, I’ll be able to have the zeal to continue facing life again…”
Klein listened quietly without interrupting the Emperor’s prattle.
Roselle’s voice gradually lowered as he smiled.
“Goodbye, my friend.
“I hope we can really meet again one day.”
His figure quickly turned illusory, as though he had disappeared from the world, leaving only a faint shadow hovering over the iron-black throne.
Roselle Gustav had returned to his eternal slumber.
Chapter 1309 Additional Lessons
After circling the primitive island three times, the Dawn finally made its way off into the distance which was perennially covered in storms.
Bernadette slowly retracted her gaze and fixed it on the Sage Frontlet that remained suspended in the air.
As a Clairvoyant, she clearly saw the opportunity to advance. She knew that she had completed the corresponding ritual, preventing a disaster that involved a higher order of power.
However, the price she paid was to personally seal her father, the father she had missed and sought for more than a hundred years.
“How ironic…” Bernadette looked at the vertical eye embedded with diamonds and sighed softly.
After leaving Intis, she had two big wishes. First, she wanted to investigate the truth behind the matter and see if she had misunderstood her father. Second, she wanted to follow her father’s footsteps and see if there was a possibility of reviving him.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Bernadette had already fulfilled her first wish. The truth was that she had indeed misunderstood her father. This curtailed her pain and conflicted feelings. Her hatred for her father had completely dissipated, but it also added to her guilt.
With this kind of guilt and yearning all this time, she tried her best to fulfill her second wish, but the outcome wasn’t pleasant.
If there hadn’t been any hope from the beginning, she might not have had such a huge reaction. However, she had clearly seen the light and seen her father, but she had no choice but to personally place him into a state of slumber.
After a moment of silence, Bernadette’s slightly unfocused eyes became clear again.
She no longer hesitated and no longer blamed herself. She no longer had all kinds of negative emotions. She firmly raised her right hand and drew out ancient words that shimmered with a stellar radiance in the void. She summoned the spirit world creature who was half-man, half-wind, and she retrieved the Sage supplementary ingredients from it.
As for the rest, as there was no need for them to be specially preserved, they were in the collection room of the Dawn.
Not long after, Bernadette used Pale Death to shatter the Sage Frontlet. She concocted the potion that could allow her to advance to Sequence 2.
Looking at the bubbling Sage potion with each bubble containing a transparent eye, Bernadette firmly raised her right hand and brought the glass bottle to her mouth.
She knew that what she needed at this moment wasn’t sorrow, nor corny emotions, but determination and the will to forge forward. This was because if she wanted to help her father, Emperor Roselle, escape the corruption and completely revive, she needed a higher Sequence and greater strength.
Composite Start
Composite End
Because of this, she was willing to bury the pain in the deepest part of her heart and not let it affect her mental state. It was only when there was no one around at night that she could retrieve it and savor it alone.
With the Sage potion entering her mouth, Bernadette’s body turned illusory at a discernible pace.
She broke down into thick and complicated knowledge, changing into an existence that was a flux of information.
The entire Dawn, as well as the surrounding winds, storms, lightning, seawater, and waves, all lost their sense of reality. It was as though they had been restored to the most fundamental blocks of information.
For most of Sequence 3 Beyonders of the Mystery Pryer pathway, such a state was extremely dangerous. If one’s willpower wasn’t strong enough, their luck wasn’t good enough, and they weren’t prepared enough, the knowledge that they had transformed into would be infiltrated by all kinds of information within seconds. They would be washed away, assimilated, and thus quickly lose consciousness. They wouldn’t be able to reassemble their bodies, turning into a very strange and difficult monster to deal with in mysticism.
A Knowledge Demon!
This was also known as an Information Creature.
Bernadette had relied on the Sage Frontlet and had previously transformed into a flux of information on several occasions. Although it was limited to two to three seconds and didn’t last too long, it was still considered experience. At that moment, she tried her best to maintain her consciousness and establish a connection with the information produced in the spirit world by preventing a high-level disaster.
The information had a clear imprint belonging to her, and it involved a very high level of power. It was exceptionally “solid” and couldn’t be dispersed by other information for short periods of time. It helped her to stabilize her consciousness and slowly gather the dissipating flux of information around her body.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
During this process, Klein, who was above the gray fog, tapped the edge of the long mottled table with the help of the prayer light. He used a Miracle Invoker’s ability of changing the probability of certain developments and actions to a certain extent, and he bestowed Bernadette with a certain amount of good luck.
Time ticked by. There were several times when Bernadette wavered on the border of losing consciousness, but in the end, she managed to tide through it. She gathered all the information that belonged to her and began to reconstruct her body.
At that moment, she gradually felt the concern Admiral of Stars Cattleya had for her. She felt the members of the Element Dawn and her crew making their daily prayers.
This stabilized her condition better, allowing her to resist the ancient will that was slowly developing in her body.
At this moment, a series of secret information came from nowhere. Taking the opportunity while Bernadette was reforming her body, it attempted to fuse with her.
This was interference from the Hidden Sage!
As an embodiment of this world’s knowledge and information, as a quasi-Sequence 0 existence of the Mystery Pryer pathway, the Hidden Sage had a certain influence on Beyonders of a lower Sequencer than “Him.”
Without giving Bernadette the chance to use the pale-white mask, the “curtain” draped over Klein gently rose.
Space-time distorted around Bernadette, completely isolating her from the outside world. Even information couldn’t be interchanged.
Composite Start
Composite End
Grabbing this sudden moment of peace, Bernadette completely reassembled her body and used her own anchors to balance out the terrifying will that was surfacing in her body.
At that moment, she had truly become a “She,” a Sequence 2 angel of the Mystery Pryer pathway—an important figure in the mysterious world that could be addressed as a secret existence.
Right on the heels of that, she saw the distorted space around her return to normal. She saw a series of hidden information surging towards her.
She stretched out her right hand and grabbed the information with ease, extracting the useful information contained within.
Just as Bernadette was about to return to reality from the spirit world, an orange light suddenly bloomed in front of her eyes.
The light instantly condensed into a fat elder with a short white beard.
The elder smiled and said, “Ma’am, I’m Orange Light Hilarion.”
Orange Light… Bernadette was puzzled. She didn’t understand why Orange Light Hilarion had suddenly appeared in front of her—they hadn’t interacted much before.
As the leader of the Element Dawn and a former Mysticologist, she wasn’t unfamiliar with the Seven Lights of the spirit world. She even knew how to pray to Seven Lights, as well as the ritual needed to receive the corresponding advice. She knew that the seven lustrous lights were a symbol of the spirit world, and they contained endless knowledge of different domains. They were definitely at the angel level.
Orange Light Hilarion added with a smile, “A great existence wants me to inform you of the knowledge regarding the Great Old Ones, the Outer Deities, and the Cosmos, so that you have a relatively accurate grasp of the state of this world and the corresponding corruption.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Which existence is it?” Bernadette asked, puzzled and cautious.
She had vaguely guessed the answer, but she still found it quite unbelievable. After all, the Seven Lights in the spirit world were also important figures in the mysterious world. Even if a Sequence 0 true god wouldn’t find it easy to get “Them” to do “Their” bidding.
Orange Light Hilarion chuckled and replied, “The greater ruler above the spirit world.”
The great ruler above the spirit world… Bernadette repeated the honorific name, and her thoughts raced.
Hilarion glanced at her and smiled.
“‘He’ also has another title:
“Mr. Fool.”
…
Somewhere out at sea, the Future which was cruising on a safe sea route.
Cattleya suddenly jolted awake from her dream as her forehead was covered in cold sweat.
In the dream just now, she saw the Queen lying on the ground drenched in blood. Her chest was torn open, and a baby-like monster crawled out of it.
As a Mysticologist, a Mysticologist who had advanced with a drop of the Snake of Fate’s blood, Cattleya believed that her dream wasn’t without any reason. It was definitely a premonition.
It was obvious that the dream she had wasn’t pleasant.
While feeling uneasy, Cattleya sat up and put on her cloak. She attempted to pray to Mr. Fool, hoping that this mighty existence would give her some hints or to protect the Queen.
Soon, a scene appeared before her eyes.
Queen Mystic Bernadette walked out of the spirit world and returned to Dawn, allowing the ship to gradually distance itself from the nameless island.
Cattleya immediately heaved a sigh of relief and sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
After finishing her prayer, she opened the window of the captain’s cabin in joy, causing starlight to condense into a long bridge that reached the deck.
She put on her heavy glasses and walked along the resplendent bridge of starlight to the deck where she proceeded to stroll leisurely in the quiet night.
When she arrived at the bow of the ship, Cattleya saw Frank Lee tinkering with bottles.
“What are you doing?” Cattleya subconsciously frowned.
Frank looked up and said with a bright smile, “My ideas encountered a setback so I can’t proceed any further for now. I asked Nina to get me some soil from the bottom of the sea to study the microbes in it.”
With that said, Frank said with a look of anticipation,
“When I have my next vacation, I’d like to go to the depths of the North Sea or the poles where it’s a world of ice and snow. There might be many ancient microorganisms buried beneath the thick layer of ice there, from the Fourth Epoch, the Third Epoch, or even the Second and First Epoch. This will bring me plenty.”
You won’t have any vacations for the time being… Cattleya said inwardly.
…
Klein conjured a box and placed the four Cards of Blasphemy inside. After sealing them, he immediately returned to the real world and headed for the nearest Evernight cathedral.
He planned on informing the Evernight Goddess in the form of a prayer of the hidden dangers of the Card of Blasphemy, reminding “Her” to pay attention to such problems. He didn’t want the Earth Mother, Lilith, to obtain the Mother card or The Moon Card.
Chapter 1310 Envoy
The prayer hall in the Evernight cathedral was as dark as before. Only the holes on the walls allowed some light to seep in, like stars in the night.
Klein sat in a corner that wasn’t eye-catching. He took off his tall hat and began praying like a pious member of the congregation.
He simply mentioned how Roselle had revived in his last mausoleum, and focused on the corruption of the Primordial Moon. He deliberately emphasized that, in order to prevent the “crimson moon” within him from being born in the real world, Roselle had chosen to terminate the process of having his Black Emperor Uniqueness and three Sequence 1 characteristics return to him.
At the end of the prayer, Klein pointed out the hidden dangers of the Cards of Blasphemy, and he expressed his concerns about the whereabouts of the Mother card and The Moon Card.
In fact, Roselle only mentioned the need to be careful of the Mother card and didn’t mention The Moon. However, Klein knew that the two pathways of Earth and Moon belonged to the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Therefore, to be cautious, he specially added The Moon Card.
This was also the main reason he was worried about Earth Mother Lilith.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Compared to most of the twenty-two pathways, the High-Sequence Beyonders of the Planter and Moon pathway had a huge advantage. That was that they didn’t need to worry about the Primordial One from awakening in their bodies. They didn’t need to worry about dissociation from approaching the world underground. This was because the Beyonder characteristics they possessed didn’t directly come from the Primordial One which led to no corresponding mental imprint. However, if they were to directly go underground and enter the Chaos Sea, no matter who it was, they would encounter corruption. It was just that the extent would be different.
This advantage was very likely due to the fact that the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith was more special than the other ancient gods. After all, “She” didn’t need to divert a large part of “Her” energy to resist the will of the Primordial One awakening within her. And back then, the invisible barrier protecting this world was still sufficiently sturdy, separating the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the other Great Old Ones from Earth, making it difficult for “Them” to exert too much of an influence on the situation inside.
But with the passage of time, this advantage gradually became a problem.
As the underground corruption became weaker and weaker, the invisible barrier also became weaker and cracks began appearing. Under such circumstances, Earth Mother Lilith’s situation became worse. This was because “She” was facing the intrusion of the Mother Goddess of Depravity that was ever increasing in potency and terror. In this aspect, the original Creator—the Oldest One—who was dead was definitely inferior to the living Mother Goddess of Depravity.
Considering how Outer Deities who had transcended Sequences had an influence on Beyonders from their own pathway, Klein felt that he couldn’t afford negligence on such matters.
After he finished his prayer, he waited for nearly five minutes. After confirming that there was no response, he stood up, put on his wandering magician’s tall hat, and walked out of the cathedral that belonged to the Evernight.
To him, this was mainly a disclosure obligation. As for what the Evernight Goddess planned to do with it, or if “She” would remind him of certain matters, it was beyond his control.
In short, Klein could only temporarily believe that the Evernight Goddess knew the relative importance of matters.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
Backlund, at the Harvest Church south of the Bridge.
The top-hatted Emlyn White got off his carriage and looked at the sun covered by the clouds and mist.
On the way to the entrance of the cathedral, he gently rotated the ring on his left hand, as if to flaunt his identity.
The ring was semi-translucent in color, as though it was made from light-red amber. There was a blood-red gem embedded on its tip—a reward Emlyn had received a long time ago—Lilith’s Ring.
After becoming a demigod, Emlyn could suppress the effect of bloodthirst from the ring to a certain extent. Every day, he only needed to drink three bottles of human blood to be immune to the corresponding negative effects. Therefore, in order to showcase his special identity as the Ancestor’s Blessed, he began wearing this ring permanently.
After entering the Harvest Church, Emlyn automatically removed his top hat.
At this moment, Cosmi, Ernes, and the other Sanguine in Backlund, who were waiting for Bishop Utravsky, stood up one after another. Looking down at the aisle, they greeted softly, “Good morning, My Lord.”
Emlyn looked ahead and nodded indiscernibly.
“Is Mistral still not here yet?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Count Mistral set up a chapel at home,” Ernes simply explained.
Emlyn didn’t comment on this. He walked forward and casually said, “He will still have to come when Mass is held.”
He looked around before saying, “Where’s Bishop Utravsky?”
“The bishop is waiting for you behind. The Church’s envoy has arrived.” Ernes controlled his facial expression as he answered Emlyn’s question politely.
The Church’s envoy… Emlyn rotated the light-red ring on his left hand and walked to the back of the cathedral.
Soon, he saw Father Utravsky and the slightly curly black-haired envoy the Church with a tall nose and deep eyes.
“This is the archbishop, His Grace Loreto,” Father Utravsky introduced the envoy to Emlyn.
He stood by the window, blocking most of the light.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Emlyn replied with the etiquette of the Church of Earth.
Composite Start
Composite End
Loreto smiled and spoke in rather awkward Loenese.
“There’s no need to address me as Your Grace. Although you aren’t an archbishop, you have the status of an archbishop. From today onwards, you will be a hierophant, a high-ranking deacon of the Church. You will be in charge of the Sanguine matters in Backlund.”
Without giving Emlyn any time to digest this information, Loreto continued, “I came to Backlund under the Holy See’s orders. I’ll tell you everything that needs to be taken note of within the Church.”
“Please speak,” Emlyn suppressed his glee and said politely.
Loreto’s expression immediately turned serious.
“First of all, the most important point is that, be it the clergymen of the Church or the believers of the Earth Mother, as long as you claim that you have obtained a revelation, they are individuals who have been enticed by demons—with no exceptions.
“If anyone reports something like this to you, or if you have obtained a revelation personally, please inform Bishop Utravsky as soon as possible and report it to the Church.”
Father Utravsky didn’t mention this before… This request sounds very strange, as though there’s some suspicion… Emlyn frowned as he looked at Father Utravsky who was standing by the window.
“The bishop never said anything about taking note of such matters…”
Before he finished his sentence, Emlyn suddenly realized that he came off as criticizing Bishop Utravsky, but he couldn’t find any better explanation in his haste.
Composite Start
Composite End
Almost at the same time, he understood what was odd about what Archbishop Loreto had said.
This was telling everyone that the Earth Mother you sensed isn’t the real Earth Mother!
This is saying that a large number of the revelations us Sanguine received from the Ancestor are fake. It’s from demons or evil gods… The look in Emlyn’s eyes sank as he tried to maintain his composure.
At this moment, Loreto didn’t mind and smiled.
“Bishop Utravsky didn’t tell you because he didn’t know either.”
Father didn’t know… In that instant, Emlyn actually felt a little sympathetic towards Bishop Utravsky. He felt that as a Feysacian, a hierophant who had changed faith in his later years, he had been ostracized by the other members of the Church of Earth.
Sensing the change in his gaze, Loreto added, “That’s because he’s a Blessed. He doesn’t need to care about the temptation of demons and evil gods.”
Bishop Utravsky nodded and said calmly, “The revelations of Earth Mother are in ‘Her’ Holy Bible, in those lines of teaching. Anything other than that is heresy.”
Emlyn was somewhat puzzled, but he couldn’t think of any question. He grunted and said to Loreto, “Then what is the second point that needs paying attention?”
Loreto made his expression turn serious.
“If you receive a revelation, don’t blindly believe it. Please immediately seek confirmation from Bishop Utravsky.”
“Why?” Emlyn was puzzled.
This was basically telling him that the only response he would receive was either from evil gods or demons.
Loreto deliberated over his words and explained in detail,
“In this world, there are many evil existences. ‘They’ will pretend to be deities, and bewitch the clergyman in an act of enticing believers.
“That’s because the two main pathways of the Church of Earth Mother are related to life. Therefore, the effects they receive are more severe than the other Churches. From time to time, there are people who will take the wrong path and attempt forbidden life experiments; thus, slowly degenerating.
“In order to prevent such a development, we reorganized the Church a long time ago under the guidance of the Mother’s will to establish the system of a Favored and Blessed.”
Favored and Blessed… Emlyn’s understanding of the Church of Earth was limited to the Holy Bible and part of the scriptures. He was momentarily at a loss.
He had never taken the initiative to ask Father Utravsky about the Church of Earth Mother.
Loreto glanced at Emlyn and nodded slightly.
“The Favored are clergymen who have won the Mother’s favor and are from the two pathways of Earth and Moon. The Blessed refers to people who have obtained the Mother’s blessing and are from other pathways.
“The latter is less affected by the demons and evil gods. It can help us verify the authenticity of the revelations.
“Under such circumstances, even if it’s a decree issued by the Holy See, there has to be at least a second-in-command Favored. Otherwise, it can be regarded as null and void.”
As he spoke, Loreto took out a document and unfolded it in front of Emlyn. Apart from what the archbishop had just said, it included the details of him accepting the mission and appointment as an envoy.
At the end of the document, there were a few names. The first was from the Holy See of the Church of Earth, Matriarch Roland, and the rest were all names that Emlyn didn’t know. He barely recognized the last one to be Father Utravsky.
Father Utravsky’s handwriting is really ugly… As Emlyn mumbled to himself, he began to have a strong sense of doubt regarding the Blessed and Favored system.
Why were the Blessed less enticed by evil gods or demons?
Why were they able to verify a revelation, but the Favored couldn’t?
As his thoughts raced, Emlyn suddenly noticed a detail:
The Blessed aren’t from the two pathways of Earth and Moon!
Therefore, the problem didn’t lie in the Favored, but the two pathways themselves? Emlyn vaguely felt that his guess was the truth.
Chapter 1311 New Mission
Emlyn vaguely sensed that there might be some abnormalities in the two Beyonder pathways of Earth and Moon, but he didn’t ask Archbishop Loreto about it directly.
He doesn’t seem like he would answer… It’s better to wait for the next Tarot Gathering to ask The World, The Hanged Man, and the others… Emlyn nodded indiscernibly, indicating that he already knew the difference between a Favored and a Blessed as he muttered to himself.
He didn’t consider seeking Mr. Fool’s answer, because he felt that there was no need since the corresponding problem wasn’t too important. After all, the Sanguine’s Dukes, Marquises, and Counts were still alive and well, and there hadn’t been any particularly negative news regarding the Church of Earth Mother.
At the same time, his previous guess also made Emlyn connect these to the influence the Primordial Moon, an existence which was perhaps an evil god or a high-level Devil in disguise, had on the Moon pathway. “He” had once caused many Sanguine who had prayed to “Him” to lose control, turning into monsters that only knew how to mate and reproduce.
Emlyn suspected that this was one of the evil existences that sent the fake visions and revelations.
With no more questions from him, Loreto put away the document in his hand and thought for a moment before saying, “This is the problem that requires special attention.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“In addition, I hope that you can set up three to five Beyonder teams in Backlund. They should mainly be members of the Sanguine.”
Emlyn was always law-abiding. The only crime he did was steal blood at the hospital. He subconsciously raised his question, “Does the Church of Evernight and the Church of Storms have any objections?”
Loreto said with a benevolent smile, “This was a request from them.
“As most of the forces of the Church of Steam have withdrawn, there is a lack of official Beyonders in Loen.
“Although the Church of Evernight and the Church of Storms have also recruited a group of Machinery Hivemind members who don’t wish to leave Loen, and the lower-ranking clergymen, they are ultimately just a minority. Furthermore, they still need to handle the purge in Feysac and the independent colonies overseas. Therefore, they hope that they can provide some help.
“This is quite beneficial for our proselytizing in Loen. However, you have to remember that, here, we have to restrain ourselves. We can’t freely proselytize. Just be on the same level as the remnant Church of Steam. Of course, our believers won’t be able to catch up to the Church of Steam for a long period of time. This requires a generation, two generations, or even three generations of effort.”
Yes, maintaining the present scale and having a certain degree of development is enough… It’s too troublesome to proselytize… Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief and calmly replied, “Okay.”
…
In the Sonia Sea, City of Generosity, Bayam.
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger wore a bishop’s robe embroidered with symbols of lightning and waves. He wore a metal Storm Sacred Emblem and stood at the peak of the coastal mountain range, looking out at the other side of the forest.
There were very few trees there. The surrounding hills and short mountains had been flattened, revealing a hidden harbor.
It was a private harbor that belonged to the Resistance. It was definitely not comparable to Bayam’s port, but it was of medium size, enough to sustain many people’s lives.
A city with an unconstrained and crude style had been built near the harbor. The city wasn’t huge, probably only one-fifth the size of Bayam or smaller.
In the center were two towers. One was a spire, the other steeple. They were all strangely silver, reflecting blinding light under the sun.
Surrounding the twin towers were many paved roads made of cement. They led to buildings that were mainly made of stone or were connected to open squares and training grounds. The green trees lining the sides of the street exuded a feeling of grandeur.
Alger knew that the city didn’t only consist of residents from the City of Silver, but also people from Moon City.
Many of the latter were extremely deformed. They were temporarily unwilling to interact with Bayam, as well as the residents of the other cities on the island. They only purchased their necessities through the people of the City of Silver.
It was said that they planned on building a city that belonged to them deep in the forest, and would only leave a path to the new City of Silver.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
These are all believers of Mr. Fool. I’ll have to slowly integrate them into the entirety of the Rorsted Archipelago… For now, I’ll temporarily not disturb the deformed and allow the residents of the City of Silver to bring normal-looking Moon City residents to Bayam… Alger seriously considered his subsequent actions.
After settling down the residents of the City of Silver and Moon City, he had actually completed the mission that Mr. Fool had given him. However, he believed that he was still far from being able to exchange for Sea God’s identity, authority, and status. Therefore, he did his best to deal with the problems left behind by the “great migration.”
To be frank, Alger was most worried that Mr. Fool didn’t give him anything to do. If that happened, he didn’t know how long it would take for him to make enough contributions.
Accompanying the new City of Silver’s establishment and the immense vibrancy it exuded, he acutely sensed danger.
There was more than one Sequence 4 demigod in the City of Silver and Moon City, and they were Mr. Fool’s loyal believers. Perhaps, Mr. Fool would one day bestow the identity, status, authority, and power of Sea God to one of them!
There are two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in the City of Silver, a Sequence 3 saint, three Sequence 4 saints, and nearly ten Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, as well as a few demigod Beyonder characteristics that can temporarily be used as Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts… There are three demigods in Moon City, five Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, and a large number of potion formulas… This… Alger only made a slight calculation before realizing that the two factions that came under Mr. Fool were a little terrifying.
All of them combined was equivalent to a quarter of the Church of Storms!
According to what Alger knew, the number of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts each Church had numbered between five to eight. There were fewer than four Grounded Angels active at present. In this aspect, they were indeed much stronger than the combined Moon City and City of Silver.
However, the orthodox Churches had no advantage in numbers when it came to Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts and saints, especially the latter.
Composite Start
Composite End
Due to an all-out war, with the brass increasing the number of saints by nurturing them, the Church of Storms only had around twenty saints.
The Church of the Sea God doesn’t have a demigod yet, but it won’t be long before a new Sea God will appear… As for the angels under Mr. Fool, there’s The World, the Death Consul, and the angel of the Fate pathway… There are the saints from our Tarot Club… The more Alger thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He realized that he was a little slow in this aspect.
Perhaps it was because he couldn’t extricate himself to take an objective look at things, and although he had always been amazed by such matters, he finally came to a clear realization today:
Unknowingly, Mr. Fool’s faction had already developed to a level that was comparable to an orthodox Church. Even if there was a certain gap, it was only due to the lack of accumulation that needed to span across years.
And it hadn’t even been three years since Alger joined the Tarot Club!
If I hadn’t experienced all these changes myself, I definitely wouldn’t have believed it. Alger sighed inwardly as he fervently wished to do something for Mr. Fool so that he could quickly accumulate the contributions needed to transform into Sea God.
When that happened, he could truly cast his gaze towards the Book of Calamity and attempt to complete the request of the elven queen, Cohinem.
Retracting his gaze, Alger glanced at Bayam at the foot of the mountain. He saw that this city, which hadn’t suffered any serious damage in the war, had once again lit up. It could also be called the most prosperous city in the Sonia Sea.
At that moment, the priests, bishops, and believers of the Church of the Lord of Storms were cooperating with the new government civil servants and the Church of Sea God to build schools and hospitals to the children in the slums and the natives with no financial capacity that would provide education, medical treatment, and assistance.
As Alger watched the people walking along the streets like ants and the colorful buildings that were different from the vast majority of Loen, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly before he wiped away his smile.
Composite Start
Composite End
He narrowed his eyes, unsure what he was experiencing or enjoying.
At that moment, a grayish-white fog suddenly appeared in front of him.
Following that, he saw the ancient palace and blurry figure in the middle of the fog. He heard Mr. Fool’s words:
“A mission. Monitor a man named Verdu Garcia.”
Along with the revelation, plenty of miscellaneous information rained down and drilled into Alger’s mind, allowing him to know the exact situation of Verdu Garcia.
He was a member of the Abraham family that had concealed his identity. He had recently left Desi County and had come to the Rorsted Archipelago.
Alger was thrilled. He bowed his head respectfully in response. “By your will.”
…
Klein knew that Verdu Garcia Abraham had left the Northern Continent and was heading to the Rorsted Archipelago, as Dorian Gray had mentioned this when he prayed.
He knew very well that the person named Verdu yearned to save Mr. Door so that the King of Angels could return to the real world.
The reason why Klein had gotten Miss Magician to inform the Abraham family of one of the rituals that helped Mr. Door escape was because the trust between the two parties was insufficient. If he were to hide it or lie by saying that an angel needed to be hunted for the ritual, the Abraham family would definitely suspect Fors and make her continue contacting Mr. Door and try to confirm it through other means.
Once they discovered anything, Klein would lose control of the Abraham family, preventing him from nipping the problem in the bud.
If it had been a few years ago, Klein wouldn’t have been too worried about such problems. However, as the apocalypse approached, the infiltration of the Outer Deities would only increase. It was possible that a member of the Abraham family would come into contact with a corresponding item or believer and obtain the correct ritual.
Therefore, Klein believed that the ritual that was extremely difficult to complete could be used to effectively gain the trust of the Abrahams, allowing them to deepen their faith in Mr. Fool and become more devout. Then, he could monitor the extreme ones among the devout and grasp their trajectories, and interfere with them in time.
Chapter 1312 Fully Automatic Wishing Machine
Midseashire, Limon City.
Jasmine wrapped a scarf around her face and exited the apartment.
She had heard that the annual Limon Carnival had begun, so she wanted to visit it at the municipal square.
Because of the war last year, the carnival hadn’t been held. This had greatly disappointed Jasmine. After that, she suffered the greatest trauma in her life. From then on, she hid at home and didn’t dare to go out.
Perhaps it was because she had been confined at home for too long—one that was very cramped—Jasmine had been eager to go on the streets recently. She wanted to walk around just like she did in the past.
As she turned her gaze, she saw her reflection in the large glass window by the side of the street.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Her figure was pitch-black without any other color. Her long dress reached her ankles, and the veil of her hat covered half of her face. From the bottom of her eyes to her neck, there was a scarf wrapped several times around her neck. Both of her hands were wearing a pair of knitted gloves.
This was completely different from the cheerful and lively Jasmine in her memories.
In the previous war, a cannonball had destroyed her original home and resulted in a fire. She suffered burns to the face, causing her body to be covered in wounds.
If not for the fact that she was lucky enough, Jasmine would’ve died from the serious injuries. But even so, she felt like her life had ended from that very moment.
Her nose had been burnt away, leaving only two black holes. There were many traces left behind by the fire on her face, neck, and hands. If she were to walk in the dark, she would pass off for a devil perfectly.
Jasmine clearly remembered one thing: on the first night of moving to this apartment, she had washed up in the public bathroom before sleeping. Just as she walked out of the door, she saw a youth walk over. The youth had also seen her.
Under the crimson moonlight, the youth revealed an expression of extreme horror, as if he would jump up at any moment. He turned around and ran away.
Finally, he controlled himself and took a few steps to the side, not daring to look at Jasmine’s face again.
This pierced through Jasmine’s fragile heart. From that day onwards, she never left the house again. Even if she had to wash up, she would wait until it was late at night.
Composite Start
Composite End
In this aspect, she was very grateful to her parents because they didn’t say a word. They did their best to maintain their lives, relying on their original savings and the work they later found to barely support the family. They didn’t need Jasmine to work outside for a salary.
After walking a distance, Jasmine saw the main venue of the carnival—Lemon City Municipal Square.
There was a sea of heads and all kinds of reveling emotions. The enthusiastic atmosphere made Jasmine subconsciously stop in her tracks.
She didn’t dare approach, afraid that someone would notice that she was dressed strangely, afraid that she might accidentally drop her scarf.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally stopped. She found a clean spot by the street and sat down. She stared intently at the municipal square.
After an unknown period of time, Jasmine sensed someone beside her.
It was a young man in a long black robe and a tall hat. He was like a magician from a circus.
The municipal square is over there… Jasmine wanted to remind him, but after she quivered her lips a few times, she didn’t part them.
She didn’t dare to speak to anyone.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, the young man took the initiative to walk over. He took off his hat and bowed slightly.
“Miss, do you know what this machine is for?”
Machine? Jasmine subconsciously looked up and dazedly followed the young man’s gaze.
Under the streetlamp, a small wardrobe-like machine was sitting there at some point in time.
Its surface was a brass color with a few transparent glass, gears, and bearings embedded in it. The components were exposed, looking very crude.
Jasmine retracted her gaze and shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know what the machine was.
At the same time, this also expressed her intention to reject conversing.
“It’s called a ‘Fully Automatic Wishing Machine,'” the young man introduced with a smile. “It’s my invention. It can automatically fulfill the wish of someone who operates it. By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Merlin Hermes, a wandering magician.”
Fully Automatic Wishing Machine… Jasmine realized that she could understand every single word but failed to understand the combined name.
Composite Start
Composite End
“You can give it a try. As the first user to experience it, it’s free,” Klein, who had taken on the identity of Merlin Hermes, said with a smile.
Jasmine shook her head, refusing the conversation.
Klein didn’t give up. He looked at her and said, “For example, you can make a wish to be restored with your original looks.”
These words were like a sharp arrow that shot into Jasmine’s heart. She stood up in shock and retreated hastily in an attempt to leave.
She suspected that he had already seen her current appearance.
“If you don’t give it a try, how do you know that your wish won’t come true? It’s free,” Klein said unhurriedly as he looked past her into the background.
Jasmine gradually slowed down and finally stopped.
If she could be restored with her original looks, even if she had to pay a huge sum of money, she would still be willing to do so.
However, she knew that the wish in her heart couldn’t be granted by money.
I don’t have to pay anything… It’s a free try… What if it comes true… Jasmine’s thoughts were in an upheaval, and she slowly turned around as if she was being enticed by a devil.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Really?” she asked in a hoarse voice.
Klein pointed at the machine.
“I can retreat ten meters, and all you need to do is to turn the wrench on the machine.
“You don’t have to remove your hat and scarf.”
The last sentence moved Jasmine into action as she quickly nodded and said, “Okay.”
Not long after Merlin retreated a certain distance, Jasmine moved closer to the machine, gingerly grasping the wrench on the “door.”
She was actually very worried that this was part of a prank that involved pulling the wrench, such as being splashed by water. This was something that would happen every year during the carnival. She and her friends had often played such pranks on others, but compared to a wish that could be fulfilled, she felt that it was an acceptable risk.
Even if it was proven that having her wish granted was impossible, it could still be treated as her experience at the carnival.
“Remember to make your wish before you turn it,” Klein reminded her from not too far away.
Jasmine collected her thoughts and silently voiced her wish.
“I want to return to my former self before the burns.”
With that, she turned the wrench nervously and expectantly.
In the next second, the “door” to the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine opened. A normal wooden cane reached out and tapped Jasmine’s forehead.
What Jasmine didn’t notice was a golden ring embedded with rubies that had appeared on her hand.
When the wooden cane retracted back into the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine, the golden ring with the rubies disappeared as well.
As the gears turned, Jasmine saw the machine’s “door” slowly close.
That’s it? she thought blankly.
She didn’t experience the feeling of having her wish fulfilled, nor was she being pranked. Everything seemed so strange.
“Congratulations. Your wish has been granted.” Klein walked back and clapped gently like a witness to a magical event.
My wish has been granted… How is this possible… Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she suddenly felt something beneath her scarf.
The spot where there were only two black holes left had been propped up!
Jasmine slowly raised her hand and touched her face, clearly sensing the presence of her nose.
And the quality of her breathing proved this point.
She suddenly turned around, her back facing Merlin Hermes. She walked to a shop by the side of the street and cast her gaze at the glass window.
Then, she removed the scarf covering her face.
Eyes that weren’t big, a nose that wasn’t too well-defined, and her lips that weren’t too full—the freckled face of a girl was reflected on the window.
Jasmine subconsciously raised her hand and covered her mouth. Her eyes glistened.
After a few seconds, she raised her arm and wiped her face with her sleeve. She turned to look at Merlin Hermes and said, “Are you a god?”
“I’m just a magician who likes to create miracles.” Klein smiled as he pointed at the machine beside him. “The thing you should thank the most is that—the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.”
“Fully Automatic…” Jasmine’s emotions stirred as she subconsciously repeated.
Klein nodded and said, “Yes, a Fully Automatic Wishing Machine that can operate without any external help.
“You can understand it as a gas meter. As long as you throw in a coin, you can get a wish granted like how you obtain gas.
“The specific steps are very simple. Throw one penny in and make your wish before turning the wrench.
“Remember, only three wishes can be fulfilled.”
While explaining, Klein inwardly mocked himself, If I were to unfortunately die one day and become a Sealed Artifact, I hope it’s something similar to the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
After leaving the capital of Midseashire, Constant City, Klein changed the method of granting other people’s wishes to prevent himself from being too bored.
One had to learn to seek joy in mundane work.
How miraculous… Jasmine couldn’t find the words to describe how she felt inside.
Her exhilarated emotions calmed down a little.
“Will it… I mean will this Fully Automatic Wishing Machine stay here forever?” Jasmine asked hesitantly.
Klein smiled and said, “No.”
“It could stay here for three days, or maybe not that long. Perhaps it would disappear when the sun rises.
“But it won’t disappear forever. Perhaps one day, you will see it at the corner of the street again.”
Jasmine’s mind was in a mess and she was unable to sort out her thoughts. All she could do was bow to the machine and say seriously, “Thank you, Mr. Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.”
Then, she bowed at Klein.
“Thank you, Mr. Hermes.”
As soon as she said that, Jasmine recalled the words Merlin Hermes had just said. Filled with anticipation, surprise, and embarrassment, she asked, “Three wishes can be granted?”
“Yes, but it won’t be free in the future. You will need to pay a penny,” Klein replied, unfazed by the question.
Chapter 1313 The Third Wish
Jasmine was excited, but she was still worried.
“What kind of price has to be paid?”
From her point of view, a prior free attempt didn’t mean that the subsequent wishes were without a price.
Klein adjusted his tall hat and smiled.
“The penny you paid is the price. The corresponding change that you have to bear after achieving your wish is also the price.”
Jasmine nodded without completely understanding him. Without any hesitation, she reached into her pocket and attempted to take out a few copper pennies for her wish.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, her pocket was empty except for a handkerchief.
Having stayed home all this while, she hadn’t had any contact with money.
She had relied on walking to go from home to the municipal square instead of taking a trackless public carriage.
“I-I… Can I go home first?” Jasmine asked, both vexed and embarrassed.
“Of course, this is your freedom, but I can’t guarantee that the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine will always be waiting for you here,” Klein said with the tone of a magician. “Sometimes, it’s very willful.”
Jasmine tersely answered, thanked him, and turned around, jogging in the opposite direction of the municipal square.
The more she ran, the more relaxed her body became. She found herself in her formerly healthy state before she was burnt, transforming back into a teenage girl in her prime.
To her, this was a scene that would only appear in a dream.
Of course, as an ordinary person, she gradually felt exhausted after running for a while. She had no choice but to slow down and begin walking slowly.
Composite Start
Composite End
The cool night breeze blew, revealing resplendent stars peeking through the clouds high up in the sky. The trees by the side of the street swayed gently and scattered the swaying shadows on the ground. All of this was so quiet and beautiful. Jasmine only felt her body and mind relax, and all her worries disappeared.
This was the first time she was in such a good mood ever since she was injured. Unknowingly, a smile appeared on her face.
After walking for about five minutes, she suddenly heard someone shout her name.
“Eh, Jasmine?”
Jasmine turned her head and saw a familiar face. It was her former neighbor, Mrs. Hamil.
“Good evening, Mrs. Hamil, I haven’t seen you in a long time. Are you going to the carnival?” Jasmine, who wasn’t wearing a scarf, said with a heartfelt smile.
Mrs. Hamil was a woman with a head of white hair. She carefully sized up Jasmine and said, “I haven’t seen you since you moved away. I heard that you were injured in the previous blast?”
“Yes, but I’ve recovered.” Jasmine nodded heavily.
She then asked, “How is Jolie now?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Jolie was Mrs. Hamil’s eldest daughter, and was her former playmate.
Mrs. Hamil’s expression instantly wore a shade of gloom.
“The Feysacians did unspeakable things to her, and she ended up dying…”
Jasmine was taken aback, thinking back to her experience while feeling sad.
A Feysacian soldier had rushed into her house in an attempt to do unspeakable things to her, but he only gave her a kick and left when he saw her disfigured face.
“Poor Jolie.” Jasmine sincerely tapped her chest four times in a clockwise fashion, outlining the stars.
It was only after she heard what had happened to her friend that she realized that she might have been relatively lucky.
After bidding farewell to Mrs. Hamil, Jasmine walked back to her apartment.
When she got home, she felt much better and her mood was back to normal. She started to look forward to the expression her parents would have when they saw her appearance restored.
Composite Start
Composite End
They probably wouldn’t keep the pain deep in their hearts and pretend that nothing has happened. They would definitely cry with joy and hug me… Jasmine took the key that was hanging around her neck like a necklace, and as she thought about it, she opened the door.
The room was dark. None of the candles or the gas wall lamps were lit.
On the bed outside, light and heavy snoring could be heard from her parents, forming a contrast with the bustling municipal square.
They’re asleep… Yes, they’ve been working hard… Jasmine gently closed the door and walked to her parents’ bed. With the crimson moonlight shining in through the window, she cast her gaze over.
Daddy has a lot of white hair, and his wrinkles have deepened… Mommy keeps frowning when she sleeps. Her face is flaking; it’s dry, and coarse… Only then did Jasmine realize that she hadn’t seriously looked at her parents’ faces for a long time. She didn’t know that they had aged so much.
Before the war, her father was an accountant with a pretty good income. They could afford to rent a terrace house and allow his wife to not work so as to focus on taking care of the family. But now, he could only work at textile factories and do all kinds of strenuous labor. Jasmine’s mother had no choice but to leave her family and become a textile worker.
Daddy’s health is getting worse and worse. He’s always coughing, but he has passed the recent Civil Servant Unified Examination. When the interview results are announced, he will have a decent job… Mommy keeps complaining that her arm is getting worse… Jasmine looked at her parents intently and didn’t wake them up.
She had already thought of her second wish.
Softening her footsteps, Jasmine entered the room inside and poured out the last few pennies from her piggy bank that she had previously almost emptied.
Then, she left the apartment and boarded a trackless public carriage.
Composite Start
Composite End
She was afraid that the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine would be gone if she delayed any further.
At that moment, there were a lot of passengers on the public carriage. Most of them were heading to participate in the carnival. Jasmine looked around and saw that there were no seats, so she had no choice but to support herself as she stood on the aisle, squeezing with plenty of people.
Ten minutes later, she reached her stop and turned into that street.
When the brass-colored machine embedded with a few pieces of glass appeared before her eyes, Jasmine silently heaved a sigh of relief and quickly approached.
During this process, she surveyed her surroundings and didn’t find the magician by the name of Merlin Hermes.
“It really is fully automatic. There’s no need for him to be by my side?” Jasmine muttered in puzzlement.
She didn’t waste any time. She took out a penny and placed it inside the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
“I wish for my parents to be healthy again. I hope that my family will become rich.” Jasmine softly voiced her wish. She closed her eyes and waited for the miracle to happen.
In the next second, she heard the clanging sound as though a coin had rolled out from the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
Jasmine opened her eyes in shock and looked ahead, only to see that the penny she had just put into the machine had landed on a small tray around the coin slot.
This wish can’t be fulfilled? Uh, a wish can’t contain too much content? My wish was actually two wishes… With the experience of being cured of her burns, Jasmine didn’t suspect that there was something wrong with the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
She thought seriously and stuffed the penny into the coin slot. Then, she lowered her head and made a wish softly.
“I hope my parents are healthy again.”
This time, she heard a soft knock sound out from the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
Tak!
Seeing that the copper coin remained inside the machine, Jasmine knew that her wish had been fulfilled. She couldn’t wait to go home and check on her parents’ situation.
Suppressing her excitement, she inserted another penny.
She had originally planned on making her family wealthy, but remembering that her father was basically going to become a civil servant in Limon City, and that her family income was guaranteed, she couldn’t help but have other thoughts about it.
When she was ten years old, she already knew that she wasn’t good-looking. It wasn’t that people around her would despise her and say that she wasn’t good-looking, but amongst her playmates, there were two rather beautiful girls. This allowed them to be accorded with greater treatment and experience the kindness of the world.
Such a comparison only served to make Jasmine inevitably dream of becoming prettier as she grew older. But reality proved that dreams could only be dreams.
However, this time, her dream could turn into reality, because she had a miraculous Fully Automatic Wishing Machine in front of her.
If I can make myself beautiful, I can find a good husband, and I can improve my family situation… Jasmine seemed to have heard the devil whispering in her ear. She closed her eyes uncontrollably and made a wish:
“I wish to become extremely, extremely, extremely beautiful.”
She used “extremely” thrice to accentuate the beauty she wanted.
Just as she finished speaking, the “door” to the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine opened once again. A silver-white mask was pushed out and covered her face.
Jasmine quickly opened her eyes and happened to see the mask disappear.
At the same time, she felt something connect to her.
She turned around in anticipation and once again walked to the shop by the side of the street. Using the light from the gas lamps and the glass on the window, she saw her current appearance.
For a moment, Jasmine couldn’t describe the exact changes in her facial features and outline. All she knew was that at this moment even she was mesmerized by her beauty.
Her nose had become sharper and her lips had become fuller. Her eyes became bigger and limpid. Her skin was as tender as milk pudding. She only had slight similarities to her previous self.
“Is… Is this a miracle…” Jasmine couldn’t help but let out a heartfelt sigh of amazement.
She looked at herself, intoxicated. It took her great effort to finally retract her gaze before bowing at the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
Following that, she walked towards the public carriage stop. On the way, eyes kept turning to look at her.
Bang!
A man, who was too focused on her, slammed into a gas lamp post.
Jasmine pursed her lips into a smile. Without a word, she boarded the trackless public carriage.
There were still many people on board, and all the seats were taken.
Just as Jasmine was trying her best to find a spot, several men lifted their buttocks and straightened their bodies. They looked at her and smiled.
“Miss, you can sit here.”
Jasmine was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected to receive so much kindness.
She didn’t decline and sat down. She smiled at the man who had given up his seat.
“Thank you.”
The man’s expression became extremely animated as he said humbly, “This is what a gentleman should do.”
Jasmine still retained the habits from when she was previously cooped up at home, so she didn’t say anything else. She quietly sat there until she reached the stop near her apartment. Then, she got off the carriage.
After a few steps, she suddenly felt that someone was looking at her. She quickly turned her head to look.
It was a drunkard. He was staring at Jasmine with an indescribably disgusting look.
Jasmine jumped in fright and briskly walked to her apartment. However, the men she met along the way revealed similar looks, as though they could turn into beasts at any moment.
At that moment, Jasmine felt as though she was walking in the wilderness.
Chapter 1314 Miracles Are Only For A Momen
Previously, Jasmine enjoyed the gazes from the men, but now, all that was left was anxiety and horror.
She hastened her footsteps again as though she was being chased by Feysacians.
Finally, before the men could get close to her, she rushed into the apartment and got rid of them.
Phew… The girl patted her chest and secretly decided to stay out less at night.
Only then did she realize that extraordinary beauty had its disadvantages.
After calming down, Jasmine went up the dimly-lit stairs to the third floor and returned home. She used the key she carried with her to open the door.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
She carefully approached her parents’ bed and used the moonlight to examine their faces.
Compared to when she left the house not too long ago, her parents’ faces were rather ruddy. Their white hair and wrinkles had lessened significantly, and their snoring was almost non-existent.
Their health has really been restored… Jasmine couldn’t help but smile, clearly relieved.
Sensing the commotion, her mother’s eyelids twitched as she slowly opened her eyes.
Jasmine held her breath and restrained her smile, preparing to give her mother a surprise.
Her mother sat up and looked over, her expression suddenly becoming extremely terrified.
“Who are you?” asked the woman with a shrill voice as she shoved her husband forcefully.
Who am I? Jasmin was stunned by the question and didn’t know how to answer the simple question.
At that moment, her father woke up as well. He looked at the beautiful girl in front of him with suspicion and vigilance.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Get out! Otherwise, I’ll call the police!” Jasmine’s mother left the bed and picked up a candle stand beside her, using it as a weapon.
“We don’t welcome burglars.” Jasmine’s father rather politely issued an order for Jasmine to leave.
He knew that he had to do his best not to pressure the burglar. Otherwise, it easily led to extreme responses from the other party.
If not for his wife and daughter, he wasn’t too afraid of fighting the burglar. But now, his entire family was at stake.
Jasmine finally snapped out of her daze and hurriedly said, “Daddy, Mommy, I am…”
Before she could finish her sentence, her mother started to shove her repeatedly as she was pushed out of the room by her father.
No one cared about what she said. Under such circumstances, no one cared.
Thud!
The door to her apartment closed before her very eyes. It left her feeling lost and helpless.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
She wanted to knock on the door and use the key she carried with her to prove her identity, but at that moment, she heard her mother shout to a patrolling police officer downstairs, “There’s a burglar, a burglar!”
Burglar… Daddy and Mommy don’t recognize me anymore… Will they think that I’ve murdered myself… Will the police believe the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine… Jasmine’s heart tightened, and she subconsciously decided to leave the apartment first to avoid the police. She would then find her father and mother to explain to them carefully at dawn and use their common memories to convince them.
Tap. Tap. Tap. She bowed her head and, under the watchful gazes of her neighbors, walked down the stairs and rushed out of the building.
She ran all the way to a nearby alley and avoided the approaching police officer from the main street. Gasping for air, Jasmine stopped in her tracks. Tears uncontrollably rolled down her face and fell to the ground.
Suddenly, a hand reached over and covered her mouth, dragging her to a secluded corner of the alley.
“How much? I’ll pay however much it costs…” A voice filled with drunkenness rang in Jasmine’s ears. It was as if he had mistaken her for a prostitute and could no longer resist her allure.
Jasmine tried her best to struggle, alarmed, afraid, and desperate.
Just as she was about to break down, the drunkard released his hand.
“Miss, are you alright?” A hoarse male voice sounded.
Composite Start
Composite End
Jasmine dashed away from the drunkard before turning around to see a police officer in a black-and-white checkered uniform.
“He… He…” As Jasmine spoke, she began to cry.
The policeman looked at her sympathetically and said, “We will take legal action on him. However, Miss, you’ll need to return to the police station with me to record your statement.”
Jasmine was in a state of extreme panic and extreme helplessness. She subconsciously nodded.
Not long after, she sat in the police station’s testimony room nearby. Facing her was the same police officer and his colleague.
The policeman deliberated over his words and asked, “So you’re telling me, he didn’t ask you if you were a prostitute, and you didn’t do anything that might come off as soliciting customers?”
He was worried that his words would hurt the beautiful girl in front of him.
Jasmine held a coffee cup and lowered her head to take a sip.
“Yes, I just reached the alley.”
“Alright, let’s end it here. Miss Jasmine, can you tell us where your house is? We will get someone to send you back.” Another policeman tried to get in her good books.
Composite Start
Composite End
Recalling his parents’ reaction and the disgusting gazes, Jasmine couldn’t help but shudder. She said in tears, “I had a quarrel with my parents and can’t return home for the time being. Perhaps you can take me to the nearest hotel…”
At this point, she remembered that she was only left with a few pence. There was no way she could stay in a good hotel, and the cheap motels were practically dangerous to her.
The first policeman was taken aback.
“Okay.”
On the way to the nearest hotel, the policeman hesitated several times before finally saying, “If, I mean if—you plan on becoming a street girl, you can come to me. There’s no need for you to go through that much effort…”
Upon hearing this, Jasmine felt on the brink of mental collapse. It was just different from when she first saw her face after the fire.
This made her feel extremely insecure and she remained silent.
Fortunately, the police officer didn’t force her and sent her to the entrance of the nearest hotel.
“There’s no need to go in with me. I’ll go by myself.” Jasmine rejected the policeman’s suggestion of sending her to her room.
After the police officer left, she quickly walked out of the hotel without completing the check-in procedures.
She wanted to go to the municipal square, to the place where the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine was to cancel her previous wish.
Such beauty was terrifying!
After taking a few steps, Jasmine removed the scarf around her shoulders and wrapped it around her face in layers, just like how she left her home that very night.
Back then, there were still burn scars on her face. Her missing nose and damaged lips made her look like a devil.
When she arrived at the municipal square on a trackless carriage, she entered the street once again and saw the brass Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
Jasmine’s heart immediately calmed down. She quickened her pace and arrived in front of the machine.
Then, she was at a loss. She didn’t know how to cancel her last wish.
“Your first wish was a free trial, and it wasn’t counted in the three wishes. So you have one more wish.” Jasmine suddenly heard Mr. Merlin Hermes’s voice.
She turned her head and saw that across the street, under the dim yellow light of the street lamp, the magician wearing a tall hat was looking calmly at her.
“Good, good.” Jasmine hurriedly took out a copper penny and inserted it into the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
“I hope my previous wish is canceled,” she said with her eyes closed as she gripped the wrench and spun it.
Tak!
She heard the dull thud once again.
When she opened her eyes, she rushed to a nearby shop. She stopped in front of the glass window and removed the scarf wrapped around her face.
She saw herself again. She was no longer a pretty girl.
Jasmine instantly relaxed, and instinctively turned her head to look at the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine, but found that it had disappeared along with Mr. Merlin Hermes.
“Praise the Lady. Thank you, Mr. Hermes.” Jasmine sincerely tapped her chest four times in a clockwise manner.
She used her last copper penny to head home on a trackless public carriage.
Along the way, no one gave up their seats to her.
When her figure vanished from the street, Klein appeared again, holding a silver mirror with ancient patterns.
“Great Master, why didn’t you add the line that ‘excessive greed will only turn something good into something bad’ or ‘wishes always have a price?’ This will make the whole matter seem even more philosophical. It will be elevated into a fable.” On the surface of the mirror, silver words appeared.
Klein smiled and said, “The biggest problem was that I couldn’t use normal methods to satisfy her ‘extremely, extremely, extremely beautiful’ wish. Lie can only adjust her looks to a certain extent.
“Therefore, I had no choice but to use one of the effects of a Sealed Artifact that originated from a Demoness to ‘Graft’ it onto her. That resulted in her stunning beauty and terrifying charm. This made the surrounding men unable to resist her.”
The Sealed Artifact belonged to Xio, a relic of Demoness Shermane.
Due to a problem with Xio’s storage abilities, Shermane’s Beyonder characteristic fused with the box containing it, becoming a Sealed Artifact with shockingly negative effects. This caused Xio’s younger brother to look at the box strangely.
In order to resolve this problem, Xio made a wish for Mr. Fool to seal the item for her.
After saying that casually, Klein looked at the magic mirror.
“Arrodes, are you consoling me?”
“No, the main problem was that she’s too greedy. If she only wanted to become beautiful and didn’t add so many ‘extremely’s to the wish, then the result would’ve been pretty good.” On the surface of the mirror, silver words quickly appeared.
“Indeed. That will be within the extent that can be achieved by Lie.” Klein nodded and said to Arrodes, “Lie’s adjustments can indeed be permanent, but it’s a structure that is ultimately different from the original muscles, skin, and bone structure. After more than a decade, when she’s gradually showing signs of age, the adjustments and the differences will slowly magnify, making her face appear rather strange and stiff. That can only be fixed periodically by becoming a Faceless.”
Having said that, Klein smiled and shook his head.
“A lie is ultimately a lie.”
Then, he walked towards the other end of the street and continued, “Besides, even if she really becomes beautiful, it’s still uncertain whether she will lead a better life in the future. It’s true that beauty allows her to obtain a lot of resources and allow her to marry a ‘prince.’ However, her personal upbringing, character, and knowledge are unlikely to support such a lifestyle.
“Yes, I can’t rule out the possibility that she’s good at studying, being capable of using all kinds of experience to fully enrich herself, and ultimately direct herself to possibly having a good life. However, that’s a whole other story.
“Heh heh, miracles are only for a moment, but fate is often a long-lasting event.”
In the conversation with Arrodes, Klein gradually vanished from the end of the street.
His understanding of Miracle Invoker had deepened again.
…
After returning to her family apartment, Jasmine didn’t attempt to open the door. She used a lot of courage to knock on the door.
The door opened and her mother appeared in front of her.
“Oh, you’re finally back.” Her mother first heaved a sigh of relief, then asked in an abnormally horrified manner, “Y-your face?”
Jasmine forced a smile and said, “I’ve been cured, by a mister who’s good at creating miracles.
“Mr. Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.”
Just as her parents suspected that their daughter had been influenced by demons, a few policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms walked up the stairs and came over.
Leading the policemen was a lady. She had light blue eyes and a smile that quietened others.
“Miss Jasmine, we have some questions for you,” the lady said politely.
Chapter 1315 Summary Repor
Jasmine felt that she should have been afraid, but she found it difficult to have much strong emotions facing the female police officer in front of her. She felt like her body and mind had unknowingly settled down after crying for a long time.
She looked at her parents who had a complicated expression and asked hesitantly, “Okay, what questions do you have?”
The female policeman with the rank of superintendent pointed at the door and said, “Let’s talk inside.”
She didn’t get Jasmine’s parents to leave. She only ordered the two police officers with her to guard by the door.
After closing the door, she pulled a crude round stool over and sat down without standing on ceremony, looking very relaxed.
This immediately made Jasmine and her parents less tense.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You may call me Ma’am Grey.” The officer introduced herself and pointed at another chair and the bed. “Have a seat.”
When everyone in the room found their seats, she smiled at Jasmine and said, “I received a report saying that there were some incomprehensible things happening around you. For example, a male’s desire for committing sexual assault had far exceeded normal standards. This doesn’t mean that there are no bad people or criminals among them, but the ratio is too high, so high that it’s strange.”
At this point, she swept her gaze across Jasmine’s face.
“From what I know, you were seriously injured during the fire and was permanently disfigured. But now, I can’t tell any of that. What do you have to say about this?”
Jasmine’s heart tensed up again. She didn’t dare hide anything and said in a panic, “I went out tonight to the municipal square to attend the carnival. While I was passing by a particular street, I encountered a wandering magician who called himself Merlin Hermes. He said that he had invented a machine called ‘the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.’ All I had to do was insert a penny, softly state my wish, and turn the wrench, then my wish would be granted.
“He said that I was the first user, so I could experience it for free once. Th-then, I was restored to my original state, having all my injuries healed.
“Officer, that’s what happened. You must believe me.”
With that, she glanced at Mrs. Grey and her assistant before looking at her parents, trying to get their approval.
However, her parents clearly said:
Composite Start
Composite End
“How is this possible?
“How can there be a machine that can automatically grant the wishes of others?
“How can there be something as good as granting a wish cost only a penny?
“Besides, the first user experienced it for free!”
Grey and her assistant didn’t show any obvious expressions, making Jasmine unsure if they believed her or not.
“Continue.” Seeing her pause, Grey nodded encouragingly.
Jasmine hurriedly mentioned how she returned home to get some coins before recounting in full how she wished for her parents to regain their health and how she wanted to become beautiful. Finally, she said, “I was indeed very beautiful. Even I couldn’t move my eyes away. This made me experience a lot of kindness, but later on, the surrounding men started to frighten me…
“In addition, Daddy and Mommy didn’t recognize me and chased me out of the house. I was scared, very scared. I returned to the machine and made a third wish. Yes, that Mr. Merlin Hermes said that the first wish was free, and wasn’t part of the three wishes. In short, I returned to my original appearance and met you.”
Upon hearing these words, Jasmine’s parents instantly thought of the beautiful “burglar” from before.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, they realized that their bodies were indeed much healthier than before. Their vision had recovered and their arms had sufficient strength. Everything seemed different.
They began to believe Jasmine’s description, but they felt even more terrified. It was as if they had encountered a demon, exactly the same as those stories in folklore.
Grey nodded gently.
“I’ve seen many matters that are beyond your imagination, but this is the first time I’ve heard of something like a Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
“Compared to a wishing lamp or wishing pool in folklore, this is too modern.”
After a pause, her expression turned serious.
“As an experienced law enforcer, I’ll give you three suggestions.
“First, don’t believe in such things again from now on. Under most circumstances, the easy granting of wishes brings about a huge disaster. There’s nothing wrong with describing it as the temptation of demons.”
Jasmine nodded heavily, indicating that she wouldn’t dare to do it again—that final experience still left her feeling afraid.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Secondly, go to the cathedral as soon as possible and repent to the bishop. Get him to purify you.” Grey looked around and said, “Your entire family must go.”
Seeing that Jasmine and her parents were about to say that they already had this in mind, Grey turned to Jasmine.
“My department still lacks some staff. You can consider joining us. This way, I can monitor your situation at any time and deal with any abnormalities in time. As for the salary, trust me, it’s about the same as a civil servant.”
The salary is about the same as a civil servant’s… I can be protected… There’s something that nice? Jasmine asked in disbelief, “What department is it?”
Grey smiled and said, “I’ll give you an address. Come to my office tomorrow, and I’ll fill you in on the details.”
“…Alright.” Jasmine was in a state of panic and unease. She would grab a life-saving straw the moment it appeared.
…
A week later, Jasmine officially joined the Nighthawks in Limon City and became a civilian staff member.
“Captain, the telegraph device has broken down,” she said carefully as she knocked on Grey’s door.
Grey put down the documents in her hand and rubbed her temples.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Report this to the police station and let them handle it.
“Seriously, I could’ve gotten the help of the Machinery Hivemind in the past. It was done in a quick and effective way. Now, sigh…”
By the time Jasmine left, Grey picked up the documents and began to read them carefully.
This was a piece of information that the Nighthawks had gathered regarding the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
After Jasmine, this happened more than once!
After flipping through the documents, Grey spread out a piece of paper, picked up a fountain pen, and began writing the official document for the Constant archbishop and the Holy Cathedral:
“There have been many supernatural incidents in the city in the past week. It involves a special machine called ‘the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.’ According to the intel, it was created by a wandering magician who calls himself Merlin Hermes, but we haven’t ruled out other possibilities. At least, I think that Merlin might be an illusion created by this machine, so as to lure people into making wishes…
“This machine is of a brass color embedded with opaque glass. Its surface has gears, bearings, rivets, metal pipes, and other components exposed on its surface. It seems to be a product of modern industrialization…
“Case 1: A young girl who was disfigured by a fire, had met the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine at the municipal square… Her first wish was to revert back to her original appearance, and it was granted normally… Her second wish was to restore her parents’ health, which was also granted normally… Her third wish was to become, extremely, extremely, extremely beautiful. Then, she no longer looked like herself, and she had an irresistible charm to the men around her…
“She claimed that she was the first user of Fully Automatic Wishing Machine, which allowed her to have one free wish. With that, she canceled her third wish…
“Case 2: A retired soldier who participated in the war to defend Limon was left with serious mental damage. He met the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine by the river… His first wish was to restore his mental state to a state before the war, and it was granted normally… His second wish was to become a little more handsome so as to reach the standards of the male models on magazine covers. He also had it granted normally… His third wish was to obtain 100,000 pounds and become a tycoon. Then, he caught the fancy of the owner of the Limon United Steel Company who wished to marry him—a lady with a wealth of nearly 200,000 pounds…
“This retired soldier didn’t wish to accept her with her having a weight of more than two hundred pounds and her shorter-than-average height. Furthermore, she’s a violent middle-aged woman. He prepared to leave Limon and head south. If there comes a day when he doesn’t want to work hard anymore, he can easily obtain the rights to a wealth of 100,000 pounds… In a sense, his wish was granted, but he’s unwilling to accept it…
“Case 3: …
“Case 4: …
“Case 5: A public school teacher met the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine near a Storm cathedral… Her first wish was to make herself look better, and not be ostracized by her students because of her looks or be spurned by her colleagues. This was granted normally… Her second wish was to obtain a better position, which was also granted. As her teaching standards were high enough and she was no longer restricted by her looks, she quickly became the most popular teacher among the students and began taking on the duties as vice principal…
“Her third wish was to have a husband with impeccable looks, family background, personality, and ability. Finally, she got a doll who could speak, move, and have a certain level of intelligence. It had living characteristics and looked rather handsome. It was carved by the best master and could have any personality one wanted. It was very capable in every aspect. Other than not being human, it really had no flaws…
“Case 6: …
“…
“Summarizing these cases, we have obtained some preliminary guesses.
“The Fully Automatic Wishing Machine can appear anywhere in Limon. It’s extremely random, and there’s temporarily no discovered pattern for it…
“Most of the wishes that are made can be fulfilled normally. However, a small portion will be distorted, and the latter is basically concentrated on the third wish. Of course, it’s also possible that the person will let themselves loose by the time they make the third wish and thus, make excessive demands…
“The wishes it granted were mostly related to appearance, but it covered a wide scope. It was almost omnipotent…
“The frequency of its appearances is also irregular…
“This is a classic example of a mystical item that needs to be sealed. Furthermore, it clearly exceeds the grade of a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact. I hope the archbishop and high-ranking deacons will personally deal with it, or give an effective sealing method…”
…
On the steam locomotive out of Limon, Klein observed his digestion of the Miracle Invoker potion.
Chapter 1316 An Unknown City
If I keep accumulating it bit by bit, it won’t be long before I can respond to Moon City’s prayers and cure their deformity, thus creating quite a miracle… In addition, I’ve also concluded the acting principles of a Miracle Invoker. It’s only a matter of time before I digest it if I follow them. I might even finish within the year… Klein retracted his gaze from outside the window, raised his left arm, and controlled the monster puppet on his hand to entertain a child across him.
This made him look more like a wandering magician.
If he was willing, he could even use Life’s Cane or the “Grafting” ability to imbue this sock puppet with living characteristics.
While entertaining the child, Klein’s thoughts scattered as he considered where the marionette city needed to be “built” for the advancement ritual.
A marionette city needs sufficient interaction to develop a corresponding region in the spirit world. This means that it isn’t enough to leave it in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Ignoring the fact that it’s sealed there, there’s no way of directly connecting it to the spirit world. All I can do is rely on the little specialness it has. Even if there’s no problem with it, it’s difficult to create any interactivity with a place that lacks intelligent life…
If it’s placed in the Northern and Southern Continent or the sea colonies, I have to be careful. Before the ritual is about to succeed, I definitely can’t expose the fact that it’s a marionette city. Otherwise, it will be affected, damaged, or even attacked by Zaratul, Amon, and my other enemies…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Yes, I have to give a sufficiently good reason for a marionette city to appear. Then, there won’t be any abnormalities with the interaction between the traveling merchants and the surrounding humans. I have to make every marionette a living person. They have their past, present, and future. They follow their own trajectories of fate…
This means that a marionette city is extremely complicated. I need to split out many Worms of Spirit to deal with it. This also has the risk of losing control by doing so…
If they are husband and wife, they should act like husband and wife. When faced with something they are fond of, they should show joy. Perverts should be hated… This way, foreigners might hear embarrassing sounds while staying in the marionette city…
I’m still just an innocent child…
This is a large-scale reality show, or rather, a high-end version of “playing house.” It has to be able to deceive the audience…
As Klein lampooned inwardly, he silently counted if he had enough marionettes.
Previously, he had gone to the Forsaken Land of the Gods several times and converted a large number of them. There were all kinds of monsters that might not have Beyonder characteristics. He also consciously controlled batches of rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and flies, hoping to make a more uncommon side of the city real enough.
I’m barely able to support a small city, so just a few more visits to the Forsaken Land of the Gods would do… Just as this thought flashed through Klein’s mind, a scene suddenly appeared in front of him.
At the top of the Giant King’s Court which was bathed in the light of dusk, the open door slowly and heavily closed.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was like a pair of invisible hands closing the entrance to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
This… Klein’s eyes darkened as he vaguely guessed that this scene meant that the True Creator was about to seal off the Forsaken Land of the Gods again.
This was the prophetic power that came from his angel-level spiritual intuition and premonition for danger.
It was about to happen a few minutes or a few seconds later.
Did the True Creator capture Amon? Or has “He” already given up? “He” once again sealed off the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Does “He” not want others to enter again? Isn’t this too petty? Klein mumbled inwardly, feeling a little disappointed.
Of course, he barely had enough marionettes. Even if he lacked them, he could make up for it at sea.
…
Backlund, Empress Borough.
Audrey had just changed her clothes and sent away her maidservants. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Susie walk in.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“What’s the matter? You should be out on your stroll at this time?” As an experienced Spectator, Audrey immediately sensed that something was amiss.
During this period of time, she had been busy making use of the influence she had in a few foundations to help the workers, farmers, and injured veterans with their hardships. She had allowed them to wait for a new job opportunity or for their plantation’s production in a new season. She had a lot less interaction with Susie than usual.
At the same time, Audrey was secretly guiding the workers of lower socioeconomic status from the various unions in Backlund to gather their strength together.
Her previous experiences made her understand that counting on the kindness of the upper class wasn’t reliable or long-lasting. A single person appeared puny and powerless in the face of the government, nobles, and powerful merchants. Only by summoning the combined strength of a large number of civilians could a balance be formed.
The Loen Kingdom had unions in different industries a long time ago, but the upper echelons of these associations were easily bribed. Instead, they became effective weapons against ordinary workers.
Susie glanced at Audrey with a rather normal expression, but her mouth seemed to be out of control. It vibrated the air and let out a deep male voice.
“Miss Audrey, I’m the president of the Psychology Alchemists, Eric Drake. I wish to meet you and discuss with you about becoming a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists. I’m at the nearby park.”
Having said that, Susie heaved a long sigh of relief and regained her original voice.
“Audrey, there’s a strange guy looking for you. I… I can’t remember what he looks like. H-he directly placed the words he wanted to say into my mind island!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey’s pupils dilated slightly before immediately returning to normal. She calmly nodded and said, “Where is he at the park?”
As she spoke, Audrey secretly conjured a Virtual Persona and entered Susie’s mind island through the sea of collective subconscious. She checked if it was still distorted by some external consciousness or knowledge.
“I don’t remember… I was having my stroll,” Susie said as she recalled.
Then, she wagged her tail slightly and said, “I don’t think you should go. It’s dangerous.”
After confirming that Susie didn’t have any latent problems with her Virtual Persona, Audrey exhaled and said, “It will be even more suspicious if I don’t go. That way, danger will be unavoidable. It might even affect the rest of the people in the house.”
Besides, this is also an opportunity. Just as Mr. Hanged Man said, since the end of the world is coming, all the hard work and attempts that will not bring disaster are meaningful… Audrey added inwardly before saying, “I will protect myself.
“Susie, did anything happen to you just now?”
Susie barked and said, “No.
“Audrey, are you really going?”
“Yes.” Audrey gave a clear answer.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Then can you bring me along? Just like before, I’m just a dog in their eyes,” Susie mustered up her courage and said.
“No, there’s no need. I’ll be back very soon. Believe me, I’ll be blessed by a deity,” Audrey replied with a faint smile.
After comforting Susie, she used her Psychological Invisibility and left the luxurious villa like she usually did.
When she was far away, in a corner on the first floor, a servant who was cleaning suddenly bowed his head and softly said words that he had never learned before:
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
The figure sitting in The Fool’s seat naturally looked at the newly formed prayer light and realized that the believer was extremely unfamiliar.
It’s identical to Miss Justice’s home environment… I can suspect that it’s a result of guidance created by a Virtual Persona’s invasion of the mind island… Miss Justice used this method to avoid any surveillance and pray for blessings… The figure quickly came to a conclusion and transferred the corresponding situation to his true body.
A few seconds later, Klein entered Sefirah Castle and allowed the Worms of Spirit to burrow into his body.
Miss Justice is becoming more and more like a High-Sequence Spectator… Klein praised inwardly as he cast his gaze at the crimson star representing Justice.
…
In the park with a lake.
As soon as Audrey entered, she saw a large carriage drive over. The carriage driver was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing an old hat and a dark-colored jacket.
However, in Audrey’s eyes, this carriage driver didn’t exist because he didn’t have a corresponding island of consciousness or mind.
In other words, the carriage driver was just an illusion, a fake, and the controller of the carriage was the horse itself.
A few seconds later, the large carriage stopped in front of Audrey. The door creaked open.
“Please come in.” A deep male voice came from inside.
Audrey lifted the ends of her skirt slightly and boarded the carriage. She saw a man sitting on a black wheelchair.
His pale yellow eyebrows were long and his hair was neatly combed back. There were some wrinkles on his forehead, and his face was abnormally pale.
“Mr. Derlau? Aren’t you already dead?” Audrey recognized the man in front of her and expressed her surprise perfectly.
“To a Spectator, death only represents the end of one’s identity. In other theatrical plays, I’m still alive,” the elderly gentleman who was sitting in a black wheelchair replied with a smile. “Apart from the former royal family’s medical consultant, the former chancellor of Backlund Medical School, I’m also King of the Black Throne Barros Hopkins at sea. I’m the famous hermit, Eric Drake, etc.
“Then how should I address you?” Audrey asked politely as she watched the door close automatically from the corner of her eye.
The old gentleman stroked the wheels on both sides of his wheelchair and said, “You can call me Mr. President, or you can continue calling me Mr. Derlau.”
He then pointed to the seat on the left side of the carriage.
“Have a seat. Let’s head somewhere first before discussing you becoming a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists.”
Audrey nodded slightly and calmly sat down.
Without hiding anything, she cast her gaze out of the window and was surprised to find that in the blink of an eye, the park had turned into an unfamiliar city, one that was shrouded in darkness.
The city was filled with extremely mysterious and beautiful buildings that gave off a dark feeling. There were gentlemen wearing top hats and trench coats, as well as women in complicated and dark dresses.
As Audrey swept her gaze, she saw a gentleman with short black hair beside a carriage, revealing sharp canine fangs in his mouth.
This was a werewolf.
Chapter 1317 “Pride“
“What is this place?” Audrey asked without much change in her expression, as though she was asking about the location of the ball tonight.
Pauli Derlau, who claimed to be the president of the Psychology Alchemists, cast his gaze out the window as well. He smiled and said, “This is the city in everyone’s heart.
“It’s present wherever there are people.”
Audrey nodded in thought.
“In other words, you can enter this place from any corner of human society?”
Derlau stroked his wheelchair and said, “That’s right.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t explain further and instead pointed at the pedestrians outside the carriage.
“Everything here has a corresponding psychological symbol; they are called ‘Bestial Desire.'”
Bestial Desire… Audrey repeated the word silently. As she maintained her dignified posture, she cast her gaze even further.
Among the pedestrians, there were werewolves, as well as walking upright bears. There were cats with lazy expressions, and there was a strange man with a face of a spotted spider, a huge mouse with red eyes, a python with its tongue sticking out, and a canine creature that studied every creature that passed it by with eyes filled with the desire to mate…
They were either wearing a top hat and trench coat or an exquisite and complicated long dark dress, doing their best to imitate humans in every detail, but they were unable to truly resemble a human.
The carriage traveled through the darkness of the night, traveling between pedestrians and all kinds of Gothic buildings. Soon, they arrived at a cathedral in the middle of the city.
The cathedral was more than eighty meters tall, propped up thanks to the numerous black columns. Each pillar was embedded with a certain number of skulls. Some of them came from humans, while others came from different creatures. However, their empty eye sockets were tilted downwards, as though they were observing at every living creature that entered the cathedral.
Just like most buildings here, every detail in the cathedral could be said to be exquisite, but they formed the elements that leaned towards nightmare, horror, terror, and mystery.
After getting off the carriage, Audrey saw a grand but empty hall through the main door.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the depths of the hall stood a huge cross. Curled around the cross was a grayish-white dragon statue.
Unlike ordinary cathedrals, there were no pews for believers to pray, nor were there places for candle stands. However, in front of the dragon statue, there was a small long table. On both sides of the long table were five seats, and the seats at both ends were empty.
Pauli Derlau wheeled himself to the end of the long table where the seat of honor was. Then, he pointed to his left.
“Please take a seat.”
Audrey slowly followed behind him. She looked around and casually pulled out a chair before sitting down.
She wasn’t too close to the president of the Psychology Alchemists, nor was she too far away. She perfectly showed her vigilance and didn’t show any signs of guilt.
Pauli Derlau raised his hands and clasped them together before placing them on the surface of the long table.
“Miss Audrey, I have something to ask you.”
“Please speak.” Audrey turned her head slightly and responded with her green eyes.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Derlau nodded slightly and said, “I would like to know how you advanced to Sequence 4 Manipulator. Where did you get your potion formula and Beyonder characteristic?”
Audrey replied frankly, “It was from a deal.
“A client wished to receive the help of a Spectator demigod, and had paid the Manipulator potion formula and Beyonder characteristic as an advance.”
Derlau immediately laughed.
“That actually happened? These generous conditions resemble a father finding an excuse to give his daughter a present.
“Can you tell me exactly what kind of help you provided?”
“Kill another demigod. In this matter, control of one’s mind was rather crucial.” Audrey simply explained.
Her attitude was very calm, as if she was talking about the homework given to her by a teacher.
Derlau’s long and fluffy eyebrows twitched as he said, “And you succeeded?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“The results are obvious enough.” Audrey gave an answer rather tactfully.
Derlau sized her up and realized that the noble girl on his left was a Manipulator who could kill other demigods.
Audrey read his thoughts and added, “I was just one of the participants.”
Derlau nodded and said, “Do you know where the client’s Manipulator potion formula and Beyonder characteristic came from?”
“He didn’t tell me straight with regards to this question.” Audrey gave an answer with a sentence she had long planned out.
“He? Can you tell me who he is?” Derlau asked after some deliberation.
Audrey had been guarding against the other party’s Virtual Persona from infiltrating her mind island. However, she had yet to notice anything abnormal since the beginning.
This made her suspect that the other party didn’t need to infiltrate her mind. All he needed to do was observe the fluctuations of the surrounding sea of collective subconscious to understand her true thoughts.
She didn’t make any attempts to hide and calmly replied,
“This concerns an agreement between us. I believe honoring one’s promise is a moral standard that the entire world approves of. And in mysticism, this comes into play at a deeper level.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Having said that, Audrey took the initiative to say, “If you can’t really trust me because of my inability to mention this, I’m willing to accept this.
“I can only remain an ordinary member and use my contributions in exchange for the psychological research materials that are available to me.”
Derlau smiled when he heard that.
“Everyone has their own secrets. This is very normal. What I need to assess is whether your secret will affect the safety of the entire Psychology Alchemists.”
He looked deeply at Audrey and said, “Then can you tell me how you got to know such a client?”
“I remember that I once reported that, before joining the Psychology Alchemists, I’d already come into contact with some people in a mysticism circle and got to know a few Beyonders,” Audrey said a truth that couldn’t be any truer.
As for what the real logical order to the answer was, it was another matter.
Furthermore, the matter regarding Hvin Rambis’s “disappearance” which stemmed from the investigation of Fors and Xio was something both parties had never talked about but had definitely acknowledged.
Derlau retracted his hands from the table and placed them by his chest.
“There’s another thing I would like to ask: when was the last time you met Hvin Rambis?”
Audrey frowned slightly and said, “I remember that I’ve been asked before.”
After Hvin Rambis’s death, she didn’t immediately cut off any contact with the Psychology Alchemists. She continued to maintain a certain connection with the upper echelons through Hilbert, Stephen, and Escalante. Only when the war reached Backlund did she realize that she couldn’t contact the members of the Psychology Alchemists cell for various reasons.
“I need to confirm it in person,” Derlau said calmly.
Audrey nodded gently and said, “The last time I met Hvin Rambis was in Viscount Glaint’s mansion. At that time, I hypnotized my two Beyonder friends I knew, as per his instructions, and asked them why they were investigating Viscount Stratford and who the mastermind behind this was.
At that time, Councillor Hvin Rambis was nearby, ensuring that nothing went wrong with the hypnotism. After he received the answer, he quickly left.
“After that day, I never saw him again.”
As she answered, Audrey was still guarding against the invasion of her mind island. However, it was calm there, and nothing happened.
This didn’t make Audrey feel relaxed. Instead, she became even more wary. She didn’t even dare to think about anything related to Mr. Fool and The World Gehrman Sparrow.
She was only certain of one thing: As long as she was exposed to danger, Mr. Fool would definitely provide her with protection.
“It’s identical to your previous answer.” Derlau nodded slowly.
He then looked into Audrey’s green eyes and said frankly, “I can’t use mysticism methods to trace the origins of the Beyonder characteristic in your body. This means that the person who provided it has an unimaginable existence behind him.”
Audrey nodded slightly but forcefully, expressing that she agreed with his assessment.
“I can’t force you to not cooperate with other Beyonders or make deals. It’s unrealistic. I just hope that you can promise not to reveal anything about the Psychology Alchemists to anyone. At the very least, when you wish to entrust certain missions to others, you have to package them and hide the secrets,” Derlau said calmly as he retracted his gaze.
Audrey replied without hesitation, “I promise not to tell any living creature that isn’t qualified to know about matters regarding the Psychology Alchemists.”
She took the initiative to amplify the concept all the way to that of a living being to make up for any loopholes in her promise.
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her thoughts surface from her mind island.
These thoughts intertwined, turning into an illusory net that seeped into Audrey’s mind island, turning into her subconscious.
As this “restriction net” came from Audrey’s spirituality, she would be incapable of removing it even if she became an angel. She would lose the intention of talking about the Psychology Alchemists when she faced non-members of the Psychology Alchemists or people who didn’t qualify to know about them.
And she wouldn’t realize this.
He didn’t invade my spiritual island. Just my words alone made the promise turn something substantial… While Audrey was alarmed, her expression didn’t show.
Of course, she didn’t completely restrain herself, as being surprised by such means was an instinctive reaction from a Manipulator.
Based on this point, she suspected that either there was something wrong with this city that existed in the heart, or that Derlau, the Psychology Alchemists president, wasn’t just at the level of a saint.
Seeing Audrey make her promise, Derlau pointed at the long table in satisfaction and said, “From now on, you are a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists.
“You can choose a persona mask as your codename.”
As he spoke, seven grayish-white masks appeared on the long table. They were rather illusory and abnormally cold. Five of them were placed in front of the corresponding seats, as though they already had a master.
“The remaining two persona masks are Wrath and Pride,” Derlau introduced. “They come from the Holy Bible of the Creator from the Third Epoch.”
Audrey thought for a second before reaching out her hand to the mask that didn’t contain any anger.
“I choose Pride.”
Derlau looked at her and chuckled.
“That was the choice Hvin Rambis made back then.”
Chapter 1318 Seven Councilors
Audrey’s right hand paused for a moment before returning to normal. She picked up the mask known as Pride.
“A 50% chance isn’t low,” she replied to Pauli Derlau simply.
This was to say that picking the mask that Hvin Rambis had worn before wasn’t a surprising coincidence.
With that said, Audrey wore the cold gray mask on her face.
Almost instantly, she felt that she had an additional Virtual Persona that had appeared in her mind island.
This didn’t stem from the outside world, but rather, a magnification of what she knew to the extremes.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“They received very little education. They have to make the right choice under my guidance.
“Not everyone has enough intelligence. On the contrary, most people are very stupid.
“Those workers are impulsive and irrational. They are easily enticed by tiny perks and have no foresight. Only with me thinking for them, guiding them, and making decisions for them can they be saved.
“They are worthy of pity, but they aren’t worth communicating with.
“…”
These thoughts echoed in Audrey’s mind, almost making her believe that this was the truth. After all, this was partial feedback she had received from her previous observation and experience. It wasn’t something that had been fabricated out of thin air.
With a sweep of her gaze, Audrey saw herself from the smooth surface of the long table.
On the cold gray mask, her eyes moved upwards, fixing it to her forehead as though she could only see things high above without a care about anything else. It was funny, strange, and secretly horrifying.
Audrey fell silent. A few seconds later, she said in a deep voice, “Is this Pride?”
Composite Start
Composite End
If it wasn’t for the fact that she had long escaped her misconceptions through the exchange between Mr. World, Mr. Hanged Man, and Ma’am Hermit, she might’ve been truly affected by Pride’s persona.
As for what would happen after being affected, she couldn’t tell.
“You recovered much faster than I expected. It looks like you haven’t lost yourself in the experience of manipulating others,” Derlau said approvingly.
Audrey replied thoughtfully, “Mr. Hvin Rambis has always appeared a little proud…”
Derlau clasped his hands at his chest and said, “You could tell?”
“Only occasionally. Some details,” Audrey replied in two short sentences.
Derlaua sighed and shook his head with a smile.
“This mask’s influence on Hvin Rambis was worse than I expected. Besides, he usually put on a very good disguise.
“Under this premise, I don’t find it strange that he has gone missing. His arrogance will make it impossible for him to see the path beneath his feet. It will make him look down on Beyonders who are weaker than him, and this will often bring great danger.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey resisted the urge to recall Hvin Rambis’s death, and asked in deliberation, “These seven personalities can amplify the corresponding knowledge and emotions to help us realize our own problems, so that we can deal with them directly. At the same time, they will also bring some negative effects, and unknowingly change its wearer’s personality?”
Derlau nodded slightly.
“In the mind domain, it’s very difficult to obtain external help that’s pure and without danger. One has to have enough internal strength to avoid the corresponding negative effects.
“You have walked the right path for you to realize this.”
Audrey was just about to take the opportunity to discuss some questions about the mind domain when she suddenly saw a mask on the table disappear.
She subconsciously turned her head and looked at the entrance of the cathedral. She saw a figure walk in through the door.
This figure was wearing a three-piece formal wear suit, and he had a half top hat in his hand. He wore the mask that had disappeared earlier on.
The mouth on the mask was opened wide until it reached close to the ears. Its mouth remained open, as if it wanted to swallow everything that its eyes could see.
“This is one of the councilors of the Psychology Alchemists, Mr. Gluttony.” Derlau did the introductions.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following that, the remaining councilors of the Psychology Alchemists arrived one after another. They were Mr. Lust, Ma’am Greed, Miss Sloth, and Mr. Envy.
As a senior Spectator, Audrey was the first to notice the difference in their masks:
Greed was similar to a Gluttony. His mouth reached his earlobes, but it wasn’t open. Furthermore, his eyes were closed.
Lust was similar to Pride, but its eyes were different from ordinary people. They had sunk to the middle of their noses, as though they were looking at people from the bottom.
Envy’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were slightly slanted, and had a gloomy temperament.
Sloth’s eyes were tightly shut, and its mouth naturally drooped, giving off the feeling that the wearer was sleeping.
Seeing all the councilors present, Derlau smiled and said, “Let’s wait for another friend. He will be the seventh councilor. Heh, eighth, I forgot to count myself.”
Just as he said that, a figure entered the cathedral’s main door.
This figure wore a shirt, vest, a black trench coat, and a half top hat. At a glance, he was a rather fashionable gentleman.
However, after some observations, Audrey realized that there was a huge rabbit under the human clothes. Its eyes were bright red and its fur was snow-white.
Composite Start
Composite End
The rabbit walked inside, one step at a time, and stopped at the side of the long table. It happened to be beside Audrey.
“Unfortunately, you only have one choice.” Derlau smiled as he pointed at the Wrath mask on the table.
The rabbit let out a male human voice:
“I’ve always been very gentle. It’s a good opportunity for me to experience wrath.”
As it spoke, it picked up the persona mask and wore it on its face.
The mask’s eyes were wide and its mouth was wide open, as though an angry roar would shout out at any moment.
After Mr. Wrath sat down beside Audrey, Derlau clapped his hands and said, “I formally introduce the two councilors who will be joining our council.
“This is Miss Pride. This is Mr. Wrath. They are both demigods and have deep attainments in the domain of the mind.
“In addition, Miss Pride will be in charge of the greater Backlund area of the Loen Kingdom.”
Upon saying that, Derlau looked at Audrey and said, “You might not be aware, but we are rooted in the masses of psychologists, psychiatrists, and the corresponding aficionados. Our strength is mainly concentrated in large cities and not small cities and villages. Therefore, every councilor is responsible for a city and the surrounding area.”
Then, Derlau continued, “Mr. Wrath is in charge of the Lenburg capital, Azshara;
“Mr. Lust is in charge of the Intis capital, Trier;
“Ma’am Greed is in charge of the Feysac capital, St. Millom;
“Miss Sloth is in charge of the Feynapotter capital, Feynapotter City.
“Mr. Envy is in charge of the Intis Republic’s Tilisi City;
“Mr. Gluttony is in charge of the Loen Kingdom’s Constant City.”
After the introduction, Derlau added, “Our Psychology Alchemists’ mission is exploration, discovery, and research. We do not care about affecting the scope, member numbers, resources, etc. Therefore, we do not have any councilors in the Fog Sea, the Berserk Sea, the Sonia Sea, and the Southern Continent. Of course, there will often be members who go out to the sea to explore the ruins of the Southern Continent in search of ancient history. Heh heh, I forgot that I’m the King of the Black Throne on the Five Seas.”
St. Millom, Constant, Tilisi… Nearly half of the councilors of the Psychology Alchemists are in the Midseashire region… Audrey acutely sensed a problem.
She came from a noble family, and had received good education since she was young. She was no stranger to the geographical location of every city in the Northern Continent. She knew that Feysac’s St. Millom, Loen’s Constant, and Intis’s Tilisi were big coastal cities of Midseashire.
Although they couldn’t compare to the three major cities of Backlund, Trier, and Feynapotter City, each of them was quite large. Furthermore, there were many medium-sized cities around them. This made the Midseashire coast become the most vibrant economic zone in the Northern Continent, an area with the biggest population.
Under such circumstances, it wasn’t too surprising that the focus of the Psychology Alchemists was placed on Midseashire. Audrey generally didn’t think that the Psychology Alchemists weren’t too interested in expansion.
After the councilors got to know each other, Derlau turned his head and said to Audrey, “Miss Pride, due to the war, Backlund’s Psychology Alchemists suffered great losses. We have lost contact with many of the members. I will give you a specific list in the future. You will be in charge of confirming the whereabouts of the members and then organize them again.
“In this process, I suggest that you don’t use your real image and name to finish the tasks. Create a virtual identity to complete them. Hvin Rambis didn’t do well in this aspect. I think he’s a little too proud.”
Audrey nodded slightly and agreed.
Derlau retracted his gaze and said, “The second thing to discuss today is the whereabouts of the mind dragon in East Chester County of the Loen Kingdom.
“The dragon worshiping customs of the Hartlarkh village haven’t been weakened in the past two years. I suspect that the mind dragon is still influencing it in some way. Perhaps we can use it to find its whereabouts.
“Who is willing to handle this matter?”
After raising the question, he recalled that the newly joined Miss Pride and Mr. Wrath didn’t have enough knowledge of the corresponding situation. He simply explained the explorations the Psychology Alchemists had previously done, as well as the problems that his entire archaeological team members encountered.
Audrey had actually participated in some matters in the early stages. Now that she had a suitable reason to intervene, she couldn’t help but feel her heart palpitate.
It wasn’t that she really wanted to hunt the mind dragon, but rather, she wanted to communicate with it and grasp more knowledge and secrets of the mind domain.
However, she wasn’t in a hurry to raise her hand. As a councilor participating in the council for the first time, she would rather miss an opportunity than be eager to showcase herself.
“This is Loen’s matter. It’s not suitable for us to interfere.” Mr. Lust surveyed the area and said, “Unless Miss Pride and Mr. Gluttony don’t have the time for it.”
Audrey waited for a few more seconds. Seeing that the Gluttony didn’t say anything, she looked at Derlau and said, “I will try to investigate, but I need more detailed information.”
Chapter 1319 Life-Preserving Incantation
Seeing that Audrey was willing to attempt the investigation mission, Derlau nodded and said, “I’ll give you the detailed information later, but I have to warn you that this matter is rather dangerous. You must not be careless.”
Upon saying that, Derlau paused for a moment and said, “If you encounter an accident, and you can’t solve it by relying on yourself. You can try to say a name. This will bring you salvation.”
“What name?” Audrey asked as she had a guess in mind.
Derlau’s expression immediately turned solemn.
“It comes from the Holy Bible of the Third Epoch’s Creator. It involves the highest mystery of the mind domain, and it has a close relationship with something of the Psychology Alchemists.
“It’s ‘Adam.'”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Adam… Audrey didn’t find it surprising at all, but she showed her puzzlement on the surface, as though she didn’t know what this name meant.
Derlau didn’t explain and instead said, “As a councilor, you should be in charge of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. However, you and Wrath have just joined the ranks, so there must be an observation period first. Besides, the former committee member of the Backlund region, Hvin Rambis, has lost a rather important Sealed Artifact. We are considering whether we should change the usage method of Sealed Artifacts and allow usage only via an application.
“In other words, all the Sealed Artifacts will be kept in this mind city. You usually won’t hold onto them, and can only use them temporarily after an application for particular incidents.”
The woman in charge of Feysac’s capital’s St. Millom immediately shook her head.
“There is a very serious flaw in this method. That is that we are unable to deal with any sudden accidents. Be it enemies or monsters, once we encounter them, we will not have the time to apply and retrieve the Sealed Artifact.
“I believe that the current method is good enough. Everyone wields a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact to deal with accidents. When there’s a need, we can apply for other items.”
Derlau laughed and said, “This was indeed better in the past. But now, you don’t have to worry.
“As long as you have the chance to resist an accident, then you can directly enter this mind city to avoid the enemy and obtain the item.
“If there’s no chance, just as I said, reciting the name ‘Adam’ will do.”
Composite Start
Composite End
You said “Adam” twice. That entity is probably already watching. No, “He” might have been watching from the very beginning… Audrey’s heart almost beat faster when she heard that.
“Then how do we enter without your invitation?” Mr. Envy asked as he nodded.
Derlau pointed at his face and said, “From this council meeting forth, you can take your persona mask out of this city.
“No matter where you are, as long as there are at least two humans around you, yes, other than you, you will be able to wear the corresponding persona mask and enter the city.
“And these seven masks are illusory. They are closely connected to what you know, and there’s no need to store them in a special way. With just a thought, you will be able to take them out of the sea of collective subconscious.”
At that moment, the man, who was wearing the Gluttony mask and exuded a feeling that he was lost in indulgence, thought for a while and said, “Will bringing the persona mask out of this city affect our mental state and true personality?”
“There will be some effects that need attention. But I believe that you are all experts in the mind domain. You have the ability to resolve problems in this aspect,” Derlau said frankly.
Audrey was a little worried that these seven persona masks had something to do with Adam, but she didn’t dare think about it in the mind city. She forced herself to rein in her thoughts and replied to what Derlau had said before, “I can accept the two safekeeping methods of the Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. I’ll patiently wait for the probationary period to end.”
“Miss, you aren’t proud,” Miss Sloth, who looked like she was sleeping, commented with a smile.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After discussing the mind dragon in East Chester County, the other five councilors began introducing things that were worth paying attention to in their respective areas as an exchange of information.
During this process, Mr. Gluttony, who seemed to be capable of eating an entire cow at any moment and wore ten rings, said, “The Constant region hasn’t been peaceful recently. There have been many miracles happening one after another.
“First, Constant City was rebuilt overnight. Second, Belltaine City’s citizens collectively lost their memories of a certain period of time. Third, a powerful archmage who grants the wishes of others for pleasure has been wandering the eastern shore of the Midseashire. He’s called Merlin Hermes. Related to this, there’s an item known as the ‘Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.’
“Other than that, I also noticed something strange. Many rats, cockroaches, and crows in Constant City have lost their souls, days after the city was miraculously restored.”
“Why were you able to sense this problem?” Mr. Lust looked up at Gluttony from the bottom.
Gluttony gulped and said, “I’ve been researching the mind problems of ordinary creatures recently. Rats, cockroaches, and crows are my experimental subjects.”
The councilors immediately started discussing the direction of this research before the meeting officially entered the third stage.
Their academic exchange enriched Audrey’s knowledge quite a bit. She listened very seriously and would occasionally share her thoughts and insights.
“Alright, this conference will end here.” After a while, Derlau clapped his hands.
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey subconsciously wanted to stand up and lead the other councilors into bowing and bidding farewell. However, she quickly came to her senses and continued sitting there, being the penultimate person to stand up.
Before leaving, she asked curiously, “Mr. President, does this city have a name?”
“Yes.” Derlau laughed. “The Garden of Eden.”
Garden of Eden… Audrey saw that the other councillors were walking towards the door and asked thoughtfully, “There are many cathedrals here. They should represent a faith. Uh, I wonder which existence the ‘residents’ here believe in?”
Derlau nodded and replied solemnly, “The omnipotent and omniscient Creator.”
…
Garden of Eden… The omnipotent and omniscient Creator… If this wasn’t created by Adam, I’ll write my name backward! Above the gray fog, inside the ancient palace, Klein looked at the crimson star representing Miss Justice and silently muttered to himself.
In addition, to recite “Adam” when faced with danger as a response would indicate a problem without concealing anything.
Ever since Miss Justice entered the Garden of Eden, the true vision provided by Sefirah Castle had been suppressed. Klein could only use Audrey’s point of view to observe the surroundings, just like how Queen Mystic Bernadette’s fixed viewpoint back on the primitive island. To a certain extent, this also showed the status of the mind city, Garden of Eden.
Klein gently tapped the edge of the long mottled table and conjured a pen and paper to write his thoughts.
Composite Start
Composite End
This wasn’t something he couldn’t analyze based on his own thinking. Instead, when facing an existence like Adam, he needed to repeatedly ponder and analyze the details. Thus, the words that formed on the paper helped him to read them back and forth so as to notice and make up any missing details.
“Basic premise; Adam has already advanced to Sequence 0 using the full-scale war from before. By becoming a true god, ‘He’ can be known as a Visionary.
“Miss Justice happened to become a Sequence 4 Manipulator after Hvin Rambis’s death. She may be able to convince others, but she can’t convince Adam.
“What does Adam want? Setting up a Sequence 4 saint doesn’t match ‘His’ identity as a Visionary unless ‘He’ has another ploy up ‘His’ sleeves…
“His real target is the mind dragon, or is it me who’s backing Miss Justice?
“Care and vigilance must be enhanced on this matter. We must not be careless.
“In the Garden of Eden, the cathedral that the Psychology Alchemists councilors were using is similar to Adam’s corpse cathedral. However, it’s only a little similar. The stone columns on its exterior are inlaid with several skulls. There is no corresponding layout inside, and the color is dark-black and very gloomy. What does this mean?
“What does that grayish-white dragon coiling around the huge cross symbolize? The first step in resurrecting the Creator has been successful?
“Uh, Adam is already a Visionary. If ‘His’ father or the original Creator returns, ‘He’ would be the first one to be unlucky. ‘He’ is willing to sacrifice ‘Himself’? This is the meaning of being ‘zealous’?
“That rabbit is suspected to be Hermes… However, as an angel of the Spectator pathway, it doesn’t make sense for ‘Him’ to not be able to remove Miss Messenger’s transformation curse after so long, especially since ‘He’ has a Visionary who can provide help… Hmm, did Hermes do it on purpose?
“Yes, the president of the Psychology Alchemists, Derlau, mentioned that to the Spectator, death only represented the end of one’s identity. He can still participate in other theatrical plays in other aspects as another identity…
“By combining them together, does this mean that once the Spectator pathway reaches Sequence 3 or Sequence 2, they can separate the identities they once held and make them become living people? And even if these identities were to die, it wouldn’t lead to the deaths of their real bodies?
“It does look like the preamble to becoming a Visionary…
“Hmm, the rabbit that Hermes turned into after being cursed was separated as an identity which later directly participated in the Psychology Alchemists? What does ‘He’ want to do? Back then, when the Twilight Hermit Order communicated, ‘He’ was sitting beside the Emperor…”
After Klein was done writing, he put down his fountain pen and carefully read the contents a few times, his heart clouded with mystery and puzzlement.
In the end, he could only decide to continue observing and be vigilant.
And at this moment, Audrey had already taken the carriage she used, exited the Garden of Eden, and returned to the park in Empress Borough with the man-made lake.
She wasn’t in a rush to pray to Mr. Fool, hoping that there would be a better way to seal the Pride mask. She returned to her luxurious villa as though nothing had happened.
Chapter 1320 Mind Mail
Susie was sitting by the door, waiting for Audrey to return.
At that moment, the golden retriever immediately went up to her as soon as she saw her approach. She even gave a rather talented showcase of her acting by barking and wagging her tail.
She didn’t ask on the spot; instead, she kept accompanying Audrey back to her bedroom before asking in concern, “Is it over?”
Audrey tersely acknowledged, indicating that there was no problem.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Susie pressed.
“Not yet.” Audrey shook her head slightly.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Due to Susie’s concern, she instinctively recalled her previous experience, but to her surprise, she realized that she couldn’t recall the image and name of the Psychology Alchemists president. To recall even the information that she had learned from The World Gehrman Sparrow, she had to focus quite a bit.
To be frank, in front of Beyonders below the demigod level, she could do similar feats as a Manipulator. However, to influence a saint in the mind domain and make it impossible for them to sense it was almost impossible unless the other party was hypnotized, unconscious, or enslaved.
That gentleman’s level is probably higher than I expected… Audrey controlled her emotions and calmly made a certain judgment.
She gave Susie a look and got the golden retriever to stand guard outside the door. In her mind, she outlined the character mask that represented Pride.
Just as she was thinking about this, she felt a slight fluctuation in the sea of collective subconscious around her.
With just a thought, Audrey reached out her left hand and grabbed it. She took out an abnormally cold, illusory grayish-white mask.
As long as I seriously think about it, will this Pride mask come to my side? Or should I say that it has already existed in my subconscious and has been following me? As Audrey carefully examined her mind island, she signaled with a thought that made the Pride mask vanish.
The ice-cold, illusory grayish-white mask quickly turned transparent and melted into the surrounding sea of collective subconscious.
Audrey still couldn’t determine where this Pride mask had gone. Why did it appear in such a timely manner each time?
Composite Start
Composite End
This made her increasingly wary. She decided to pray to Mr. Fool and make the wish of sealing the mask.
Just as she was thinking of doing a few more experiments to obtain more knowledge from Pride, she saw the sea of collective subconscious begin to resonate without using her Manipulator Beyonder powers.
A beam of light came from afar as it grew larger and more obvious. Finally, it turned into an illusory letter.
This letter stopped in front of Audrey’s mind island as though it was searching for a path to complete the “delivery.”
Audrey naturally wouldn’t let any foreign object enter her mind world. She hurriedly reached out her left hand and touched the illusory letter.
Seeing that her fingers were about to touch the surface of the letter, Audrey suddenly stopped.
Her experience and intelligence told her at the same time:
Don’t touch anything in the mysticism world rashly. This was especially so for the mind domain. Otherwise, it would easily lead to corruption and produce mental problems!
With this in mind, Audrey produced a Virtual Persona and put on the black long-veiled glove, Hand of Horror.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After making the necessary preparations, she reached out to grab the illusory letter and watched as it peeled away its outer layer and flipped over one page at a time.
This was all the information related to the mind dragon in East Chester County.
To use the sea of collective subconscious to transmit information… The higher-ups of the Spectator pathway are truly amazing… As a Manipulator, Audrey had been trying her best to maintain her initial yearning towards the mysticism world. It was a pure and innocent pursuit of “dreams” and “magic.”
This was one of the ways to prevent herself from losing herself in the “Manipulating” experience of things, and not be assimilated by the sea of collective subconscious.
After flipping through all the information, Audrey let the illusory letter melt into the sea of collective subconscious.
She was still in no hurry to pray to Mr. Fool. According to her previous arrangements, she went out to be busy over other things.
At dusk, before the banquet at home began, she found some time to quickly make a prayer in her bedroom and make a wish.
In the next second, Audrey saw the grayish-white Pride appear from the sea of collective subconscious in front of her. The illusory feeling slowly vanished as a tiny amount of metallic luster flashed.
For some reason, this persona mask had a certain substantial feel to it as though it was bordering between illusory and realism.
Composite Start
Composite End
This meant that it was isolated from Audrey’s mind island in a physical sense.
Of course, it also lost the ability to return to the sea of collective subconscious.
Audrey held Pride and attempted to remove Lie that had turned into an emerald necklace, overlapping the two together.
Just as she had expected, the half-illusory, half-real Pride embedded itself into Lie, turning into a blob of patterns that roughly looked like a human face.
In the future, I’ll use this method to carry it with me. I won’t allow the persona mask to have any contact with my mind or body until I need to use it… Audrey’s mind raced as she sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
She then left for the banquet hall.
Along the way, she met her father, Earl Hall.
“Good news.” Earl Hall laughed.
Audrey didn’t hide her surprise.
“Alfred’s coming back?”
Composite Start
Composite End
This was her other brother.
“You actually guessed it?” Earl Hall said in surprise, “In the next half of the year, he will return to Backlund as a general.”
Half a year… Susie is already a Dreamwalker… Audrey thought for a moment and asked, “Father, when are we returning to East Chester County?”
As the war had just ended and there were many things in the kingdom that needed to be done, the nobles didn’t return to their respective fiefs during New Year’s. They remained in Backlund all this time. It was already the end of February.
Earl Hall nodded and said, “About April.”
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Mind Mail… Be careful of viruses, don’t click on them without thought… As Klein sighed, he threw the curtain that represented the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic back into the junk pile, allowing it to cover all the items there.
He had just fulfilled Miss Justice’s wish using the “Grafting” ability he named. He connected the illusory concept of the persona mask to an ordinary metal mask, and he gave the Worms of Spirit, who were on duty at Sefirah Castle, an order to recharge the powers from time to time to prolong the “Grafting” effect.
From the description of Mr. Gluttony from the Psychology Alchemists, Zaratul seems to have found Constant City. I have to be even more careful… Klein tapped the edge of the long mottled table with his finger, causing Worms of Spirit to appear from his body.
His figure vanished from Sefirah Castle.
…
Winter County, Amantha mountain range, Cathedral of Serenity.
Leonard obtained a document from the Pope.
This was the first thing he was responsible for after becoming a high-ranking deacon.
After returning to his room, Leonard leisurely leaned back and placed his feet on the desk. Then, he opened the document in his hand and began reading.
A wandering magician, Merlin Hermes, grants the wishes of others for pleasure… The newly rebuilt Constant City… Fully Automatic Wishing Machine… Sequence 4 of the Seer pathway is Bizarro Sorcerer, Sequence 3 is Scholar of Yore, and Sequence 2 is Miracle Invoker…
Leonard read until he suddenly fell silent.
After a few seconds, he suppressed his voice and asked, “Old Man, how many angels of the Seer pathway are active across the land?”
Pallez Zoroast scoffed.
“This is acting. There should only be one Miracle Invoker who still needs to act.
“You should know who I’m talking about.”
Leonard looked at the information in his hand again and mumbled, “He’s having quite a good time…”
He had already decided that the main purpose of this mission was to act as a Nightwatcher and digest his potion. He could also travel in passing. As for handling the matter, what mattered was to find a reasonable explanation.
After flipping through the thick documents in boredom, Leonard retracted his feet and stood up.
He was going to retrieve a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact that a high-ranking deacon like him could own.
To other saints of the Church of Evernight, this was quite a headache. This was because the negative effects of Sealed Artifacts weren’t easily endured. It was even more so when one needed to carry them for a long period of time. However, if one chose a Holy Artifact that was more compatible with him, there would be a problem of powers overlapping.
As for Leonard, he didn’t need to worry about this problem. As long as the Sealed Artifact he was interested in had a living characteristic, he could get Old Man’s help. By parasitizing it with a Worm of Time, it significantly reduced the negative effects of the Sealed Artifact, making it as obedient as the Word of the Sea.
Therefore, the main thing to choose is its powers… Leonard whistled and walked out of the room.
…
Monday afternoon, in the ancient palace above the gray fog.
Dark red beams shot out, materializing into different figures.
Derrick hadn’t needed to count his heartbeat for a long time. All he needed to do was take a look at the wall clock and calculate the time difference with Backlund to know how much longer before the Tarot Gathering happened. At that moment, he stood up with Miss Justice and the other members of the Tarot Club. He bowed to the end of the long bronze table and said, “Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.”
After taking their seats and paying their respects, Emlyn glanced left and right and said, “I want to know if there’s something special about the Planter and the Moon pathways compared to the other pathways?”
After raising the question, he didn’t hide it and instead added frankly, “I recently learned that the internal system of the Church of Earth is different from other normal systems. It’s split into two categories—Favored and Blessed…”
After Emlyn finished his simple description, Alger, Cattleya, Leonard, and company looked at each other, unable to provide a reasonable explanation.
Of course, every member present, including Derrick, could tell that the internal system of the Church of Earth was abnormal.
At this moment, they heard a soft sigh.
This sigh seemed to come from an era more ancient than ancient. It came from Mr. Fool, who sat at the end of the long mottled table.
Chapter 1321 The Six Special Pathways
The Fool Klein slowly surveyed the area. He didn’t provide an explanation to everyone as they had expected. Instead, he reined in his sigh and asked with a smile, “Where do you think the twenty-two Beyonder pathways originate from?”
This was one of the three most important questions in mysticism, with no consensus for the answer. Every school of thought had its own theory; no one could convince anyone.
Cattleya deliberated for a moment before replying, “The essence of the world is knowledge, and the essence of knowledge is data. Humans are data, and the Beyonder characteristics of the twenty-two pathways are data. All things are a form of data, and this is how it was born.”
She had offered the Moses Ascetic Order’s theory, but that was not her own point of view.
“The seven Churches believe that the Beyonder characteristic originated from the original Creator. ‘He’ transformed into all things, including the deities, humans, sea, land, and Beyonder characteristics,” Leonard briefly explained. “Of course, this is an explanation given to deacons and above. The official Beyonders below Sequence 6 don’t need to know so much.”
Then, he glanced at Emlyn and said, “The Life School of Thought believes that the world is split into three levels. The material world, the world of the spirit, and the world of absolute rationality. Beyonder characteristics are the projections of certain things from the world of absolute rationality into the material world and world of the spirit. Therefore, characteristics can’t be destroyed. It only reassembles.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
From the looks of it, the world of absolute rationality that the Life School of Thought promotes might be referring to the river of fate… The Fool Klein thought of Will Auceptin, but he remained silent and didn’t interrupt the conversation between the members of the Tarot Club.
Emlyn returned a glance at The Star and said, “As one of the rulers of the Second Epoch, us Sanguine believe that Beyonder characteristics do come from the original Creator. Then, the various characteristics accumulated and produced the ancient gods. The ancient gods then created different races.”
This was the Sanguine’s explanation for the First Epoch, and Emlyn already had some doubts about it. After all, he had encountered many secrets thanks to the Tarot Club.
Alger nodded slightly.
“Although there are many explanations for the origins of a Beyonder characteristic, most of them point to the original Creator. The orthodox Churches, Aurora Order, and the City of Silver share such a belief.”
“In other words, Beyonder characteristics originating from the original Creator is quite the prevalent understanding?” Audrey asked thoughtfully.
The Psychology Alchemists mainly studied the mind world and the sea of collective subconscious. They lacked complete theories regarding the origins of the Beyonder characteristics.
“Roughly.” Alger didn’t conceal his views.
At this moment, The Fool Klein sighed and said, “Not all of them.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t proceed on to give a long story, but gave a rather vague answer.
Not all of them… Mr. Fool means that Beyonder characteristics indeed originate from the original Creator, but not all of them. A small number of them are special cases? Is this the reason for the specialness of the Planter and Moon pathway? Alger instantly thought of a lot and grasped the essence of the problem.
As it had nothing to do with her, Fors continued listening leisurely. At this moment, she asked curiously, “Honorable Mr. Fool, your meaning seems to be that most Beyonder characteristics originated from the original Creator, and the two pathways such as Planter and Moon are an exception. Then where did they come from?”
The Fool Klein said simply, “The Cosmos.”
Cosmos… Emlyn was alarmed when he heard that. He realized that the matter might be more serious than he had imagined.
The Tarot Club had already shared the danger of the underground corruption and the cosmos. All of the members knew that these two concepts led to corruption simply from understanding it.
When Audrey, Cattleya, and company looked at each other, The Fool Klein maintained his hint of a sigh and added, “Not just these two.”
He and the Seven Lights had always maintained their contact and had already confirmed that six of the Beyonders of the twenty-two Beyonder pathways belonged to Outer Deities.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, what other pathways come from the cosmos?” Audrey habitually raised her hand and asked curiously and warily.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Fool Klein replied succinctly, “Prisoner, Criminal, Lawyer, and Arbiter.”
The first two came from the Mother Tree of Desire, and the latter two, along with the Nation of Disorder, came from the Son of Chaos.
Chaos gave birth to order, and order came with its own shadow.
Arbiter… Fors turned her head in surprise and glanced at Xio.
She had just thought that this matter had nothing to do with her. She could only watch and not worry about it. Who knew that the trouble was right at her doorstep?
Xio frowned slightly and looked at the end of the long bronze table.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, I usually don’t sense any abnormalities, nor have I received any divine epiphanies. Uh, other than those from you.”
The Fool Klein smiled and said, “The Arbiter and Lawyer are relatively better.”
According to his understanding, the influence the Son of Chaos had on both the Arbiter and the Lawyer pathway wasn’t deep. It was incomparable to the Mother Goddess of Depravity’s influence on the Moon and Planter pathways, and the Mother Tree of Desire’s influence on the Criminal and Prisoner pathways. This Outer Deity had gone silent, as though “He” had disappeared.
Composite Start
Composite End
Fors and Xio secretly heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, they became more wary of the future.
With Mr. Fool not explaining further, Emlyn composed himself and said, “The uniqueness of the Planter and Moon pathway comes from the cosmos. The divine epiphanies I sensed are likely a form of corruption?”
Alger looked at Mr. Fool at the end of the long, mottled table. Seeing that “He” had no intention of speaking, he nodded and said, “Probably so.”
This is a test for me… Emlyn sighed and said,
“I’ve already grasped the names of the High-Sequence potions of the Planter and Moon pathway. I’m somewhat puzzled about two of them.”
After becoming a Sanguine Earl and a high-ranking deacon of the Church of Earth, he obtained the corresponding clearance to access plenty of information that he had never been able to.
Seeing the other members of the Tarot Club look over, The World Gehrman Sparrow raised his hand to pinch his chin. Emlyn thought and said, “The Moon pathway is as follows: Sequence 3—High Summoner; Sequence 2—Life-Giver; Sequence 1—Beauty Goddess. The Planter pathway is as follows: Sequence 3—Pallbearer; Sequence 2—Desolate Matriarch; Sequence 1—Naturewalker.
“What I don’t understand is that the names of the two potions—Beauty Goddess and Desolate Matriarch—have certain gender inclinations. What are your thoughts on this?”
“…” For a moment, no one from the Tarot Club spoke. They looked at each other and thought of a possibility.
A few seconds later, Audrey controlled her gaze and said in deliberation, “I remember that Sequence 7 of the Assassin pathway is called Witch. Assassins who consume this potion become Witches.”
Composite Start
Composite End
…This is a test for me… Emlyn’s lips moved slightly, unable to say a word.
When he learned the name of the potions, he already had a certain premonition, but he wasn’t willing to accept it. He hoped that he could obtain another explanation from the Tarot Club.
Don’t worry. You have a low chance of becoming an angel. Even if you can, you won’t have the chance to be a Beauty Goddess… Klein mumbled inwardly, but he didn’t say any words of “comfort.”
Everyone fell silent. Leonard coughed and took the initiative to say, “I’ll share some matters.”
He spoke at a moderate pace regarding Merlin Hermes, the rebuilding of Constant City overnight, and the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
As he spoke, he shot a glance at The World Klein.
The corners of Klein’s mouth twitched as he made The World Gehrman Sparrow look ahead.
“I’ll be leaving the eastern coast of Midseashire soon.”
Eh… These were all done by Mr. World? Can he already create such miracles? As expected of an angel, a “Him”… Audrey recalled the information the Psychology Alchemists councilor, Mr. Gluttony, had shared. She was both surprised and impressed.
She didn’t use her Spectator’s powers to conceal her reaction. This was because everyone had expressed the same emotions, except for Mr. Star, who clearly knew about it.
Merlin Hermes… Wandering magician… Fors noted the name deep down and secretly decided to distance herself from this name whenever she heard it in the future.
This didn’t mean that she was still afraid of Gehrman Sparrow, but she knew something:
It definitely wasn’t safe around Gehrman Sparrow. Something would always be happening in some way or another.
Of course, an instinctive sense of fear was inevitable. It was just like how a seed of “fear” sown when one was young would remain even when one became an adult.
Granting wishes for pleasure… Fully Automatic Wishing Machine… Is this The World Gehrman Sparrow’s “acting”? Alger and Cattleya had similar thoughts simultaneously flashing through their minds. Then, they thought of something:
Ever since some time ago, Mr. Fool had made everyone pray to “Him” in the form of a wish before granting them.
“He” is helping The World digest the potion, or is it that “He” and The World are from the same pathway? After “He” awoke, “He” also exhibits similar characteristics? Little Sun said before that Mr. Fool’s actions were a miracle, allowing the city’s residents to directly move from the Forsaken Land of the Gods to outside Bayam City… With the fact that The World Gehrman Sparrow is still acting, this shouldn’t be something he can do… Alger nodded indiscernibly as he made a guess about the pathway Mr. Fool was in.
About to leave the eastern coast of Midseashire? Then my investigation will be even easier. I can just come up with a simple conclusion. At most, I can just directly report that Gehrman Sparrow has become a Miracle Invoker and is acting… Anyway, the people who should know are already aware… Leonard mumbled silently and didn’t ask further.
At this moment, The World Gehrman Sparrow looked around and asked, “What do you know about the King of the Black Throne, Barros Hopkins?”
Chapter 1322 Hold Off On Something Unresolvable
Upon hearing The World Gehrman Sparrow’s question, the other members of the Tarot Club had three reactions:
“Who is that? I seem to have heard of him… He’s one of the Four Kings?”
“Who is that? Why haven’t I heard of him before…”
“Oh, I forgot to ask about the Psychology Alchemists. I was planning on using a more tactful method to seek some suggestions…”
The first reaction came from Alger, Cattleya, and Fors, who had lived at sea for a period of time. The second reaction came from Leonard, Emlyn, Xio, and Derrick. The third reaction belonged to Audrey alone.
Getting no answers, The World Gehrman Sparrow didn’t ask further. His main goal was to use this as a reminder for Miss Justice to bring up the matter for discussion in a way that could bypass the promise she made.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, if Miss Justice were to seek help from Mr. Fool, Klein would also use “Grafting” to temporarily connect the bindings formed from her subconscious to a paper figurine, providing her with a period of time that she could freely recount things.
This was also a high-level application of Paper Figurine Substitutes. With Klein’s current level, he could easily do it within Sefirah Castle. If he were in the real world, he would have to rely on the Worms of Spirit above the gray fog to control the “curtain” and provide responses.
At that moment, Audrey thought for a moment and said, “Do you still remember that I once pursued the whereabouts of a mind dragon and went to a place where they had customs of worshiping dragons?”
Alger, Cattleya, and company nodded. Only Leonard and Xio expressed their lack of knowledge of this matter.
As this wasn’t an important matter, Fors didn’t mention it when she first briefed Xio of the “general knowledge.” After that, she was frightened by Angel of Imagination Adam, and rarely talked about the secrets shared by the Tarot Club in the real world.
Audrey deliberated for a moment before continuing, “It’s been almost two years. A secret organization that doesn’t trust me too much suddenly mentioned this matter and has entrusted me with further investigations. They said it’s a form of observation. What motives do they have?”
She didn’t think it was a coincidence.
Emlyn recovered and laughed.
“This should be a test.”
Composite Start
Composite End
To him, he was still very far from reaching Sequence 1 Beauty Goddess, and he had no intention of transferring to the Planter pathway. Therefore, he didn’t need to worry about the corresponding problems for a long period of time. There was no need to worry too much about it.
Emlyn’s ability to say the word “test” shows how much he has improved… Of course, this is also because the Sanguine has done too many similar things to him, having to trouble Mr. Hanged Man into telling him that “this is a test”… The Fool Klein was very satisfied with Emlyn’s answer.
Of course, he didn’t believe that the answer was correct. He only felt that Emlyn’s ability to think up to this level was already pretty remarkable.
Audrey said disapprovingly, “I suspect that they already know that I’m problematic. They even know where my problem is and which faction is involved. There’s no need to test me further.”
After leaving the Garden of Eden, she had been thinking a lot. She remembered that Mr. World had once said that the Twilight Hermit Order wanted a war that would sweep the entire world.
Based on the current situation, this goal has been achieved in the past year.
In other words, the Twilight Hermit Order or Angel of Imagination Adam must’ve used this opportunity to gain quite a number of benefits and experience the corresponding growth.
And before that, Mr. Fool informed them that Adam was ever closer to the level of a deity.
Combining all this information, Audrey had a preliminary judgment that Angel of Imagination Adam had a high chance of already reaching the divine throne and becoming a Sequence 0 Visionary.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Even if “He” wasn’t there yet, “He” wasn’t too far!
If such a deity who wielded the mind domain cast “His” gaze over, Audrey didn’t believe that her secret could be hidden.
At present, she could only console herself that the leader of the Twilight Hermit Order, the mastermind behind the Psychology Alchemists wouldn’t place too much importance on a Sequence 4 Manipulator. On the one hand, she had made all sorts of preparations to deal with the possible “accidents.”
“Perhaps that organization is trying to figure how many members we have in the Tarot Club and what their identities are,” Emlyn replied with a smile as he continued on his train of thought.
Audrey thought for a moment and nodded.
“That possibility can’t be ruled out.”
As she said this, she shot a glance at the end of the long, mottled table and realized that Mr. Fool was only listening to her leisurely without giving her the correct answer.
This made her feel a lot more at ease. At the same time, she silently decided that she had to be more careful. She had to be able to resolve problems herself, having already reached Sequence 4.
In any Orthodox Church or secret organization, Sequence 4 was the strongest person in control of an area.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Alger, who had heard their conversation, proposed a brand new possibility:
“If that secret organization really doesn’t trust you, then it might be an excuse for them to do an observation. Their main goal is to cooperate with us, the Tarot Club, and Mr. Fool.”
He didn’t know why Miss Justice didn’t mention the Psychology Alchemists directly. All he could do was carefully go along with her.
Hmm… This is equivalent to me becoming an ambassador of the Tarot Club to the Psychology Alchemists? Audrey nodded slightly and said, “That’s also possible.
“Then what should I do next?”
Alger thought for a moment and said, “Stall for time.”
Good idea… Fors and Emlyn both expressed their agreement.
After Alger gave the overall strategy, he added in detail, “Try to stall for time and find excuses not to go until the final moment.
“When you arrive there, start investigating from the periphery and use caution as an excuse to slow down your investigation.
“If you really can’t delay any further, you can deliberately make mistakes in certain matters and create some commotion so that the mind dragon can detect it early and eliminate any traces.
Composite Start
Composite End
“If that secret organization really has any additional motives, the longer you delay, the more they won’t be able to sit still. If they get impatient, they will expose the problem.”
Cattleya nodded.
“This is the most suitable response for now.”
“I understand. Thank you, everyone.” Audrey also felt that Mr. Hanged Man’s suggestion suited her thoughts.
However, she didn’t delay a certain matter. She immediately turned her head and looked at the end of the long, mottled table. She bowed and said, “Honorable Mr. Fool, has Angel of Imagination Adam advanced to Sequence 0?”
Not bad. To be able to be aware of this point… The Fool Klein leaned back in his chair and chuckled.
“Only with the apocalypse approaching did ‘He’ finally take that step.”
The level of the Garden of Eden had virtually confirmed that Adam was definitely a Visionary.
Angel of Imagination Adam has become a god? This news immediately reverberated in Derrick and company’s minds, leaving their minds in upheavals for a long time.
Indeed… Audrey pursed her lips and expressed her gratitude before asking, “What kind of payment do I need to make for this answer?”
The Fool Klein surveyed the area and said with a smile,
“There’s no need.
“It’s a reminder.”
After this topic ended, because most of the Tarot Club members were still immersed in the impact of Adam becoming a true god, no one spoke for a moment.
After a few seconds, Derrick looked around and probed, “The City of Silver has already plowed the surrounding fields and planted wheat and other crops, but the harvest will still take some time. I wish to know what we can do to earn gold pounds and purchase resources?”
After the initial aid, the Church of the Sea God and the government of the Rorsted Archipelago stopped providing free aid. After all, their financial strength was rather limited. In this situation, the City of Silver and Moon City each sold a batch of Beyonder characteristics and monster hides in exchange for a large amount of funds that could be used to purchase various resources.
However, with the entrance to the Forsaken Land of the Gods closed, they were unable to replenish Beyonder characteristics and monster hides. It was also impossible for the City of Silver and Moon City to give up their military strength either, selling large amounts of combat resources and wasting the opportunity of nurturing their descendants. Therefore, once all the gold pounds, gold, and jewelry were used up, they would undoubtedly fall into a predicament.
For this reason, the six-member council had been troubled over how to earn gold pounds from the outside world and how to establish a stable financial system. This was a little beyond their capabilities.
The Beyonder characteristics that the City of Silver and Moon City had previously sold were mainly purchased by the Church of the Sea God and the Rorsted Archipelago government. They were used to establish official Beyonder factions under them. After all, the number of Beyonders needed to cause damage, and the number of Beyonders needed to stabilize an area was on completely different levels.
In addition, the entire Rorsted Archipelago only had Sea God Kalvetua and the demigod cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms. This was slightly insufficient for a new government, especially since the Church of Storms and the Church of Sea God weren’t allies.
After hearing Little Sun’s plea for help, the other members of the Tarot Club began to seriously consider what the City of Silver and Moon City residents could do.
Audrey thought for a moment and asked, “What are you best at?”
“Combat,” Derrick replied without any hesitation.
Alger nodded slightly when he heard that.
“Although the world war has ended, law and order hasn’t been restored in the colonies of the Southern Continent. It’s still very chaotic there, and small-scale wars occur from time to time. You can try to form two to three mercenary teams and be hired by any faction.”
Private military contractors… Klein gave an even more modern name to the suggestion.
“This is a good idea.” Derrick’s eyes lit up when he heard that.
Alger asked again, “Combat is a survival instinct. Other than this, do you still have anything you want to do?”
Derrick replied in embarrassment, “Many people wish to be chefs and brewers, as well as hope to work at candy factories…”
Chapter 1323 Development Plan
After hearing the City of Silver citizens’ wishes, a thought suddenly surfaced in Klein’s mind:
Why is everything related to food…
Alger thought for a moment and said to Derrick, “You can make people with such thoughts join the industry association in Bayam. Seek out suitable teachers through the association, and directly invite people with specialties in such fields to teach in the new City of Silver and provide generous salaries.
“Of course, the prerequisite is that you have to get the residents to grasp the language of the Rorsted Archipelago as soon as possible. On this basis, Loenese, ancient Feysac, and Dutanese have to be taught too.”
After The Hanged Man finished speaking, The Hermit Cattleya gave her suggestion:
“Other than organizing the mercenary teams, you can also try to apply for civil jobs in the various cities of the Rorsted Archipelago to handle supernatural matters.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Although the Rorsted Archipelago government and the Church of the Sea God had obtained a batch of Beyonder characteristics and the corresponding potion formulas from the City of Silver and Moon City, they were unable to nurture enough Beyonders in a short period of time. Sequence 9 was relatively still alright. The chances of someone being selected for their good mental strength and physique to lose control from consuming the potion were actually very small. If one were to further advance, acting might not necessarily be successful, and it also required time.
Under such circumstances, as long as the residents of the City of Silver became members of the official faction, they wouldn’t be worried about losing their jobs in the future.
Of course, the Rorsted Archipelago’s government would definitely control the number of applicants. The City of Silver wouldn’t be able to completely resolve everyone’s employment problems using this route.
Klein agreed with Ma’am Hermit’s suggestion. Furthermore, he believed that there was a need for him to give a revelation to Danitz, allowing the Rorsted Archipelago government and the Church of Sea God to increase the number of official Beyonders to a certain range.
This wasn’t to help the City of Silver’s residents and the majority of the deformed people in Moon City find jobs, but to deal with the impending apocalypse, the deeper corruption of the Outer Deities, and the gradually increasing frequency of supernatural incidents.
At that moment, Cattleya glanced at Miss Justice and continued speaking to Derrick.
“You should now have a large amount of liquid funds. You can try to invest in the mines, spice plantations, farms, and purchase fertile land and forests with rich produce. They’re all very cheap now. Yes, although the Church of the Lord of Storms can still influence the archipelago, and although the new government promises to protect the local businesses, there are still a large number of people from Loen, Feysac, and Intis who lack confidence. They wish to cash out and return to their countries as soon as possible.”
That Oracle named Danitz recently bought a spice plantation… Derrick recalled what he had heard before and immediately felt enlightened.
Cattleya’s suggestion gave others inspiration. Audrey immediately added, “When negotiating, it’s best if you invite some professional lawyers. If not, you’ll be fooled easily. Well, if you think there’s a need, you can bring along a Psyche Analyst from the city.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, you have a medium-sized port that can develop the corresponding economy…
“While the official Beyonders of the Rorsted Archipelago’s government and the Church of the Sea God are lacking in generation knowledge, you can set paid classes designed for outsiders in the New City of Silver’s Savant schools. Well, remove the knowledge that will easily clash with the orthodox Church…
“The railway connecting the new City of Silver and other cities must be built as soon as possible…”
Derrick was taken aback when he heard that. He hurriedly raised his hand and said, “Sorry, I need to memorize what was just said.”
I forgot that he has no foundation in economics… Audrey reflected on herself, closed her mouth, and smiled as she signaled for Little Sun to seek help from Mr. Fool.
After Derrick conjured a pen and paper and wrote down the previous suggestions, Audrey, Emlyn, The Star Leonard, and the other members of the Tarot Club offered their ideas one after another. They also rebutted the suggestions that weren’t mature or pragmatic enough.
This intense scene lasted for nearly half an hour before ending. Derrick looked at the adequately thick pieces of paper in front of him and couldn’t help but smile.
He seemed to have seen the beautiful future of the City of Silver.
Sitting at the end of the long, mottled table, The Fool Klein sighed for some baffling reason as his heart felt a lot heavier.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
If one didn’t consider how the apocalypse was about a decade away, the discussion would’ve been pleasing regarding the promising future that awaited the City of Silver.
However, the arrival of the apocalypse wouldn’t change because of the will of humans. Even saints and angels couldn’t do it.
Looking away from the paper in front of him, Derrick deliberated and said, “We have already built the temple and cathedral meant for Mr. Fool. We wish to proselytize to various cities in the archipelago. What do we need to pay attention to?”
Alger frowned slightly and said, “Have you written a Holy Bible? Have you designed the Order of Mass and prayer details?”
“Yes.” Derrick nodded heavily.
That was based on his knowledge of the miracles Mr. Fool had shown, combined with the religious scriptures left behind by the Creator. Furthermore, the City of Silver had also prayed to The Fool seeking “His” thoughts on the matter, “His” attitude was a tacit agreement.
“Has the internal system of the Church been set up?” Alger continued asking.
Derrick subconsciously looked at Mr. Fool, who was shrouded in layers of grayish-white fog, and turned around.
“Currently, it’s following the internal system of the other Churches. The Chief of our six-member council will hold the role of archbishop, and a number of enthusiastic citizens have been appointed as bishops and priests.”
Composite Start
Composite End
The City of Silver didn’t set up an organization to deal with Beyonder matters within the Church, since most of them were Beyonders, and there were already the corresponding organizations in place previously.
Alger saw that Mr. Fool didn’t object nor agree. He controlled his desire to teach and nodded slightly.
“You can try that out first.”
He paused for a moment before saying, “However, there are two things to take note of. First, don’t badmouth the other Churches, lest there be conflict. Second, it’s to respect the current Oracle. In the absence of a leader appointed by Mr. Fool, the Oracle is the representative of a deity.”
Third, don’t engage in religious harassment during proselytizing… Besides, I have serious doubts about the eloquence of the bishops and priests of the City of Silver. I’ll need to get Danitz to find professionals to train them… The Fool Klein, who was listening quietly, muttered inwardly.
He didn’t express his opinion on the Holy Bible written by the City of Silver, because it was a little awkward, but if he objected to certain descriptions, it would also damage The Fool’s image.
With this in mind, Klein couldn’t help but lampoon.
Perhaps one day, when Will Auceptin reads the Holy Bible of the Church of The Fool, he would blurt out in surprise: When did I become an angel under The Fool?
Then, Leonard’s grandpa, the awakened Mr. Azik, and Miss Messenger, who has been trying hard to recover, will add, “What? Me too?”
After the conversation regarding the City of Silver and Moon City came to an end, Cattleya looked around in anticipation and said, “Which of you has a Sequence 3 Beyonder characteristic of the Mystery Pryer pathway?”
Composite Start
Composite End
She had already digested the Mysticologist potion for quite some time, but she had only obtained the potion formula from the Moses Ascetic Order. She was still far from obtaining the Beyonder characteristic or the main ingredients.
Although she was one of the ten key members of the Moses Ascetic Order, the corresponding resources became more valuable the higher the Sequence. Even an ancient organization wouldn’t squander them freely. Furthermore, Cattleya came from the Dawn and was less affected by the Hidden Sage, so she wasn’t that trusted in the Moses Ascetic Order.
To Cattleya, who had already digested the potion a long time ago using the Snake of Fate’s blood to advance to a Mysticologist, Sequence 3 should’ve been a relatively easier stage. However, she was bottlenecked by the ingredients. It might not even be possible for her to obtain one for years or even more than a decade.
Hence, she had no choice but to seek help at the Tarot Club.
Derrick recalled the demigod characteristics that the City of Silver had and slowly shook his head.
At that moment, The World Gehrman Sparrow said with a hoarse chuckle, “I suggest you ask Queen Mystic directly.”
Bernadette had already become a Sequence 2 angel. If she had an additional Clairvoyant Beyonder characteristic in her, she could attempt to separate it.
Of course, Klein couldn’t be certain that the Sage potion that Queen Mystic consumed contained the previous Sequence 3 and Sequence 4 characteristics.
Ask the Queen? Cattleya got some clues from The World’s answer and suspected that something had happened to the Queen.
“Okay.” She controlled the urge to ask.
Klein continued controlling The World and said to Ma’am Hermit, “I have a long-term mission: Help me collect information regarding the Hidden Sage’s sudden coming back to life.
“You can raise the corresponding remuneration now. Or you can wait until there’s a need in the future.”
Klein was still puzzled over this matter. Although it could be described as a Uniqueness suddenly coming to life, it should’ve happened a long time ago if it was possible.
Cattleya thought for a moment and said, “That wouldn’t be an issue.”
After another round of exchanges, the Tarot Gathering ended and the members returned to the real world.
In the captain’s cabin of the Future, Cattleya nudged the heavy glasses on her nose bridge and thought about how to write the letter to the Queen.
During this process, she strolled to the window and saw Frank Lee promoting the alcohol-free volcano beer brewed by sea microorganisms to the crew.
He really has the drive… Just as Cattleya sighed, she suddenly frowned.
At the Tarot Club just now, Mr. Fool mentioned that the Planter and The Moon are two rather special pathways. They come from the cosmos, and they are prone to corruption. The divine epiphanies they receive are questionable.
Frank is a Beyonder of the Planter pathway…
Besides, he once complained that the Church of Earth Mother didn’t understand the true will of the merciful mother… Cattleya’s eyes that were blocked by the heavy lens narrowed slightly.
Chapter 1324 Handling
After staring at the deck below, Cattleya left the captain’s cabin and walked to the cabin’s entrance. She waited until Frank Lee carried a bucket of alcohol-free beer over.
“Captain, do you want a cup?” Frank raised the large bucket of beer with one hand.
Cattleya shook her head firmly and asked in a seemingly casual manner, “Is this the will of the benevolent mother?”
“No,” Frank said rather seriously. “I just feel that drinking liquor that has been altered by a modified sedative isn’t good for the body. I hope that they’ll be able to accept this drink that has no alcohol inside, other than the smell of alcohol. Of course, this is only a preliminary result and it doesn’t involve liquor. After all, it can’t use distillation to enhance its taste.”
Cattleya was momentarily at a loss for words as she nudged the heavy glasses on her nose bridge. After two seconds of silence, she said, “Do you hear the benevolent mother’s voice or divine epiphanies?”
“No.” Frank didn’t think much of it as he shook his head.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Phew… Cattleya secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Frank casually added, “The benevolent mother’s will is in the ears of the wheat, in the milk of cows, in the growth of mushrooms, and in every corner of nature. One can feel it without the need to experience the divine epiphany.”
Cattleya’s gaze immediately shot towards Frank’s eyes. She didn’t find any signs of madness, only pureness.
Without another word, she nodded slightly and walked forward. She crossed Frank Lee and arrived on the deck.
After taking in the sea’s vista for a few minutes, Cattleya returned to the captain’s cabin. She unfolded a letter and wrote:
“I wonder what’s your take regarding Frank’s actions? He claims that he doesn’t obtain any divine epiphanies, and believes that the benevolent mother’s will is hidden in every nook and cranny of nature.”
This was a letter to Gehrman Sparrow. Cattleya believed that just by adding such a question, he would be able to understand what she was implying.
After folding the letter, she took out a gold coin and began to summon the terrifying messenger.
…
Composite Start
Composite End
Ma’am Hermit wrote me a letter immediately after the Tarot Gathering ended… It shouldn’t be related to the Hidden Sage. It can’t be that fast… Klein was on a cruise ship, traveling on the Tussock River.
Wearing a black robe, he took the letter from Miss Messenger’s mouth and opened it. He finished reading all the content with a glance.
This… Klein frowned slightly.
Perhaps it was because Frank had shown enough danger and “madness” in his usual behavior that he had actually neglected the possibility of this Druid being affected by the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
Frank had once been placed on trial by the Church of Earth Mother for a forbidden experiment, and then he was placed on a wanted list… If Earth Mother hadn’t been corrupted, and the Church of Earth’s operations were rather normal, then it means that they believe that Frank is problematic… However, if there’s concrete evidence, Frank, who went to the court, probably wouldn’t have lived… Klein’s mind raced as he attempted to find clues based on his understanding of Frank.
There’s no problem with the relevant actions. The prayer posture and his usual prayer gestures are different. It’s just like how when the Beyonders of the Church of Evernight pray, they won’t draw four stars on their chests at times. At most, they’ll just go through the final motions…
Apart from this small problem, there’s something wrong with Frank in every aspect. He’s like a child raised by the Mother Goddess of Depravity… As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein had two contradictory guesses.
Either Frank’s corruption was very hidden, making it impossible for the Church of Earth Mother’s tribunal to be certain, or he wasn’t affected by the Mother Goddess of Depravity at all. It was purely because he had a mental problem that made him look like a Blessed of an evil god.
Regardless of which guess it was, Klein believed that the subsequent development wouldn’t be good.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He remembered very clearly that Frank’s mushroom experiment had a breakthrough because he had been given an assistant who believed in the Primordial Moon. And the Primordial Moon was one of the manifestations of the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
That also meant that from that moment forth, regardless of whether Frank had any problems in the past, he could very well have entered the eyes of the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
This wasn’t a good thing.
Of course, I can’t eliminate the possibility that Frank is excessively crazy, causing the Mother Goddess of Depravity to just look away… Klein mumbled in amusement, hoping to make the best out of it.
This was nearly impossible. The horror and strength of a foreign god wasn’t something a demigod could understand.
Klein even suspected that if it wasn’t for the overly intense response that would destroy the anchors of the deities, allowing “Them” to attack each other in a frenzy, resulting in the Beyonder characteristics to gather and awaken the Oldest One, the Outer Deities might’ve already destroyed the sun and destroyed the ecosystem of the world. They weren’t able to do anything to the Oldest One’s barrier, but they were free to do anything to the star outside the barrier.
Sometimes, Klein wondered if the astronomically observed sun was real or not. Perhaps it was just the Eternal Blazing Sun that hung “Himself” there.
So far, there shouldn’t be any major problems with the mushrooms that Frank invented. I’ve already dealt with them above the gray fog… Furthermore, the residents of the City of Silver and Moon City didn’t show any abnormalities. Yes, after they left the Forsaken Land of the Gods, they abandoned farming mushrooms because they lacked monster corpses and had sufficient food… The more Klein thought about it, the more fearful he felt towards it.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the Mother Goddess of Depravity’s powers that could penetrate the original barrier was still extremely limited, Klein suspected that the Cards of Blasphemy and mushrooms would’ve left him corrupted. Sefirah Castle would have unknowingly changed owners.
Composite Start
Composite End
These were things that had been placed above the gray fog for a long time and didn’t undergo any special sealing.
Compared to the flamboyant Mother Tree of Desire, the usually low-key Mother Goddess of Depravity was far more terrifying!
Mr. Door and the Emperor were silently corrupted by “Her.”
As expected of an existence that stands atop the Outer Deities despite losing two Beyonder pathways and a sefirah… Klein sighed inwardly. He took out a pen and paper and prepared to write a reply to Cattleya.
At that moment, he realized that Miss Messenger had been waiting by his side the entire time without returning to the spirit world. The eight eyes of the four heads stared at him unblinkingly.
“What do you think of Frank?” Klein hesitated before asking, “I mean, other than his nickname.”
The four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand spoke one after another:
“He only…” “Appears like…” “An adopted son of…” “An Outer Deity…”
In other words, Frank wasn’t affected by the Mother Goddess of Depravity previously. He was simply crazy… Klein heaved a long sigh of relief.
He then asked, “What about now?”
Composite Start
Composite End
As Frank Lee summoned Reinette Tinekerr every time he wrote a letter to Gehrman Sparrow, Klein believed that Miss Messenger, who had a very high status, had a relatively clear and accurate grasp of the state of the Mushroom King.
“I…” “Don’t…” “Know…” “Either…” Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads answered one after another.
Following that, “She” added, “His body…” “Temporarily…” “Hasn’t been…” “Corrupted…”
Does that mean that you can’t tell if his psyche is affected? That’s right, other than his low level, Frank’s usual actions resemble more of an evil god than me… Klein lampooned as he took out a gold coin and flicked it.
With this medium, he quickly entered a dream divination state.
At the same time, he was prepared to activate Sefirah Castle to cut off the Outer Deities from watching.
Scenes flashed past as Klein saw several futures.
Yes, the greatest threat right now is that Primordial Moon believer. I have to separate him from Frank, or things will become extremely troublesome and dangerous… If Frank doesn’t come into contact with anything related to the Mother Goddess of Depravity in the future and doesn’t advance to a demigod, there shouldn’t be any problems… If only one of these two conditions is satisfied, the chance of an accident happening will increase greatly. If both are satisfied at the same time, I can’t see the developments at all… Klein snapped awake as he interpreted the results of the divination.
Perhaps because Frank’s level was too low, and he wasn’t too affected by it, Klein’s divination happened smoothly without encountering any danger.
Phew… He silently exhaled and caught the gold coin.
Then, he realized that Miss Messenger’s eight red eyes were focused on the gold coin in his palm.
Klein twitched his eyebrows, expressing his doubts.
“It…” “Has…” Sefirah Castle’s…” “Aura…” Reinette Tinekerr’s four blonde, red-eyed heads shook up and down.
This is one of the five gold coins I often use for divination. It has already been tainted by the aura of Sefirah Castle? This way, it can be considered a mystical item to a certain extent. However, the effect will be drained over time… Klein carefully looked at the gold coin in his hand and made a rough judgment based on his spiritual intuition.
This gold coin could increase the accuracy of divination and enhance a user’s ability to resist any interference.
To Klein, this was a pleasant surprise. He decided to use the actual gold coin rather than its historical projection.
Retrieving the gold coin, Klein wrote a reply to Ma’am Hermit and handed it to her through Reinette Tinekerr.
…
After giving Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger another gold coin, Cattleya unfolded the letter and quickly scanned it.
After reading it, she felt her shoulders weigh down a little.
Without any delay, Cattleya took out another piece of paper and wrote:
“Your Majesty,
“I dreamed of you finding that primitive island and successfully returning…
“The situation of that descendant of the Emperor is getting worse. If he continues staying on the Future, I suspect he’ll go crazy. If you don’t mind, I want to send him over to you.”
“What we need to take note of is that, although he claims to no longer believe in the Primordial Moon, no one has ever confirmed that.
“…
“My greatest worry now is that it’s difficult to obtain the main ingredient of a Clairvoyant… If you have returned, I wish to find a time to return the Magic Wishing Lamp to you…”
Chapter 1325 More than Half a Year Later
City of Generosity, Bayam, in a rented apartment lit up with gas lamps.
Verdu Abraham, who was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, held a thick stack of information. He was reading seriously under the dim light, drawing a symbol and recording what he deemed useful information from time to time.
He left Loen and came to the Rorsted Archipelago mainly to avoid being watched by Dorian and his other family members, and focus on studying mysticism. He wanted to find an effective way to save Ancestor Bethel Abraham, or rather, reduce the difficulty of the known ritual.
However, he hadn’t made any headway after half a year. It was as though he had no other choice other than hunting a Bizarro Sorcerer, a Parasite, and a Secrets Sorcerer.
This made Verdu rather depressed, but he was clear about how dangerous a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was. Even if he was willing to sacrifice himself, he was unable to truly control it. He was unable to guarantee the final outcome.
And the most important thing was that he couldn’t find any Bizarro Sorcerers or Parasites. They were all saints that were hard to track, with styles that were known for being strange and bizarre.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Phew… Verdu put down the stack of documents in his hand and muttered silently, Don’t tell me I can only place my hopes on The Fool like Dorian and the others?
Upon thinking of The Fool, Verdu couldn’t help but frown. This was because there were more and more half-giants promoting The Fool’s faith in Bayam City, so much so that even he, who rarely went out, heard of it.
This made him suspect if he had arrived near the headquarters of the Church of The Fool.
If it wasn’t for the mysterious knowledge that was spread in secret in the Rorsted Archipelago was far beyond Verdu’s expectations—many of them were things that the Abraham family didn’t know of, and were extremely useful—he would’ve left Bayam last month and headed for the Southern Continent.
I can’t stay here any longer. I need to buy ship tickets to East Balam as soon as possible… Just as Verdu made a decision, he began to waver. Dorian and The Fool probably wouldn’t expect me to hide in the area that’s under their headquarters’ jurisdiction. Emperor Roselle once said that the most dangerous place is the safest place…
After some hesitation, Verdu put down the documents and switched off the lights. With the moonlight from the window, he walked towards the bedroom.
At the corner of the balcony in his room, a figure suddenly jumped out of the darkness and jumped over the railings.
The figure was like a feather, light and weightless. It landed from a height ten meters above the ground, without making a single sound.
Right on the heels of that, the figure moved through the shadows to the vicinity of the Church of the Sea God and went up the bell tower.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, “he” took out a pen and paper and wrote the report on tonight’s surveillance before stuffing it into a crack.
After the figure left, a howling wind suddenly sounded above the bell tower about fifteen minutes later.
The report was pulled out from the crack by an invisible hand. As it swept through the wind, it rose and fell into the distance like a bat spreading its wings in the dark night.
Not long after, the report plummeted like it had been bound to a rock, landing on a hand that extended out in a hidden corner of the garden.
This hand belonged to the cardinal of the Church of Storms, Alger Wilson.
He then unfolded the report and began to read it in the darkness. He was completely unaffected by the lack of light.
Even in the dark sea, Alger could see everything around him clearly.
Verdu is becoming more resolute in his intention of leaving Bayam… Alger nodded indiscernibly as he came to a conclusion.
Over the past half a year, he had been monitoring this member of the Abraham family according to Mr. Fool’s instructions, but he hadn’t noticed anything abnormal about him.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After Verdu left the Rorsted Archipelago, his mission would be completed.
However, Alger didn’t wish for it to end just like that. He believed that he hadn’t made enough contributions. All he did was simply monitor a Sequence 7 Beyonder without any special characteristics.
The Hermit had already obtained a Sequence 3 Beyonder characteristic from Queen Mystic, and had gathered the corresponding supplementary ingredients and was busy preparing the ritual. This made Alger deeply stressed. Of course, he had also done many things according to Mr. Fool’s intentions, but even he felt that there was a huge difference from doing those tasks, with the identity, status, and strength of Sea God.
For a moment, Alger wanted to use all sorts of methods to force Verdu Abraham to expose himself, but in the end, he gave up on the idea. This was because he couldn’t be sure of Mr. Fool’s attitude towards the target.
Previously, when the City of Silver and Moon City sold Beyonder characteristics and potion formulas, Alger had purchased some from the Tarot Club. He had used it to secretly nurture a team of Beyonders who were loyal to him. This was how he had people monitoring Verdu.
Currently, this less-than-ten-member team was mostly at Sequence 9, while only a small number of them had been promoted to Sequence 8.
As for where Alger had obtained the money for purchasing Beyonder characteristics and potion formulas, the answer was very simple:
As a cardinal of the Church diocese, Alger could easily “save” a sum of money for himself. And during that period of time, the minerals, farms, spice plantations, and factories in the Rorsted Archipelago were sold at below intrinsic value. As long as one had the funds to buy them, they could earn a lot after a short period of time.
More importantly, the Church of Storms’s headquarters was quite interested in the Beyonder characteristics and potion formulas sold by the City of Silver and Moon City. They provided a large sum of money for their purchase. The go-between was without a doubt the cardinal of the Rorsted diocese, Alger Wilson. It was understandable that some losses were inevitable during such situations.
Composite Start
Composite End
Reining in his thoughts, Alger decided to sell some mysticism knowledge in Bayam’s Beyonder circles through his Shadow Guards. He wanted to bait Verdu Abraham and keep him in the vicinity for as long as possible.
The main reason is that the City of Silver’s preaching has frightened that gentleman… Alger shook his head and muttered inwardly.
He then destroyed the report in his hand and walked back into the cathedral.
…
The sky had just lit up, and a young man walked out of the hotel, leisurely enjoying the scenery of Bayam’s morning.
He had just bought the “Teana” beverage that was packaged with the fruit’s shell when he suddenly felt a huge shadow appear beside him.
The youth turned his head and looked up bit by bit only to find a 2.5-meter-tall half-giant walking over.
“Excuse me sir, do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Mr. Fool.” The half-giant bent his back and tried his best to make his smile appear amiable.
The youth drank a mouthful of Teana and pointed to the side. He smiled and nodded.
“Sure, but not here.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He then walked to a place where they wouldn’t be in the way. The seemingly oppressive half-giant followed warmly.
“Go ahead.” The youth didn’t hide his curiosity at all.
The muscular half-giant’s expression turned solemn.
“My Lord claims to be The Fool. In the past, the present, and also in the future, ‘He’ is the great ruler who dominates the spirit world. ‘He’ is also the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck. ‘He’ is also the landmark when every living being seeks eternal life.
“My Lord lives above the real world and the spirit world. ‘His’ benevolence spreads across Heaven and the land. There are a total of six angels under ‘Him’…
“The Angel of Mercury is the embodiment of fate, my Lord’s most cherished angel. The Angel of Death has followed my Lord for the longest period of time and is the consul of the Underworld. The Angel of Redemption is my Lord’s bugle, the messenger of ‘His’ revelations. The Angel of Life is the crystallization of wisdom itself. ‘She’ is the indestructible spirituality that resides in everyone’s body.”
Upon hearing that, the youth laughed.
“Your Lord is really impressive. He actually has so many angels to serve him.”
“Not only that,” the half-giant replied gently. “There’s also the Angel of Retribution beside the Lord’s throne. ‘He’ is the Lord’s lightning, the Lord’s rage, and the Lord’s palm. It’s all the judge of the fallen and the ones who aren’t chaste.
“In contrast to the Angel of Retribution is the Angel of Time, “He” is a ‘king’ of ancient times. “He” eventually submitted to my Lord and now strikes the bell of Heaven.”
“Impressive, impressive.” The youth sincerely sighed.
Upon hearing such a response, the half-giant couldn’t help but smile. Then, he described the various miracles that Mr. Fool had performed as succinctly as possible. Finally, he said, “It’s already been fifteen minutes. I won’t waste your time. If you’re interested, you can go to The Fool’s cathedral on 16th Phillips Street. This is the biggest cathedral in Bayam City. Heh heh, the rest are still in planning.”
The young man nodded.
“I’ll pay a visit if I’m free.”
After watching the half-giant turn and leave, the youth took out a crystal monocle from his pocket and wore it on his right eye.
…
The half-giant walked straight back to a restaurant and changed into a chef’s attire.
“Baldur, you went proselytizing again?” the restaurant owner asked with a smile.
When the industry association recommended this half-giant to learn culinary skills from his restaurant, he had been rather reluctant. He always felt that the other party could kill him with just a swing of his arm, and he didn’t seem like someone with any culinary talent.
However, he was now very pleased with Baldur. Not only was he humble, obedient, and willing to take hardship, he had quite the intimidating demeanor. This scared off the gangsters who had placed their sights on the restaurant.
The only problem was that he would go out every morning to proselytize The Fool.
Of course, the restaurant owner couldn’t say anything since it wasn’t working hours, so he didn’t mind.
Baldur smiled honestly and walked into the kitchen. He said to his good friend, Bonn, who had come from Moon City to seek refuge with him.
“I can teach you how to roast fish today.”
Bonn looked rather normal, but his eyes appeared awkward with one looking up and the other looking down. He was one of the citizens from Moon City who wasn’t very deformed, and he had the courage to interact with the people outside. He nodded.
“I have to pray in a moment. Mr. Fool sent a revelation to get all the residents of Moon City to pray to ‘Him’ at nine in the morning. We are to wish that we are no longer deformed.”
Chapter 900: “Self-Recommendation”
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
The abnormality associated with the Berserk Sea is suspected to be a result of the perishing of Death… Legend has it that this deity’s corpse and items are hidden somewhere in these waters, awaiting someone with a special key to open it… This copper whistle came from Mr. Azik, and Mr. Azik is indeed a direct descendant of Death, as well as being from the first or second generation… Therefore, this copper whistle had sensed something or had been influenced?
Thoughts flashed across Klein’s mind as they coalesced today to form a theory.
He planned on finding an inn in Poto Harbor, head above the gray fog, and use dream divination to attempt to obtain a revelation. Then, he would consider the time and method for returning to Eskelson Harbor. It was to prevent himself from encountering any avoidable accidents.
And before that, he needed to seek out food for Creeping Hunger.
After walking down the seaside cliff, Klein entered Poto Harbor.
The buildings here were pretty much built anywhere one desired. There was almost zero planning, causing the roads to be very wide or narrow to the point that it only allowed a single person passage. In certain areas, one couldn’t see the sky when looking up, only to see a swath of clothes that were hung up to dry.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Wearing a new face, Klein strolled through such an environment with many pedestrians dressed in pirate’s attire. He then habitually headed for the bar to seek out prey.
At this moment, he saw several people gathered at a noticeboard on a square up ahead.
What’s happening?
With his curiosity piqued, Klein approached the area. Using his balance and agility as a Clown, he passed through the gaps of the crowd before he barely arrived at a spot where he could see the noticeboard.
On the noticeboard, there was a piece of paper that was overbearing, covering all the other pieces of paper. It was obvious at a glance.
Its title was: “The Black Emperor’s Crew Recruitment.”
The Black Emperor? Isn’t that the ship of King of the Five Seas, Nast? The one that can traverse the spirit world? Considering how he can be considered the King of Pirates, he’s actually openly recruiting crew members?
Klein was rather surprised as he deliberately spoke out with a suppressed voice:
“How is that possible?”
“Why not?” A stout man beside him with his arm exposed from his rolled-up sleeves laughed out loud. “It might be impossible in the past, but it’s possible now!”
“Why?” Klein was hoping that someone would respond. Immediately, he turned his head and asked.
Composite Start
Composite End
The stout man had tattoos all over his arms and cheeks, making him look fierce. Upon hearing that, he pointed at the main sea route’s direction and said, “A week ago, the Black Emperor and Loen’s highly promoted steam ironclad warship, the Pritz, met and clashed in a sea battle. The Black Emperor had many casualties and are in dire need of more manpower!
Ah?
Klein’s first reaction was that it didn’t make mystical sense.
Based on the published content in the papers and the rumors he had heard out at sea, he knew that the Pritz was a warship in the normal sense. It lacked any Beyonder elements. Perhaps in terms of physical damage, it was stronger than the Black Emperor, but the latter could use the spirit world to “leap,” just like a large-sized version of a Traveler. There was no ordinary armament that could damage it.
Furthermore, King of the Five Seas Nast was likely a Sequence 3 demigod of the Black Emperor paths of the divine. He was the most infamous powerhouse at sea. He could directly distort the trajectories of cannonballs, making him nearly invincible when facing a fleet that wasn’t in any sense mystical.
From Klein’s point of view, they were enemies at two completely different levels. Yet, the final outcome was not something he could imagine.
He didn’t hide his astonishment as he blurted, “What about the Pritz?”
The fierce-looking man shook his head and replied, “I’m not too sure, but I heard that it wasn’t damaged. Only two corvettes were sunk.”
This…
Klein was first taken aback before he came to a slight understanding of what happened.
He recalled the situation of him robbing the Tutanssess II mummy. The military’s demigod had used the law that had the power of mysteriousness weakened and the real strengthened. Once this came into effect, the Black Emperor was just a sailboat that was a little special with some extraordinariness. It definitely couldn’t beat an ironclad warship. Neither could it flee.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This also meant that the Pritz had a demigod existence on the military’s side, or else such a law wouldn’t have come into effect.
To be able to get the Black Emperor to flee under such a situation, King of the Five Seas Nast must be very, very strong. Below angels, he’s definitely one of the strongest… From the looks of it, due to the existence of the Arbiter pathway, the trajectory of this world’s military development remains close to that of Earth’s. It wouldn’t reach a point of not being able to defeat a slightly higher level mysticism opponent…
Klein nodded in enlightenment as he didn’t inquire further.
As for Beyonders below Sequence 4, in a large-scale battle, apart from the few jobs that could take on the role of outputting offensive firepower or carry out effective defenses, the rest could only avoid a direct clash. They would then be the “cleanup crew” or simply provide support. For example, a Marionettist with all his marionettes feared no one in a Mid-Sequence Beyonder battle if fighting one-on-one. But once he was on a battlefield with shells hurtling everywhere and machine gunfire sweeping the area, the problem of being physically weak became a problem. Even with Paper Figurine Substitutes, one was unable to escape the range of gunfire; thus, suffering a second round of damage. Under such situations, it might be too late to use Paper Figurine Substitutes again.
In such intense battles, the most effective Mid-Sequence Beyonders are Wraiths. They aren’t afraid of cannonballs or bullets, nor are they afraid of being discovered by enemies. Furthermore, they have Shriek which can affect a huge area…
Klein allowed his thoughts to wander when the man from before continued speaking, “You’re also thinking of joining the Black Emperor?”
“…I’m still not sure,” Klein casually replied.
The stout man who was covered in tattoos said in excitement, “I have plans on giving it a try anyway.
“There aren’t more than ten people here who are better at fighting than me here. I have rich experience as a pirate. They’ll definitely pick me!
“However, I won’t stay on the Black Emperor for too long. There are too many meaningless rules, such as not being able to plunder or kill defenseless people. Or something as silly as not being able to drag a woman you like unless it’s mutual. Did you hear that? Is that anything like a pirate? Although the King of the Five Seas is one of the Four Kings and is publicly acknowledged as the pirate king, those rules are j-just like dogsh*t!
“I’m already used to leading a real pirate’s life. I like it that way and will not change! I’m only tempted to join because I heard that it’s possible for the Black Emperor crew to obtain supernatural powers. When the time comes, I’ll leave and form my own pirate crew…”
Composite Start
Composite End
As this man spoke excessively, he suddenly realized the stranger’s expression turn a little odd.
He hesitated for a moment and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
…
The silver-gray glistening sword slashed down suddenly, pinning down a blank-faced figure to the ground.
The figure warped and squirmed and gradually dissipated into illusory blobs of light amidst swirling silver light.
Colin Iliad retracted his sword and stood straight up. Observing his surroundings, he saw that Waite and Lovia had separately finished their corresponding targets. A region had been cleanly cleared out by the riverside.
At this point, above the illusory, eerie-black river, a dark boat cruised over. It silently docked by the bank.
Upon seeing this scene, Colin slowly exhaled as he muttered with a solemn expression, “Ferryman…”
He had spent quite a long amount of time with the former Chief, and they knew each other rather well. They both knew that the other was troubled by the City of Silver’s absence of the Sequence 3 of the Giant pathway, Silver Knight potion formula. This prevented people from advancing once they reached the level of a demigod. They had thoughts of switching to a neighboring Sequence, and this plan had seen the light of hope during a particular expedition. This was because they found the Sequence 3 potion formula of the Phoenix pathway: Ferryman!
From that moment forth, the former Chief began building the mausoleum and eventually took up residence inside before sealing the entrance.
Composite Start
Composite End
Observing silently with dark green symbols in his eyes, Colin Iliad said heavily, “Let’s cross the river on the boat.”
Waite and Lovia didn’t express any objections, fully trusting the Chief’s judgment. They followed closely behind him and boarded the dark and strange boat.
During this process, the three didn’t show any hesitation or observe their surroundings, nor did they pause. It was as though this wasn’t an exploration but a visit with a destination in mind.
The boat slowly began moving across the ink-black water surface, leaving a long trail in its wake.
The bloody arms and the slimy tentacles wildly reached upwards and slammed into the boat, but they failed to leave any marks. They failed to leave any influence.
In just over ten seconds, the three Elders of the six-member council arrived on the other bank of the illusory river.
There was an altar there with a heavy, iron-black coffin placed on it.
Colin Iliad immediately jumped off the boat and reached out for his other sword. Like before, he appeared cautious, not underestimating anything.
Following that, Waite held his iron-gray hammer and landed heavily on the bank. He left the surrounding soil quaking in an obvious manner.
He looked at the monster skull that embraced the gigantic coffin, took two steps, and placed the hammer in front of him. He then removed the Dragon Slaying Bow behind him.
At this point, Waite suddenly felt the back of his palm itching. He subconsciously looked down and saw that his hair follicles had fine white hair stained with yellowish oil growing from within as they grew in size.
…
Poto Harbor. After Klein fed Creeping Hunger and found a rowdy inn, he got a room that could barely be considered clean.
Then he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.
Sitting in The Fool’s chair, Klein first picked up the projection of Azik’s copper whistle and conjured a pen and paper before writing a corresponding divination statement: “The reason for this copper whistle’s abnormality today.”
Chapter 901: The Mutated Paper Figurine
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
Klein didn’t bring Azik’s copper whistle directly above the gray fog this time, but he did plan on doing it the same way he did back when he first divined the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem. He completed it by using an object’s projection. Although this would decrease the accuracy to a certain extent, causing the divination to fail at obtaining any effective revelation, it guaranteed that the item was undamaged thanks to the gray fog being an intermediary layer.
He still recalled the time back when he divined the origins of the black ear that came from the Listener. This Sealed Artifact had suffered retaliation from the True Creator, causing it to crumble and reform into a charm.
Therefore, with the suspicion that the divination result could point to Death’s corpse or other remains, a godhood power of a Sequence 0 that had long perished but was still capable of changing the Berserk Sea’s environment, Klein decided to leave Azik’s copper whistle in the real world and divine using a projection. This was to avoid the possibility of damaging such an important item. After all, Death and the True Creator were at the same level!
As for why Klein dared to directly use Groselle’s Travels to divine its origins, it was because the ancient god, Dragon of Imagination, had long since perished. Its corresponding characteristic had likely been inherited by someone else and changed hands several times. Furthermore, the book itself was extremely strong. Even a blast of the Sea God Scepter at full strength could hardly damage it. By the same logic, Mr. Door was likely only a King of Angels and was in an exiled and quarantined state. He could only barely send out his ravings, making it impossible for him to deal any actual damage.
With the help of the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog, I can quickly recover from the damage and corruption without any lasting repercussions. If Azik’s copper whistle were to be destroyed, it would truly be gone. I wouldn’t be able to contact Mr. Azik again and use it to attract the undead. I won’t even be able to carry it around with me…
Klein very calmly and skillfully held the copper whistle’s projection and the paper with the divination statement in hand before leaning back into his chair. Half-closing his eyes, he chanted softly in a state of Cogitation, “The reason for this copper whistle’s abnormality today.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After chanting it seven times, Klein fell into a deep sleep and entered the dream world.
After an unknown period of time, he saw a dark and gloomy mausoleum. He saw a dark-colored staircase that extended downwards and coffins placed around it.
The coffins were all open with dead bodies in them. On their backs grew white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil.
Even in the dream, Klein found the scene abnormally familiar, as though he had once seen it before.
At that moment, he seemed to smell the putrid smell of rot and hear the slow breathing of some object. He felt that the darkness in the mausoleum was thickening, giving him an acute feeling of deathly silence.
Suddenly, ravings that were both loud and soft sounded at the same time. The corpses in the coffins with white feathers on their backs floated up together, and using their half-rotten and half-pale faces, they looked out of the dream!
With his heart skipping a beat, Klein lost control of his heart, as though it was grabbed by invisible hands and was ripped straight out of his chest.
During this process, his dream collapsed into fragments as it returned to nothingness.
And the final scene Klein saw was that, not only were the corpses growing white feathers on their backs and other parts of their body, there were thin illusory black tubes that stabbed into their bodies. They extended deep into the mausoleum where an endless cold, sinister, black fog emanated.
Composite Start
Composite End
The black fog slowly contracted and expanded, producing panting sounds. When the commotion from this scene landed in Klein’s eyes and ears, the color in his skin rapidly drained. It left his skin rotting and overflowing with pus. It made his pores produce thin and dense white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil. It made the projection of Azik’s copper whistle in his hand shatter into a blob of black fog.
The long mottled table in the ancient palace rotted and collapsed as the twenty-two high-back chairs were enveloped by white feathers as though they had a life of their own.
Seeing the endless gray fog silently churn, the mysterious space above this gently stirred, quickly restoring everything to normal. It was as though nothing had happened.
Klein, who had collapsed to the side of the chair, reached out his hand and grabbed the table leg and slowly stood up. Sitting back in his chair, he exhaled slowly.
He rubbed his temples and subconsciously did a comparison.
Weaker than the True Creator and Eternal Blazing Sun, but stronger than Mr. Door. However, I’m not sure if it’s because the latter was exiled and quarantined which minimized the amount of power transmitted over.
Why am I thinking about these comparisons? It’s not like I’m their match. It will still be the same even if I become a demigod…
Unfortunately, I didn’t directly see the object hidden in the black fog; otherwise, I might be able to obtain some potion formulas or mysticism knowledge.
Klein felt a baffling sense of regret as he cast his gaze to the side of his chair. He saw an illusory black fog floating there.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was the remnants after the shattering of the projection of Azik’s copper whistle.
There’s no sensation of strength, which means it can’t be used as a charm. What is its use?
Klein thought of something else as he summoned a backup Paper Angel from his junk pile and cast it onto the illusory black fog.
The moment the two made contact, they immediately fused together. The paper figurine quickly turned black and appeared serene and quiet. On its back grew white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil.
Such a change was only maintained for a second. The paper figurine returned to its original state, but it didn’t seem corporeal, as though it was half-illusory.
Apart from that, there were feather-like patterns that covered the paper figurine’s back.
What can this be used for?
Klein made the mutated paper figurine land back in his palm.
He didn’t dare to use divination to determine its effects, afraid to see the scene from his dream before, allowing the now prepared object from deep inside the black fog to invade where he was.
After repeated checks, Klein used his knowledge in mysticism to determine something.
This doesn’t contain any powers itself, but it’s substantially unique. Perhaps it can create special effects that are related to the undead domain when used as a Paper Figurine Substitute or Paper Angel.
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s like my adventurer’s harmonica. Although it doesn’t contain any strength, it can summon a messenger with great strength…
Klein immediately put away the mutated paper figurine and began interpreting the scene from his dream.
Black mausoleum, open coffins, corpses with feathers on their back, black fog emanating deep inside. These revelations seem to point towards Death or something important that Death left behind… Or perhaps it’s a certain product of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death?
Right, why did I find what I saw familiar?
Klein carefully recalled and quickly found an answer.
He had seen a similar scene in a particular divination a long time ago!
That time, the contents of his divination was the result of hiding matters related to Mr. Azik from the Nighthawks!
Back then, he had seen two scenes in his dream. One was of himself falling into a sea of blood and being pulled out by Azik. The other was them finding themselves in a dark and gloomy mausoleum, looking as though they were searching for something!
Klein had once tried interpreting it, believing that the first scene represented him in danger and being rescued by Mr. Azik. The second scene represented them exploring a mausoleum or somewhere that symbolized a mausoleum together.
The former had been verified during the meteor that came falling from the skies in Backlund. The latter finally revealed clues today!
Composite Start
Composite End
Could it be that the place that Mr. Azik and I will be exploring is the mausoleum that I just “saw”? But, this mausoleum is very dangerous. The object in the deepest part of the black fog has a very high level. It’s only slightly weaker than true deities. Furthermore, it’s filled with malevolence…
Klein knitted his brows bit by bit, believing that their exploration together wasn’t naturally a good thing.
This made him believe that it was necessary for him to stop Mr. Azik. However, he also suspected that the divination scene he saw couldn’t be avoided. Otherwise, a worse outcome would happen in a dramatic way of having destiny unfold.
At least during my first divination, there was only the exploration scene and no appearance of danger… Perhaps there’s a way to circumvent it… This might be why Seers are often so vague. At times, being too clear might backfire!
Klein planned on vaguely mentioning his dream without providing any interpretation when he met Mr. Azik again and allowing him to share his views.
After making up his mind, Klein leaned back and looked at the dome of the magnificent palace before vanishing from above the gray fog.
…
Light—shattered light and the pure light of dawn—emitted from the Elder of the six-member council, the other Demon Hunter, Waite Chirmont’s body. It dissolved the white feathers that grew out of the pores of his skin as he suppressed the subsequent squirming of his flesh and blood.
His arm muscles swelled as he pulled the bowstring of the Dragon Slaying Bow, allowing silver electric bolts and the dawn of light to mesh into a dazzling arrow.
The arrow flew out and instantly reached the altar which was piled with monster skulls. It hit the heavy, iron-black coffin.
Silently, the arrow’s beam dimmed and vanished without leaving any effect.
No, the area around the altar was turning darker and more gloomy!
Inside the iron-black coffin, a sound that resembled bones rubbing against each other sounded:
“Why? Why are you disturbing my slumber?”
Upon hearing this, Waite’s heart instantly became heavy. This was because there was no hint of hiding its malevolent intent, and that it also meant that the former Chief might’ve transformed into a monster.
The City of Silver’s attempt at salvation had once again failed.
With a bang, the coffin’s lid flew up and shattered into pieces. A large wave of black fog emanated out from beneath in an incessant manner.
Amidst this scene, Waite saw a figure slowly stand up from within the coffin. He was nearly four meters tall and his limbs were long. His body was covered in white feathers that were tainted with faint yellow oil. Behind his back were thin illusory black tubes that connected out into infinity.
Behind the three members of the six-member council, a huge wave stirred in the pitch-black river. All sorts of arms, tentacles, and veins surged over.
At this moment, Waite saw the Chief’s body transform rapidly and saw his bulging muscles tears his clothes inch by inch.
Chapter 902: Shadow
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
In just a blink of an eye, Colin Iliad had transformed into a four-meter-tall giant. His skin was bluish-black and muscular. Every inch of his skin, pores, and flesh seemed to violate the normal confines of a human body. It was a unique combination that possessed an unimaginable shock factor.
This wasn’t something that could be described superficially or in dimensions, as apart from quantitative terms like length, breadth, height, there was information, strength, and spirituality as measurement quantities. They were directly presented and seemed to be rich with complicated mystical patterns, symbols, and labels. But in fact, there wasn’t any change. The former was just a partial image that humans received due to them lacking the ability to sense and discern him. But even so, to face such a creature directly, humans without any godhood would still be corrupted by the spirituality, having their minds thrashed. A common outcome would either be death on the spot or going completely mad.
And it was precisely due to this fact that this creature was known in mysticism as: Mythical Creature!
However, at that moment, Colin Iliad’s head didn’t experience any obvious changes. All it did was swell up significantly, and the area from his forehead to nose cracked open with a black vertical eye-like rift.
Before reaching Sequence 2, the Mythical Creature form of a demigod was incomplete!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Faced with a powerhouse of this level, the advantages and disadvantages of taking such a form was obvious. On the one hand, this enhanced one’s strength and level significantly. On the other hand, it would result in intense madness and provide strong inclinations towards losing control. It was a nontrivial test of one’s rationality. It wasn’t something those with insufficient willpower could withstand.
Therefore, most saints would consider transforming into an incomplete Mythical Creature only if they were forced into a corner. And it wouldn’t just be the transformation of a particular part of their bodies. To them, such an action was an attempt at dancing on the edge of a knife. It easily led to a loss of control; therefore, caution was imperative.
Most of the time, there were two extremes. One extreme was the minority who indulged in their desires and expressed their evil side fully. The other was the kind who had extremely strong willpower and a resilient mind. Once the former produced the Mythical Creature form, it was equivalent to them losing control with no way of transforming back. The latter could use their Mythical Creature form as a rather normal battle tactic, without the fear of losing control and the threat of madness. Of course, something rather normal wasn’t normal. It still wasn’t something that could be used frequently. This was because, for people who danced at the edge of the abyss, they would only deepen the erosion on them with each attempt. It wasn’t something that could be completely avoided just because they could handle the negative effects.
Among the City of Silver’s six-member council, Chief Colin Iliad was one of the few who could control his Mythical Creature form as a Demon Hunter.
He held the two swords that were slathered with different ointments. Just taking a step forward with his right foot sent the land shaking as he leaped up towards the top of the altar. He then pounced towards the former Chief whose body was covered in white feathers.
His giant-like body’s interior and exterior produced dawnlike light that scattered the surrounding darkness, purifying the harrowing creatures that were in the illusionary river behind them.
At the same time, Waite Chirmont kept drawing his Dragon Slaying Bow, strafing around the former Chief that had transformed into an unknown monster with blinding silver lightning arrows.
Lovia had already closed her eyes. The five-meter-tall silver-armored knight behind her had phased away. Dragging the illusory greatsword, it charged straight at the altar, producing cracks that overflowed with silver light.
In addition to that, at the Shepherd Elder’s feet, the shadows that curled into a bundle suddenly began squirming as though they had come to life.
Composite Start
Composite End
It quickly left Lovia, and amidst the environment intermixing with darkness and the dawn, it followed the eeriness and quickly headed for the iron-black coffin above the altar.
However, its target didn’t seem to be the mutated former Chief, but the thin illusory black tubes that were stabbed into his body while extending into infinity!
…
Moments after Klein returned to the real world, he heard the loud sounds of waves crashing. He heard the prostitutes on the streets screaming in horror without any signs of calming down.
Slightly surprised, he walked to the window and, through the gap of two messily built buildings, saw lead-colored clouds stacked together as waves swarmed the area beyond Poto Harbor. A black hurricane extended from the surface of the sea to the air, tainted with dark silver lightning as it silently destroyed everything.
It was like a door that led to the apocalypse had finally been opened.
And inside the port city, the void had turned translucent. Skulls with open mouths, vines with baby faces, bloody arms, and strange slimy tentacles with teeth were slamming at the boundary between the illusory and reality. It was thrilling and horrendous.
This made many pirates tremble in the knees as they didn’t dare stay on the streets. All of them rushed into nearby buildings.
The seemingly invisible wraiths and shadows flew around, appearing from time to time. Coming close to the ears of different targets, they attempted to scream but were unable to make contact.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that moment, Poto Harbor seemed to fall into the hell known as the Underworld. It was eerie, dark, chaotic, and crazy.
Klein frowned slightly, having had a guess as to what was happening.
Back when he made a divination above the gray fog, it angered the object deep in the gloomy mausoleum. It then unleashed its temper, changing the weather of the Berserk Sea and Poto Harbor, creating the phenomena of the Underworld’s descent.
This also means that the mausoleum is indeed concealed somewhere in the Berserk Sea… It’s probably something that Death left back then. Of course, this might not be at odds with the product of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project. The two might be fused together…
Klein retracted his gaze and quickly set up a ritual and sacrificed Azik’s copper whistle to the mysterious space above the gray fog. It was to prevent the unknown, strange, and evil object from locking onto him.
After doing that, he looked out of the window at the abnormality that was gradually calming down. He said with a self-deprecating laugh,
That’s such an endearing welcome.
Hmm… The Numinous Episcopate will definitely notice the abnormality of the Berserk Sea. I wonder what actions they will take…
…
Above the illusory pitch-black river, the waves slowly calmed down. The arms, vines, and tentacles that attempted to grab at something were either vaporized or had no choice but to retract themselves.
Around the altar, the land was already covered in cracks. There were white feathers stained with yellow oil everywhere.
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad, in his giant form, had stabbed both swords into the former Chief’s body, pinning the rotting monster that wasn’t shorter than him onto the collapsed altar. Waite Chirmont’s Dragon Slaying Bow had already condensed a silver arrow of light that was filled with a wrathful aura, aiming it at the head of the former Chief which only had tiny pieces of flesh hanging off it.
The shadow that Lovia had produced had successfully arrived at the altar under the silver knight’s cover. While the other two Elders weren’t paying attention, the shadow leaped and pounced at the black tubes that extended into infinity from the former Chief’s body.
With the incorporeal tubes approaching, the shadow’s color darkened. The blackness seemed to embody the most corrupt and evil thoughts of humanity.
At this moment, a deep voice resounded around the altar:
“Fate.”
The area “in front” of the shadow instantly darkened before realizing that it had pounced on the giant-like Colin Iliad.
Colin looked down at it, his eyes lit with a pure brilliance.
It was like the first sliver of light that illuminates the darkness on an extended night.
The light grew brighter as it blasted out of the mausoleum, causing the basement of the City of Silver’s spire to produce an even brighter and dazzling light that met with it.
When the two met in midair, they fell back down, landing upon Colin Iliad’s massive body. The pitch-black shadow evaporated with a sizzle, and the distortion and squirming weakened until they completely vanished.
Composite Start
Composite End
Demon Hunter Colin turned back to glance at Lovia without a word or expression. It was as though nothing had happened.
He quickly retracted his gaze and directed the remnant beam straight into the former Chief’s dual swords.
Lovia stood there with her eyes closed without showing any signs of panic or fear. Instead, she slowly sighed.
…
In the City of Generosity Bayam, Alger Wilson circled around many times in order to escape any imaginary trackers or monitors before arriving at the Artisan’s residence. He pulled the doorbell.
He had heard that the Artisan had recently been infected by a disease and strange snoopers had appeared in the vicinity. Alger’s first suspicion was the Demoness Sect, but on careful thought, he felt that the Artisan had no way to withstand the temptation of their charm based on his preferences. There was no need for the Demonesses to go through such a complicated and roundabout manner. All they needed to do was curl their fingers and showcase their charm, and he would divulge and agree to everything.
Therefore, Alger believed that there was another reason for the matter. He needed to see it for himself to prevent the delivery of the mystical item from being delayed. He didn’t wish to lose the characteristic and materials for no good reason.
Amidst the ringing of the doorbell, the Artisan’s main door opened. A thin and tanned middle-aged glanced at Alger and said, “Why are you here?”
This person was none other than Artisan Cielf who had worked with Alger for many years. His background was unknown.
“Didn’t you say you were sick?” Alger asked, seemingly casual.
Cielf yawned and said, “I’m already better.”
Alger was taken aback as he looked around.
“Where’s that strange snooper?”
Cielf’s eyebags were a little puffy as his brown eyes revealed looks of fatigue and impatience.
“Who the hell knows? There’s been no sign of the snooper anyway. In short, I’ll be moving soon. It’s too dangerous here.”
Alger heaved a sigh of relief.
“That’s good.”
He paused for a moment before saying, “Aren’t you inviting me for a cup?”
“A fellow like you who only seeks high-proof alcohol has no way of appreciating fine wine.” Cielf pulled at his flaxen-colored hair and moved to the side to make way.
Alger walked in staidly, and with just one glance, he had taken in the entire area into his eyes.
Chapter 903: Scholar-type Bishop
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
Cielf’s residence wasn’t messy and dirty like most bachelors. Things were placed neatly, and there wasn’t any dust on any surfaces. After all, as an Artisan, he didn’t lack money. Many of his actions simply had the necessity that secrets were kept, so it wasn’t convenient for him to hire a large number of fixed servants. Therefore, he had no choice but to hire help who were paid by the hour.
Scanning the area, Alger discovered nothing that was off from his previous visit. The furnishing was extremely simple without any expensive ornaments, oil paintings, or sculptures. It resembled the residence of an ordinary person.
Of course, Alger knew very well that Cielf definitely deserved the title of being a tycoon. He just didn’t care about putting on a so-called decent image. He was willing to spend hundreds of pounds for a bottle of limited-edition wine, or gift a mistress a house, but he would never waste a single pence on expensive carpets, porcelain, gold-inlaid cutlery, or paintings of famous artists.
“A cup of Sonia blood wine.” Alger’s expression remained unchanged, but his verbal and body language indicated that he was coming in simply to get a free cup of wine.
Cielf shrugged and said, “You should feel lucky. I don’t have the habit of keeping Lanti Proof.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He walked to the tiny bar counter in the living room and took out a bottle of exquisite Sonia blood wine. He then overturned two cups.
Finding a sofa to sit down, Alger took the opportunity to raise his hand to massage his neck as though to relieve any discomfort in his neck.
Using the cover of this action, he naturally took a glance at his surroundings, quickly making an observation of all the spots where he hadn’t been able to see previously.
As Cielf couldn’t be bothered to decorate his residence much, Alger quickly completed his attempt as his gaze was fixed onto a glass window of a cupboard a distance away for a second.
Through the glass, he saw some dried grass and flowers.
There were red-rimmed flowers, blood moon flowers, and monkey-faced tree leaves. Their common characteristic was that they were common in the Southern Continent, but they were practically not seen in the Northern Continent.
Alger retracted his gaze as he silently watched Cielf carry the bottle of wine and wine glasses over.
Reaching out to take the glass, he began idly chatting about the recent developments at sea until the small half-filled bottle of Sonia blood wine was finished.
Upon seeing this, Alger smiled and bade farewell before leaving.
Composite Start
Composite End
Five minutes after he left, Cielf who had silently sat down to indulge in his tipsy experience suddenly stood up, walked to the staircase, and opened a wooden door that led to the cellar.
“Did he suspect anything?”
“No.”
“Regardless, this place is no longer suitable for you to live in. You need to move away as soon as possible.”
“I still have certain commissions that I haven’t completed.”
“You don’t have to. It’s not like you will contact them again. You will receive a new life.”
“Alright.”
…
Two buildings away, Alger sat on a long bench in someone’s garden, cupping his right hand to his ear as he heard the conversation that came with the wind.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
…
West Balam, Behrens Harbor. Outside a seemingly ordinary house.
“It’s really due to your bad relationship with the Church of Knowledge that you’re egging me on to come here to request for a Language Comprehension charm?” Danitz wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked at Anderson, feeling unnerved.
Anderson said in a self-deprecating and unfazed manner, “You shouldn’t describe it as bad…”
“Then hostile?” Danitz blurted out, cutting off his sentence.
Anderson shot him a glance and said, “The negative effects of your boxing glove might not be as easily bearable as you imagine it to be.”
He paused and added with a chuckle, “A more accurate description is that: be it me or the people from the Church of Knowledge, neither one of us wishes to interact with one another.”
Danitz used one hand to clench his boxing glove and said, seemingly stumped, “But how should I request for the charm?
“Do I just head straight to a clergyman of the Church of an orthodox god and mention something about mysticism? I’ll end up locked up!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Danitz was somewhat rash at the moment, but he was in no way dumb.
Anderson threw up his hands.
“Simple, just directly mention my name. Then indicate that you came to West Balam for some pressing matter and do not have the time to learn Dutanese, nor do you dare to hire a local interpreter. Therefore, all you could do was seek their help, hoping that you could receive a few Language Comprehension charms.
“During this process, you must showcase your knowledge of many Northern Continent languages, making the priests know that it’s not that you lack the ability to learn Dutanese, but that you just lack the time to do it. Then, they will test you. When that happens, all you need to do is get a good score and you’ll receive the charms.”
Test…
Upon hearing this familiar term, Danitz’s temples throbbed as he forced a smile.
“You aren’t going yourself because you’re afraid of the tests, aren’t you?”
His original intent was to randomly use some words to conceal his discomfort, but he ended up seeing Anderson’s expression freeze.
From the looks of it, there’s still something you’re afraid of…
Danitz chortled inwardly as he was suddenly filled with confidence.
He took large strides into the ordinary house and discovered that its interior was more of an amalgamation of classrooms, and not a land of preaching for the Church of Knowledge in Balam.
Then, he saw a grizzled elder.
Composite Start
Composite End
Although this man wasn’t wearing the clergyman robes of the Church of Knowledge, just his unique scholarly air convinced Danitz that he was at least a bishop.
He had experienced similar vibes from his captain.
“Hello there.” Without covering himself with a hood, Danitz walked over with a smile while dressed in a commoner’s attire.
The elder silently watched him approach before slowly saying, “Danitz.”
“…”
Danitz paused and froze on the spot. His mind was filled with questions like: “He knows me?” “How does he know me?” “Isn’t my bounty only limited to the sea?”
The elder glanced at him and asked, “You are here for Language Comprehension charms?”
“Yes…” Danitz nodded with a blank look, suddenly having the feeling that he had zero secrets in front of the elder.
The scholarly old gentleman nodded gently.
“Are you planning on heading to the places ruled by Katamia and Maysanchez?”
“Yes.” Danitz continued his blank expression.
The elder took out four brass charms from his pocket.
“These can be used for two months. They should be enough.”
“…”
Danitz received it with a blank look and after a few seconds, said, “That’s it?”
It’s that simple?
Isn’t there supposed to be a test?
“You don’t want it?” the scholarly elder asked with a smile.
“No, it’s not that!” Danitz suddenly shook his head, and before his brain could react, he had already asked, “How do you know me? How do you know I want Language Comprehension charms?”
The elder wore a few looks of pity in his eyes as he slowly said, “Your captain contacted me.
“She said that you refused to stop no matter how much they called out to you when you left the ship, rushing straight into the harbor. She had actually prepared a few Language Comprehension charms for you.”
As he spoke, the man shook his head, the look in his eyes somewhat ambivalent. It was as though he was looking at a student who was often careless in class.
…I should’ve long realized that. Captain is such a meticulous person. It’s impossible for her not to consider the problem of the language barrier…
Danitz resisted the urge to slap himself.
When the elder saw the changes in Danitz’s expression, he shook his head and asked, “It probably wasn’t your own idea to seek help here, right? I was about to use divination to find you.”
“Ah, right. It was suggested by Anderson Hood,” Danitz immediately replied.
The elder was taken aback for a second before his expression turned ashen.
At that moment, Anderson was sitting outside in the shade. He had snapped a tree branch and was casually drawing on a barren patch among the grass as he leisurely waited for Danitz to come out.
He had no doubts that this unqualified Hunter could obtain the Language Comprehension charms. This was because, as long as Danitz mentioned Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, everything would become much simpler. The only difference was how many rounds of tests he needed to take.
Just as he finished drawing King of the North Ulyssan’s head, he heard a familiar gait coming from the inside.
Anderson’s branch-wielding hand paused for a second when he looked up and turned to the door. He saw Danitz holding a stack of paper, walking over with mixed emotions.
“You… failed the test?” Anderson gave a sincere smile, having zero concern over the failure to obtain the Language Comprehension charms.
Danitz shook his head blankly.
“There wasn’t a test.”
“…”
Anderson was first taken aback as he asked with immediate enlightenment, “Help from your captain?”
Danitz tersely confirmed it as he handed the stack of paper to Anderson and said, “This is what the bishop wishes me to inform you: ‘A real Hunter doesn’t only rely on instinct or solely focus on the prey’s information. They also need to learn how to grasp the prey’s psyche and use all kinds of additional information.’
“This is the information he wants to give you.”
Anderson’s expression became contorted for a brief moment before it was restored to normal. He chuckled and said, “Thankfully, that’s not much.”
Danitz’s lips quivered as he finally held back the laughter that rose within him. He said with seriousness, “That’s only the table of contents.
“That bishop said that you should try to finish reading all the books mentioned in it within two years.”
Anderson’s smile finally froze.
…
Desi Bay, Eskelson Harbor.
Klein was like any normal Southern Continent tourist. He bought tickets to East Balam, boarded a hybrid steam and sail liner with many cannons.
With a hum, the ship left the harbor and quickly entered the Berserk Sea.
Midway, Klein discovered the Loen Kingdom’s Desi fleet patrolling the safe sea route as though they were guarding against something.
From the looks of it, the abnormality in the Berserk Sea has garnered the attention of the Loen military… This way, the Numinous Episcopate likely has no way of investigating these waters without problems. Of course, a fleet is unable to monitor the entire stretch of the sea route…
Klein stood inside his cabin as he looked at the scenery outside, thinking in enlightenment and poignancy.
At this moment, he heard stacked illusory pleas. He hurriedly headed above the gray fog to check on it.
The prayer was from The Hanged Man. He requested Mr. Fool to inform The Hermit that the Artisan was suspected to be controlled by a cult or secret organization and that he wished to receive some help from her.
Chapter 904: Analysis
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
The Artisan is suspected to be under the control of a cult or secret organization? Yet, he’s trying to get The Hermit’s help? Just get The World! Who knows which waters the Future is in at the moment and how long it would take to reach there. What’s more, The World can Teleport!
After hearing The Hanged Man’s prayers, Klein subconsciously rebutted his request, believing that it would delay an opportunity, causing unnecessary losses.
He then calmed down, believing that with Mr. Hanged Man’s attention to detail and experience, it was impossible for him to commit such a simple error. Since he believed that he definitely had his reasons for requesting The Hermit’s help instead of The World.
This also means that Mr. Hanged Man has determined that the matter hasn’t reached a critical state that requires immediate action. He even wishes to observe further to find more clues and details… Besides, since Ma’am Hermit had offered to provide help in advance, it means that she believes that, for the time being, her region of activity would overlap with Mr. Hanged Man’s. If anything really happens, she would be able to rush there at the fastest speed possible… Or does she too have powers similar to Teleport? But that’s a very low possibility…
Klein tapped the edges of the mottled table, believing that he should trust Mr. Hanged Man’s experience.
Of course, this also included the fact that Mr. Hanged Man hadn’t described in detail about his discoveries or areas of suspicion, preventing him from inferring or divining the truth of the matter.
As his thoughts stirred, Klein threw The Hanged Man’s prayer scene into the crimson star representing The Hermit.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he was waiting for Admiral of Stars to reply, he suddenly saw the star representing The Sun suddenly contract and expand as it produced stacked layers of prayers.
The City of Silver’s exploration of the former Chief’s mausoleum has some preliminary results?
Klein made a guess as he emanated his spirituality over.
In accordance with his expectations, Little Sun began recounting everything that had happened after the three members of the six-member council opened the former Chief’s mausoleum. This included encountering the souls of their deceased relatives, the river they crossed which hid countless strange creatures, and how they faced the incomplete Mythical Creature form of the former Chief whose body was covered in white feathers. It also included Shepherd Lovia’s separation of a shadow in an attempt to pounce onto the illusory tubes that extended out of the former Chief’s body. However, she was stopped when Colin Iliad used the Fate Siphon charm, swapping his and the former Chief’s fate for a brief moment, causing a difference in outcomes.
Thin illusory black tubes… White feathers stained with pale yellow oil… This sounds familiar… Yes, wasn’t this the main characteristic in the scene I saw when I divined the abnormality with Azik’s copper whistle? And the reason that former Chief built the mausoleum was to switch to Sequence 3 Ferryman of the Death pathway…
As Klein listened, his mind raced, joining the dots together and considering what kind of conclusion he could receive from that.
Soon, he had a bold guess:
The mutation of the City of Silver’s former Chief had a certain connection with the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project!
Although this conclusion sounded inexplicable and unbelievable since the City of Silver was situated in the completed isolated Forsaken Land of the Gods, It was a place that could only be entered through certain means via the Giant King’s Court and ruins of the battle of the gods. Even the seven deities couldn’t find it or have the power to infiltrate it. However, the numerous similarities made Klein, who was sensitive to coincidences, combine the actions of Shepherd Elder Lovia in the operation and eliminate the other possibilities so as to seriously consider what the two seemingly unconnected matters might possibly point towards.
From the scene that he received from divination and the experiences of having white feather grow from the pores of the back of his hands when he summoned the failed product of Artificial Death, as well as the encounter of the three City of Silver Elders, he began suspecting that the Numinous Episcopate’s attempt might have achieved success to a certain degree.
Through a series of sacrificial rituals and the transformation of their own High-Sequence Beyonders, they influenced Death’s remains via backward propagation, causing that abstract, illusory Uniqueness which represented a deity’s authority to generate some form of sentience. This allowed the object that was only a totem and a concept to come to life!
Composite Start
Composite End
Hence, this unintelligent object that couldn’t be considered Artificial Death had begun assimilating the entire ritual, eagerly exerting its influence on lower Sequence Beyonders of the same pathway.
After reaching certain conditions, the object hidden in the depths of the black fog could extend thin illusory black tubes, establishing connections with the target, and draw upon their strength to transform their bodies.
And this method might involve the Underworld or something special about Death’s domain. It could circumvent the force that isolated the Forsaken Land of the Gods and make effective contact with the beings within!
Therefore, the shadow that Shepherd Elder Lovia had produced was a bestowment of the True Creator. Its goal was to follow the thin illusory black tubes on the former Chief’s body and trace the remains of the corrupted Death? Perhaps this was how the Mother Tree of Desire replaced the Chained God back then and seized the corresponding authority…
Thankfully, the current Chief of the City of Silver has a very clear mind. He knew ahead of time to seek out the secret existence backing Little Sun for help. By using the Fate Siphon charm, he remarkably foiled the True Creator’s ploy…
Hmm, from the looks of it, the two powerful Sealed Artifacts of the City of Silver are good at purification. They’re able to stop the shadow that can corrupt Death’s remains…
Heh heh, as The Fool, I seem to have crossed the True Creator once again. Of course, Amon will be the one taking the blame since the Worm of Time was contributed by “Him”…
Through Little Sun’s description and relying on his own interference, Klein roughly figured out the hidden conflict that happened during the City of Silver’s exploratory operation.
Meanwhile, he also gained a first look at Shepherd Elder’s mental condition.
To Lovia, thin illusory black tubes that lead to the outside world was undoubtedly the key to the City of Silver’s escape from the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Therefore, she was very certain of her actions this time, without showing any signs of regret. She would only believe that the Chief was the one who shattered that hope.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It’s not too terrifying to have someone do evil deeds. What’s most terrifying is when people who have a martyrish mentality do evil they believe to be right…
Klein couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
As for why Little Sun knew what happened inside the mausoleum so clearly, it was obvious that Chief Colin Iliad had informed him during a casual chat.
At this point, Derrick had already recounted how the three Elders had retrieved a special Sealed Artifact. It was a Beyonder characteristic left behind by the former Chief that had fused with his bones.
The former Chief was from the Giant pathway, beginning from Sequence 9 Warrior to Sequence 4 Demon Hunter. The Ferryman potion he consumed corresponds to the Death pathway’s Sequence 3. The two Beyonder characteristics mixed together must be weirder and more varied than a single pathway. Together with the added effects of Artificial Death, the final Sealed Artifact must be very powerful. Of course, the negative effects will probably be equally powerful…
Yes, back when the black illusory river was described, the various weird creatures likely corresponded to the Underworld. This is similar to the scene I saw in the Berserk Sea. It’s also similar in effect to what Miss Sharron’s mystical item created…
As Klein thought about it, he listened to Little Sun wrap up the topic of the exploration before mentioning the monster known as Shapeshifter.
After Derrick finished describing it, Klein felt that Shapeshifters were very likely Bizarro Banes.
He hurriedly summoned a gold coin from the junk pile and did a divination to confirm his guess.
With Little Sun’s current strength, there’s no way for him to head to that city to hunt it. I can only wait until that Chief prays to The Fool once again or seeks help via Little Sun… Anyway, there’s no rush. I haven’t found the Spirit World Plunderer yet…
Klein nodded indiscernibly.
After requesting Mr. Fool to pass the corresponding information to Mr. World, Derrick said that he had enough points and could soon exchange for the Beyonder characteristic for Sequence 5 Vampire and complete the three-party transaction, so he requested that Mr. Moon prepare himself.
Composite Start
Composite End
…
On the Future which was slowly cruising across the waters of the Rorsted Archipelago.
Admiral of Stars Cattleya thanked Mr. Fool and nudged the glasses on her nose. Opening the window to the captain’s cabin, she shouted to everyone, “Turn towards Bayam.”
After issuing the command, this pirate admiral curled the corners of her mouth. She finally had the chance to establish a long-term cooperation with an Artisan.
But at that moment, she suddenly thought of a problem.
If she easily received the help of an Artisan, would Frank Lee, who hadn’t been able to obtain a Sequence 5 potion formula, attempt to make the Druid Beyonder characteristic into an item to expedite his paused experiments?
That’s not a good thing…
Cattleya subconsciously raised her hand and pinched her forehead.
…
On the liner, Klein, who had finished handling the matters, focused on enjoying his trip.
Due to the Berserk Sea’s abnormal change in weather, the liner he was on board had chosen to take a further and more roundabout sea route that was much safer. Furthermore, it was to dock at a harbor named Halman for the night.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein didn’t alight and remained at a window-side table at the upper level’s restaurant to have his dinner.
While waiting for his food, he casually looked out the window and took in the local night skyline.
Suddenly, he discovered a suspicious figure with a luggage bag preparing to board the ship.
The reason why he appeared suspicious wasn’t only because the man was wearing a black overcoat and tall top hat, but that he wore a scarf that wrapped his face, hiding his physical features. All that was left were a pair of eyes.
And that pair of eyes were peeled to the ground, preventing anyone from discerning his actual appearance.
Chapter 905: Psychological Blind Spot
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
Based on his experience from watching many detective animations, Klein believed that someone who wore a scarf to conceal his face and hid his physical characteristics with an overcoat was likely problematic. He probably hid an unspeakable secret, especially when it wasn’t winter yet and the temperature in the Berserk Sea couldn’t be considered cold.
However, this has nothing to do with me. Even if a locked-room murder mystery happens, the one having a headache would be the Captain… I should head above the gray fog later to do a divination and see if this trip will be smooth…
Klein didn’t mind the matter, but he still thought about it conscientiously.
He retracted his gaze and looked at the Desi roasted fish that was being served by the waiter.
After having dinner, he returned to his cabin and completed a divination above the gray fog. He obtained the conclusion that there wouldn’t be drastic changes to the environment he was in and that everything would happen smoothly.
This allowed Klein to fall asleep peacefully without relying on Cogitation as he slept till daybreak.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With a whistle from the steam engine, the liner began moving and departing Halman Harbor.
The harbor could still be vaguely seen as Klein saw a figure there.
The figure wore a white shirt and a dark blue coat. He had a rather high nose, deeply recessed eyes, light blue eyes, and brown curly hair. His face was rather cut and his chin was slightly raised. He gave off a supercilious look.
With a sweep of his gaze, he quickly locked onto the liner which Klein was on.
At this moment, the sky suddenly darkened as though a door leading into the pitch-black land of illusions had formed.
A deafening typhoon stirred up from the seabed, surging upwards with massive amounts of blue mass. Dark lightning flashed like rifts in the void. They kept appearing and kept healing themselves until they disappeared.
This completely blocked the vision of those on the liner and at the harbor, putting them in two seemingly different worlds.
The Berserk Sea had once again shown its horror.
The liner failed to avoid or resist, and it could only continue cruising forward along the safe sea route that had relatively weaker storms.
Composite Start
Composite End
What a coincidence… This likely isn’t a coincidence…
Standing behind the window of his cabin, Klein first sighed inwardly before coming to the conclusion that this sudden anomaly in the Berserk Sea was due to unnatural reasons.
Although it was common for the weather in the Berserk Sea to change suddenly without notice, to actually change at a particular point in time still left one suspicious.
The man at the dock is tracking the suspicious tourist from last night? And that tourist decided to change the weather upon realizing that he had been exposed, doing so that he can force the liner to leave?
Klein made a guess when he made the connection.
And if that really were the case, it means that the suspicious passenger who hid his face with a scarf might very well be a demigod or someone who carried a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact!
After all, with Klein’s present strength and items, it was impossible for him to trigger such a weather anomaly without the use of Sea God Scepter.
Of course, he also had other means like throwing out Azik’s copper whistle to see if he could cause the entire Berserk Sea to go berserk.
Seriously? I just want to be a normal tycoon that’s heading to the Southern Continent. Why would I encounter a pursuit at the level of demigods… Sigh, I’m under too much stress that my Sequence doesn’t deserve…
Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh and finally chose to believe the divination he made last night.
Amidst the storm, the wobbling liner cruised along a rather calm stretch with apocalyptic scenes around it. And most of the tourists wore calm looks as though they were very accustomed to such conditions. Only a few people who were on their first trip across the Berserk Sea were trembling, grabbing tightly to anything they could grab at.
Time ticked by as the gales and lightning gradually calmed down. Bit by bit, the sky brightened.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Klein, who was on the deck, felt his spiritual perception trigger. He subconsciously looked in the direction of Halman Harbor.
Above the undulating dark blue waves, beneath white scattered clouds, there was a white radiant flame flying over at high speeds from afar.
The flame increased in size and became increasingly clearer until it revealed its complete form. It was a gigantic flaming spear!
The flaming spear tore across the sky and landed at the bow of the liner’s deck. However, it didn’t ignite anything. It burnt through half a wooden plank and spread out before materializing into a figure.
The figure had a high nose, deeply recessed eyes, and blue eyes. He was none other than the man who had previously appeared at the dock!
He looked middle-aged as he slowly surveyed the area and walked through the wide-eyed and agape tourists before walking into the cabin.
The similarly agape Dwayne Dantès silently heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that the person wasn’t here for him.
The way he appeared sure is cool. As expected of a demigod… Now, the only issue is that they do not come to blows. Even if the conflict cannot be helped, it’s best they go to a neighboring sea to fight. Otherwise, there’s no way this ship can withstand it… I can Teleport away quite successfully, but all these tourists… I’ll only be able to save a few…
Klein habitually drew the sign of the crimson moon on his chest, praying for the Goddess to bless them.
Just as he had such a thought, he saw a figure fly out of the cabin, slamming heavily onto the deck. It was none other than the suspicious tourist who had covered his face with a scarf.
Composite Start
Composite End
This man had already revealed half his face. The tip of his nose was red and he had a thick beard around his mouth with saliva staining them.
His nearly triangular eyes were filled with horror. He held his hands to the deck as he kept crawling backward.
“Who got you to carry that item and put on such a disguise?” At the cabin’s entrance, the middle-aged man with the high nose and blue eyes slowly walked out. He spoke in Intis with a heavy voice.
The suspicious tourist shook his head frantically.
“No, I don’t know. He was also wearing the same. H-he gave me 100 pounds to take this ship to the Southern Continent before returning by myself!”
The middle-aged man silently watched with his penetrating glare that seemed to tear through his soul.
This made the tourist break out into a sweat as his body convulsed. He once again stammered his explanation, but there weren’t any changes to it.
The man retracted his gaze before his body burst into white radiant flames.
Following that, he transformed into a gigantic flaming spear and shot towards the region where Halman Harbor was.
The flaming spear quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving a twinkling speck.
Composite Start
Composite End
During this entire process, apart from at the very beginning, the demigod didn’t take a second look at the surroundings tourists. It was as though they never existed.
A simple but smart ruse… By getting someone to disguise as himself and board the ship, then using certain means to control the weather; thus, creating proof that he’s on the ship, but in actual fact, he had been at the harbor the entire time. Once the enemy starts the pursuit, he can then attempt to escape…
Enlightened, Klein made a judgment.
This made him suspect if the pursuee was once a Conspirer, Magician, or other Beyonder that was good at coming up with ruses.
As for the person who transformed into a burning-white spear, his arrogance, detestable nature, and his usage of the Intis language had made Klein believe that he was probably a demigod from the Hunter pathway. It was possible that he was an Iron-blooded Knight.
I’ve no idea why there was a conflict…
Klein shook his head and returned to his cabin.
On the deck, the tourists finally snapped to their senses as they discussed the supernatural phenomenon they had just seen in murmurs.
A person could transform into a flame, and the flame could reform into a human!
Amidst the noisy commotion, the liner continued cruising forward on the safe sea route. It didn’t encounter any accidents midway, and it arrived at another harbor at midnight.
Like usual, Klein didn’t alight, afraid that he would encounter something.
He took out his gold pocket watch and opened it to determine the time to head to the restaurant.
Another half an hour…
Klein silently muttered to himself as he looked up and out the window.
At this moment, many tourists who were bound for this harbor were heading for the dock along the gangway with their luggage in hand.
As he swept his gaze, Klein’s gaze suddenly stopped on a figure.
The figure wore a black bonnet. He had dark golden sideburns. His lips were tightly pursed and his facial features were clear and distinct, like an ancient, classical sculpture without any wrinkles.
He wasn’t carrying any luggage, and soon, he stepped onto the dock with the crowd, disappearing into the corner of the road.
Klein just watched motionlessly, as though his body wasn’t his.
He felt every drop of his blood turn cold as a name appeared in his mind:
Ince Zangwill!
…
The street lamps on the harbor had already lit up. The liner’s many windows also lit up in concert with them.
Dwayne Dantès was waiting inside a first-class cabin in darkness and silence.
Klein had already sat down without showing any emotion. All kinds of thoughts couldn’t help but flash across his mind.
This is the first time I’m discovering signs of Ince Zangwill after the Great Smog of Backlund…
The demigod from before was probably tracking Ince Zangwill…
His tricks are more profound than I thought. He found someone to disguise as him and gave him items not to divert his trackers, but to create a mental blindspot. It made one subconsciously eliminate this ship from the possible options…
He was here from the beginning…
That coincidental change in weather was likely created by Ince Zangwill with 0-08…
Why would he be pursued by an Intis Hunter demigod… What is he plotting…
Amidst his churning thoughts, Klein suddenly took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew it.
Silently, Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr with her four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand appeared before him.
Klein opened his mouth before closing them again. Picking up a pen, he quickly wrote:
“Mr. Dwayne Dantès has discovered traces of Ince Zangwill on Waypoint Island in the Berserk Sea.”
Folding the letter, Klein handed it along with a gold coin to Miss Messenger.
“Send it to the mailbox at Backlund’s 7 Pinster Street.”
The four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand turned at the same time as the eight eyes looked at Klein.
She didn’t say anything and bit onto the letter and gold coin.
Chapter 906: Leonard’s Warning
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
Backlund, North Borough.
The pitch-black night had the crimson moon covered by clouds. There were only street lamps on the two sides of the road that emitted a faint light, illuminating the road ahead and the doors of the nearby houses.
7 Pinster Street’s mailbox was silently hiding in the intersection between light and dark, bathing in a cool breeze that blew from the side as though it was in a slumber.
At this moment, newspapers, bills, and letters from various unknown people suddenly spewed out from its mouth.
These objects seemed to be dragged by an invisible hand as they floated in midair before flying towards the door and entering through a gap.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Inside the house, at the foyer, the newspapers automatically spread open as they rapidly flipped over. Then, they were casually left on the chair, stacking over other newspapers.
The bills and letters continued flying into the living room, with the former quickly stopping. With a few shakes, they floated to the surface of the coffee table and lined up. The latter had their envelopes removed, and the letters without envelopes quickly unfolded themselves, showcasing themselves in midair.
After a while, a portion of these letters flew onto a rack on the first floor’s study. Some rushed for the scissors to help it cut itself apart. Then, they orderly surged into the washroom and were thrown into the toilet.
Whoosh!
The mechanical flush of the toilet was automatically depressed, washing away the paper shreds into the sewers.
7 Pinster Street went back to normal, and its silence was identical to an uninhabited house’s.
Southern Continent. East Balam. Kolain City.
Leonard Mitchell, who had just arrived, was resting in a residence arranged by the local Church of Evernight.
Suddenly, that slightly-aged voice sounded in his mind:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Punk, you have an important letter.”
“What letter?” While Leonard asked softly, he already had a guess in mind.
To mail an important letter to 7 Pinster Street without caring that it was inhabited, there was only one, no—two people: Klein Moretti and Dwayne Dantès.
As for why the old man named Pallez Zoroast could still clearly read the letters sent to 7th Pinster Street despite the Berserk Sea and half the Northern Continent separating them, Leonard had only a guess or two. This was because he had helped the old man capture a specter before.
With regards to this, his theory was:
Old Man definitely used a Worm of Time to parasitize that specter, making it “His” eyes, ears, and mouth in the Northern Continent.
At that moment, Pallez Zoroast replied to his question.
“It’s from Klein Moretti. He said that while Dwayne Dantès was heading to the Southern Continent, he discovered traces of Ince Zangwill on Waypoint Island in the Berserk Sea.”
Leonard fell silent immediately as his mouth turned agape. However, he didn’t say a word.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After a long while, he muttered with a slightly hoarse voice, “As expected, he didn’t forget the need for revenge…
“What can I do?”
“What can you do? You’re only a Sequence 6. Even if Ince Zangwill doesn’t wield 0-08, you still lack the qualifications to exact vengeance on him. He just needs to reveal his Mythical Creature form to make you lose control and become a lunatic. The chances of you getting your revenge are zero! This is the qualitative change that godhood brings,”
Pallez Zoroast said rather sternly.
He paused before chuckling.
“Thankfully, you understand yourself in a way that’s better than before. In the past, you definitely would’ve said that you would inform the Church with news of Ince Zangwill and join the team to pursue him. And now, you know to ask what you can do.”
Leonard had wanted to retort a few times, but he ultimately didn’t say a word.
Pallez Zoroast continued,
“What you can do for now is to give Klein Moretti some information. Wait for him to write back to you. Then, based on the arrangements written, provide the necessary assistance.”
“So no finding excuses so as to inform the Church of Ince Zangwill’s location?” Leonard heavily asked, somewhat surprised.
Pallez Zoroast chuckled and said,
“No hurry. Do it at the critical moment.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Although 0-08 enjoys causing its possessor’s death, it doesn’t wish to be sealed even more so. As long as you inform the Church of Ince Zangwill’s location and begin a pursuit, it will immediately learn of it and make the necessary arrangements.
“Regarding this, you need to warn Klein Moretti.”
Leonard was taken aback for a second as he asked, “Old Man, you seem to know 0-08 rather well.”
It wasn’t apparent in the past!
Pallez’s slightly-aged voice chuckled.
“Of course I am. During the Fourth Epoch, 0-08 had once caused the death of an angel.
“I can’t tell you too much because once you know of it, it will also know you. The more you know about it, the more likely you will become a character in its stories.”
Leonard came to an actual realization of 0-08’s terror from Old Man’s vague words. This had already exceeded the mysticism he knew!
After some thought, Leonard asked habitually, “Then how should I hint to Klein Moretti without letting 0-08 know? Or that even if he were to know, it will be very superficial knowledge, making me a bystander in the story…”
Just as he said that, Leonard clasped his hands and gritted his teeth. Without waiting for Old Man’s reply, he continued, “An indirect hint? I’ll tell him I’ll temporarily not inform the Church of Ince Zangwill’s location… I believe he should be able to understand that there’s a problem based on the situation. He will understand that we need to be extremely cautious. And even if he fails to interpret that, his secret organization has members who understand the Fourth Epoch well enough to provide him with help.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Also, just writing the sentence, ‘Once you know it, it will also know you,’ without mentioning 0-08 should be enough for Klein to guess what this is pointing at…”
After Pallez Zoroast finished listening, “He” chuckled and said,
“Humans will only grow under pressure.”
Leonard exhaled and sat up. He found a pen and paper and penned his thoughts.
Following that, he set up a ritual right on the heels of that and summoned Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger.
…
Berserk Sea, Waypoint Island. On a liner docked at the harbor.
Many tourists weren’t alighting. They were huddled in the lower deck cabins, waiting to arrive at the Southern Continent to begin a life filled with hope.
They had gone through a great deal of effort to save up the fare for a ship ride that spanned a few short days. They were from Loen and were those who had been forced to take such risks.
Klein, who was acting as the tycoon, Dwayne Dantès, wasn’t like them. He lived in a spacious, clean first-class cabin that could even be described as luxurious. Under some candlelight, he opened the letter that had just been delivered by Reinette Tinekerr.
Will not be informing the Church of Ince Zangwill’s location for the time being… To Leonard, although the source of the tip might put him in certain danger, it’s not impossible for him to do it… Didn’t he join the Red Gloves to seek revenge? This means that he has a reason why he can’t sound the alarm on Ince Zangwill…
As Klein thought, he continued reading the rest of the letter: “Once you know it, it will also know you.”
Suddenly, Klein exclaimed, finding the description somewhat familiar!
This is very similar to the Twilight Hermit Order. Any mention of it will be known… So, 0-08 is a Sealed Artifact of the Spectator pathway? Leonard isn’t informing the Church of this matter because he’s held back by this. He wishes to wait for a better opportunity? This is likely something the grandpa in his body told him…
Klein nodded in thought, feeling thankful that he hadn’t asked Reinette Tinekerr for help moments ago.
That would’ve been equally dangerous for Miss Messenger.
Besides, most important of all, I haven’t made any preparations. If I were to only rely on a helper I hire, my plan might very well be detected by 0-08 ahead of time. A series of coincidences would then be created, producing a targeted arrangement…
Klein silently sighed and felt that he needed to do something, but he was at a loss as to how to begin.
From the angle of improving his strength, the acquirement of the corresponding ingredients of Bizarro Bane and Spirit World Plunderer depended on the subsequent request of the City of Silver’s Chief and how long Miss Magician could receive the exact coordinates from her teacher. These were all dependent on external factors that Klein had no means of expediting.
The only thing he could do was to try his best to digest the Marionettist potion as quickly as possible.
And after concluding most of the acting principles, the actual implementation was more important.
Therefore, Klein believed that he needed to obtain two marionettes within a short span of time.
He had previously been delaying it because he didn’t have any good targets. It stemmed from him being in Backlund with servants around him. Unless they were special marionettes, it was very difficult to hide their existences. And now, he was almost at the Southern Continent. He decided that as long as he identified an evil target who deserved the gallows, he would first transform them into his marionette until he had a better replacement!
Perhaps using an ordinary marionette to complete a rather difficult task will accelerate the digestion… Heh, my standards for a marionette has dropped to its lowest. All it needs to know is Dutanese. That way, I don’t have to hire an interpreter; after all, I can share their senses…
Klein quickly made up his mind and planned on writing to Leonard Mitchell after he had a more advanced plan.
…
East Balam, Kolain City.
Klein carried his luggage and stepped onto the dock, touching ground on the Southern Continent.
He looked into the distance at the city that was built on terraces. He silently said to himself,
I have to have two marionettes when I leave this place.
And before that, he had one thing to do. It was to lose the tail of the “followers” that the military had arranged.
The two gentlemen were rather good at being spies, but to Klein, they were as bright as fireflies in the night. This was because, no matter how well disguised they were, Klein could use his Faceless’s ability of observation and his memory of a human’s physical features and looks to recognize them at a glance.
Chapter 907: The Power of Mysticism
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
Most of Kolain City’s buildings were built on paths that spiraled upwards. There would be squares or small towns in the middle or on rather flat, open spaces.
Klein carried his luggage, and with his spiritual intuition as a Seer, he randomly chose a direction to proceed in and found a relatively lively bar along the way.
There weren’t many carriages on the streets, and the rental types were a rare sight. The most popular means of transportation in East Balam was a “Coffin.” This stemmed from their traditions of worshipping Death. People viewed coffins as items that brought about serenity and peace; therefore, Klein often saw people walking past him carrying a black coffin. The lids were lighter than the usual kind and were just like a carriage door that could be opened at any time.
They’re carried via two, four, or either people; or by horses or single-horned goats… Such a tradition is quite terrifying at night. Hmm, it’s not much better in the day. The entire city feels dark and creepy…
Klein took in the “scenery” around him as he walked into the square. On the left was a cathedral of the Lord of Storms, and on the right were restaurants and bars.
When he stopped in his tracks, a coffin being carried by four men was also lowered.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As the lid was opened, the passenger inside the coffin stood up and took a step forward. He was a Northern Continent-styled gentleman dressed in a white shirt and black vest.
The gentleman’s formal coat was slung against his arm, something he wore only after he left the coffin.
Then, Klein saw the man head straight for the Lord of Storms cathedral and enter it.
This sure is quite discordant… Doesn’t the Church of Storms enjoy changing the traditions of the colonies and forcefully implementing those of Loen? Why don’t they do that in East Balam? Is it because the Death pathway and Evernight pathway are similar, so the Church of Storms wishes to preserve some of the traditions of Death worship, so as to curb the proliferation of the Church of Evernight?
Klein nodded in thought as he turned to the buildings on the right, prepared to enter one of the bars there.
Having experienced it personally, he came to the realization as to why the dressing style of the ancient Balam Empire was written as such in so many history books.
They enjoy wearing trousers, those that are light and breezy. They find creases beautiful… Isn’t this to make it easier to lie in a coffin when outside?
Klein shook his head with a smile as he pushed open the heavy wooden door. Squeezing through the drunkards, he walked towards the bar counter.
And at this moment, the two military “followers” had deliberately opened up a distance from Dwayne Dantès to prevent themselves from being exposed. They had walked to the door side.
Taking this brief reprieve, Klein suddenly switched directions and passed through the crowd like a fish in water, heading straight for the bar’s backdoor.
Although he didn’t know Dutanese, he could read drawings on signs and knew where the washrooms and places where entry was forbidden to customers.
Composite Start
Composite End
After circling to a blind spot from the door, Klein quickly took off his coat and slung it on his arm.
Immediately, with his golden cane, he reached out his palm to cover his face and slow down his pace. Turning directions again, he headed for the bar’s entrance.
After opening up a distance of nearly ten meters from where he took off his coat, Klein lowered his face-shielding right hand to reveal a completely different face.
His white sideburns, deep eyes, and elegant demeanor was all gone. He had switched to a common Loenese face that could be seen anywhere on the Northern Continent.
With luggage and cane in hand, Klein walked staidly towards the two military “followers.” As they were looking for Dwayne Dantès, he walked past them and left the bar.
Be it tracking or anti-tracking, they were both strong traits of a Faceless!
Returning to the square, Klein turned into a sloped alley that led to higher ground. He planned on finding a hotel elsewhere.
As he walked on a rather deserted path, he suddenly heard a woman’s frantic cries.
The voice was only maintained for a very short moment before it was silenced.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Although he didn’t know what she was shouting, Klein could sense the horror, fear, and panic in her voice. Hence, he switched directions and entered a narrower and more deserted trail.
In less than ten seconds, he saw a local man in his thirties who was pressing against a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl in a secluded corner and was using violence against her. His skin was brownish, and he had rather soft facial features.
Klein took a glance and slowed down his pace before stopping in the nearby shadows.
At this moment, the girl’s face was extremely horrified and distorted. However, regardless of how she struggled, she was unable to free herself and had only received a beating in response.
Her tears and snot flowed out while her mouth was stuffed with cloth. All she could do was produce muffling sounds.
At this moment, she was surprised that the rotten egg’s attempts to take off her clothes had slowed down.
“…”
Without having the time to consider what was happening, she subconsciously looked at the rotten egg and found that his eyes had widened. His facial muscles were writhing slowly, but he was unable to form a complete expression on his face. Then, his limbs twitched and paused as they continued doing what they were doing but were easily avoided.
The girl instinctively pushed him, which had ended up having surprisingly excellent results. Freed, she immediately stood up and fled. However, she couldn’t help but feel her legs go limp. After a few steps, she tripped over a stone and nearly fell to the ground.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Reeling in anxiety, she fumbled to her feet.
But almost immediately, the sounds of footsteps suddenly ceased.
The girl subconsciously looked back only to see the rotten egg standing two meters away. His joints were making strange actions as though they were rusted.
What’s happening…
The girl felt as though she was having a nightmare.
The brown-skinned man struggled for a moment before quietening down. Revealing a smile, he said in Dutanese, “In the future, when you meet someone like me, remember to head for the nearest cathedral or somewhere where there’s plenty of people.”
The girl was taken aback for a moment before she screamed. Turning around, she ran as fast as she could.
Subconsciously, she chose to run in the direction of the square where the cathedral was.
When the calm and silence of the deserted spot was restored, the brown-skinned man turned to look at the nearby shadows where Klein walked out from.
A new marionette… His body isn’t strong enough, and he’s not nimble enough. He lacks Beyonder powers and looks rather fierce. Apart from knowing Dutanese, he’s completely useless,
Klein simply evaluated.
If it wasn’t because he was committing a crime and that I wasn’t proficient in the local language, I would’ve buried him immediately.
He couldn’t help but make a comparison with his former marionette, Admiral of Blood Senor.
Composite Start
Composite End
Senor was a Wraith and was capable of Mirror Blink. He could hide in gold coins and reflective surfaces. I didn’t need to worry that he would be seen by others… He also had Shriek and the ability to possess others. Together with a Marionettist, it’s a perfect combination…
More importantly, he also knew Dutanese…
Comparing this marionette and him is like the difference between a penny and 42,000 gold pounds.
I’ve no idea what his name is, and I can only use powers to sense some superficial thoughts. I have no way of obtaining deeper memories unless I encounter someone or something familiar. There would be a corresponding change in the spirit to release more information… I’ll just call him “Ah Fu.” Ah, no—that’s too Chinese. “Oaf” it is.
Klein rubbed his temples and sighed. He needed to leave the area with his new marionette, Oaf, before the girl led the clergymen over.
Before long, with the help of his marionette’s translations, he found an inn to stay in at the border between Kolain City’s flourishing and backward area. This place didn’t need him to provide any proof of identity, even though Klein had already changed his appearance to that of a regular local.
There’s an even greater lack of administration management than the colonies at sea…
Klein put down his luggage and threw most of the cash he brought with him above the gray fog, leaving only 50 pounds for his daily expenses.
Meanwhile, having crossed the Berserk Sea, and without needing to be afraid of causing any further anomalies, he took down the copper whistle and iron cigar case from the mysterious space above the gray fog so as to make it easier for Mr. Azik to locate him.
After finishing all of this and having had dinner on the liner, he had the spare time to seek out his second marionette.
As for how he could find one, Klein, who didn’t understand Kolain City well enough, decided on using his traits as a Seer and do so with mysticism means!
With Oaf, he left the inn. Klein snapped a branch of a Donningsman Tree and used it as a dowsing rod. With great familiarity, he used Cogitation and muttered, “Location of my new marionette.”
In the silent environment, pairs of cold eyes seemed to pierce through the obstruction of the incorporeal and the corporeal and landed on the dowsing rod.
The branch fell to the ground and pointed in a direction.
After advancing forward a little, he did another divination and followed his new revelation. Seven to eight turns later, he arrived at a steep staircase.
This staircase was connected to many roads in Kolain. One had to look up to see the top, and there was no one at all.
The divination’s revelation is pointing here… Why isn’t there anyone here? The result isn’t accurate because I didn’t do a divination above the gray fog? But I’m already a Sequence 5 Marionettist. My divination abilities are definitely one of the best below that of High-Sequence Beyonders…
Klein frowned slightly as he surveyed the area, but he failed to find any targets.
After some thought, he walked towards the staircase and sat in the shadows of the lowest step. He then waited in boredom despite a lack of confidence.
After a few minutes, he stood up again and made Oaf sit where he was sitting.
Then, Klein opened up a gap from him and hid two hundred meters away in a hidden spot.
…
Kolain City. Lower Lip District.
Leonard Mitchell and Daly Simone arrived at a nearby district with the Red Gloves team captain, Soest.
With the night as cover, Soest emphasized the operation to all the members once again.
“Our target this time is Ulika who’s living at Unit 13. He’s a rather important member of the Numinous Episcopate and is in charge of communicating with the different small teams in Backlund.
“Although all our intelligence points to him not being a demigod, I have applied for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact to be safe. Her Excellency, Goddess’s Eye, is also ready to provide her assistance to us at any time.
“Also, most of the residents of this district are locals. We have to be wary of them also being members of the Numinous Episcopate.”
Chapter 908: Not Leaving Any Problems
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
Lower Lip District. 13 Canine Street.
The plump Ulika was sitting on a sofa with his tiny dark brown eyes and skin. Wrapping a dried yellowed tobacco leaf and ten different kinds of Southern Continent herbs and spices together, he cut it into long strips.
Then, he held his self-made East Balam smoke pipe in his hand and brought it close to the matchstick his subordinate had lit. The end blackened and curled as it glowed red.
Biting at its end and taking a deep suck, Ulika slowly exhaled white smoke that was tainted with light blue hues. He looked at the visitor on the single-seater opposite him and said, “This is what a cigarette is. A real cigarette.
“The ones in the Northern Continent are only suitable for children!”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The person sitting on the single-seater was a man in his forties. He had a high nose, blue eyes, and gentle facial contours. His black hair was thick and curly. His skin color wasn’t too dark, but neither was it fair. He resembled a mixed-blood between someone from Loen and Balam.
He chuckled upon hearing that as he replied in Dutanese, “Unfortunately, I have zero interest in any kind of cigarettes.”
“Enzo, you don’t know how to enjoy life at all…” Before Ulika could finish his sentence, his powerful spirituality that was a result of his pathway had warned him of some danger.
The way it suddenly came and appeared in such a pressing manner made Ulika instantly determine that the problem wasn’t trivial.
He had yet to leap away from where he was sitting when all he saw was darkness. It was as though he could directly see the night sky outside. A strong sense of sleepiness overwhelmed him as he felt a level of serenity from the bottom of his heart.
Along Canine Street, be it the houses with lit lamps or extinguished lamps, it became abnormally silent at that very moment. It was as though no living being lived in them, or that everyone had fallen asleep at the same moment.
At this moment, the snoring and slumped Ulika suddenly leaped up. His eyes wore the strange combination of a reverie and lucidity.
Behind him, a nearly illusory girl with pale skin was stuck to his back at some point in time!
This girl’s eyes were bluish-green, and her lips were jet black. Her eyes were silently looking to the side, and her ghastly pale and translucent limbs had drilled into Ulika’s body as though she was a spirit that couldn’t be shaken off.
Composite Start
Composite End
Her existence brought a chill to his Soul Body, making Ulika barely resist his abnormal sleepiness as he broke free from the influence of a Nightmare.
Before Ulika could completely regain his lucidity, he instinctively rushed to the staircase. Extending his palms, he exerted strength towards the front as though he was pushing a door that didn’t exist.
In a blink of an eye, a difficult-to-describe bronze door covered in mysterious patterns appeared in front of Ulika. It wobbled and creaked before cracking open a gap.
The gap led to an endless darkness. In it were indescribable eyes that watched the outside world.
Meanwhile, large amounts of squirming and strange objects that were still unrecognizable surged wildly from the gap.
Ulika was about to continue exerting his strength to open the door and cause the terrifying world behind him to descend upon Canine Street when he suddenly saw a pair of pale, translucent palms appear out of thin air. They passed through the deep darkness and pressed down on the interior of the door’s gap.
The palms didn’t originate from anything. They weren’t connected to a body, and the wrist was bloody. It was unknown who had severed them!
Both parties exerted their strength as the mysterious bronze door stopped moving. It neither closed or opened further.
High above Unit 13, Soest, who was already a Spirit Warlock, was floating in midair thanks to an invisible force. His hands carried a sundial made of gold as he slowly raised it high.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When the golden sundial was finally raised above Soest’s head, its resplendent glow flowed out and quickly outlined and became one.
Suddenly, another sun seemed to appear in midair, directing all the light and heat at 13 Canine Street.
None of that caused any damage as they penetrated through the building and landed above the bronze door, enveloping Ulika who was standing in front of it.
Ulika instantly grimaced in extreme pain as the pale and nearly translucent girl let out a shrill scream, but it was stopped by the “sunlight” and drowned by the onslaught.
She warped and quickly evaporated, producing wisps of black gases that dissipated into the sea of light.
There wasn’t a single spot inside the building that remained dark!
After the “sunlight” faded, the indescribable bronze door had already vanished. On the ground was a black swollen corpse that was effusing pale yellow oil stains.
With a boom, the corpse tore apart as a thin, tiny figure leaped out from inside.
This figure had identical looks to Ulika, but its skin was raven-black as though it was stained in ink. The surface of its body that stood at a height of around 1.2 to 1.3 meters had sticky pus flowing across it.
Composite Start
Composite End
The moment he appeared, he dashed for the staircase with a ludicrous speed. Burrowing into the cellar, he opened a secret trapdoor he had prepared in advance as he dashed forward as fast as he could.
In just ten seconds, the miniaturized black version of Ulika saw the entrance—hope.
He didn’t lower his guard as he gently clenched his right fist, producing about eight transparent illusory figures from his body.
They were of all kinds of shapes and sizes, as though they were an abomination that fused the characteristics of humans, plants, and certain animals. Some held Ulika’s arm, others lifted his feet as they took off in flight.
Right on the heels of that, a mechanical switch was shifted. Gears started rotating as the exit door flung open, leading to a silent and dark street corner.
Further ahead were streets that stood on lower ground, and on the two sides of the streets were rows of houses. They appeared like the sea that churned with the light of the crimson moon.
Ulika was just about to use the help of spirits to fly out of the secret passage and disappear into the other districts of Kolain City when his eyes reflected a foggy lake.
The lake shimmered with light, producing a tranquil beauty. In the middle, concentric circles rippled out as beautiful and illusory figures floated up.
This was a powerful type of spirit. Human legends often deemed it “the Goddess of the Lake”!
Many a time, the strength of a Spirit Guide depended on the deceased or a natural spirit they found and controlled. It was the same with Spirit Warlocks. However, the inclination for Spirit Guides were the deceased, while for Spirit Warlocks, they were better at controlling natural spirits.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, the strange transparent figures around Ulika uttered a monotonous sound of horror. Throwing away the arms and legs they were carrying, they drilled into the thin pitch-black body like the wind.
With a crash, Ulika fell to the ground, but he didn’t feel any pain, which was a result of intense sleepiness assaulting him. It made him fall asleep without realizing it.
At the exit, Daly Simone, who was wearing a Spirit Medium robe, with her face made up with blue eyeshadow and blush, walked out of some unknown location. Looking at the 1.2-meter-tall Ulika, she said,
“The deceased spirit he fused with is very strange. If it doesn’t use a living human’s body as a ‘house,’ it will quickly dissipate.
“We need to make every second count in order to obtain information.”
In the shadows beside her, Leonard Mitchell walked out. He looked at Daly Simone in surprise and said, “Aren’t you a Spirit Guide? How do you control a Goddess of the Lake?”
“Aren’t you a poet? Why don’t you write poems?” Daly snapped back.
…
On the other end of the street, on a gentle cliff, a figure quickly moved downwards with the protruded pieces of rock, quickly landing in the shadowy corners of Jaw Street below him.
His skin was light-colored and his eyes were blue. He had thick raven-black hair that curled slightly. He was none other than Enzo who had been a guest at Ulika’s place at Lower Lip District’s 13 Canine Street.
Enzo wasn’t a member of the Numinous Episcopate. He was one of the traitors of the Life School of Thought that had escaped under the enticement of the Rose School of Thought.
Furthermore, he was neither a Beyonder from the Apothecary pathway that led to the Vampire Sequence, nor did he worship the Primordial Moon. He was only a person who didn’t wish to accept the various rules set by his teacher and his teacher’s teacher. He wished to lead a carefree life and take advantage of being a Winner.
Such a state of mind was strongly advocated by the Rose School of Thought’s indulgence faction, so it didn’t take long for him to formally join them, allowing him to freely satisfy all his various desires.
This time, he was representing the Rose School of Thought to make contact with the Numinous Episcopate in Kolain and discuss the possibility of cooperating on certain matters. To his surprise, Tenebrous Deceased Ulika had suffered a sudden raid by the Church of Evernight. It was a high-level raid!
Thankfully, I’m good at anti-divination. The Church of Evernight members didn’t know ahead of time that I was at Ulika’s place, and they didn’t pay too much attention to me. They just thought of me as Ulika’s subordinate, allowing me to find a chance to escape the core region. Besides, that “sunlight” mainly purifies objects with the power of death, evil, and corruption. It didn’t deal much damage to me… That’s likely a demigod-level attack…
Enzo walked to the shadows in the street and couldn’t help but recall what had just happened.
After fleeing quite a distance, he turned to look behind him and discovered no one was chasing him. He immediately heaved a sigh of relief and chuckled.
A Winner is a Winner, the eternal Winner!
Enzo recovered his usual confidence as he proceeded down the street with a smile. Then, he turned to his left and quickly moved down the stairs.
It was a steep and long staircase that reached many lower-level streets.
…
In the vicinity of Canine Street, Soest suddenly opened his eyes and said to Leonard and Daly Simone, “There was a man named Enzo at Ulika’s place. He’s a member of the Rose School of Thought and doesn’t have a low Sequence. He probably enjoys quite an important position.
“You are to quickly search the surroundings and see if you can find any traces of him and try to capture him successfully. Don’t leave any problems behind.”
As for the other Red Gloves and the local Nighthawks, they either had to capture the remaining Numinous Episcopate members or were already capturing them in dreams. They hoped to obtain firsthand news as quickly as possible. Only a few were left behind to watch for any accidents and protect their companions.
“Yes, Captain Soest.” Leonard didn’t hesitate to agree.
Daly grabbed at the wind and cupped her hand to her ear. After listening for two to three seconds, she said, “The little guys around here tell me that someone did escape via the cliff.”
Chapter 909: Serving Good Luck
Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
On the steep and long rocky staircase, the crimson moonlight illuminated its midsection, leaving rather thick shadows along its sides.
Enzo was like a normal pedestrian at night, walking a little anxiously but without showing any signs of being flustered. He had a deep faith in his excellent good luck, being a winner in life, one that wouldn’t be caught by the Nighthawks.
Seeing that he would be done after a few more flights of steps, Enzo, who was once a Monster, suddenly sensed something as he turned his head to look at the shadows in the lowest point of the staircase.
He then saw a figure sitting there in a daze. His looks and figure appeared rather indistinct due to the lighting, and he was dressed in the standard outfit of someone from East Balam.
The figure took out a box of matchsticks and struck a match to light up the surroundings.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Enzo didn’t bother sizing up the person when he suddenly saw a scene before his eyes.
The figure threw a matchstick over as though he was gifting him something. And when the matchstick approached, it suddenly burst into a ridiculous inferno as a man wearing a formal suit and top hat walked out!
Seeing scenes he shouldn’t see, and hearing sounds he shouldn’t hear, were a daily occurrence for a Monster. Having become a Winner, Enzo was already used to all of this. Without any thought, he fully believed in his intuition and lunged forward, jumping off the staircase and making two rolls onto the lower street.
At the same time, the brown-skinned marionette, Oaf, suddenly stood up. After bending his back, he hurled the matchstick in his hand at the location where Enzo was previously standing.
Before the matchstick hit the ground, scarlet flames extended out into midair in a resplendent and brilliant manner.
Amidst the flames, Klein’s black-suited figure with a half top hat leaped out. However, he had lost sight of his target.
Klein had discovered someone rapidly coming down the staircase about ten seconds ago as though he was hiding from something. Suspecting that this was his new marionette, he immediately did a dream divination and obtained the revelation that the man was related to the Rose School of Thought and wasn’t anyone good.
With such a result, Klein didn’t hesitate to take action. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, he didn’t have the time to use Paper Angel which had been recorded in Creeping Hunger to interfere with the target’s spiritual intuition, and as a result, it made his ambush fail.
At this moment, Oaf had already left the final flight of steps on the staircase. He was running with large strides towards Enzo, who had just stood up.
Composite Start
Composite End
Enzo’s mind stirred. Without dodging, he nimbly turned his body to the side, avoiding the ordinary attack.
Then, he drew his gun and quickly aimed. With a bang, he shot Oaf’s chest.
As blood gushed out, Oaf staggered for a moment before collapsing. His breathing rapidly weakened.
Klein took this brief opportunity as his body vanished, phasing right in front of the target to block his escape route.
Enzo seemed to have an inexplicable strange premonition. He immediately tightly shut his eyes
He didn’t know why he did so, but as a Mid-Sequence Beyonder of the Fate pathway, believing his intuition was an instinct!
Immediately after that, Enzo frantically switched directions. Attempting to rely on his spiritual intuition, he rushed into another street, but at this moment, the man in the suit who didn’t have any outstanding features appeared in front of him again.
Klein’s figure kept disappearing and appearing in every direction, as though he was running around Enzo at high speeds, often blocking his path but not dealing any direct attacks. Whether he used Beyonder powers or not, it made Enzo face a figure wearing a black suit and half top hat no matter where he turned to.
For an instant, Enzo with his eyes clothes even imagined that he was facing a group of enemies instead of one enemy.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
A Traveler was often able to create the effect of being besieged!
In just ten seconds, Enzo, who had failed to find a path to escape, suddenly jolted. His actions instantly slowed down as his mind and joints seemed to be injected with glue.
Traveling works well with a Marionettist as well.
While Klein was phasing around, he kept maintaining a distance of ten meters from Enzo! He had been secretly controlling his Spirit Body Threads all this time!
No good… He doesn’t attack… and is only blocking me… not because… he is waiting… for the Nighthawks… but for… another reason…
Enzo, who still had his eyes shut, felt his heart tighten. Suddenly, he stepped onto a rock, causing his body to lose balance. He slammed heavily to the ground, causing his revolver to fly several meters away.
Plop!
The pain and shock had snapped Enzo out of his suppressed state. He found his fluidity again.
Enzo was no stranger to such accidents. As a Winner, he often obtained an advantage due to all kinds of low-probability events and thus clinch victory.
Without hesitation, he was just about to dash towards the end of the street to his side and flip over the fence to jump into the sea, allowing what fate had arranged for him to escape his predicament when another scene flashed in his mind:
In it, he was breaking out into a coughing fit, to the point of not being able to stand up or open up his stride!
Composite Start
Composite End
Ailments! The enemy can infect me with ailments! He isn’t attacking me and is simply blocking my escape route in order to keep me in this area; thus, infecting me with ailments in an unnoticeable manner!
Enzo’s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly felt a strong sense of delight.
The Green Essence ring he wore came from a believer of the Primordial Moon. Upon activation, it could easily treat any ailments or injuries that weren’t too serious!
This is luck!
Enzo pretended to not discover the infectious ailment in the air. Exerting strength in his palms, he lunged forward and followed his predetermined route towards the fence at the end of the street.
Moments after he took two steps, he suddenly coughed and involuntarily slowed down.
His coughing didn’t quell like usual. Instead, it was worsening as though he was about to cough out his lungs.
Klein’s figure flashed and appeared behind the target while he maintained ten meters from him.
At this moment, Enzo spread his arms and allowed invisible waves to ripple out of his body.
It was like a pure psyche storm that swept all Spirit Bodies in the vicinity, bringing with it an intense sense of drowsiness and calamity.
Klein similarly had a premonition for danger. The moment Enzo spread his arms, his body had already vanished from his spot and had appeared in the midsection of the steep staircase.
Still having his eyes closed, Enzo realized that he didn’t receive his desired effect. He immediately abandoned the idea of escaping after finishing his target. He continued running towards the fence at the end of the street.
Composite Start
Composite End
He had a hunch that if he stalled a little longer, a number of Nighthawks would catch up to him, making the situation more chaotic.
And as a former Lucky One and a Winner, the more chaotic a situation, the higher the chances of him escaping!
At this moment, as he had repeatedly changed directions while running blindly, he once again passed by Oaf, who had been shot in the chest.
On Oaf’s left finger was a golden ring with an inlaid ruby.
A sanguine beam flashed from the beam as Oaf’s injuries began recovering. He bounced up and widened his mouth, biting down on Enzo who was running past.
His tongue seemed to lose substance as it transformed into a blob of flesh and blood.
Flower of Blood!
Oaf wore the Flower of Blood ring which Klein had obtained from Mr. X. It could randomly allow the wearer to abandon any rationality in order to become a beast. On the other hand, it could allow the wearer to control their body at a deeper level. As long as they didn’t suffer from instant death or become completely purified, they could heal from any kind of injury!
At the same time, it also came with flesh and blood magic. It was a mystical item that was very suited for marionettes!
Before Klein came out to seek a new marionette, he didn’t know which pathway or Sequence his target would be. Therefore, to make well-rounded preparations, he made Oaf wear the Flower of Blood ring. This way, he could direct a play of him being the main assailant with the marionette as the secondary assailant, but in fact, it was the exact opposite.
Just as Enzo ran past Oaf, he felt a stabbing pain in his knee as though his previous fall had given him some light injuries.
The moment this thought flashed across his mind, he hurriedly crouched down and felt a figure fly past his head. It missed!
Oaf’s sudden attack still failed to be effective against a Winner!
Enzo was just about to smile and run again when he suddenly had a premonition. He subconsciously curled up and protected his vital spots.
At the same time, Oaf suddenly swelled up and silently exploded.
Flesh and blood formed a storm, sweeping through a rather large area in the vicinity, hitting Enzo again and again.
One of the preparations Klein had done was to use a power of Creeping Hunger after its mutation. He had planted a Flesh Bomb in his marionette’s body!
WIth a clank, the golden ring with an inlaid ruby landed on the stone slabs in the street. Klein’s figure flashed to Enzo’s side.
He raised his left palm and made his palm pitch-black. As though they were formed of granules, he said a word filled with evil and corruption: “Slow!”
Thanks to his luck, Enzo had avoided most of the damage. His lightly injured body suddenly turned still as his struggling actions slowed down. His curled pose changed bit by bit.
Right on the heels of that, he opened his eyes due to the pain, and a figure wearing a black suit and half top hat was reflected in his eyes.
“Ah!”
Enzo let out a tragic cry as he raised his hands to cover his eyes.
Streams of blood seeped out from the gaps in his fingers.
Monster?
Looking at his writhing target, Klein pricked up his brows. He continued controlling the Spirit Body Threads and quickly achieved initial control.
This time, there weren’t any accidents that broke the subsequent procedure. In a half-crazy state with scales growing from his body, Enzo was powerless to resist. Klein rather smoothly deepened his control.
Time ticked by when Enzo suddenly stood up and converged the protruded snake-like scales.
He pressed his hand to his chest and bowed at Klein. Then, he walked to the side and bent down to pick up the golden ring with the inlaid ruby. Wearing it on his left hand’s index finger, it matched the emerald ring on his other hand.
Klein held back the urge of looking at himself with his new marionette. He got Enzo to clear up the scene of the remnant flesh and any traces left behind.
After doing all of this, he walked into the shadows with his marionette and quickly vanished.
Chapter 910 Monster Pathway
A few minutes later, Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell, who had repeatedly made errors in judgment, finally arrived at the top of the steep staircase.
They proceeded down the steps at a very slow speed, cautious of their surroundings, and they were ready to enter combat at any moment.
However, they failed to encounter any abnormalities even when they reached the bottom of the flight of stairs. They didn’t even find any useful clues.
Daly grabbed onto the wind, cupped her hand to her ear, and listened carefully.
A few seconds later, she looked around her and said, “There was a gunshot. A weapon once dropped around the street bend. Th-that man named Enzo is d-dead…”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Who did it?” Leonard asked in surprise.
From his point of view, due to the repeated failures they had encountered, Enzo had easily escaped their pursuit. The possibility of a Rose School of Thought monitor silencing him and wiping away any clues was zero.
If that were the case, who could’ve killed that Beyonder who was suspected to be a Sequence 5 or 6?
It needed to be mentioned that the Red Gloves had used a Sealed Artifact to implement anti-divination before they carried out tonight’s operation. It was unlikely for anyone to predict it ahead of time and wait there to hunt the escaping Enzo.
Daly shook her head.
“Those little guys didn’t see anything. It’s likely a Beyonder who’s good at anti-divination…
“Perhaps it’s Enzo’s enemy, and they had been planning to act tonight.”
She simply offered a guess of hers, and the duo began independently searching the nearby streets to see if they could find any missed clues.
Taking this opportunity, Leonard circled to a fence in a particular street. Suppressing his tone, he asked, “Old Man, did you discover anything?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Inside him, Pallez Zoroast replied after three seconds, “You should have heard a tragic scream and had used that to correct the direction of your pursuit effort.
“It was let out by Enzo. He had apparently seen something extremely terrifying and indescribable, something that could directly cause damage and corruption to his Soul Body.”
Leonard was taken aback for a moment. He narrowed his eyes as he repeated softly, “Extremely terrifying and indescribable…”
Inside the inn, Klein Teleported back with his new marionette.
He then made his marionette stand to his side as he sat down. As he sized up his marionette, he sighed.
A Beyonder of the Monster pathway. But he’s still inferior to Senor. There’s no way for him to hide in a gold coin for ease of transport. I can only let him follow beside me…
From his Beyonder Sequence, he isn’t a core member of the Rose School of Thought, but his Sequence isn’t too low. Some importance must’ve been placed on him. That also means that if I don’t disguise him, it’s very easy for me to be targeted by the Rose School of Thought…
On the contrary, I can probably use him as bait to fish for another Wraith. When the time comes, he can walk alone while I hide 200 meters away to wait for the bait to be hooked.
No, I can’t. I mustn’t let greed get to my head. The Southern Continent is where the Rose School of Thought is active. Once I expose my location, with how much importance the Mother Tree of Desire places on me, not only will a saint come, even an angel might appear!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Yes, it’s better if I disguise this marionette. As a Faceless, I’m quite skilled at disguises…
Then, I’ll continue using mystical methods to find my next marionette. I’ll wait for Danitz to finish his investigation and for Mr. Azik to come find me.
Klein quickly made up his mind. Using a myriad of means, he gained an understanding of his new marionette’s level and Beyonder powers.
He was a Sequence 5 Winner of the Fate pathway!
In this pathway, a Sequence 9 Monster was one who had super high spiritual perception. They often heard sounds others couldn’t hear, and also see things others couldn’t see. This allowed them to occasionally see the future and have an acute intuition for danger.
Beyonders of this Sequence often entered a state of enlightenment as they muttered indecipherable words. It was the reason why they were treated as real monsters.
As for the corresponding Sequence 8 Robot, the Beyonders would obtain terrifying calculation skills and precise control. The various parts of their bodies in those aspects would be clearly boosted, making them talented at close combat and shooting.
At the same time, they also had the powers of divination and anti-divination.
Sequence 7 was named Lucky One or Lucky, Beyonders of this level frequently encountered lucky events in their daily lives, like finding money on the street, having enemies miss shots aimed at them, getting dice rolls as they wished, and having women they like to also like them back. However, their luck wasn’t fixed and would fluctuate. At times, they were especially lucky, and at other times, they were no different from an ordinary person. Therefore, it wasn’t something that could be relied upon, and one had to temper one’s expectations.
Composite Start
Composite End
Sequence 6 was Calamity Priest. On the one hand, Beyonders could passively suffer all kinds of calamities, but they could foresee it and make preparations to eliminate or mitigate the effects. On the other hand, they would actively attract different kinds of calamities, affecting a target and enemy as a result. Then, using one’s advantage of being lucky, avoid most of the danger and attack during the chaos. To put it simply, they could pull their opponents into a situation where they could take advantage of their strengths the best.
Of course, many Calamity Priests could use the dangers of their own passive encounters to attack their enemies.
Meanwhile, Calamity Priests could create psyche storms. Using their spirituality that surpassed that of other pathways, they could directly affect their opponent’s Soul Bodies, causing them to feel dizzy and lost. If a Calamity Priest’s enemy entered such a state, they were extremely prone to making errors. It caused the calamity to snowball and eventually devour them.
And at Sequence 5 Winner, Beyonders could control their luck to a certain extent. They could use their own temperance to accumulate large amounts of luck. At critical moments, they could dramatically reduce any dangers to their life multiple times. From time to time, they could also encounter beneficial situations that have extremely low probabilities in their daily lives. For example, due to someone’s mistakes, they might receive an inheritance; the strange, comedic way they walked caused them to catch the fancy of a member of the opposite sex; or their enemies who were pursuing them would foolishly get lost or make errors in judgment.
At this level, Beyonders of the Fate pathway had a very keen sense of foresight. Be it divination or anti-divination, they were mysticism experts.
In addition, they could also give their enemies bad luck to a certain extent, making their targets become unlucky.
Beyonders of the Monster pathway are really extreme. Apart from the spirituality and fate domain, they almost have zero Beyonder powers. Even their constitution and calculation skills are provided at Robot. The subsequent advancements give rather limited improvements… This is my ideal model for a charlatan. They do not have any offensive or defensive abilities, simply relying on their premonition and how fate blesses them…
I have to say that this is the most special path out of the 22 Beyonder pathways. I can find or guess their neighboring pathways. Only Monster seems rather asocial. It seems to be a lonely one… Perhaps, the Beyonder pathway that focuses on fate is destined to be lonely? Klein silently reflected on the matter and had some ideas regarding the usage of his marionette.
Of course, he still needed to carry out divinations above the gray fog. He needed to see if the passive good luck and calamities still existed after the Beyonder’s actual death.
If it really was present, Klein had to constantly face the trials of calamities.
Composite Start
Composite End
In comparison, Admiral of Blood Senor is still better as a marionette. Sigh, people only know how to cherish and regret once things are gone. Klein shook his head in a self-deprecating chortle. From the traits of the Monster pathway, he thought of a few effective means to deal with their Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonders.
First, it was to catch them by surprise to let them see him directly. They would directly see the gray fog or other images, causing them to suffer a catharsis of the mind and receive damage to their bodies, pushing them to the brink of losing control.
Second, it was to throw a special item out, causing them to face the test of seeing what shouldn’t be seen and hear what shouldn’t be heard. In this aspect, Klein had a blood crystal that came from a high-level Devil that could produce such an effectBlatherer’s aura.
Third, it was to entice them to give him bad luck and pretend to act unlucky so as to have an opportunity to strike back.
Amidst his thoughts, Klein made the marionette empty his pockets, producing 35 pounds 10 soli 7 pence and a leather wallet.
The wallet’s surface and interior had a flower and name embroidered on it. It appeared to be completely handcrafted.
Enzo… Whether that’s your name or not, your name is Enzo. Klein shot a glance at his marionette as he moved his gaze down to the golden ring with the inlaid emerald on his right hand.
Via divination, he learned that the ring was named Green Essence. It had one effect-treat any ailments or injuries that weren’t too serious.
And it was precisely because of this that its negative effects were trivial; it only attracted mosquitoes.
Thankfully, I’m not the one wearing it… Hmm, Monster pathway Beyonders don’t seem to wear many mystical items. Even if they do, they will wear one or two rather low-level ones. This is a requirement of fate? Klein retracted his gaze in thought and looked at Enzo who was staring at the wall. He had an urge grow within him.
He wished to use his Monster pathway marionette to look at himself. He wanted to know what was so special about him!
Will this be very dangerous? I’ll lose control as a result even if I’m seeing myself? No, back in Tingen City, Ademisaul had also looked straight at me without being a Sequence 9. The only thing that happened was having his eyes bleed and be in a state of pain for a while…
Although I have improved drastically from then, Winner Enzo didn’t directly break down when he saw me just now. The reaction resembled my reaction when seeing Demoness of Despair Panatiya’s partial Mythical Creature form.
Do a divination above the gray fog? No, that involves the gray fog itself. The outcome will definitely be interfered with… Rely on my own divination powers in the real world? Klein took out a gold coin and let it run through his fingers. After a while, the gold coin bounced up and fell down into Klein’s palm.
Chapter 911 Strange Scene
Klein looked down at his palm as his eyes reflected the gold coin.
It was heads.
This meant that Klein should use the marionette’s eyes to look at himself!
After receiving this revelation, Klein remained hesitant. He pondered about holding a ritual to send Enzo above the gray fog. Doing so was relatively safer, allowing the damage and corruption his Spirit Body suffered to be completely screened by the environment before making an attempt.
However, he suspected that he wouldn’t receive an outcome. This was because Beyonders of the Fate pathway were noticing the projection of the mysterious space on his body. Above the gray fog, that uniqueness might no longer exist. It was like an attempt to observe an elephant’s body; instead of doing it outside, he was doing it internally.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Pressing his fingers together, he clenched the gold coin in silence for a long while before making up his mind.
He suddenly stood up, took out a ritual dagger, and created a wall of spirituality to isolate the room.
This was to prevent anyone from hearing the possible screams or strange commotion!
Immediately after that, Klein set up a ritual and sacrificed Creeping Hunger above the gray fog.
He was afraid that the glove would turn on him when something happened to him!
This was a fixed trait of Creeping Hunger itself. Once it didn’t have its fill and couldn’t secure a schedule of eating one person a day, it would view its wearer as food. And Klein starved it more often than he fed it.
After doing all the preparations in a meticulous and orderly manner, Klein reached out to take the Flower of Blood from Enzo and wore it on his left palm.
This ensured that he could recover even if he suffered any serious physical damage.
At the moment he was about to wear it, Klein thought for a moment and paused. Taking a piece of paper, he wrote: “Remember to take off the ring.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He was worried that he wouldn’t take Flower of Blood off after his experiment due to his lowered intelligence.
When that happens, perhaps I need a beautiful princess to wake me up with a kiss, no-take off my ring… Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh and exhaled. Removing his outerwear, he wore the ring.
Then, he cast his gaze at his new marionette, Winner Enzo.
The sense of crisis and nervousness was inevitable, but as long as he made up his mind, the experienced him could only forge ahead without flinching.
After doing some adjustments and entering a state of Cogitation, Klein made the marionette slowly turn around to look at him.
With the Winner’s eyes, he first saw a layer of thin, emanating grayish-white fog.
Amidst the fog, there was a resplendent door of light that was tainted with bluish-blackness.
The door of light was formed from countless layers of spherical light. Each spherical light enveloped squirming maggots. Some of them were transparent, others translucent. They had complicated and indescribable symbols and patterns that had profound meanings.
Before Klein could discern the actual details, he felt his mind buzz as he lost consciousness.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After an unknown period of time, he slowly woke up. He had momentarily lost his memory, almost imagining that he had slept till daybreak.
What happened? It’s still dark outside… Klein sat up with a push of his hands, only to realize that he was on the ground.
At this moment, he caught sight of Enzo through the corner of his eye. Plenty of scenes and voices suddenly surged through his mind.
That’s right. I was trying to figure out what Beyonders of the Monster pathway can see from my body… I suffered too much stimulation and fainted immediately? I still vaguely remember painful screaming. Was that me? Klein, who had recovered his memories, hurriedly inspected his condition. He was surprised to see a bloody, gruesome wound on his body, as though something was about to tear out of it.
At this moment, flesh was squirming in the wound, reforming at an abnormally fast speed.
Klein then looked to the ground and saw that there was blood that had outlined a silhouette of where he was lying down.
Thankfully, I wore Flower of Blood; otherwise, I might’ve slowly died due to the heavy injuries brought about by the breakdown of my body. After I resurrect, I wonder if I’ll be in a human form or a monster form… Klein raised his hand and rubbed his temples as he scanned his surroundings. He found that the furniture had toppled, but the wall of spirituality remained intact.
He heaved a sigh of relief, confirming that the abnormality was only limited to himself and a small area around him. Nothing had spread.
And from the speed at which his wound was recovering at, Klein determined that he hadn’t been unconscious for more than a minute.
Composite Start
Composite End
He picked up the chair and sat down, feeling as though he had forgotten something, but he just couldn’t recall what.
Only when he instinctively cleared the area did he see a note with the words: “Remember to take off the ring.” Only then was he enlightened as he removed the golden ruby ring on his left hand.
More memories surfaced as Klein shook his head and muttered with a lingering sense of fear and amusement, “Luck is really important at times. If the negative effects of the Flower of Blood randomly reached its peak potency, I might not be able to recognize those words and fail to be reminded…”
Seeing that he had mostly recovered from his wound, he made Enzo wear Flower of Blood and take off Green Essence.
Using the latter’s treatment, Klein no longer felt any discomfort. He focused his attention back on the scene he saw. It was a scene that Beyonders of the Fate pathway saw on him.
A door of light tainted with bluish-black. Countless spherical lights. Transparent and translucent maggots clumped together. Symbols and patterns that are mystically complicated, hiding plenty of knowledge but giving zero feedback to others… What do these represent?
This is a particular Mythical Creature form that corresponds to the mysterious space above the gray fog? It’s one that belongs to a Sequence o true god?
Due to the gray fog’s screening, only Beyonders of the Fate pathway can see it directly, suffering the visual impact and corruption? Likewise, it’s also because of the gray fog’s screening that those Beyonders don’t directly break down as though they are seeing a deity with their own eyes while also not receiving any knowledge?
Klein thought for a moment and began to use divination to decipher the hidden meaning.
The door of light seems to resemble the symbol behind the Apprentice’s chair. It might also point to Mr. Door…
Composite Start
Composite End
Countless stacked spherical light is identical to my Cogitation. And the latter stems from the mythical systems as described by some novels from Earth… Influenced, my subconscious chose the most relevant and closely-matching memory? Or could it be that my choice influences the expression of the scene from the gray fog?
The distorted and transparent maggots are similar to the clump of maggots on the gigantic throne on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range, but there are some tiny differences. That’s Sequence o The Fool of the Seer pathway? I didn’t manage to see the translucent ones clearly. It’s hard to tell…
Also, the bluish-black color keeps making me connect it to the depths of the mysterious space that I can’t reach… Back when I stood on the highest step of the staircase of light, I could see some hints of bluish-black on the cloud-like mass that condensed in midair…
Klein thought about it for quite some time but failed to receive an answer. All he could do was keep it at the back of his mind and analyze it when he had more information and clues.
After clearing the scene, he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog. He planned on doing a thorough inspection of his physical condition and confirm if Enzo still had any passive luck or bad luck.
Bayam. In the poverty district, in a dilapidated house that wasn’t too big.
Admiral of Stars Cattleya was sitting behind a table looking at the door when she heard a unique knocking pattern on the door.
“Come on in.” She didn’t deliberately disguise her voice.
The wooden door creaked open as The Hanged Man walked in, wearing a hooded black robe.
Seeing his suspicious disguise, Cattleya nudged her heavy glasses and said with a smile, “If you were to walk out like this, you would be surrounded by the members of the Church of Storms within five minutes.”
She didn’t wear any disguise because she knew that the matter of her permitting Gehrman Sparrow to board the Future had long spread across the seas. It wasn’t difficult for The Hanged Man to guess that Admiral of Stars was Ma’am Hermit.
Alger didn’t directly reply to her. As he closed the door, he pulled out a chair and snapped back, “It’s the same for you.”
He meant that Admiral of Stars was just second to Admiral Hell amongst the seven pirate admirals. Furthermore, she was suspected to have deep connections to Gehrman Sparrow. She was a target of pursuit by the Church of Storms and Church of Evernight. Her bounty had risen to 45,000 pounds, and no matter which city she was in, it only spelled trouble once she was recognized due to not being disguised.
Cattleya nodded slightly and turned to look at The Hanged Man’s hooded face.
“In front of me, such a disguise is meaningless.
“However, I respect your choice.”
She continued wearing her glasses.
She has a domineering stance and great confidence. As expected of the Admiral of Stars… Alger, who was wearing a mask under the hood, didn’t harp on the disguise as he went straight to the point.
“Thank you for providing me with assistance.”
Cattleya placed her right hand on her left elbow.
“I’m curious. With your present strength and the resources you have, you should be able to resolve the Artisan’s problem even without my help. Why are you being excessive?”
Alger was already prepared as he succinctly replied, “I do not wish to become a topic of discussion for others.”
Cattleya seemed to grasp the meaning in between the lines. Pondering for a few seconds, she said, “I need more information.”
Alger nodded lightly and said, “According to my observations and guesses, the Artisan is likely controlled by those who believe in the Primordial Moon. The latter belong to the original faction of the Southern Continent, not the traitors of the Life School of Thought.”
Cattleya’s expression remained unperturbed as she thought for a moment.
“Why don’t you find Mr. Moon? He should be very interested in such matters.”
Alger curled his lips and replied in a normal tone, “If we aren’t able to resolve it, I might do so.”
Chapter 912 Origins of the Artisan
Cattleya understood The Hanged Man. If the problem was too serious, they could use The Moon to involve the entire Sanguine race. They could then minimize their losses in the chaos and obtain some benefits.
She then smiled and said, “If the situation is that serious, why not directly find The World? That seems to make things simple.”
Alger remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “I have to prove my ability at handling problems; therefore, that’s the final resort.”
After hearing his reply, Cattleya immediately made some connections.
The Hanged Man places great importance on the way Gehrman Sparrow views him. It’s because he’s a Blessed of Mr. Fool? Also, his attitude is rather identical to the political jokes of Backlund and Trier. When facing a problem or having committed a mistake, the first reaction is to suppress the matter and find other methods to resolve it. They cannot let their superior or consignor know about it…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This means that The Hanged Man was once or is currently a member of a powerful faction with a strict hierarchy. It influenced him and made him grasp similar traits… The Church of Storms? No, such a person would be an oddity… The fleet of the King of the Five Seas?
Amidst her thoughts, the pirate admiral nudged her heavy glasses and steered the topic back.
“Continue describing the Artisan.”
Alger appeared to have prepared a script. Without any thought or pause, he said in an unhurried manner, “To hide this Artisan’s identity, to prevent this resource from being wielded by others, I deliberately constructed the identity of him being part of the Church of Steam. But in fact, he had no choice but to create items for unaffiliated Beyonders to earn money to maintain his lifestyle of enjoying fine wine and beauties. He betrayed the Church of Steam and hid in Bayam.
“This time, he first contracted a strange disease and was monitored by an unknown person. Later, he seemed to be under control of people who believe in the Primordial Moon, claiming that he could receive new life…”
Cattleya finished listening attentively as her eyes with a purple tint appeared extremely focused.
After The Hanged Man finished his recount, she pondered and asked, “An Artisan definitely has no lack of mystical items. Furthermore, they know all the combinations of different Beyonder effects and negative effects. Their strength is definitely at Sequence 5.
“What methods did those Primordial Moon believers use to control this Artisan without harming him?
“A demigod was involved?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger slowly shook his head.
“There aren’t any clues regarding that, but based on my observation, the Artisan has expressed some willingness. I suspect that, while being threatened and coerced, there are elements of them targeting his weaknesses to entice him.”
He had indirectly denied the theory that a demigod was involved.
Cattleya nodded.
“How did those Primordial Moon believers find this Artisan?
“Based on your description, this Artisan only trades with trustworthy friends he’s familiar with. He doesn’t enjoy widening his channels, and he can be said to be extremely cautious.”
Alger hesitated for a moment and said, “I’m not too sure, but I have a theory.
“I once helped The World sell a Werewolf Beyonder characteristic to that Artisan, and the Werewolf pathway belongs to the Mutant pathway. Be it the formulas or characteristics, they are firmly in the control of the Rose School of Thought. There are seldom any leaks.”
Likewise, those people who believe in the Primordial Moon in the Southern Continent basically belong to the Rose School of Thought… Cattleya added inwardly, having figured out The Hanged Man’s theory.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He suspected that the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic had a latent problem that involved a secret existence. This resulted in the Artisan being targeted by the Rose School of Thought!
And this was also the reason why the Rose School of Thought firmly wielded control over the Mutant pathway’s formula and characteristics.
Cattleya raised a few more questions and obtained satisfactory answers. Finally, she asked, “What’s that Artisan’s name? What country is he from?”
“He’s from Intis. He calls himself Cielf,” Alger replied straight away. “Cielf…” Cattleya frowned slightly as she repeated the Artisan’s name softly.
What’s wrong with that? Upon seeing this, Alger directly asked, “You’ve heard of him?”
From Alger’s point of view, Admiral of Stars was an experienced powerhouse with a powerful background and was good at controlling herself. If she hadn’t wished to discuss Cielf, she wouldn’t have made it so clear even if she had her suspicions and questions. Due to this, he chose to ask without mincing his words.
After a moment of silence, Cattleya said, “Emperor Roselle’s eldest son is Ciel. It’s very similar to that name.”
Without waiting for The Hanged Man to say a word, she continued, “This prince passed away due to his horror and concerns shortly after the emperor’s assassination. Back then, the Sauron family wished to hang or exile his descendants, but the Church of Steam chose to take him in as a clergyman.”
Alger nodded slightly in enlightenment.
Composite Start
Composite End
“You suspect that he’s a descendent of that prince?”
In most countries in the Northern Continent like Intis and Feysac, it was common for people to use their ancestor’s name or something similar as their names. It represented the legacy of honor; therefore, the more illustrious a family was, the more common it was to have “the second” or “the third.”
Of course, it was also very common for two people to have similar names, but Artisan Cielf wasn’t only a name. He was from the Church of Steam, a person from Intis, and had reached the level of Artisan.
Faced with The Hanged Man’s question, Cattleya nodded gently.
“I can quickly make a confirmation if you can obtain his blood.”
Understanding the reason, Alger didn’t ask further. Instead, he asked, “Are you going to take action now? I can provide support.”
Cattleya’s glasses reflected the crimson moonlight that shone inwards.
“No, I plan on observing for some time.
“At the very least, we need to understand why the people who believe in the Primordial Moon are trying to control Artisan Cielf.
“If they only wish to get the Artisan to work for them and create mystical items, the situation becomes a lot more simple. And if they have other goals, the problem might be more complicated than we imagined. We will need to make more preparations.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As expected of the Admiral of Stars… Alger nodded and said, “I can’t stay in Bayam for too long, or else I will incur suspicion. If you need my assistance, it needs to be fast.”
After receiving confirmation from her, The Hanged Man slowly got up and pulled up his hood before leaving the room.
Having learned where Artisan Cielf was presently living, Cattleya removed her heavy glasses and pinched her glabella. Clapping, she said, “Heath, come in.”
In the shadows of the door gap, the darkness suddenly stirred as a thin and tall but pale figure appeared.
His nose bridge was ridiculously high, and his facial skin was nearly transparent. Looking ill, he was none other than the second mate of the Future, Rose Bishop Heath Doyle.
Cattleya looked at him and said, “The actual situation is… I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes, Captain.” Heath Doyle simply replied before shrinking back into the shadows.
Cattleya raised her right hand and paused for a few seconds.
“Stay-Stay away from Frank for the time being. He had reached a standstill in his mushroom experiments. I’m afraid that he will come up with new ideas.”
“The location of my second marionette…”
Klein held two branches as he repeatedly chanted without seeing them move.
This meant a divination failure or that Kolain City didn’t have a second marionette that suited him well.
From the looks of it, mysticism methods are temporarily useless. I’ll pack up tomorrow and leave… Klein mumbled and threw the branches into the trash can.
Standing beside him was Enzo. Although he didn’t dare to directly look at his master and was only looking at the ground, he skilfully made a cup of black tea and offered it to Klein.
Compared to before, this Winner now had red skin that was nearly peeling due to sunburn. After all of this turned for the better, he would have a swarthy
tan.
To disguise his new marionette and prevent the Rose School of Thought from recognizing him, Klein had brought this gentleman on a trip to the beach which received strong sunlight. He was then left exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time.
Meanwhile, he controlled the marionette to shave off most of his hair, leaving a thin layer. With the trimming of his brows, contouring his face with powder, and wearing shades, Enzo seemed to transform into another person. Even the most familiar of friends of his might find it difficult to recognize him unless the person was a Faceless.
Apart from a disguise in the real world, Klein also did some mysticism management. Firstly, he used the Paper Angel’s embrace, and second, he carried Azik’s copper whistle along with it.
In addition, he also determined that a Winner’s passive luck and calamity trait was ineffective. However, he had no idea if it was because of its status as a marionette, or if it was due to the gray fog.
Receiving the tea and taking a sip, Klein cast his gaze at the map of East and West Balam on the coffee table. He considered where he could find his second marionette.
At this moment, the colors around him suddenly saturated as though an artist had contoured the area with paint.
Right on the heels of that, a figure appeared beside Enzo. He was wearing a silk top hat and a black suit. With a medium build, he had bronze skin and eyes that seemed to see the vicissitudes of life. He had soft facial features, and beneath his right ear was a tiny black mole. He was none other than Azik Eggers.
Mr. Azik is finally here… Klein was first delighted before he noticed that he had appeared beside his marionette.
This made an amusing scene surface in his mind.
Mr. Azik, who had relied on the copper whistle to locate him, had done the same as he usually did – grabbing the copper whistle’s wielder by the shoulder and had left using the spirit world the moment he appeared. And all Klein could do was watch helplessly, trying to stop him with outstretched arms. But being a tad bit slow, he couldn’t help but clam up.
Azik appeared more reticent than before. Looking at Klein who had a new face, he asked, “Are you ready?”
Chapter 913 Klein’s Preparatory Work
Ready… Of course not… Klein smilewd as he pointed at Enzo.
“That glove still needs sealing.”
As he spoke, the badly sunburnt Enzo removed the human-skinned glove from his right hand with his left hand which wore the Flower of Blood and Green Essence rings.
It was Creeping Hunger.
Normally, Klein tended to throw Creeping Hunger above the gray fog when it wasn’t in use. After all, the glove’s original seal had been disabled after its mutation. It needed to consume a living person on a daily basis; otherwise, it would feast on the wearer. However, considering how Mr. Azik had already replied, it was very likely that he would meet him soon. Finally, he decided to keep Creeping Hunger in the real world unless there were unique circumstances.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After all, he could already imagine the scene of Mr. Azik arriving. He didn’t wish for such a conversation to happen.
“Didn’t you say that the glove needs sealing?”
“Yes. Give me a second. I need to use the washroom.”
Or:
“Are you ready?”
“…No. Give me a second. I need to use the washroom.”
Just the thought of a similar scene and similar line embarrassed Klein, making him feel awkward. Even if he didn’t consider the possibility of Mr. Azik realizing the secret of the gray fog, this would also affect his impression of him.
Therefore, after obtaining a new marionette and completing his attempt at looking at himself, Klein brought Creeping Hunger back to the real world, making up for its previous meal.
Unlike before, the wearer was now Enzo.
Composite Start
Composite End
Aside from that, to restrain Creeping Hunger’s urge to eat a person on a daily basis, Klein carried a few normal mushrooms with him. He also made the marionette maintain a distance of at least five meters from him.
Upon hearing his words and seeing the marionette’s actions, Azik nodded and reached out to receive the human-skinned glove.
Taking this opportunity, Klein took out a few mushrooms from his pocket and threw them into the nearby trash can.
Pa!
He snapped his fingers, igniting the mushrooms within a scarlet flame. However, it didn’t affect anything around it.
This was his Flame Controlling power from being a Magician.
After completing this action and seeing Mr. Azik inevitably glance over, Klein chuckled dryly.
“The unforeseen development back then has made Creeping Hunger a little afraid of mushrooms. I’m using its weakness to restrain its usual urges.”
In fact, there wasn’t much point in doing so because carrying the mushrooms restrained Creeping Hunger. It made the starving Sealed Artifact immediately lash back the moment the mushrooms disappeared. Unless there was any easily obtainable “food” in front of it, it would end up aiding the enemy.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Mushroom…” Azik muttered as he held the glove which had blood stains on its surface. He made the surroundings suddenly turn dark as the sunlight outside was prohibited from entering.
Ghastly-white, dark-green complicated symbols, labels, and patterns appeared out of thin air. They appeared to be calligraphed by invisible wraiths, shadows, and spirit bodies.
They meshed together in midair, forming a mysterious, illusory double bronze door that seemed to lead to another world. It was a deep, silent, and terrifying world.
The illusory door shrank and finally landed on Creeping Hunger, causing its blood stains to rapidly recede, making it mostly white.
A few seconds later, this human-skinned glove returned to normal. It was still a thin layered glove, and even without any suppressive effect from the mushrooms, it didn’t express any signs of mania or urges.
“It’s like how it was before.” Azik handed Creeping Hunger to Klein.
Having a bigshot backing you sure feels good! Klein reflected inwardly and earnestly thanked him before wearing Creeping Hunger on his left hand.
He thought for a moment and raised a matter.
“Mr. Azik, while I was carrying your copper whistle while passing through the Berserk Sea, I had the same dream repeatedly.
Composite Start
Composite End
“The main theme of the dream is darkness and coldness. In an inverted underground mausoleum, there were countless coffins with a deceased body inside. On their backs were dense white feathers.
“Those feathers were tainted with pale yellow oil, and deep inside the mausoleum was a blob of black fog that enveloped everything.
“In the dream, you and I were exploring the mausoleum. We triggered something, causing the black fog to produce panting sounds as thin illusory black tubes were extended.
“I would jolt myself awake whenever I reach this point in the dream. This seems to be similar to the byproduct of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project that previously appeared.”
Klein described, in detail, his divination of the copper whistle as a dream; he did this as a warning to Mr. Azik as if to say that he shouldn’t be too careless. After all, dream divination was, in a sense, equivalent to a dream, and Azik knew that he was a Beyonder of the Seer pathway. Having such an encounter wasn’t anything odd.
Having a revelation from a normal dream and getting a revelation from a dream divination only differed in one way: one being passive and the other active.
Azik finished listening silently without cutting Klein off. At the end of that, he nodded and said, “It’s likely related to something Death left in the Berserk Sea.
“From the looks of it, the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project has had some qualitative progress.”
Mr. Azik lives up to being a Fourth Epoch Death Consul. He doesn’t belittle my dream at all… Klein raised his right hand and rubbed his face, turning into Gehrman Sparrow.
He then said, “I only have one more thing I need to prepare. I need to confirm if Admiral Hell Ludwell isn’t somewhere dangerous and that there aren’t any Numinous Episcopate demigods around him.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As for whether the Murloc Cufflink was still on the ship, Klein didn’t mention it. This was because he would check on it every few days. He believed that Admiral Hell had yet to discover the mystical item, or he might’ve already discovered it but had deliberately not moved it, hoping to lay an ambush for the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, when he visited
Azik replied calmly, “That can be confirmed when we are nearby.”
“Alright.” Klein immediately made Enzo walk to the coat rack and pull out the golden cane.
Seeing that there was nothing else, Azik reached out his right hand and grabbed Klein’s shoulder.
Klein also reached out his right palm to grab onto Enzo’s shoulder.
The surrounding colors suddenly changed. The reds became redder, and the blacks became blacker. They stacked against each other but were bright and discordant.
The two men and the marionette began passing through the spirit world as the black gold inlaid cane danced ahead, pointing out the direction of Klein’s lost Murloc Cufflink.
Before long, the cane fell down and was suspended in midair. Azik terminated the traveling, but they remained in the spirit world.
He seemed to be watching something or listening in on something. After two to three seconds, he said, “There aren’t any problems.”
With that said, he brought Klein while Klein brought his marionette out of the spirit world.
Meanwhile, Klein recalled the time he searched for clues to Azik’s memories. Back then, the target was the ancient chronicles that Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy possessed. Back then, Azik had said “the problem isn’t serious,” but in the end, he faced Demoness of Unaging Katarina…
There aren’t any problems… Alright, since you say so… Klein lampooned as he sized up his surroundings.
It was a rather familiar environment. It was a huge ship with a mainly dark color with a ghostly green to it. It had a Black Tulip flag, as well as zombies, skeletons, wraiths, shadows, and other undying creatures; these creatures either directed the sails, patrolled the area, or did cannon drills. All of that proved that it was the flagship, Black Tulip, of Admiral Hell.
Unlike Klein’s last encounter, the Black Tulip had quite a number of living Beyonders.
The silver-masked captain with an exaggerated rapier, frilly shirt, a gorgeous coat, and a triangular hat with a white skull on it, Admiral Hell Ludwell, was standing by the cabin’s entrance looking over.
Suddenly, the black ring on Ludwell’s right hand trembled and glimmered.
The pale white flame in the arrogant pirate admiral’s eyes wavered and finally constricted to its limits.
Immediately, Ludwell bent his back, prostrated to the ground in front of Azik Eggers, and kissed the deck under the gaze of the either glazed, surprised, or lifeless eyes.
Chapter 914 The Calling Deep Inside the Mausoleum
Upon seeing Admiral Hell Ludwell’s reaction, Klein and the living crew of the Black Tulip could hardly believe their eyes.
He originally imagined two scenarios:
The first was Ludwell requesting help from a Numinous Episcopate demigod to ambush Gehrman Sparrow and the powerhouse backing him. This wasn’t impossible since Sequence 7 of the Death pathway was called Spirit Medium. They also had the ability to sense impending danger.
The second was that Admiral Hell hadn’t made any preparations. He tried resisting but ended up being easily finished off by Mr. Azik.
Klein’s plan was to have Mr. Azik deal with the demigod while he hunted Admiral Hell in the first scenario, so as to obtain his second marionette. If it were the second scenario, he could request Mr. Azik to watch by the side as he controlled his marionette to challenge Ludwell alone. During this process, he would use Creeping Hunger and hide in the shadows, doing his best to stay behind the scenes so as to digest his Marionette potion faster.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To his surprise, Admiral Hell didn’t put up a fight at all. He directly prostrated himself and kissed the deck as though he was Azik’s most loyal and humble servant.
How are we going to come to blows now… Klein stared ahead blankly, somewhat at a loss for words.
And it was silent across the ship.
Azik raised his hand and pressed down on his silk hat as he walked towards the prostrating Ludwell at a decent pace.
One step. Two steps. Three steps. He stopped in front of Ludwell and said with a deep voice, “What stage has the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project reached?”
Ludwell kept his forehead peeled to the ground as he hoarsely replied, “Artificial Death can already influence High-Sequence Beyonders who failed their advancements, but it is still unable to reply to prayers and rituals…”
After the description, he slightly raised his torso and took off the black, square-shaped ring from his right hand. Then, with both hands, he offered it in front of him.
Silently, the ring seemed to be dragged by countless spirit bodies as it flew up and landed in Azik’s palm.
Azik studied it for a few seconds before wearing it on his left index finger.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, a terrifying and profound feeling was emanated from his body. The zombies and skeletons who were either naked or wearing rotten leather armor, genuflected, bowing their heads as though they only dared to look at his boots. The flying wraiths and shadows landed on the deck and clung closely to it. None of them dared to float in midair again.
The other pirates aboard the ship plopped to their knees, plastering their faces to the deck without daring to raise them.
Klein stood to the side, watching Mr. Azik’s back and the suddenly empty scene. He turned agape, but he didn’t say a word.
Azik took another two steps forward and came to Admiral Hell’s side. Then, he turned his body and faced Klein and said to Ludwell, “You shall be his marionette for a year. When the time is up, you can return to the spirit world.”
Azik said those words without any inflection, as though he wasn’t determining Admiral Hell’s life and death or future. Perhaps, to him, this was a trivial matter that didn’t need him to care for the thoughts and feelings of the person being ordered.
Ludwell’s body shook violently as though he was furious and indignant. But ultimately, he didn’t raise his head. He continued keeping his head peeled to the deck.
“Yes, honorable Death Consul.”
Just as he said that, ghastly white and dark green mysterious symbols were accentuated as they meshed together, forming an illusory bronze door.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The door rapidly contracted and was imprinted inside Admiral Hell’s forehead.
Klein looked in surprise and puzzlement. Only when Mr. Azik nodded at him and pointed to Admiral Hell did he blankly step forward and enter a ten-meter-radius. He began controlling Ludwell’s Spirit Body Threads.
The pirate admiral almost leaped up a few times to flail his arms, but none of that happened. Soon, his thoughts turned sluggish as he subconsciously resisted.
After a while, the silver-masked Admiral Hell Ludwell stood up. Bowing his head, he retreated to Klein’s side and stood beside Winner Enzo.
Azik watched the entire process in silence before finally slowly saying, “In the Death pathway, high-level Beyonders have extremely suppressive powers over low-level Beyonders.”
…I can tell. Back when I threw your copper whistle, even the Sequence 5 Admiral Hell failed to control his undead creatures… Klein nodded gently, indicating that he had taken note of it.
Immediately after that, a zombie which had rotted in several areas rose up. Carrying an azure-blue cufflink, it came before Klein.
It was the Murloc Cufflink he had lost!
Although it’s useless for the current me, I’ve finally gotten it back… As Klein was lost in poignancy, he reached out to retrieve the item that belonged to him.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, he saw Mr. Azik walk back and reach out to grab his shoulder.
He hurriedly extended his arms to grab onto the shoulders of his marionettes, Enzo and Ludwell.
All the colors saturated, brightened, and overlapped. Having entered the spirit world, Klein instinctively asked, “Mr. Azik, where do we go next?”
“Berserk Sea,” Azik calmly replied.
He paused for a moment and then added, “Give me the copper whistle.”
“…Alright.” Klein made Enzo take out the iron cigar case and retrieve the ancient cigar case.
Azik reached out and took it before saying in a deep voice, “My intuition tells me that this ring left by Death, together with this copper whistle and myself, should allow us to find the spot in the Berserk Sea where Death perished back then.”
Klein subconsciously said, “My dream tells me that it’s very dangerous.
“Perhaps we should first find the Numinous Episcopate members who are implementing the Artificial Death Project. We can make decisions after receiving more detailed information from them.”
Azik fell silent for a few seconds.
Composite Start
Composite End
“A voice there is calling out to me.”
Klein turned his head to look at Mr. Azik. He saw that this man with soft facial features and weathered eyes had his facial contours furrowed. He no longer had that slight curve to his lips.
Colors flashed by quickly as Azik brought Klein through the pitch-black storm that enveloped the Berserk Sea.
At this moment, the dark square ring and the exquisite ancient brass whistle shimmered slightly, illuminating Azik’s face.
This Death Consul who had lived through the Fourth Epoch closed his eyes as he silently listened to a shout that came from an unknown location. Then, he suddenly clenched his right hand.
All the scenery from the nearby spirit world was imploding, turning into a slowly-spinning black vortex whose borders couldn’t be seen.
The vortex suddenly burgeoned, devouring Azik, Klein, and his two marionettes.
Klein sensed a sudden and intense sense of dizziness as he nearly vomited on the spot.
He recovered after an unknown period of time, realizing that he was inside a dark, cold mausoleum. Around him were open coffins, and inside them were rotting corpses with white feathers on their backs.
Although I warned Mr. Azik, we still ended up here… Klein was taken aback for a second as he suddenly felt a deep sense of helplessness.
He turned his head to look to the side and saw Azik standing near him. He was staring intently at the flights of stairs that led deep into the mausoleum.
There was a thick black gas emanating in the area as they slowly swirled like smog.
“The one hiding in there might very well be Artificial Death…” Klein couldn’t help but warn.
Azik’s facial contours were no longer as taut as he curved the corners of his mouth.
“My slumber from before has allowed me to recall many more things. I saw myself seated on a bone throne, and I saw Beyonders and ordinary people lying dead in front of the throne. They hadn’t done anything wrong, but they died sudden deaths all the same. One by one, they got up, turning into ghastly undead creatures, undead creatures that pledged allegiance to me.
“And I was just coldly watching them without any emotional fluctuations. I allowed the disaster to spread through the village and into the city.
“This made me feel unlike myself. However, I also knew very well that this might be the real me.”
As Death Consul from the Fourth Epoch’s Balam Empire…? Klein’s lips quivered slightly before he pursed them tightly.
Azik rubbed his temples and continued in an unperturbed tone, “I sense myself returning to that
past.”
Chapter 915 Another “Me”
Without waiting for Klein’s reply, Azik, who was staring intently deep into the mausoleum, continued, “I still remember my resurrection after my first death. I was lying in a pale-white coffin, and I staggered to my feet. I was feeling horrified, having no idea what was happening. Nor did I know where I was.
“Before the clergymen collected my corpse for purification, I escaped, stumbling along the way like a wandering ghost. I crossed grasslands, villagers, and cities. I couldn’t recall who I was or where I came from.
“No matter where I went back then, I would hear all kinds of sobbing. When I watched priests presiding over mass burials, I felt sorrow in every corner.
“Later, I happened to rescue a noble lady and entered her manor. She was a bright and lively girl, and I was like a feral beast from the jungle. I was sensitive, suspicious, self-abased, afraid; and I often showed a cold, indifferent, cruel side that didn’t match the morality of a human.
“She was very curious about me. No matter how I avoided her or what terrible things I did, she would approach me, infecting me with her smile. She would use interesting matters to influence me, and without realizing it, I got used to her pranks and her existence.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“We secretly got together. She was very worried that her father wouldn’t agree to her marriage to a former tramp and present servant.
“Seeing her melancholic smile, I had the feeling of blood gushing through me for the first time. I rashly told her that I was leaving, but I would return with an aristocratic title and a bridal garland.
“I joined the army, becoming a knight. I raised a three-meter lance and charged at enemies. Thanks to the chaos of the Fourth Epoch’s wake in the Northern Continent, I became a baron and obtained a fief I could call my own.
“I abided by my promise, and with the king’s conferment letter, family emblem, a knight’s medal ribbon, and my self-made garland, I married my bride.”
Upon saying this, Azik’s expression gradually turned gentle. as though he was reminiscing and recalling something. The corners of his mouth curled up without him realizing it.
Klein’s heart stirred from hearing this, as though he had met the familiar Mr. Azik again.
“What happened next?” He carefully guided the conversation.
Azik looked ahead and said, “Later… later, we built a castle on our fief. We had children, a boy. He grew up very quickly, and I could tell that he would grow up to be tall and stout.
“He enjoyed combat, often running around while dragging a broadsword, claiming that he wanted to become a knight
Composite Start
Composite End
“I thought it was just child’s talk that wouldn’t last. However, even if he broke his leg or hurt his head, he didn’t abandon his training. He thought that I wouldn’t be able to see him if he hid in his room grimacing while tending to his wound. Heh heh, he underestimated his father. All the spirits in the fief were secretly under my service.
“Year after year passed. I recovered more and more of my memories. My wife often grumbled that the castle was too cold and dark and that she wished to go somewhere with sunlight and warmth. I satisfied her request, but it was only much later that I realized that it wasn’t because she disliked staying in the castle, but that she was afraid of the changes happening to me. She was afraid of the colder me who was becoming a stranger.
“She never told me these things, spending time with me like she always did. We spent a beautiful time by the seaside in the south, and we even thought of having a second child, but unfortunately, we didn’t succeed.
“It was only when I sensed that my next death was approaching did I return to the fief, to my castle.
“My son, that boy told me that he wished to head to Backlund to become an attendant to viscounts or earls and begin his journey as a knight.
“I asked him why he had made such a choice when he was only around ten. He told me that I was his idol and role model. He wished to become a noble by being a knight like me without the help of his parents.
“Back then, I had already recovered most of my memories. Faced with that child, I always felt a little awkward, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. But when I heard his answer, I still felt an indescribable joy, satisfaction, and pride. He was my son, completely different from the children I had back when I was in the Balam Empire.”
Klein knew that Mr. Azik was talking about his identity as Baron Lamud I. And the child who made him proud and satisfied had been poisoned to death in his middle-age or advanced years. He was nailed in a coffin and even had his skull taken away by Ince Zangwill.
Azik’s gaze went adrift for a moment.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I died once again and woke up in a groggy manner. I instinctively left my fief and followed my prior arrangements to wander elsewhere. Every incarnation, I had a different life in the beginning. At times, I met with the sweetest love; at other times I received the most adorable daughter. The love, helplessness, and satisfaction left me taken aback, puzzled, and stumped again and again as I gradually recovered my memories.
“There was once a time where I was a filial son. I gave my parents pride, a beautiful life, adorable grandsons and granddaughters. But when I ‘awoke’ and found myself, I recalled that in my previous incarnation, I had coldly watched their real son die in the battlefield and had seized his identity. On the one hand, I felt pain and guilt, and on the other hand, I felt it was nothing, something trivial. My inner heart seemed to dissociate into two.
“Back then, I had a mask that allowed me to change into anyone, but I lost it after awakening. This might have been something I deliberately lost…”
Klein recalled Mr. Azik’s mention of a daughter who liked getting sweets from him. After some deliberation, he asked, “I believe that it isn’t a dissociation, but that you are fighting against madness.
“After losing your past memories, you, who restart your life, are always kind and warm, with rich emotions. At your present state, you probably recognize it even clearer.
“This might very well be the true you, your essence. And as a Death Consul, you suffer the effects of the Beyonder characteristic’s latent inclination towards losing control. You suffer the influence brought about by a high-level Death pathway Beyonder. I heard that ‘He’ had already gone mad after the War of the Four Emperors.”
Klein’s words weren’t without much evidence, because he only knew a few of Azik’s incarnationsBaron Lamud, the father who made a swing for his daughter, the filial child, and the warm and friendly history teacher.
His goal was to provide a guess, a possibility to help Mr. Azik resist the Death Consul personality that came with his memories. It allowed him to introspect his past incarnations and use this to achieve a particular compromise with himself that wouldn’t be too cold.
And as he spoke, he suddenly had a new idea. Without waiting for Azik to finish digesting what he had said, he hurriedly asked, “Mr. Azik, do you know about an ‘anchor’? To secure ‘Themselves’, the deities and angels use anchors to prevent the Beyonder characteristic’s inclination towards losing control and stop madness from corrupting ‘Them’.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes.” Azik retracted his gaze and nodded.
Klein wasn’t too sure, but he used a rather firm tone and said, “Perhaps, your repeated memory loss to restart and live a new life is the anchor you use to resist madness and the loss of control!”
Do not abandon them. Do not forget them. That is you! After saying that, Klein added inwardly.
“Anchor…” Azik repeated this word as his mind seemed lost.
After an unknown period of time, he suddenly sighed.
“This might be an explanation. At least, it lessens the intensity of my mental dissociation and conflicts.
“However, since I’ve already come this far, I should still head inside the mausoleum to see what’s hiding there. Why is it summoning me, and what is causing me to die and revive again and again, losing my memories during the process only to find them again…
“This has troubled me for more than a thousand years. It has troubled my every incarnation. I believe I can receive an answer today.”
The look in his eyes turned clearer as his voice seemed gentle, but there was an indescribable firmness in it.
Klein wanted to stop him, but moments after he opened his mouth, he closed it again.
Composite Start
Composite End
Azik pressed down on his half top hat. Without turning his head, he said with a gentle smile, “Remember to close your eyes.”
With that said, he walked forward, following the flights of stairs as he headed for the deep depths of the mausoleum.
The wafting black fog didn’t produce any more panting sounds. It slowly scattered into its surroundings, accentuating the illusory object that was coiled at the bottom.
It was a massive feathered serpent that seemed to occupy an entire island!
It had huge, dark green-nearly black-scales. Amidst the gaps were feathers covered in yellow oily stains. On every feather, there were thin illusory black tubes extending outwards.
The exaggerated feathered serpent was both illusory and real, its actual form was hardly describable. It seemed to be a combination of things incomprehensible to humans.
Its eye sockets were burning with pale-white flames; its face was that of a human’s!
The face had bronze skin, and it had soft facial features. Beneath its right ear was a tiny black mole. It was another Azik Eggers!
Chapter 916 Irresistible Approach
Upon seeing this coiling feathered serpent deep inside the black fog, and a face at the top of the towering figure, Azik was first taken aback. Following that, the corner of his forehead throbbed as though he had been struck in the temple, splitting his head in two.
Amidst the excruciating pain, several incontiguous scenes flashed in his mind;
It was a feathered serpent with a face identical to his, even to the smallest detail;
Above a silent land, there were countless pale corpses;
Floating in midair, there were clouds stacked from bones that came from different species;
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Black tentacles that drilled out from the ground, with eyes that resembled dead fish at the tip of each tentacle;
A transparent Spirit Body was forcefully pulled out of his body.
After these flashing scenes, a pair of white flaming eyes that were on the brink of extinguishing glanced over. A white feather stained with yellow oil fluttered down, splitting Azik’s transparent Spirit Body into two.
One of the parts suddenly flew up and plunged inside the “cloud of bones.” The remaining part fused with a golden accessory that had appeared out of thin air. Amidst the pale-white flames, it materialized back into a body of flesh and blood.
This scene was like a thunder god’s hammer striking down at Azik’s mind, again and again, making the pain hardly bearable. He raised his hand to his head as his knees gradually buckled as he knelt on the staircase.
He had finally recalled everything that had happened, and he understood the reason why he was constantly dying and reviving, always losing his memories and having to recover them every single time.
His soul wasn’t complete!
Similarly, Azik also understood why the feathered serpent suppressing the entire space in the depths of the black fog had an identical face as his.
It was him!
Composite Start
Composite End
That was the other Azik Eggers!
And all of this was a concealed attempt before Death’s fall.
If stitching souls existed, there was naturally the splitting of souls. At that moment, the crazy and powerful Death had seemingly foreseen “His” outcome. Unwilling to die so simply, “He” secretly split the soul of his son, Balam Empire’s Death Consul. He took half of it away and used another item as a replacement, stitching it together with Azik’s soul.
It was a mystery if it was a deliberate arrangement of Death, or if it was an unintended consequence of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project, the half soul that had been taken away from Artificial Death had fused with the target of the Artificial Death Project—the Uniqueness of the Death pathway. It made the latter gain certain innate abilities as it began influencing High-Sequence Beyonders of the Corpse Collector pathway who had failed their advancement.
And for the other half, although there was a replacement that prevented it from being incomplete, the incomplete soul resulted in repeated deaths and resurrection just like Sequence 4’s Undying. And due to the golden accessory inside his body, and the calling from the other half soul, Azik, who started a brand new life every incarnation, would gradually recover his past memories with the passage of time.
In the past, Artificial Death had attempted to identify the reason, but due to the natural recovery of his memories, he was often already close to death once more. He wasn’t able to perform any in-depth investigations. Furthermore, the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death Project had been raised in the past few centuries. It was only in recent times that they received some level of success. That was why he never found the answer.
Haa! Haa! Haa!
At some point in time, Azik’s hands had left his head. They were placed on the staircase as his throat produced a voice that didn’t sound human.
Drops of sweat dripped down his forehead and hit the stone steps in front of him. They spread out into a layer of pale yellow oil, growing out into dense white feathers.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At that instant, he felt the other half of his soul calling out, as well as its desire. The two “selves” which had been separated for more than a thousand years were eager to fuse as one, to be whole again.
“No…” Azik muttered in pain, unwilling to raise his head or reach out his right hand.
He had seen it clearly. The “him” as a feathered serpent didn’t have any reason. It was filled with extreme coldness and madness. If he became one with it again, he would probably immediately be restored to his state as a Death Consul from before. He might even become a fake Death who only had godhood with zero humanity!
He would forget everything, forgetting everyone who he had once cherished.
“No…” Azik’s throat squeezed out the same word again. Irresistibly, he raised his neck bit by bit as pitch-black and gloomy scales appeared.
At his forehead, something that took a life of its own protruded out. His forehead cracked as a bloody opening appeared.
A golden sliver of light emitted out of nothingness, taking form inside the flesh and blood.
This ancient accessory made of gold was in the shape of a tall, slender bird. Pale white flames emanated around it in the form of feathers. Inside its bronze eyes, there were shimmering layers of light that separately formed a mysterious and illusory door.
The moment it appeared, Azik let out a painful growl. He raised his head completely as two wisps of pale-white flames burst in his eyes that had experienced much.
Composite Start
Composite End
Deep inside the black fog, the illusory and real feathered serpent had straightened its body. It reached its head out as the two identical faces of different sizes looked at each other in silence.
As four pale-white flames leaped, bit by bit, Azik, whose hands were on the ground, struggled to stand up with a warped expression. Slowly, he walked to the feathered serpent known as Artificial Death.
As he approached, the entire mausoleum began shaking. The surroundings turned transparent, reflecting a world with countless skeletons and shadows.
Bloody arms, bluish-black vines with baby faces, and slimy tentacles with dead fish eyes or two rows of sharp teeth tore through the boundary between reality and the illusory, reaching into the mausoleum. However, they clung straight to the ground without daring to move.
East Balam, Kolain City.
Daly Simone, who was rushing to her next target’s location, suddenly stopped in her steps and held her head.
“What’s wrong?” Red Gloves team captain, Soest, asked in puzzlement.
Daly frowned slightly as she answered, seemingly in reverie, “I hear strange voices. I can sense the calling that stems from an unknown place… I even wish to kneel to the ground…”
“Can the rest of you hear it?” Soest prudently asked the other teammates.
Just as Leonard Mitchell shook his head, he heard the slightly-aged voice in his mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Look towards the Berserk Sea.”
Leonard subconsciously turned his body and looked in the direction of the harbor towards the distant Berserk Sea. He saw a swath of pure, deep-black darkness. There weren’t any gales, massive waves, dark clouds, lightning, torrential rain, or sunlight.
Although Klein had his eyes closed, his outstanding spiritual perception allowed him to sense his surroundings. When he heard the painful murmurs and shouts that sounded like Mr. Azik, he could sense seemingly corporeal silence and the aura of death.
What’s happening? Although the Artificial Death deep in the mausoleum didn’t attack Mr. Azik, it has inflicted him with adverse effects? Klein’s mind raced as he felt anxious and worried.
His spiritual intuition told him that what was about to happen was not something he wished to see.
However, he couldn’t figure out what he could do. He didn’t even dare open his eyes to look at Mr. Azik’s present state or whatever he had encountered.
This wasn’t a problem that could be solved with mere courage. It was a difference in the natural order of life, an unbridgeable gap.
Suddenly, Klein had a strong feeling of helplessness. However, he didn’t give up as he tried hard to think of whatever items he had on him that could be of use.
Creeping Hunger? No, it’s at a completely different level. It won’t be of any use…
Death Knell? Even worse…
Groselle’s Travels? I didn’t bring it… Neither did I bring the Black Emperor card and Tyrant card…
Fate Siphon charm… Yes, the Fate Siphon charm!
Klein was delighted as he formulated a plan.
It was to use the Fate Siphon charm to temporarily swap his fate with Mr. Azik. He would suffer the influence created by Artificial Death in his place!
At the very least, I still have a chance of reviving. As for Mr. Azik, the deaths he previously suffered wouldn’t from the damage inflicted. Who knows if he can awaken again in such a situation! Klein didn’t consider if the Fate Siphon charm was effective on Azik and Artificial Death. He only wished to give it a try. He raised his right hand and reached into his pocket.
Then, there was a delay in his actions.
His arm rose a little before landing back in its original location.
He froze for a moment as though he had been petrified into being a stone sculpture.
Klein’s lips quivered a few times as his expression distorted indiscernibly. Following that, he swung his right arm and reached his palm into his pocket and pulled it out.
Gripped tightly in his palm was a black crystal card-like charm.
At the same time, Azik was approaching the towering illusory feathered serpent. His footsteps sped up as though he was returning to his throne.
However, his eyes which had pale-white flames were filled with pain. His expression was extremely warped.
“No…” Azik muttered once again. Wherever his skin was exposed, white feathers stained with yellow oil grew out from the gaps of pitch-black scales.
The intense shouting and desire made him lose control of himself. He was about to soar into the sky and leap towards the gigantic feathered serpent that shared his face.
Pale-white flames spread out from the bird-shaped accessory at his forehead, flowing towards the rest of his body.
Klein’s spiritual intuition was sending warnings as he hurriedly said a single word in ancient Hermes, “Fate!”
Just as he was about to use the charm, his surroundings suddenly quietened. There was no longer any sound.
A slender, fair female palm appeared out of nowhere and pressed down on the golden bird-shaped accessory on Azik’s forehead.
A figure then materialized between Azik and the towering illusory feathered serpent, stopping the two’s approach.
With the help of this external force, Azik finally held back that desire and the irresistible calling to fuse together. The pale-white flames in his eyes “reflected” the floating figure in midair.
It was a beautiful lady wearing an ancient robe. She wore a black hood. Her face was deadpan, and her black eyes were deep and dark, devoid of spirituality.
Chapter 917 Three Choices
The strange turn of events inside the mausoleum left Klein, who had his eyes closed and his spirituality converged, completely unaware of what was happening. He had no idea if it was something good or bad. Therefore, even though he had already chanted the activation incantation, he still didn’t dare rashly use the Fate Siphon charm. He was afraid it would make things worse or that it would have the opposite effect.
Seconds passed as Klein felt the passage of time was especially slow. He felt as though an entire century had passed.
Finally, he heard Mr. Azik speak with a somewhat hoarse and uncertain tone:
“It’s you…”
Following that, an unperturbed voice that was clearly female sounded:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“You have three choices.
“First, continue proceeding forward to seek completeness. Allow Salinger to revive within your body;
“The second is to have me help you extract that half soul, allowing you to take it with you. You will think of a way to stitch it back together, but this will make you transform back to your original form. You will stop repeatedly dying and reviving, but it will not be the present you. Your past incarnations will truly recede into being dreams;
“Third, it’s to give up everything and directly leave. You will forever be stuck at your current level. You will have no way of advancing further. You will still die again and again, waking up with no memories, and repeatedly search for your past experiences.”
Klein was taken aback by what he heard. He never expected that there was another “person” in the depths of the mausoleum. Furthermore, she appeared to have absolute authority. She provided the former Death Consul, Azik Eggers, different choices that he could choose from.
This is that the “Artificial Death” that’s hiding deep in the black fog?
No, “He” originally didn’t seem to have any intelligence. It’s been so long, and it’s not like “He” has tried communicating…
Extract the half soul and think of a way to stitch it together… What does that mean? Azik’s soul was not whole to begin with?
Extract it from where? The lady speaking is actually able to do something Mr. Azik is incapable of?
Composite Start
Composite End
Also, who is Salinger? Why would he be revived in Mr. Azik’s body? He, or “He” is Death that caused the Pale Disaster, Mr. Azik’s father or grandfather? “He” foresaw “His” death; hence, he left a seed in Mr. Azik’s body for “Him” to revive?
The first choice is definitely something to eliminate without any thought. The second and third choice each have their own problems. The former makes him not his current self. He will become an unfamiliar “him.” The latter is to suffer an undying curse for all eternity, never to receive salvation… If he’s confident with himself, truly treating all the past incarnations as an anchor, then the second choice can be considered. It allows for reconciliation and a compromise… But this involves the splitting of a half soul into half. It’s impossible to guess what developments will happen to the other half soul which didn’t experience those incarnations in the future. The anchor might not be able to resolve the problem…
Ideas flashed through Klein’s mind. He was puzzled, curious, stumped, and confused. He was so near, yet so far from a solution.
It was Azik’s life. It was a future he needed to face. No one else could make the decision for him.
And whatever Klein needed to say had been said. He stood there helpless and worried, waiting for Mr. Azik to speak again.
Azik looked at the beautiful hooded lady in front of him without saying a word. The pale-white eyes in his eyes flickered.
The illusory but real towering feathered serpent seemed to sense a negative development. It suddenly lashed out its tail, wildly sweeping it around as it lunged its head downward and opened its gaping mouth, revealing dark red flesh and fangs that were tainted with yellow oil stains. It stuck out its black serpent tongue and spat dark green slime in a bid to devour Azik Eggers.
However, all of its attempts failed to be effective. It seemed to live in another world!
Amidst the unsettling silence, Azik raised his right hand and rubbed his temples. Calmly, he said with a laugh, “Perhaps I’m accustomed to my present life. I choose the third choice.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he said that, the hooded lady clenched her fist, gripping the golden bird-shaped accessory tightly. Then, she retracted her arm, pulling out the ancient item from the gap in Azik’s forehead.
Azik’s expression distorted once again as though he was experiencing unimaginable pain.
Every drop of his blood, and in every piece of flesh, there were some parts of his soul seeping out, mixing together into a transparent soul.
This soul appeared complete, but it was filled with discordant and disharmonious feelings. It was because it was half gold in color, the same all the way from the brows, eyes, to the torso, and its four limbs. It had an ancient simplistic beauty.
As the golden bird-shaped accessory was extracted, Azik’s translucent soul began to disintegrate inch by inch, as though it was being skinned alive.
His throat let out an unhuman gasping sound once again, causing Klein’s head to spin and ache. It felt as though a needle had stabbed into his brain and was stirred wildly.
In seconds, Azik’s Spirit Body completely split into two. Half of it transformed into a golden stream that infused into the bird-shaped accessory, while the other half returned to his body, fusing with his flesh and blood.
The two pale-white flames in Azik’s eyes were extinguished as the white feathers and pitch-black scales on his body receded. His warped expression also eased as he no longer looked as savage.
His expression turned slightly pale and translucent as his forehead throbbed. Clearly, he was suffering a pain that stemmed from deep within his Soul Body.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Thank you for your help.” He bowed towards the beautiful hooded lady. He turned around and floated up the staircase, coming to Klein’s side.
“You can open your eyes now,” Azik said with an exhausted smile.
Klein hurriedly opened his eyes and sized up Azik. Realizing that there weren’t any signs of madness or loss of control, he was completely relieved. He curiously cast his gaze deep into the mausoleum.
The black fog was still emanating, completely blanketing everything underneath.
“Who was that?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Azik laughed and reached out to grip his shoulder.
“Even if I were to tell you, you wouldn’t be able to hear it unless ‘She’ is willing to let you know.”
As he spoke, Klein subconsciously grabbed his two marionette’s shoulders.
The colors around them saturated and clearly stacked upon one another. The two men and two marionettes quickly passed through the spirit world corresponding to the Berserk Sea, returning to Klein’s inn in Kolain City.
Azik released his grip and pinched his forehead. With a gentle smile, he said, “I’ll need to sleep for an unknown length of time in order to recover. If you have any questions, you can seek out the spirit world’s Seven Lights. You should already be aware of the corresponding ritual.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Mr. Azik, are you alright?” Klein asked in concern.
At the same time, he rebuked himself.
How can he be fine having lost half his soul forever?
Azik laughed and said, “It’s not a big deal. I’ll just be maintaining my previous state, allowing me to foresee my death and arrange everything, severing ties with my original life. I’ll then forget everything and reawaken in search of my past.
“Like before, at least you’re there, someone who knows a lot about my past. If I were to forget once again, I should be able to recall a lot when I receive your letter.”
He paused and nodded indiscernibly as he chuckled.
“Sleep isn’t a bad thing either. At least I’ll have dreams. In my dreams, I never left, accompanying her while taking in the sun while guiding that stubborn son of mine to use the broadsword. I’ll also make a swing for that little kid that loves to wheedle…”
Having said that, Azik threw out the copper whistle and said with a gentle smile, “Remember to write to me.
“But before I awaken, I will not reply to you.”
Just as Klein reached out to receive the ancient and intricate copper whistle, Azik vanished from the room; his whereabouts an unknown.
After blankly watching this scene for a while, Klein suddenly let out a sigh.
To go anywhere else from Kolain City by land, one needed to follow the spiraling path that led upwards. After passing through the different streets, one would arrive at the peak of the city. Then, one had to descend the mountain and enter a plain.
At this moment, the Red Gloves team that Soest led was standing on a square at the peak, looking down at the abnormal Berserk Sea.
Daly Simone, who had been pressing her forehead all this time, suddenly lowered her hand as she said, feeling somewhat puzzled, “Everything has been returned to normal. There’s no more problems.”
“Normal?” Leonard returned with a question in puzzlement.
From his point of view, it was very difficult for Daly to return to normal before the end of the Berserk Sea’s abnormality.
“Perhaps it’s intermittent?” Soest hesitatingly raised a theory.
Daly was just about to answer when everyone’s spiritual perception was triggered. Once again, they looked towards the Berserk Sea.
In the swath of pure blackness, one bright star after another lit up.
Backlund. Beneath Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Archbishop Anthony Stevenson received an emergency telegram from the sea.
The telegram’s content was rather simple, but it was sufficiently shocking.
“Gehrman Sparrow has appeared, boarding the Black Tulip with another person. He has made Ludwell into a marionette and left with the person Ludwell addressed as Death Consul.”
Gehrman Sparrow… Death Consul… Saint Anthony silently repeated these two names.
He leaned back slightly and closed his eyes. Once again, the corresponding complete information of the Sealed Artifact, 0-17 appeared in his mind.
“Number: 17.
“Name: Angel of Concealment
“Danger Grade: 0. Extremely Dangerous. It’s of the highest importance and of the highest confidentiality. It is not to be inquired, disseminated, described, or spied.
“Security Clearance: Pope, Team A researchers, and Archbishop of the Backlund diocese (Note: When the archbishop is transferred out of the Backlund diocese, the corresponding memories have to be wiped out using Sealed Artifact 1-29)
“Sealed Method: The seal is completed through the combination of 1-29 and 1-80.
“Description: This isn’t an item.
“Warning: ‘She’ cannot be used!” “Appendix 1: This Sealed Artifact first appeared in the Pale Era of the Fourth Epoch.
Exact year: Missing.
Exact date: Missing.
Exact location: Missing
“Appendix 2: Based on the information, ‘She’ has been awakened five times.
“Appendix 3: A limited premise is the reason behind its inability to be used. It has been confirmed that ‘She’ can be used as the Goddess’s descent vessel.”
Chapter 918 Guesses and Ideas
Kolain City. Inside the inn.
Klein sat on a reclining chair, reaching out to receive the black tea with lemon from Winner Enzo.
Beside him, Admiral Hell Ludwell stood straight, wearing a mask with a rapier by his waist. He appeared like the most loyal guard.
Only at this point in time did Klein, who had completely calmed down, have the mental capacity to analyze what had happened in Death’s mausoleum. Amongst all of that, what he paid most attention to was the existence that had helped Mr. Azik get out of his predicament at the critical moment and provide him with three choices.
First, a female voice;
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Second, this matter is definitely advantageous to her. Otherwise, no one would cross such a great distance to provide assistance. Of course, if she happened to pass by and had helped Mr. Azik out of goodwill, that’s also completely understandable and acceptable. But the problem is that the mausoleum is a product formed from Death’s godly powers when “He” perished, a product of the characteristic, corpses, and the natural environment. Without the corresponding key, even deities can’t find it. With a door that cannot be opened, how is it possible for anyone to be passing by?
Also, Mr. Azik’s actions had been very sudden. He didn’t first seek out the members of the Numinous Episcopate that are carrying out the Artificial Death Project for information. He directly followed the calling and arrived at the Berserk Sea and entered Death’s treasure trove. If it’s not someone who can locate me or him, or them being someone who has a strong prescient ability, there’s almost no existence that can arrive in such a timely manner;
Finally, the Salinger that can revive via Mr. Azik’s body is almost certainly the “I’m mad, but I’m stronger” Death from the Fourth Epoch. That female voice directly addressed “Him” by his name without showing any signs of respect.
This…
As Klein seriously analyzed the information, he suddenly had a theory, but he couldn’t help but avoid the possibility.
Based on what he knew, the Evernight, Death, and Giant Beyonder pathways were a group of its own. They could be interchanged at High Sequences. And other than using the honorific name of Lady of Crimson or some special Grade o Sealed Artifact to occupy a portion of the Moon’s authority, the Goddess also had the title Mistress of Repose and Silence. That totally pointed to the Underworld and Death’s domain.
And back at the foggy town, and with his use of the holy sword to make a vow with the Goddess bearing witness, as well as the Goddess clearly possessing the authority of misfortune, it made Klein believed that he had entered “Her” special watchlist, just like how he singled out certain believers using the Sea God Scepter.
Making a bold assumption and seeking careful verification, then almost all the questions can be answered if she really was the Goddess.
As one of the seven orthodox deities, as one of the winners of the Pale Era, “She” has the level and right to address Death by “His” name…
Composite Start
Composite End
And having been labeled by “Her,” once anything abnormal happens, such as me entering a strange place like Death’s treasure trove, “She” would definitely sense it and take the necessary action in response. Furthermore, as it definitely requires some time, “She” didn’t manage to stop it at the beginning… To “Her,” that Artificial Death, or the Death pathway’s Uniqueness that had initially come to life, clearly enhances “Her” authority in the aspects of repose and silence. It might even allow “Her” to directly intrude into Death’s domain, just like what the Mother Tree of Desire did to the Chained God…
When Death perished, the three Sequence 1 characteristics should’ve automatically separated. It’s unknown who received them. If the Goddess is searching for them, perhaps “Ruler of the Ancient Underworld, Lady of all the Undead” will be added to “Her” title…
Although Mr. Azik has been pursued by the Church’s High-Sequence Beyonders, he has ultimately never suffered any real threats. From the looks of it, the Goddess has been waiting all this time for today’s development… Upon coming to this realization, Klein suddenly felt a little frightened.
He was rather pious. At the very least, he superficially raised his right hand in a pious manner. Tapping four spots in a clockwise manner on his chest, he formed the sign of the crimson moon and muttered, “Praise the Lady.”
This made him recall the answer he received when he asked Snake of Fate Will Auceptin about obtaining the High-Sequence Beyonder potion formulas of the Seer pathway.
“…can only be obtained from the crazy Zaratul or the Hornacis mountain range. If you are the Blessed of the Evernight, treat it as though I didn’t say it.”
After the incident at the foggy town, Klein had already discovered that heading to the Hornacis mountain range and finding Zaratul was the same choice. Even stealing the Antigonus family’s notebook from Saint Samuel Cathedral’s basement was the same. And up to this date, he realized that the second line was not without meaning.
He stroked his chin and muttered, “Perhaps, maybe, possibly… I’m really considered a Blessed of the Evernight…”
Towards this, Klein wasn’t too unreceptive to it.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
On the one hand, he had spent the first few months after coming to this world with the Church of Evernight’s Tingen Nighthawks team. He had a group of great teammates and colleagues. He had a rather heartwarming life and acceptable ideals. To this day, he still recalled the past; therefore, although he wasn’t a worshiper of the Evernight Goddess, he was very accepting of this deity.
On the other hand, at least on what he had seen to date, the Evernight Goddess had yet to show any ill intent. Instead, “She” had given him some “blessings.” Klein believed that since he had been specially marked, it was unlikely that he could be free from it anytime soon. All he could do was learn to accept it and make good use of it.
Of course, I can’t let down my guard… In addition, I already have too many enemies in the form of the Mother Tree of Desire, True Creator, Primordial Demoness, Primordial Moon, Blasphemer Amon, Angel of Fate Ouroboros, and others. Some of “Them” might even be able to get a hold of my location at any time. Without finding someone powerful to cozy up to, my future will really be difficult! With so many things on his plate, Klein quickly adjusted his state of mind.
To him, as long as the Goddess had labeled him from the moment he made the vow using the holy sword, and not earlier, as well as not constantly “monitoring” him, he found it acceptable.
At least from the special labels afforded to me by the Sea God Scepter, constant “monitoring” isn’t possible… Hmm, Mr. Azik will be sleeping for a very long period of time. The Goddess can’t just do a divine descent as “She’ pleases. There must be some corresponding obstacles and difficulties. Otherwise, the seven orthodox deities would have made divine descents all across the world to resolve all kinds of problems. That’s why I should keep a low profile and behave myself in the Southern Continent. I shouldn’t try to pin my hopes on an external factor… Klein reminded himself before scrutinizing his new marionette, Admiral Hell Ludwell.
To be frank, he was rather curious about the face hidden beneath the silver mask. But upon recalling how there was an anomaly when Ludwell took off his mask in their previous battle, he held back his thoughts. He planned to make the attempt again after he left the city and did it in the woods or somewhere uninhabited.
After some work, Klein gained a rough understanding of his new marionette’s Sequence and powers.
Ludwell was Sequence 5 Gatekeeper of the Death pathway, and he wasn’t a normal human.
The corresponding Sequence 9 was Corpse Collector. Back in Tingen, Klein had already learned of its specifics. He knew that they possessed certain traits of a corpse. Their entire being appeared rather cold and grim, and their body temperatures were relatively low. This allowed them to avoid being attacked by dead unintelligent spirits. At the same time, they also had their physical bodies enhanced. They gained resistance to the cold, decay, and corrosiveness of cadaveric auras. They were naturally equipped with Spirit Vision, and they understood the characteristics and weaknesses of undead creatures.
Composite Start
Composite End
Sequence 8 was Gravedigger. Corpse Collectors who advanced to this Sequence become stronger. Their Spirit Vision was further enhanced as their agility increased. They were able to communicate with nearby spirits, allowing them to provide the Beyonder with help. Other than that, Gravediggers could quickly find the weaknesses of unfamiliar undead creatures and spirit world creatures via observation. This was known as the Eye of Death.
Sequence 7 Spirit Medium was a qualitative change. Beyonders of this Sequence gained knowledge of various kinds of mysticism rituals related to spirits. They could directly communicate with the natural spirits and loitering dead souls in the real world. Hence, they had informants everywhere.
At the same time, they could use different spirits to actualize different kinds of magic, creating various kinds of supernatural phenomena in a rather multifaceted way.
Sequence 6 Spirit Guide and Sequence 5 Gatekeeper didn’t experience a qualitative change from Spirit Medium other than an increase in the range for communication. Spirit Guides began involving themselves with the spirit world as they began “hiring” messengers and receiving the help of certain spirit world creatures. Gatekeeper could sense the entrance to the Underworld, allowing them to control the dead spirits inside, doing so as though they watched over the gates that separated the dead from the living
From Spirit Medium onwards, with the advancement of each Sequence, the quantity and quality of natural spirits, undead creatures, spirit world creatures that the Beyonders could control and order increased exponentially. Spirit Guide gained the use of the additional “Language of the Dead” that circumvented the protection provided by one’s physical body. Focused on the ability to communicate with a Spirit Body, the ability was enhanced to giving an order, to the point of slavery. Gatekeepers could even open the mysterious gate that separated life and death to a certain extent, opening the gates to the Underworld!
If it wasn’t for the natural restraints that Azik’s copper whistle had on the Corpse Collector pathway’s control over spirits, I probably wouldn’t have even had what it takes to fight Admiral Hell back then. And even now, if not for Traveling to ensure my safety, I might not be able to finish Ludwell off, even if I used demigod-level powers. In the future, I have to take note when taking revenge on Ince Zangwill. He was once a Gatekeeper after all. Klein nodded slightly, raised the cup, and drank a mouthful of black tea.
As for the weapon Ludwell had, it was named Harris Rapier. It originated from a prince from the Southern Continent in ancient times. It didn’t directly correspond to any Sequence or pathway. It was more of a product that was similar to King of the North Ulyssan who gathered similar characteristics without any proper rules.
It only had one Beyonder power-bringing absolute destruction to the items it stabbed.
As a pirate admiral with the highest bounty, Ludwell didn’t only have this mystical item. Unfortunately, his most precious Death ring had been taken by Azik. As for the silver mask on him, Klein temporarily had no way of taking it off for research.
Also, he really doesn’t like money. He has zero need for money… Klein lowered his cup and retracted his gaze. Considering how it was still early, he planned on leaving Kolain City and heading elsewhere to wait for Danitz to finish his investigations.
Composite Start
Composite End
Chapter 919 “Perfect” Inference
Backlund, Cherwood Borough.
Fors, who was having an afternoon nap, jolted awake from her dreams. She saw an endless grayish-white fog and Mr. Moon who had his head bowed in prayer, clearly hearing his voice:
“… In the southeast outskirts of Backlund, in the middle of Delaire Forest, there is an abandoned ancient castle. In it are at least two ancient wraiths, and other dead spirits. The possibility of other Beyonders living there cannot be eliminated. The coordinates are…”
I finally have information on the main ingredient of Scribe. Information worth 300 pounds… Fors was instantly delighted as she immediately thanked Mr. Fool and sought “Him” to pass her message to The Moon that she would make payment shortly.
After completing this, she got out of bed and went to the first floor. She planned on pouring herself some wine to drink and consider when she would explore the abandoned castle, as well as the necessary preparations.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
For the meantime, Leymano’s Travels cannot be rented out… Xio needs to come along… That abandoned castle has several dead spirits and is rather dangerous. I have to consider the combination of spells. If there’s anything lacking or not specialized, I’ll hire Mr. World, Mr. Hanged Man, and The Sun to record the corresponding Beyonder powers… Although Fors lacked actual combat experience, she had been mixing with Beyonder circles for years. Later, she had joined the Tarot Club, and having heard and seen much, she naturally knew the need for preparations before any adventures.
As for directly hiring Mr. World to do it, she had long struck it off her list of options. She believed that giving all the spoils and her savings to him wasn’t enough to hire him.
Of course, if her attempts at exploration proved that the abandoned castle was extremely dangerous, something that a Beyonder at her Sequence couldn’t enter, she would have no choice but to shoulder an enormous debt. After all, there was only hope and a future from being alive.
In theory, I shouldn’t reach that stage. There are still two demigod-level Beyonder powers left on Leymano’s Travels from Mr. World. At most, I’ll use it first and think of means to make up for it in the future… The only problem is that the two demigod-level Beyonder powers might not be suitable against wraiths and dead spirits… Fors sipped some Black Rand as her various thoughts took form.
At this point, she heard a key latching into the keyhole as she instinctively looked towards the door.
The door suddenly opened as Xio walked in, carrying two paper bags that emitted a rich fragrance.
“Desi pies?” Fors asked immediately before frowning in puzzlement. “Haven’t you had lots of commissions recently? Why are you back so early?”
Xio threw a bag of Desi pies over and said without hiding her smile, “I happened to walk past it. I also hadn’t had lunch, so I planned on taking a break.”
Without waiting for Fors to ask further, she said, “I’ve accumulated enough points! I can soon exchange them for the Interrogator potion formula!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Although her monitoring of royal guard captain, Viscount Stratford, hadn’t had any significant progress, it was the kind that accumulated points on a daily basis. All she needed to do was submit a passable report every week to receive the corresponding “bounty.” Therefore, together with the other commissions and their varying levels of success, Xio had already earned enough to obtain the Interrogator potion formula.
“Finally…” Fors sincerely felt happy for her friend. Then, she shook the wine cup in her hand. “Shall we celebrate with a drink?”
At the same time, she also thought of something pertaining to herself.
This is great. After becoming a Sequence 7, Xio should’ve experienced a qualitative change. It will make exploring that ancient castle a sure thing!
Xio looked at the transparent liquid in the cup before shaking her head incessantly.
“Drinking is bad!”
With that said, she frowned.
“Besides, I abhor the smell.”
Before Fors could speak, she suddenly recalled something. She stood up and walked to the door.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I saw the mailbox filled with things. Haven’t you opened it today?”
“I didn’t have the time.” Fors wore a look as though she was busy rushing out her drafts.
Xio was a person of action. Ignoring her explanation, she had already headed out to clear the mailbox.
About ten seconds later, she walked back in with a stack of newspapers and a few envelopes. As she looked at the addressee, she said, “It’s all yours! Two letters from the publisher. One’s an invitation letter from a surgery forum. One letter is from Pritz Harbor.”
Pritz Harbor… Fors’s mind stirred as she put down her cup, and caught the letter Xio threw at her.
She seemed to openly tear open all the letters in front of her friend, discovering that one of the letters was indeed from her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.
“…Calderón City is in a rather special spot deep in the spirit world. I’m not sure of its origins other than it’s very dangerous. A demigod had once stepped in without ever coming out… When selling the actual spirit world coordinates to that gathering’s member, there’s a need for you to warn him…”
Mr. World’s target is such a dangerous spirit world city? Fors stared at the letter in her hand as her eyes widened.
The Red Gloves team which had arrived at the next East Balam city had rendezvoused with the local Nighthawks, taking up an office of theirs.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Everyone shall have half the day off. We will start tomorrow morning.” Soest took out his pocket watch and opened it.
They were about to strike a secret gathering location of the Numinous Episcopate to find more information of the Artificial Death Project and dig out another batch of enemies that hid in Backlund.
As for the information obtained from Ulika, they had already sent it back to Backlund via telegram. They didn’t need to worry about the subsequent work. After all, they weren’t the only Red Gloves team. Backlund’s local Nighthawks were aplenty and powerful.
Leonard and Daly were just about to seek out their lodgings to rest when a Nighthawk with some East Balam blood walked in with a piece of paper.
“A new telegram from Backlund.”
Soest reached out to take it, and after opening it for a few seconds, he said with a grave expression, “Gehrman Sparrow has appeared again. Using divination methods, it has been confirmed that it’s him.”
Gehrman Sparrow… Leonard wasn’t surprised by this outcome. He already knew from Dwayne Dantès that his former colleague, Klein Moretti, was still alive.
He curiously asked, “What did Gehrman Sparrow do again?”
Soest surveyed the area and sternly said, “He boarded the Black Tulip and turned Admiral Hell Ludwell into his marionette.”
“Admiral Hell?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Ludwell?”
“Marionette?”
The Red Gloves could hardly hide their astonishment as they exclaimed one after another. Even Leonard Mitchell was extremely surprised.
One had to know that Admiral Hell Ludwell, who wore the ring left by Death, had the highest bounty among the Seven Pirate Admirals. He was publicly recognized to be the strongest beneath the Four Kings. He was definitely not someone an ordinary Sequence 5 could compare to. As for Gehrman Sparrow, he had actually boarded his ship, turning Admiral Hell into his marionette despite being surrounded by his, the latter’s, undead army and subordinates!
Although they didn’t know much about a Faceless and a Marionettist, just the term marionette was enough to let them know that Admiral Hell Ludwell’s outcome was worse than death.
He’s already this strong? He infiltrated Saint Samuel Cathedral’s Chanis Gate to meet the requirements for a demigod ritual? Leonard gradually fell silent as he didn’t ask more.
At this moment, Soest offered more information:
“According to the crew that escaped from the Black Tulip, there wasn’t a fight back then. Gehrman Sparrow and another man boarded the ship. The moment Admiral Hell Ludwell saw them, he gave up any resistance and prostrated himself onto the deck, calling the man ‘Death Consul.’ Later, he allowed Gehrman Sparrow to turn him into his marionette.”
“Death Consul…” Leonard subconsciously turned to look at Daly Simone.
He believed that this Sequence 5 Beyonder of the Corpse Collector pathway likely knew what Death Consul meant.
Daly scoffed and shook her head.
“I only know that the former Balam Empire, a blood descendant of Death that ruled the real world was known as Death Consul.”
“However, the Numinous Episcopate’s royal faction’s leader has never called himself Death Consul,” another Red Glove, Cindy, mentioned in puzzlement.
This was rather open knowledge amongst the Nighthawks. Those that reached Sequence 7 and above, or those who joined the Red Gloves, had the right to be privy to this information.
As for the Artificial Death faction, it was even more unlikely for any of them to call themselves Death Consul.
“Who knows? Perhaps the Numinous Episcopate has fractured again. Now, there’s an additional Death Consul faction.” Daly first made a casual comment before she thought and said, “Gehrman Sparrow has a mysterious origin. His motives for infiltrating Chanis Gate is unknown. Perhaps, it’s really related to the Numinous Episcopate.”
The Numinous Episcopate had always been a main target that the Church of Evernight had been trying to take down. The conflict between the two ran deep.
Her statement reminded Leonard Mitchell of something because he knew that Gehrman Sparrow was Klein Moretti. Furthermore, he had joined a secret organization that worshiped The Fool and represented itself with tarot cards and had a working relationship with the Numinous Episcopate.
In the few factions of the Numinous Episcopate, there’s no Death Consul… Admiral Hell Ludwell can almost be confirmed to be an “arm” of the Numinous Episcopate. Dealing with him is equivalent to dealing with the Numinous Episcopate…
Dwayne Dantès once said that the members of that secret organization come from different places with different goals… Klein’s goal is revenge. Could the goal of one of the members be to strike the Numinous Episcopate, to gradually absorb them to revive or recreate Death in their own image?
Since there’s an undying monster like Dwayne Dantès who lived since the Fourth Epoch, it’s normal for that secret organization to have an additional ancient Death Consul. Perhaps, his corresponding tarot card is Death! As his mind raced, Leonard began believing that he had obtained the truth.
Then, he made a connection with certain details.
Dwayne Dantès is an undying creature who had lived since the Fourth Epoch.
He knows the Southern Continent very well.
He recently left Backlund and has gone missing!
Leonard was alarmed. Taking the opportunity while his teammates were in discussion, he lifted his teacup and covered his mouth, softly muttering to himself, “Old Man, could Dwayne Dantès be the Death Consul?”
Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice said with a smiling tone, “No.
“Balam Empire’s Death Consul is both a rank and a title. It’s also the name of the Death pathway’s Sequence 2.”
Sequence 2… That secret organization even has a Sequence 2 angel… Leonard’s pupils constricted as he muttered once again, “How are you so certain that Dwayne Dantès isn’t the Death Consul? Because he’s not an angel?”
Pallez immediately chuckled.
“No. The reason is very simple. You’ve seen the real Death Consul’s portrait before. Back when you Nighthawks were investigating Welch’s suicide. You might have even met him personally.
“He’s a teacher at Khoy University’s Department of History, Azik Eggers.”
Azik Eggers… Leonard was taken aback before he came to a realization.
He finally understood how Klein Moretti was able to resurrect from the dead, why he was fine suffering curses, or why he could join the secret organization symbolized by tarot cards, doing all of that while usually not showing anything special about himself!
The reason was that behind Klein was a member of the secret organization with the corresponding tarot card: Death!
Chapter 920 Calderón’s Origins
Bayam, the slums.
Hooded with a mask underneath it, The Hanged Man Alger once again met with Admiral of Stars Cattleya.
At a table, the two of them sat across each other, facing each other without saying a word.
Finally, Cattleya said, “Have you heard the news?”
Alger didn’t directly answer as he returned with a question:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The one about Gehrman Sparrow?”
Cattleya fell silent for a few seconds and nodded.
“He has turned Admiral Hell into his marionette.”
Be it Admiral of Blood from before or the present Admiral Hell, they were both pirates who had a higher bounty than her. No matter how confident she was of herself, she didn’t believe that the two Sequence 5 elites were weaker than her!
“You learned of it earlier than I expected.” Alger confirmed the authenticity of the news in a tactful manner.
Being a member of the Church of Storms which controlled a large region of the sea, he could directly obtain the latest news from the official channels.
Cattleya curled her lips and said, “If the Future were at sea, I might have to take days or even weeks to receive it. But I’ve been in Bayam recently.”
She didn’t divulge her intel source.
After a pause, Admiral of Stars asked frankly, “What else do you know about this matter?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger shook his head.
“I was trying to figure out the exact situation when I saw your signal, so I rushed here to meet you.”
Cattleya nodded slightly.
“Gehrman Sparrow and Admiral Hell didn’t engage in a battle. Ludwell didn’t resist, because Gehrman Sparrow had boarded the Black Tulip with a man who was addressed as Death Consul.”
Death Consul… Alger’s pupils dilated as he felt an indescribable pressure.
Such a term wasn’t something any random demigod could undertake!
Furthermore, that wasn’t something the man flaunted himself, but an honorific term that Admiral Hell Ludwell had used. Furthermore, he gave up resistance and was willing to lose his life!
With The Hanged Man not saying a word, Cattleya added, “In the Death pathway, Death Consul is the name of the Sequence 2. Of course, every emperor of the Balam Empire was also given this title.”
Indeed, an angel, an angel from the Death domain… Alger automatically ignored the latter possibility. After all, based on the “acting method,” the position of emperor was definitely held by a Sequence 2 angel before the Balam Empire fell. And for someone who could make Admiral Hell become Gehrman Sparrow’s marionette without putting up any resistance, they were definitely not something a mere title could accomplish.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, Alger suddenly thought of something, something that left a deep impression on
him.
After Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos successfully fled, he was found standing by the side of an artificial lake. His face had rapidly rotted with pieces of flesh falling off. Even his eyeballs had rolled out of their sockets.
It was undoubtedly the damage dealt by a potent force from the Death domain. And Alger later confirmed that it was done by Mr. Fool’s Blessed.
To rapidly cause the death of a pirate admiral without him putting up any resistance, especially one who carried such a powerful Sealed Artifact, the assailant’s level was obvious!
The Church of Storms’s Spellsinger of God Archbishop Snake had determined at the scene that it was done by a High-Sequence Beyonder from the Death pathway and that it was not the person he knew.
Alger had no doubts about that. He believed that it was done by a Sequence 4 or Sequence 3 demigod, in other words, a saint. He also felt horrified that Mr. Fool’s Blessed was a High-Sequence Beyonder.
Now, he secretly gulped his saliva with great difficulty, believing that he had underestimated Mr. Fool back then as well as that Blessed.
That person wasn’t a saint but a Grounded Angel, one that shared the same level as the three crowns of the various orthodox Churches!
Composite Start
Composite End
When it came to religion, the three crowns represented the various Churches’ pope, pontiff, or chief shepherd.
A Death Consul as a Blessed… Although Mr. Fool is still recovering, the amount of strength at his disposal is quite sizable… Alger’s thoughts churned as his eyes shimmered. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
Cattleya sensed his gloom as she asked, “You seem to have recalled something.”
Alger deliberated for two seconds before vaguely replying, “Based on what I know, Mr. Fool has a Death angel amongst his Blessed.”
That matches… Cattleya said as though she was muttering to herself, “Then why did The World promise me Mythical Creature blood that’s not from that Death angel? Is it due to having closer ties with the other one, making it easier to obtain?”
“Perhaps.” Although Alger felt that Admiral of Stars’s inference wasn’t wrong, he habitually gave a noncommittal answer.
Cattleya didn’t continue on the topic as she said, “We will start the operation tonight from half-past seven to eight.
“If you can participate in it, head over there with me.”
She has finally figured out the situation with the Artisan? Alger secretly heaved a sigh of relief and asked in puzzlement, “Why that time?”
This wasn’t the most suitable period for any covert operation. Once any mistake was made, the official Beyonders would quickly detect it and rush over.
Composite Start
Composite End
Cattleya nudged the heavy glasses on her nose and said with a complicated smile, “It’s because it’s dinnertime for them.
“And they will be having mushrooms for dinner.”
What’s the connection… The experienced Alger realized that he couldn’t read the subcontext of Admiral of Stars’s words.
East Balam, in the lush and humid forest.
Klein deliberately avoided the main path and came to an uninhabited area. He planned on getting Ludwell to take off his silver mask.
This wasn’t only to satisfy his curiosity but for a genuine reason. The silver mask was too striking. If he didn’t deal with it, there was no amount of disguising that could direct the attention of others away from it.
The biggest problem for a Marionettist is the marionette’s identity… The more powerful the marionette, the more famous they were while alive. Bringing one along with me has the risk of being exposed… If it wasn’t because I didn’t have the time to finish off the pirates on the Black Tulip, I would have had the means to keep it under wraps. For example, I could continue letting Ludwell be the captain while I pretend to be his subordinate. To a Faceless, that’s very simple… Klein sighed as he passed through the forest.
There were many mosquitoes around him, but none of them came for him. All of them were circling Admiral Hell Ludwell, trying to suck his blood in vain.
Klein had given his new marionette the Green Essence ring which attracted mosquitoes. This was because its effects were completely overshadowed by Flower of Blood. Wearing the two rings was rather meaningless for Winner Enzo. In addition, Klein had confirmed that Ludwell’s situation was special. He wasn’t too afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes.
After walking a distance, Klein casually tossed a coin and stopped.
After a few minutes of contemplation, he decided to finish something else before removing the new marionette’s mask. This was because, through this process, he could confirm the severity of the latent danger beneath the mask.
Taking out the corresponding items, Klein quickly set up a ritual and moved the radio transceiver from above the gray fog to the real world.
He wanted to contact Arrodes!
Before he left Kolain City, he had paid Miss Magician 350 pounds for the spirit world coordinates to Calderón City. He had also been warned about the extreme dangers associated with it. Therefore, he planned on obtaining more information from two channels in order to prepare for his hunting mission.
The two channels involved asking the magic mirror and Red Light. With Mr. Azik being in prolonged slumber, Klein decided not to hesitate further. He planned on expanding his social circle, and not just stubbornly and inflexibly stick to the Evernight Goddess. He needed to find powers to balance things out. And the relatively friendly Seven Lights of the spirit world were the best choice!
With the appearance of the radio transceiver, the surrounding woods suddenly turned gloomy. It was as though the spirit world had overlapped with the real world.
In about ten seconds, tapping sounds sounded. Illusory white paper began being spat out:
“Exalted Great Master, your puny, loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning.
“There’s temporarily no danger here. What say you?”
Seeing this coquettish manner of speech, Klein sighed silently and finally confirmed that he had connected to the magic mirror, Arrodes.
He had previously been afraid that the white piece of paper would have the words: “I want to have a child with you.”
Of course, he had divined the level of danger of contacting Arrodes above the gray fog, and he obtained an answer that it was fine. However, with the Mother Tree of Desire having a precedent of interfering with divination, as well as his misinterpretation of infiltrating Saint Samuel Cathedral’s Chanis Gate, he wasn’t too certain.
“Indeed.” Klein nodded in a reserved manner before asking. “What do you know of Calderón City in the spirit world?”
Amidst clicking sounds, a piece of illusory white paper exited the radio transceiver in a hesitant manner:
“I can’t see that city too clearly. I do not know its exact state, but I can confirm that a saint had perished in there before. There were also certain angels, Travelers, and spirit world creatures who had once entered to explore it and left it alive in a relatively smooth manner. However, none of them got much out of it.
“Also, I know the origins of that city.”
Without waiting for Klein to press, more illusory white paper spat out amidst clicking sounds:
“Its former name was the City of the Dead. It was a grounded divine kingdom of the ancient goddess, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace.
“Ever since that ancient goddess opened up the Underworld, ‘Her’ divine kingdom was moved there. The City of the Dead gradually became the holy grounds of ‘Her’ descendants and believers.
“Before Gregrace was heavily injured by the ancient sun god and had the city uprooted and thrown deep into the spirit world, none of its citizens ever came out again. The name ‘Calderón’ originates from the Abraham family’s angel, the first person who stepped in. In the Language of the Dead, it means ‘Unknown Soul.’”
Chapter 921 Politeness First
When it came to the understanding of ancient gods, Klein knew as much as many High-Sequence Beyonders. After all, he had the City of Silver who had continued on from the Second Epoch to this day behind him. The corresponding myths that were passed down the ages had left plenty of influence.
Based on what he knew, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace was a so-called ancient goddess. Because of the City of Silver’s Creator, the ancient sun god who eventually ended up being consumed by the Kings of Angels dealt heavy damage to “Her.” Eventually, “She” perished towards the end of the Second Epoch.
However, “Her” influence had yet to dissipate to this day. Signs of “Her” existence remained because “She” was the founder of the Underworld!
City of the Dead… Unknown Soul… Ancient goddess… It sounds very dangerous… Klein looked at the radio transceiver in front of him and fell silent.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Another piece of illusory white paper spat out:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Apart from that, I’m unsure of the rest.
“Great Master, I have a suggestion. Would you like to hear it?”
That’s a nice question… Klein reined in his thoughts and nodded gently.
“Speak.”
The clacking of the radio transceiver became increasingly brisker as a new line of text quickly appeared on the illusory white paper:
“Regarding Calderón City, you can ask Red Light Aiur Moria.”
I still have to ask Red Light in the end… Klein nodded slightly and switched to asking, “Is there any danger if I were to remove Admiral Hell Ludwell’s mask?”
“No!” A decisive answer appeared before Klein’s eyes.
That’s good… he thought and said, “Let’s end it here for today.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Great Master, wise Master, in another one or two minutes, a gaze will be cast here! Your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, will await your next summoning. Goodbye~” The radio transceiver began tapping without any hesitation.
Another one or two minutes? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Klein was alarmed as though he was seeing a countdown timer on a bomb. He hurriedly used the altar and material he had yet cleared to set up a sacrificial ritual. He then threw the radio transceiver above the gray fog.
After doing all of this and confirming that there weren’t any anomalies around him, Klein made Ludwell walk to the side and not face him directly as he took off the silver mask.
Gloomy pale-white light spewed out, but it wasn’t as exaggerated in his battle between Klein and Ludwell. It only enveloped a small region like an extinguishing candle.
Meanwhile, as the radio transceiver had been sent above the gray fog, the gloomy, cold feeling that had disappeared in the nearby forest appeared again. Furthermore, it had an indescribable sense of horror that struck at the heart.
This reminded Klein of a cemetery and the legendary Underworld.
After waiting a few seconds, seeing that there weren’t any additional abnormal developments, he made his other marionette, Winner Enzo, to circle to Ludwell’s front and carefully observe the face that had been masked for extended periods of time.
The face lacked flesh; its skin clung tightly to his bones without any colors. It was as translucent as crystal.
Beneath the “crystal,” transparent and indescribable shadows quickly flowed out, at times fusing with the skull, and at other times they shrank in gaps, surfacing on his teeth.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Compared to the first one or two months of his transmigration, Klein would’ve been shocked by Admiral Hell’s appearance, but now, having already seen all kinds of odd Rampagers and mutated bodies, he wasn’t shocked by such looks.
After another round of research, Klein completely figured out Ludwell’s condition.
All of this stemmed from the unique traits of him being a Gatekeeper.
At Sequence 5, after becoming Gatekeeper, Beyonders could use their bodies as cages that belonged exclusively to the Underworld, allowing them to contain a certain number of souls, deceased, and natural spirits. As such, they obtained all kinds of unique powers with powerful helpers. There was no need to bring a huge undead army around in an eye-catching manner.
This was the origin of many folk tales.
Another purpose of a Gatekeeper was an ancient role: to guard the Underworld in their bodies, preventing the souls contained within from escaping, and to use them. This similarly had the symbolism of a pair of double illusory doors.
And after ancient Death, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace, created the Underworld, it was bestowing a small amount of the Death pathway’s authority to all Gatekeepers. This made Beyonders of this Sequence receive an enhancement in strength.
The reason why Ludwell kept wearing the mask was because he had contained a powerful Underworld creature in him. On the one hand, this creature could be used by him, and on the other hand, it was eroding his body, turning him into a half-human, half-dead existence. At the same time, ultimately, this creature was innately connected to the Underworld. It was attempting to open the door and return.
This was a combination of a Gatekeeper’s own powers and authority, and with the augmentation from Death’s ring, it allowed Admiral Hell Ludwell to enlarge the Door to the Underworld, allowing him to steer the Black Tulip directly inside.
Composite Start
Composite End
Half-human and half-dead form… No wonder Ludwell dares to enter the Underworld. A real living person probably can’t survive a second inside… Yes, that Underworld creature gives his body some traits of a dead soul, allowing him to extract the Spirit Bodies of others remotely. I had suffered from that back then… Klein thought in enlightenment as he made Ludwell wear the silver mask again.
The mask’s purpose was to placate the soul. It allowed the Underworld creature in Ludwell’s body to be in a relatively calm state most of the time.
After resolving his puzzlement, Klein cast his gaze back onto the altar.
He wanted to attempt to contact one of the spirit world’s Seven Lights.
In this aspect, there were special secret deed rituals and the corresponding spirit channeling ritual he could choose from. After some consideration, Klein chose the latter. This was because a secret deed ritual required him to open up his mind and spirit, allowing the targeted existence to make contact and thus obtain certain knowledge, strength, help, and a spiritual experience. This also meant that his body’s thoughts and secrets were open to that existence.
And through the spirit channeling ritual, there were two types—direct communication and praying for a soulfall. As the spirit world’s Seven Lights were extremely lofty existences, Klein couldn’t guarantee a response based on the ritual’s request. Therefore, although he wished to communicate remotely via spirit channeling, he had to make preparations for a soulfall to show his sincerity.
Lighting three candles and dripping liquids like mint essential oil, Klein specially took out a paper figurine and placed it on the altar for the vessel for the soulfall. If there wasn’t anything similar, the supplicating target would soulfall onto him, just like how Danitz had requested Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina’s soulfall back then. There were also two scenarios. First, the possessed body would lose all their senses, and they would have the corresponding existence control a certain part of their body so as to facilitate providing a question and answer. The simplest example was one using the mouth to speak while the other controlled a hand to write.
Klein quickly completed the first part of the ritual before he took a step back, opened his mouth, and chanted in ancient Hermes, “I!
“I summon in my name:
“I pray to communicate with the inextinguishable light of the spirit world, the embodiment of infinite knowledge, the Red who wields authority and will…”
Composite Start
Composite End
The biggest difference between this spirit channeling ritual and ordinary ones was that it couldn’t be directed to deities, be it the Evernight Goddess or the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, “Their” honorific names couldn’t appear in the ritual or else it was bound to fail.
From a mysticism angle, this meant that the spirit world’s Seven Lights didn’t serve any deity.
As the words that facilitated the communication with natural spirits were said, Klein saw the three flames burgeon as light splattering sounds connected together as though a door of light was opening.
The area around the altar suddenly turned silent and dark as pairs of unknown eyes looked over from different areas.
A cold, gloomy air blew past. Apart from the three candles, all the items on the altar floated in midair. Among them, the paper figurine staggered straight as its surface was tainted with a thick, clean red that didn’t look bloody at all.
“Greetings.” As Klein recalled the description of the spirit world’s Seven Lights from some mysticism books, he spoke by following the correct way of interacting that he had concluded.
He acted like he was facing a teacher.
The bright red paper figurine’s head moved slightly as it let out an illusory but stern voice:
“Hello there.”
Quite polite… Indeed, spirit channeling became a soulfall. Thankfully, I made preparations… Various thoughts flashed in Klein’s mind as he earnestly and politely asked, “Your Excellency Aiur Moria, I have a question I would like to ask you.”
“You can just call me Aiur Moria. Please go ahead and ask.” The paper figurine floating in midair seemed to be competing with Klein about who was more polite.
“I wish to get information on Calderón City.” Klein didn’t change his attitude. After all, in the Foodaholic Empire, there was a proverb: Nobody will find fault with extra courtesy.
The bright red, nearly transparent paper figurine pondered for two seconds and said, “Can I know your purpose?”
Klein didn’t conceal his purpose. He frankly said, “To hunt a Spirit World Plunderer.”
The paper figurine’s head moved slightly.
“That’s indeed something that can only be found in Calderón City with ease. Elsewhere, Spirit World Plunderers are like a drop of water in the ocean. They are very hard to distinguish, and even I will occasionally discover them. I’m unable to lock onto them for long periods of time.
“A number of them are active in the core region of Calderón City. A few are scattered in the periphery. As long as you don’t attempt to go too deep inside, it’s actually not too dangerous. Unfortunately, due to special reasons, us Seven Lights are prohibited from entering; otherwise, we could still provide you with some actual help.”
“That’s formerly the divine kingdom of the ancient goddess, Gregrace?” Klein’s heart settled down as he asked as a form of confirming the answers.
The bright red paper figurine said, “Yes, the ancient Death wished to revive ‘Herself’ using this City of the Dead, but ‘She’ failed completely. The authority was taken by Balam’s Death.
“However, this also makes Calderón City more dangerous because the setup left by the ancient goddess underwent an anomaly after the failure. As for what it has turned into, I’m not too sure.”
Is that so… Klein nodded indiscernibly. He raised a few questions about other matters and received a rather satisfactory answer.
…
Bayam. Outside a house near the harbor.
Alger and Cattleya were patiently waiting for the people inside to finish their dinner.
Chapter 922 Mushrooms and Fish
Looking at the lights that emitted out of the oriel window, the hooded and masked Alger was just about to ask about the details of the operation when he suddenly saw a shadow grow out of the rich darkness. It materialized as a lanky, pale, sickly young man.
Bloodless Heath Doyle… Alger quickly recognized the man to be the second mate of the Future.
Heath didn’t look at him as he directly said to Cattleya, “Captain, they didn’t notice anything and turned those mushrooms into cream of mushroom soup. They plan to use the prepared pan-fried fish as tonight’s main course.”
“Excellent.” Cattleya removed the heavy glasses on her nose and used her eyes which had a mysterious purple hue to look through the neighboring house’s dining hall across the walls.
Heath Doyle didn’t speak further as his body instantly darkened and returned to the shadows. It was unknown where he had slunk to.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After hearing their conversation, and combining it with what Ma’am Hermit had previously mentioned, Alger had a rough idea of the core element to tonight’s operation:
Mushrooms!
Poisonous mushrooms!
Although he didn’t know what method Admiral of Stars was using to cause the spiritual intuition of the Beyonders inside to be ineffective and not be able to distinguish normal mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms, Alger believed that there was nothing impossible in mysticism.
He hesitantly said, “Will this cause Artisan Cielf’s death?”
Unaffiliated Artisans were rather rare, so Alger didn’t wish to lose such a “friend” if there was still room for turning things around. To him, the best case was to imprison the fellow and make him the exclusive Artisan for both him and The Hermit.
“No.” Cattleya calmly shook her head as she explained, “Be it from the information you gave and the observations of my crew, there’s one point to take note of: Cielf doesn’t like fish, and he even hates it. This might have to do with him getting a fish bone stuck in his throat when he was young.”
And it was because of this matter that Cattleya ultimately chose the mushroom strategy. This could effectively reduce the enemy’s effective strength while allowing their side to minimize any risks.
The dark environment-bred mushrooms that devoured flesh and blood and were the first to be eliminated by Admiral of Stars because they could let Beyonders with sharp spiritual perception sense something amiss. This was akin to facing something poisonous. In addition, Beyonders who believed in the Primordial Moon had a rather deep understanding of herbs, plants, and fruits. Relying on visual observation, they were likely able to identify mushrooms that posed danger.
Composite Start
Composite End
To trick them, the only way was for the food to be harmless itself. Only through its contact with something else did a mutation occur.
Based on this, the mushrooms previously created by Frank were perfect!
If the two conditions of fish and water weren’t met, the mushrooms were ordinary mushrooms. They could neither poison a person to death or cause diarrhea. It would be digested bit by bit and be broken down into its different components before being expelled by the body. At this point, any more fish and water was useless.
For this, Cattleya specially got Frank to temporarily abandon his experiment and had obtained a batch of mushrooms. She also promised to hunt an Aurora Order Rose Bishop for him.
“Hates fish…” Alger whispered, feeling like he couldn’t keep up with The Hermit’s thought process.
He had clearly asked if the poisonous mushrooms could cause Artisan Cielf’s death, but the answer he received was that the Artisan wouldn’t die because he didn’t like fish and even hated it.
Is there some connection between the two? Alger questioned inwardly in puzzlement, but he didn’t say it out loud.
He maintained his silence and planned to observe more and take note.
After a while, there were screams from inside the house, followed by pangs of painful grunts and vomiting
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Begin,” Cattleya issued an order in an abnormally succinct manner.
Her figure instantly turned transparent, turning into a sculpture formed by countless stars.
The sculpture shattered instantly as bright stars surged towards the house’s door and drilled through a gap.
As stars gathered inside, Cattleya’s figure materialized.
Then, she heard howling winds and sounds of collisions.
The door frame shook before the door opened. Wearing a hood and mask, Alger entered the targeted building not much slower than Admiral of Stars.
He swept his gaze and quickly took in the situation at the dining hall.
Artisan Cielf was retreating from the table with a look of horror.
On the ground were two men and a woman who were constantly vomiting mushrooms. At their chests, their clothes had ripped apart as one mushroom after another sprouted.
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon sensing someone enter, they subconsciously looked up, revealing bunches of white spores on their faces.
Under his mask, Alger’s face involuntarily twitched.
Although he was experienced and knowledgeable, and with him being a Beyonder who had his fair share of experience seeing horrifying scenes, such a scene still left a striking visual and mental impact on him.
Cattleya had expected it, but she had never expected such a harrowing sight. After a moment of surprise, she held her right hand to her mouth and blew a whistle.
Illusory ropes emerged from the ground and coiled around the three Primordial Moon believers like snakes.
“Is there a way to stop this?” Cattleya said to the shadow in the corner.
After a moment of silence, Heath Doyle’s voice sounded.
“Frank said that he hadn’t obtained a way to stop it in his experiments. The only way is cremation.”
Cremation… Cattleya’s brows quivered. Immediately, she took out some powder from a pocket and threw them out.
The powder seemed to have a life of their own as they accurately landed on the three primitive believers and the various mushrooms.
Composite Start
Composite End
Silently, they burst into scarlet flames and silently burned whatever they touched.
Artisan Cielf was already dumbstruck from witnessing the mutation. When someone intruded, he had thought of resisting using his mystical item, but he quickly recognized the intruder to be Admiral of Stars Cattleya. Hence, he wisely gave up and stood in his spot, waiting.
He knew that he was of significant value. No matter where he went, he was not someone who would immediately be killed. Furthermore, Admiral of Stars never had any infamy to her name.
Worst comes to worst, I’ll just have to join the Star Pirates… Besides, this pirate admiral seems to be more beautiful than the bounty notices. She exudes a completely different air… Cielf tugged at his wolf fang necklace and forced a smile, awaiting the intruder to mention her purpose.
Cattleya glanced at him and seriously observed his appearance. All she could confirm was that he was a classic example of someone from Intis, but she failed to find any similarities to Queen Mystic.
The pirate admiral deliberated and said, “I had been introduced by a friend, hoping to get you to create a mystical item, but I later discovered that you were with some Primordial Moon believers.
“The three of them aren’t too strong and couldn’t restrain you at all. Why do you still remain here?”
In this operation, Cattleya’s main hypothetical enemy was actually the Artisan himself. This was because she could neither kill him or control him. Furthermore, he still had many well-matched mystical items, making him a powerful enemy. Yet, things developed smoothly to her surprise.
Cielf said with a smile, “They had strong ones in Bayam in the beginning. Using particular floral fragrances and powders, they infected me with a strange ailment, making me increasingly weaker.”
Cattleya casually sized him up and said, “You have already recovered, so why aren’t you taking this opportunity to escape?”
Alger stood by the side silently. He didn’t say a word, afraid that his voice might betray him.
Artisan Cielf chuckled and said, “While I was under their control, they told me that as long as I believed in the Primordial Moon, I could use certain rituals to treat my chronic illness. I couldn’t resist the temptation and tried it, and it really succeeded. I found the feeling of being a man again…”
Having said that, he came to an abrupt halt, realizing that he had said too much, exposing his secret illness.
This is him letting himself go too far when it comes to women; thus, slowly losing his abilities in bed? Alger chuckled inwardly.
Cielf looked up and glanced at them. Seeing that no one was mocking him, he coughed slightly and continued, “It wasn’t something that relied on medicine. I really recovered my young, virile state. Later, I had two dreams of a moon that was bloody and very enticing
“I believed that I had already become a believer of the Primordial Moon; therefore, I didn’t dare to escape.”
Cattleya and Alger silently exchanged gazes, simultaneously passing the death sentence on him.
As long as someone truly believed in an evil god, devil, or some other secret existence; unless they were willing to continue in the faith and slowly become crazier, there was no regret. Even if they were protected by official Beyonder factions and didn’t suffer any problems for prolonged periods, they might end up strangling themselves in their sleep years later!
This was nearly unsalvageable, unless they earned the right to receive the blessings of a Grounded Angel like a pope of a major Church, or if they accepted being isolated by certain Sealed Artifacts and live underground forever.
Of course, under such situations, there were also many who did nothing and managed to live to a ripe old age before dying a natural death. However, they were mostly ordinary people, targets that the evil gods, devils, and hidden existences easily ignored. As for Cielf, he was a very useful Artisan.
Cattleya didn’t mention the Primordial Moon believers again. To her, it wasn’t a big problem whether the Artisan believed in an evil god. As long as he could be communicated with to reach a deal for cooperation and not go crazy from time to time, the other matters weren’t something a pirate needed to be worried about.
She switched topics and said, “What mystical items do you have now? I’ll choose a few and leave you with the rest.”
Towards such a development, Artisan Cielf wasn’t too surprised. She was a pirate, not a policewoman. Doing a heist in passing was extremely normal. For her to leave him some items was something he should earnestly thank her for.
In fact, with his level and items, it was possible for him to successfully escape if he went all-out, but he lacked the courage.
“Alright.” Cielf took out a pair of grayish-white glasses from his breast pocket. “Gargoyle Glasses. As long as sightlines are met, it can cause the other party to turn numb all over as though they are being petrified. There are two negative effects. First, if one wears it and looks into a mirror, one will turn numb as well. Second, one’s body will turn heavy, making one unagile.”
Isn’t that the item I reserved… So it has already been made… Looking at the Artisan, Alger couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
Chapter 923 After Effects
Cielf didn’t notice the change in Alger’s eyes. He pointed at one of the “cremated” Primordial Moon believers and said, “That cane was taken from me. It’s called ‘Word of the Sea.’ It can release lightning at a target. Waving it and striking it will cause it to be augmented with wind blades. Apart from that, it can also create large water spheres and corrosive rainwater. It can also allow the wielder to not be afraid of deep-sea pressure. They can freely extract oxygen from the water. At the same time, it can also be used as a wand to provide flight.
“There are three negative side effects. First, it enjoys singing. Every six hours, it has to belt out a song. The resulting effects don’t discriminate between friend or foe. Due to the different choices of songs and styles, it can make one’s mind go adrift or have one’s mind and soul shocked, and at other times, cause one to be irascible and be in a state of lowered reason. Of course, even without waiting six hours, it will also be very willing to sing if you so desire.
“Second, you can probably tell that it’s equipped with living characteristics. Furthermore, it’s one that is rather testy. It enjoys tripping, beating, or pulling the wielder down stairs when they aren’t paying attention.
“Third, it will cause the wielder to easily be struck by lightning. Therefore, on stormy days, either don’t go out or don’t bring it along.”
This is the Sealed Artifact that was made from Gehrman Sparrow’s Ocean Songster Beyonder characteristic. If he were to know that you had already made it and had allowed the Primordial Moon believer to take it away, you will definitely be sold to someone who is need of you—in the form of a Beyonder characteristic… Alger looked towards the dining table and saw the black silver-inlaid cane.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
From what he knew, regardless of whether the other negative effects were severe, mystical items with living characteristics were considered Sealed Artifacts. This was because there were unpredictable dangers associated with them.
With Cattleya and her companion not telling him that he was done, Cielf could only continue taking out mystical items with a glum face.
“This short knife is called ‘Blade of Poison.’ The effects are obvious. There’s no need for me to give any additional information, right?
“Eh, every time it deals damage, it will add on a random poison. As for what it is, it’s all luck.
“Its negative effects aren’t too serious. It will only cause medical treatment to fail and the feeling of being drunk to accumulate within the wielder.”
Cielf continued introducing a few mystical items and finally heard Cattleya say, “Excellent, the rest are yours.”
Phew… She still left me with three… Not only did Cielf not bear a grudge, he felt deep down how nice a person Admiral of Stars was. It was as though he had suffered some psychological ailments. Cattleya then turned to look at The Hanged Man.
“You pick first.”
She knew that The World Gehrman Sparrow had commissioned a mystical item to be made by the Artisan. Therefore, The Hanged Man had to first select the crazy adventurer’s item first.
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger nodded and took the Word of the Sea and the Gargoyle Glasses. Then, he indicated that the rest were spoils of war.
Cattleya thought for a moment and said, “Pick another one. The rest will be mine.”
She wasn’t too interested in the remaining mystical items because she had two rather powerful items that suited her. She had also obtained the Scales of Luck and Judge Button later; thus, covering all her bases. Under such a situation, the stacking of negative effects was something to be considered. Unless it was something extremely special, it wasn’t something she would take a second look or choose to exchange.
Of course, as a pirate admiral, she never found mystical items too excessive. After all, she had to hand over some of them to the Moses Ascetic Order and leave the rest to reward her crew.
Alger fell silent for a moment. Starting from what items and Beyonder powers he had, he chose the Blade of Poison.
Following that, Cattleya instructed Bloodless Heath Doyle to move the mystical items that Cielf had placed on the ground, and the remnant items left by the Primordial Moon believers, out of the room.
Then, she looked at the Artisan with her dark purple-hued eyes.
“Why do the Primordial Moon believers want to control you?”
Cielf’s eyes flickered.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Isn’t that simple and obvious? To get me to make mystical items for them…”
Just as he said that, his heart skipped a beat as a result of the purple eyes that were coldly looking at him. He hurriedly added, “They also seem to have some plan that needs the help of an Artisan. As for what it is, I’ve no idea because it hasn’t started.”
Cattleya retracted her gaze while seemingly in thought. Exchanging a silent look with The Hanged Man, they nodded simultaneously.
They decided not to take away the Artisan today and to leave him there to monitor the subsequent developments.
In other words, they wanted to figure out the Primordial Moon believers’ plans from monitoring him.
Actually, for The Hermit and The Hanged Man, whatever the Primordial Moon believers were plotting wasn’t something they cared about. They just each had matters they were concerned about. The former used it to communicate with Queen Mystic to provide her reference material for her strategies in the supernatural world. The latter could use this matter to earn contribution points from the Church; therefore, they had instantly come to a tacit agreement to investigate deeper.
Of course, Alger always believed in a principle:
The more information he wielded, the more benefits he could obtain from various matters!
After a brief silence, Cattleya said to Artisan Cielf in the same tone, “Since you’re already a Primordial Moon believer, taking you with me provides me with no benefit.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Cielf nodded immediately, agreeing with what she said.
Cattleya paused for a moment before she said, “However, I wish to establish a long-term working relationship with you. Therefore, I need a few drops of your blood. This will aid me in finding you at any time.”
Cielf wore a miserable look as his lips quivered, but he was unable to object to it.
Phew… He suddenly exhaled and said, “Okay.”
With that said, he picked up a paper cutter beside him and sliced his forearm, letting a few drops of blood drip out.
Cattleya immediately raised her right arm and gently flicked her wrist, causing the few drops of blood to float and fly towards her.
After observing the blood in her palm, this pirate admiral suddenly asked, “What’s your last name?”
“June,” Cielf replied instinctively.
Cattleya didn’t say a word as she turned around and walked out the door. Alger followed closely behind.
The room quickly turned silent as Cielf sat on the sofa. He sat there motionless for quite a while, as though he was deep in thought over the encounter, being unable to extricate himself from it.
Composite Start
Composite End
Ten minutes later, he suddenly stood up and took out a small human-shaped figurine from his inside pocket.
The figurine was brass-colored, and its face was empty. Blood slowly seeped out from it and remained on its surface.
Cielf hurriedly wiped the figurine’s face with a handkerchief before heaving a sigh of relief. He curled the corners of his lips and silently muttered, Thankfully I have this Fate Puppet…
Humph, Let’s see how you can find me with those drops of blood! Don’t even think of cursing me!
In the poverty-stricken district of Bayam, on a street without any street lamps.
The masked and hooded Alger looked at The Hermit beside him. With a deep voice, he said, “After Cielf escaped from the Church of Steam, he has been living safe and sound to this day. This means he’s not a fool. For him to so easily give you the blood in such a relaxed manner without putting up any resistance means that he has the means to avoid your tracking
“Besides, he didn’t mention an explanation of how the Primordial Moon believers found him.”
Logically speaking, the believers definitely would’ve asked him for the origins of the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic, but Cielf hadn’t mentioned Alger at all.
As Cattleya took out the pair of heavy glasses and wore it, she said without a change in tone, “It isn’t used for tracking.”
Alger nodded in thought before bidding her farewell, turning into a dark alley.
He made several detours and found a chance to remove his disguise before leaving Bayam. After he returned to the Resistance’s private harbor, he boarded the Blue Avenger.
His sailors had pretty much spent most of their energy and money over the past few days. So at that moment, they were all on the ship, waiting to set off for the seas again.
Upon seeing him return, one of the sailors stood up immediately and asked with a smile, “Captain, have you had dinner?”
“Not yet. Make something simple for me.” For the operation, Alger hadn’t had a chance to fill his stomach.
The sailor who also did some cooking on the side immediately replied, “Alright. We got some fresh mushrooms in the forest today. How about I pan fry it with some butter?”
Alger’s face twitched as he shook his head with a normal expression.
“Searing a steak would do. Medium rare, uhMedium-done.”
East Balam, by the periphery of a forest.
With his two marionettes, Klein wasn’t in a rush to leave. He entered a city and planned on getting some dyes to disguise Admiral Hell Ludwell’s mask.
And before that, he had other things to do.
It was to seek out a helper for his exploration of the periphery of Calderón!
Klein was never a lone wolf, and it was even more so the case when faced with danger. Therefore, unless he had no options, he would always invite powerhouses to provide him with help by sharing the coordinates and paying the corresponding price. He wasn’t one to rashly enter.
To him, being able to obtain the desired ingredient while alive was most important!
If it wasn’t because I know it’s impossible, I’d even wish to wait one to two weeks before I carry a baby or push a pram to head for Calderón… Klein sighed silently as he took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew into it.
Silently, Reinette Tinekerr with her four heads in hand walked out of the void.
Klein deliberated over his words and said, “I plan on exploring Calderón City soon. Well, I’ve already obtained its coordinates in the spirit world. I’m wondering if I can hire you for your help? What would be the price?”
The four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand spoke one after another:
“Won’t do…” I…” “Can’t…” “Enter….”
Chapter 924 First Key Factor at Carrying out Risky Operations
Can’t enter… The Seven Lights can’t enter for some special reason… Is this a restriction Calderón City has on higher-level creatures in the spirit world? However, how does Miss Messenger know of this limitation? Has she been there before? If that were the case, I didn’t even need to ask Red Light or the magic mirror… Perhaps her spiritual intuition told her that? As his mind whirred, Klein slowly and silently exhaled.
He then took out a gold coin and handed it to Reinette Tinekerr.
“I understand. Thank you for the information.”
After one of Miss Messenger’s head bit on the gold coin and retreated into the spirit world, Klein allowed his thoughts to roam as he considered how he could find other helpers.
Mr. Azik has entered a state of slumber. It’s unknown when he will wake up. There’s no way to wait for him.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Will Auceptin is about to be born but is only a baby. “He” is still at a nadir. And even if Ma’am Hermit has a way to temporarily restore “His” power while “He” is weak, it’s impossible for “Him” to do something as trivial as being my bodyguard. Besides, once “He” leaves Backlund or showcases his corresponding level, there’s a very high chance that he might once again be locked on by Angel of Fate Ouroboros.
Get the help of a demigod from the Life School of Thought through this Snake of Fate, such as that Councilor Ricciardo? That will be difficult. The Life School of Thought is suffering an internal divide. The Councilors have too many things to do. Besides, they’re running all over the world with the Die of Probability to leave traces to divert the Angel of Fate’s attention.
Queen Mystic Bernadette? I’m not too familiar with her. Besides, The Fool has demigods and angels under “Him.” A Blessed like Gehrman Sparrow can always find other help. Even if I claim that it’s a cooperative effort, it will also expose quite significant problems. Sigh, on the surface, The Fool has angels and demigods under “Him,” but the actual situation is that at the angel and demigod’s side is The Fool who’s just photobombing them…
The Chief from the City of Silver? This is indeed something that could be used as a price when he makes a request, but the problem is that he’s unable to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods. I think I should leave this opportunity for the Bizarro Bane…
Those geezers of the Sanguine? There’s no suitable reason, and it’s very easy for me to be exposed to Lilith. Who knows who that dead ancient goddess who hasn’t truly perished is. If “She” is actually the Primordial Moon in disguise, I can forget about resurrection…
Klein thought of one candidate after another, but one by one, he struck them off the list. Finally, he couldn’t help but sigh.
When in need, friends are always in short supply!
He couldn’t help but think of setting up a ritual to attempt to pray to the Evernight, the Crimson for strength, to seek the blessing of the Goddess, hoping that she could directly bestow him with the true soul body and powder of a Spirit World Plunderer, or have some archbishop, high-ranking deacon, or secret ascetic to provide him with help.
Unfortunately, all he could do was muse over the idea without actually carrying it out. Although Klein was rather accepting of the Evernight Goddess and wasn’t against the identity of being an Evernight Blessed, he still felt extremely wary. He didn’t wish to rely on a deity’s bestowment for everything. Besides, he suspected that similar rituals wouldn’t have any effect. This was because, with his present level and strength, he had no right to raise conditions with a Sequence o. If the deity was willing to give, then “She” would naturally give it to him. If “She” didn’t, praying was useless.
Composite Start
Composite End
If I have the shamelessness of Old Neil, I might really try it. Back then, the Goddess was willing to respond to his debt payment and resolve his constipation. “She” dotes on her believers pretty well. Of course, there must be certain “side effects”… Klein recalled the past as he sighed.
He decided to change his train of thought. Since he couldn’t get help from friends, he considered making use of his enemies.
Hmm, perhaps I can bring the Black Emperor card, Tyrant card, and the radio transceiver. I could wait at the entrance of Calderón City. As long as King of the Five Seas Nast, High-Sequence Beyonders of the Church of Storms, or leaders of the Rose School of Thought like Suah and the other demigods and angels rushed over, I will immediately enter that City of the Dead…
No, that’s too explicit. King of the Five Seas Nast and the High-Sequence Beyonders of the Church of Storms are highly unlikely to follow me into Calderón City. Instead, they will stay outside and wait for me to come out…
Abomination Suah might chase after me, but “He” is an angel. “He” wouldn’t be impeded by anything in the periphery of Calderón City. I’ll only be inviting trouble to myself…
After repeated thought, Klein finally gave up the idea of creating chaos for his benefit. He believed that it was difficult to replicate the same situation outside Bayam City from back then. It was even more so when he wasn’t a High-Sequence Beyonder.
A person who treads the edge of the abyss would fall into it sooner or later!
Who else can provide me with help? Klein’s gaze swept past his two marionettes as friend after friend flashed past his mind, including the members of the Tarot Club.
Suddenly, he recalled something.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Miss Sharron once told me that the Tutanssess II mummy is one of the keys to her advancement ritual and is very important to her. This also means that she’s about to become a demigod, Sequence 4 Puppet of the Mutant pathway…
If she succeeds, I can get her to help. We have had a good partnership.
Thankfully, I chose to help her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any hope today.
As Klein reeled in poignancy, he took out paper and a fountain pen. Placing the paper on Enzo’s back, he scribbled, “It’s been a while since we last met. I wonder how you’ve been recently…”
As he wrote, Klein suddenly stopped. He felt the opening was too off and hypocritical.
Miss Sharron is a person who restrains herself. When she writes letters, she goes straight to the point without saying anything unnecessary. I have to consider her personality and be more frank… Klein thought for a few seconds before raising the previous slip of paper. Shaking it, he made it become engulfed in scarlet flames.
After a few seconds of deliberation, Klein wrote on a new slip of paper:
“I’ve already acquired the spirit world coordinates of Calderón City. If you’ve already become a demigod, I wish to cooperate again to receive some help. If not, there’s no need to force it. I can still find other friends.
“Sherlock Moriarty”
Composite Start
Composite End
After folding the slip of paper and addressing it to “Ma’am Maryam,” Klein took out the adventurer’s harmonica again and blew it.
Reinette Tinekerr, in her dark and complicated dress, walked out of the void as though she had never left the vicinity, appearing right in front of him.
Klein handed her the folded slip of paper and a gold coin before seriously exhorting her, “Send it to Backlund, Hillston, 126 Garde Street. Throw it directly into the mailbox.”
“Alright,” one of Reinette Tinekerr’s head said while another head but on the letter and gold coin.
Upon seeing this, Klein pressed, somewhat worried:
“You haven’t lost the previous map, right?
“Do you know which borough Hillston Borough is? Do you know where Garde Street is?”
The three other heads which Reinette Tinekerr held replied, “No…” “I know…” “It’s…” “Very…” “Easy to…” “Find.”
Klein immediately heaved a sigh of relief as he politely sent off Miss Messenger.
He temporarily threw the matter of Calderón City to the back of his mind and began disguising his marionette, Ludwell.
Composite Start
Composite End
The next morning, a man, with brownish skin, light curly hair, and was dressed in a formal Loen attire and a silk half top hat, entered Ttniks City that bordered a forest with his two servants.
This was a city that mainly produced timber, rubber, and special products from the forest. There was talk in the town that a few hair-growth research centers and the complementing factories were established here.
Having disguised himself as a local, wealthy man, Klein quickly found a hotel to stay in. Sitting on a reclining chair made of rattan, he observed his handiwork once again.
Winner Enzo’s skin was not only bronze, but it was now almost completely black. Together with his thin and soft hair, bushy brows, and dark shadowy facial outline, matched with Balam-styled baggy, creased pants and a black-and-white top, he looked like a typical example of a local servant that hailed from a particular plantation manor.
Admiral Hell Ludwell’s rather resplendent clothes had become the same style as Enzo’s. His exposed skin had clear burn marks, and his silver mask was now dyed with a uniform iron-black color. This made it look as though he had been disfigured due to a fire accident and that he was wearing a mask to hide his face, lest he scared any passersby.
After having his lunch which was served to his room, Klein heard stacked illusory prayers.
Male… Mr. Hanged Man? It’s also possible it’s Emlyn and Little Sun. The transaction of the Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic of the Vampire pathway is about to begin… Klein was just about to head for the bathroom to take four steps counterclockwise and head above the gray fog when his spiritual perception was triggered.
He hurried activated his Spirit Vision and saw the headless Reinette Tinekerr appear out of the spirit world which overlapped with the real world with a letter in a head’s mouth.
Miss Sharron has replied? Klein first thanked her before receiving the letter and tearing it open to read.
“Sorry, I will likely still need another one to two months of preparation. If you still need my help by then, I’ll be fine with it. Sharron.”
One to two months… It’s not like I can’t wait… It’s not like I’ve digested my Marionettist potion yet… Klein nodded indiscernibly as he got a pen and some paper to reply simply:
“Take your own time. There’s no rush. My matter isn’t urgent. I can wait. Sherlock Moriarty.”
After handing the letter and gold coin to Reinette Tinekerr and getting her to send it to Backlund, Hillston Borough, 126 Garde Street, Klein suddenly thought of a problem:
During wars, scouting is necessary. How can I be rash and so careless about exploring a dangerous place like Calderón City?
Hmm, when Miss Sharron advances, I can head there to do some scouting and gather some intelligence without the need to take risks. For example, I can figure out exactly what restrictions there are; what kind of anomalies will happen towards Death domain powers; or I can figure out whether I’m only able to enter by a fixed entrance, or if I have any way of directly returning above the gray fog from inside… After confirming all of this, I can formulate a plan and make preparations… Of course, before scouting, divination is necessary… Klein soon made up his mind and walked into the attached bathroom.
Chapter 925 Choosing “Clothes”
Above the endless grayish-white fog, in the magnificent ancient hall.
Klein didn’t rush to do a divination. He first answered The Hanged Man Alger’s sacrificial ritual and got the cane made from the Ocean Songster Beyonder characteristics to appear in front of him.
Word of the Sea… This name, when transliterated to Chinese, does bring back memories. I’ll just leave it at that… It’s basically a weaker version of Sea God Scepter. It doesn’t have demigod-level powers like Lightning Storm or Tsunami either… There are quite a number of negative effects… As Klein recalled The Hanged Man’s descriptions, he stroked the silver inlaid black cane.
Perhaps the mysterious space above the gray fog had naturally suppressed it, causing this Beyonder cane to not express its living characteristic. It silently lay there like it was the most common and ordinary piece of wood.
Klein nodded slightly and muttered silently to himself, Mystical item with living characteristics are really rather troublesome. But from a different angle, it means that they can be communicated with. The Die of Probability back then was quite a nasty fellow, but didn’t it also become obedient after getting schooled?
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Besides, I can always have my servants hold it most of the time. Yes, Winner Enzo will be most suitable. Although he already has zero passive luck, he is still accumulating luck constantly to make preparations for that critical moment. Releasing a little bit of it wouldn’t affect anything. This way, be it being tripped, thrown, or beaten, he would be able to smoothly avoid it and not garner the attention of others.
On careful thought, the cane’s pranks aren’t completely useless. If I were to meet other Marionettists, Spirit World Plunderers, or Bizarro Banes and lose my initiative and end up being initially controlled, my thoughts and actions would turn sluggish. It would be quite difficult to extricate myself from that state by myself. At this moment, if an uncontrollable cane were to suddenly hit me or trip me to the ground, wouldn’t I be successfully escaping from my predicament?
Sigh, if a mystical item’s negative effects are used well, they can be quite a boon…
Of course, in normal combat, such pranks can bring about unnecessary dangers. How it should be balanced or avoided will need repeated trial and error.
As for the negative effects of easily being struck by lightning on a stormy day, Klein didn’t mind. Firstly, unless he was in a special region, stormy weather wasn’t common to begin with. It wasn’t something that needed to be taken into consideration most of the time. Secondly, as a Seer, divining the day’s weather before heading out was a common act. Finally, if he couldn’t avoid sudden flash storms, Klein could always give the cane to Enzo. This way, even if the lightning were to strike the Winner, it would even up being attracted by a nearby lightning rod.
Let’s just hope I’m not that lightning rod… Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he considered the most worrisome negative effect.
It would belt out Beyonder singing every six hours!
This was indiscriminate, and it was basically a huge AOE[1] attack!
After some thought, Klein decided to communicate with the Word of Sea cane to reduce the frequency at which it sang, or to give prior warning before it sang.
Composite Start
Composite End
I had breakfast early today. It’s almost time for Creeping Hunger to start its howling… In thought, Klein removed the human-skinned glove from his left palm and threw it at an empty spot in front of the junk pile.
Right on the heels of that, he lifted the silver inlaid black cane and threw it over. Then, he stirred some of the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog, creating a barrier that isolated all sound and images. He made Creeping Hunger and Word of the Sea spend time alone.
After doing all of this, Klein rubbed his palms and conjured a pen and paper. He wrote down a divination statement: “My scouting of Calderón City’s periphery today is dangerous.”
After putting down the dark red fountain pen, Klein removed the spirit pendulum from his left wrist. He let the topaz hang down over the paper in close proximity with it.
After chanting seven times in his mind, he opened his eyes and saw the topaz standing still and not spinning
This meant that the divination had failed.
Calderón City’s actual situation is a secret to the entire spirit world, and divination lacks a starting point… Besides, that was once a divine kingdom of an ancient goddess. There’s a mutated resurrection setup left over there. It can similarly interfere with divination… Klein rolled up his spirit pendulum and deliberated in thought. I can only trust what Red Light said. The danger around Calderón City’s periphery isn’t that great… Besides, I still have marionettes. I can let them go first and confirm if that place screens the gray fog. If it can, I’ll give up. If it doesn’t, I’ll enter myself.
Klein quickly came to a decision. Without any hesitation, he waved his hand to remove the barrier he had previously created.
Then, he saw the Creeping Hunger which had retreated to the side of the junk pile. It was propping itself up with three fingers while its thumb and pinky were pressing backward on Groselle’s Travels. It looked weak and could hardly stand.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, there was a mouth in the middle of the palm. It revealed two illusory, white, and eerie teeth that kept gasping for air.
On the other side of the barrier, the silver inlaid black cane was on the ground. It twitched from time to time as its tip kept oozing with blue transparent water bubbles.
“Very good, silence at last…” Upon seeing this scene, Klein muttered in gratification.
Just as he said that, the Word of the Sea suddenly stood up. And as though it was being held, it “hopped” towards Klein, circling about The Fool’s seat and dodged elsewhere. Creeping Hunger used all its five fingers as legs as it chased after the cane with great difficulty. Midway, it collapsed to the ground.
Klein watched speechless before letting out a sigh.
“After fusing with Mr. A, Creeping Hunger seems to have a living characteristic, but this level of intelligence is way too low. It clearly Grazed a Wind-blessed and is capable of Short-distance Flight; yet, it still uses its fingers as legs to chase…”
After saying that, he turned his head towards the Word of the Sea cane which was hiding beside him.
“Aren’t you a Sequence 5 of the Sailor pathway? What kind of mystical item are you if you can only hop on one leg?
“Seriously, are such low-level living characteristics equivalent to babies? No, a particular baby is way smarter than all of you!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein reprimanded each of them and sighed as he said in amusement, “It’s not like I’m a devil…”
Just as he said that, the glove and cane who were still stirring froze at the same moment. They didn’t dare make a sound.
Klein’s subsequent words were left in his throat. All he could do was reach out to pick up Word of the Sea and kindly and sincerely speak to it.
After a friendly and frank negotiation, this silver inlaid black cane used high frequency swaying to gesture that it would reduce its singing to a minimum. If it really couldn’t hold back, it would inform its owner. The exact manner included, but was not limited to, trembling slightly or automatically moving up a few centimeters.
At the same time, it raised a request via singing:
Never use the hand wearing Creeping Hunger to hold it!
Of course, if its master insisted on doing so, it didn’t object to it and was happy to accept it.
Better than Creeping Hunger. It’s not too stubborn… Klein beckoned for Creeping Hunger and wore it on his left palm.
Taking a glance at the Door of Summoning which had been produced from the ritual, Klein began considering the items to bring on his scouting of Calderón City.
Needless to say, the two marionettes were going. They could be used as bait, to scout the path ahead, be used as test subjects, and verify any traps. They allowed a Marionettist to not need to undergo too many dangerous actions, so they were definitely going.
Composite Start
Composite End
They would be wearing Enzo’s Flower of Blood ring and Ludwell’s Harris Sword. They were all standard equipment. In addition, Klein decided to get Enzo to carry the Word of the Sea.
As for himself, Klein planned on heading there as a Spirit Body. Once anything was amiss, he would immediately end the summoning and return above the gray fog. This way, what “clothes” he matched was something worth considering.
Azik’s copper whistle? No, that is related to Death, and Calderón City belongs to ancient Death… There’s a small possibility that this might create a terrifying anomaly, causing the danger in the core region to automatically come out.
Black Emperor card or the Tyrant card? Hmm, I’ll be moving about the spirit world. The two marionettes are basically dead. I’m not afraid that they have their blood extracted. Heh heh, Ludwell is a half-human, half-dead entity. He doesn’t have blood to speak of. The value of Enzo’s blood only makes him appear human most of the time. And this could be recovered via using Flower of Blood. It also means that I can bring the Sea God Scepter to Calderón City!
It’s a place that’s deep in the spirit world. It’s far from the Rorsted Archipelago, so I don’t have to worry about being affected by the believers’ prayers. The only problem is that I’ll become irascible and short-tempered. It will be easy for me to become hot-headed… This is taboo when it comes to exploring. However, this is easily resolved. I’ll leave it with Enzo or Ludwell. Besides, the Tyrant card’s level is very high. It can produce a suppression effect to a certain degree on the Sea God Scepter, preventing me from easily flaring up.
With the combination of the Tyrant card and the Sea God Scepter, I’m equivalent to half a Sequence 4. This can then most effectively reduce the risk I face. In the future, even if I were to enter with Miss Sharron, I can also equip myself in such a manner. I’ll get her to maintain her state as a wraith—no, an evil spirit state to circumvent all problems!
I don’t have to worry about the law of convergence. If Calderón City can screen the gray fog, I’ll return after taking a look from the outside. No one will lock onto me or pursue me. After all, the spirit world isn’t the home ground of the Sailor pathway. If Calderón City can’t screen the gray fog, and a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Church of Storms really does get drawn there, I can end up using him… Amidst his thoughts, Klein suddenly reached out his hand, attracting the Tyrant card to fall into his palm.
Immediately after that, he fused the Card of Blasphemy into his Soul Body.
Suddenly, extreme might and terrifying auras emanated from The Fool’s location. A heavy papal tiara silently appeared on Klein’s head as his clothes turned into a religious robe.
The latter was similar in dressing as a pope from Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac which he had seen in his previous life. However, the colors were dark blue that was almost black.
As howling winds sounded, the pontiff robe flared up suddenly as Klein raised his right hand and suspended himself in midair before catching the white bone scepter that flew towards him.
At the tip of the scepter, the gems emitted either blinding silver or blue light like bolts of lightning that circled around the Tyrant.
With a thud, the Word of the Sea cane prostrated to the ground, right beside Klein who was wielding the scepter and dressed like a pontiff.
[1] Area of Effect.
Chapter 926 Spiraling City
I really do feel a little irascible, but I’m not that quick-tempered… Wearing the papal tiara and dark blue robes while wielding the Sea God Scepter, Klein seriously observed his new state.
This meant that the Tyrant card could suppress the negative effects of the Sea God Scepter to a certain extent, but it wasn’t able to completely eliminate it.
Using Cogitation, Klein composed himself and turned to look at the junk pile in the corner.
Groselle’s Travels? This is my strongest defensive item to this day. Besides, it also has some magical uses, but the problem is that it was made by another ancient god, Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt. Based on what Little Sun said, this dragon king was once allies with the owner of Calderón City-Ancient Death, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace. Who knows if this book would trigger any unnecessary developments… To be safe, it’s best if I don’t bring it.
And just like Azik’s copper whistle, the mutated paper figurine can’t be included. It has the remnant aura of Artificial Death… This might have a shock-and-awe effect when exploring Calderón City, but it also contains plenty of latent risks.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Priest of Light Beyonder characteristic? This can effectively restrain dead spirits, a natural nemesis for the City of the Dead, but it’s only an ingredient that hasn’t been made into a mystical item. The effects it has is rather limited. The negative effects are extremely bad. It won’t be helpful to my soul state. In addition, lightning can also purify the dead. With the Sea God Scepter and Word of the Sea, there’s no need for me to bring the Priest of Light Beyonder characteristic… Thoughts flashed across Klein’s mind as he eliminated the remaining items in the junk pile.
He wore the human-skinned glove on his left hand, wielded Sea God Scepter, and raised his right hand slightly. He made Word of the Sea fly up and land in his palm.
Following that, the papal-dressed Klein changed the appearance of his soul. He hid his facial features within the shadows of the papal tiara.
He slowly stood up as the dark blue robes fluttered in the wind, the white bone scepter dazzling.
With just one step, Tyrant Klein passed through the Door of Summoning and walked out of the candlelight, arriving in the real world. He found himself in the rather spacious bathroom.
After adding the Fate Siphon charm and Death Knell into his body, he opened the door and returned to the living room. He got Enzo to come over to receive Word of the Sea.
After some thought, Klein took out Death Knell and handed it to Admiral Hell Ludwell.
After doing all of this, he brought his two marionettes and relied on Traveling to head for the coordinates in the spirit world that were provided by Miss Magician.
The trip happened rather smoothly. The Tyrant aura made all kinds of strange spirit world creatures not dare to approach him while en route. They didn’t even dare look at him directly. Before long, Klein arrived at his destination.
Composite Start
Composite End
The scene in front of him looked no different from anywhere else in the spirit world. The saturated colors were overlapped, and there was some thin fog emanating everywhere. Elsewhere, in the depths, pairs of eyes moved away one after another.
The papal robe’s cape fluttered gently in the wind as Klein did a rough scan before getting Enzo and Ludwell to enter a blob of fog that appeared very thin and normal.
Suddenly, his field of vision widened with the help of his two marionettes. A grand city that was of legendary proportions appeared in his eyes. This city was abnormal. It didn’t develop in a vertical manner, but instead spiraled deep into the ground. It gave one the feeling of an inverted mausoleum.
Its buildings had a myriad of styles, but they were equally strange. Some of them had towering pale-white rock columns with a huge single house carved out at the top. Some were long and squarish, with the doors placed at the ceiling with no windows in sight. Some were built in the ground, a tombstone erected at their entrances. Some were built with white bones, messy and scattered.
The closer it was to the bottom of the pit, the more completely preserved the buildings were. The closer they were to the top, the more collapsed areas there were, ones filled with the dilapidation and rot that time brought.
Klein made his two marionettes stop. Despite standing at the edge of the city and overlooking everything, he was unable to identify what was at the bottom of the building. Deep darkness enveloped the area as though no light had been shone inside for thousands and thousands of years.
After a brief observation, Enzo lowered his head and chanted using ancient Hermes:
“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era.
“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
Just as he finished the statement, Klein, who was still situated outside Calderón City, heard stacked illusory pleas. He also recognized it to be from a man with a deliberately hoarse voice.
It’s the marionette’s prayer from before… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he silently muttered, “This means that Calderón City doesn’t screen out the gray fog. At the very least, the outer periphery doesn’t. I can enter.”
Although he said that to himself, he was in no way in a hurry. He subsequently controlled Ludwell to raise his left palm and spread it open.
Illusory light was suddenly emitted. Following that, with a point as its origin, the area imploded, forming a pair of double bronze doors.
This door was slightly blurry and extremely incorporeal. The surface was covered with countless mysterious patterns that gave one the feeling of indescribable heaviness and silence.
With a creak, the mysterious bronze door shifted backward and cracked open a little.
Through this crack, Klein saw the deepest and heaviest darkness.
Amidst the darkness, pale-white colors stirred, swirling up at times and descending at other times. It was like a river that was gushing through a night devoid of light.
Composite Start
Composite End
On its two sides, pale white stone columns appeared, looking extremely identical to Calderón City’s interior but in a more exaggerated manner.
At this moment, pairs of transparent eyes and indescribable faces suddenly appeared. They filled the illusory bronze door’s crack, eagerly trying to pass through
Klein’s eyes felt a slight stabbing pain as he immediately made Ludwell clench his left palm.
Thud!
The illusory door covered in mysterious patterns was pushed by an invisible force as it closed, disappearing from Enzo’s sight.
This mysterious door that separates life from death and leads to the Underworld has apparently changed its course. It’s no longer the Underworld behind the door, but the core region of Calderón City. The deepest point at the bottom of the pit? Wearing the papal tiara while wielding the Sea God Scepter, Klein nodded in thought.
This way, many of the powers of the Death domain was remade in Calderón City, causing an anomaly.
With this knowledge in mind, Klein once again got Ludwell to raise his left arm.
The left part of this marionette’s body rapidly turned illusory as dark green specks appeared as though he had turned into a wraith or specter.
His arm began to stop abiding by the laws of reality as it suddenly extended into the distance. The center of its palm was abnormally white with an illusory face protruding from it.
Composite Start
Composite End
The face had its mouth half-open as its tongue was sharp like a snake’s. It was covered in white fur.
In a completely surreal manner, the tongue flicked out far into the distance. It was as though it could drill directly into a human’s body and absorb one’s soul.
Indeed, the Death Envoy powers Ludwell gets from the Underworld creature inside his body has mutated. Not only has it been enhanced, but it has also gone from remotely extracting Spirit Bodies to directly consuming them… Klein stood at Calderón City’s entrance and made Admiral Hell display all kinds of Beyonder powers of the Death domain. Through that, he gleaned the differences that there were from the usual outcome.
The thing they had in common was that all of them had become more powerful!
Then, Klein experimented by making Enzo use the specialness of his body and the various powers from Flower of Blood and Word of the Sea before coming up with a conclusion.
Aspects in the Fate domain aren’t affected…
Lightning Strike is suppressed, making it much weaker…
Unable to fly too high…
Powers like wind blades, singing, illusory scales, balance, and water membrane undergo no changes…
With the end of these experiments, Klein made Enzo and Ludwell walk down the pale-white stairs, clinging closely to the periphery of Calderón City. The buildings there had already completely collapsed.
As the two-hundred-meter threshold approached, Klein raised his right hand and pressed down on his face that hid in the shadows of the papal tiara. Then, wielding the Sea God Scepter, he stepped into the thin fog.
His mind instantly felt a little groggy as the scene before him changed. He had already entered the City of the Dead, Calderón City.
Enduring the irascible feelings within him, Klein made his left glove turn dark.
His body turned illusory as it was tainted by a dark color, turning him into a shadow. Only the Sea God Scepter in his hand continued emitting silver or blue beams of light.
Using the soul’s screening and the Tyrant card’s suppression to hide the light, Klein floated diagonally ahead, slinking into the shadows of the collapsed buildings. He followed closely behind the two marionettes, beginning to perform an initial inspection of Calderón City’s outer region.
As he traversed the area, Klein gradually noticed something amiss.
It was too quiet!
It was so quiet that it was as though the entire city was dead. Even bugs had failed to survive!
Based on what Arrodes and Red Light Aiur Moria had said, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace had uprooted Calderón City and thrown it deep into the spirit world. Before doing so, the residents inside the city were allowed to leave. Occasionally, there would be other spirit world creatures entering.
But now, not only were there no active creatures in the peripheral region, there weren’t even skeletons, zombies, or even one or two non-bonelike buildings!
Klein tensed up more and more. With Enzo’s and Ludwell’s vision, he carefully observed his surroundings.
During this process, his gaze swept across a broken pale-white column. The ancient but damaged building at the top had a disc burnished from gold inside.
The disc’s smooth surface reflected a figure, but it wasn’t Enzo, but Klein in his papal tiara and dark blue robe!
This Klein had a gloomy demeanor. His face was pale and his eyes were listless as though he had long been dead.
Chapter 927 Tyrant’s Might
Hiding in the shadows, Klein’s heart tightened. He then quickly calmed down without showing any signs of horror.
This was because he was extremely certain that the reflection on the golden disc’s smooth surface wasn’t him—at least, it wasn’t the real him!
If it really was him, Enzo would’ve seen the gray fog, seeing magical scenes that resembled a Mythical Creature form. This would’ve caused Klein to faint immediately!
Since I’m completely fine, it means that the reflection isn’t of me… Klein activated his Spirit Body Threads vision, controlled Enzo, and raised Word of the Sea. He approached the pale-white collapsed column and the ancient building which remained in shambles while secretly releasing some of his “luck.”
The swarthy marionette approached the golden disc one step at a time. Bending his back and raising the cane, he carefully observed the area.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The disc had two layers-an inner and outer layer. The core region was as smooth as a mirror with very few patterns. The boundaries were engraved with birdlike creatures. Its entirety had an ancient magnificence to it.
The figure it reflected remained the same. Despite reflecting Enzo, it reflected the gloomy, pale Klein with listless eyes. Even the Sea God Scepter, the papal tiara and papal robe that came with the Tyrant card weren’t missing. If it wasn’t because of the lack of the gray fog, Klein definitely would’ve imagined that the disc could influence himself through a marionette and Spirit Body Threads. Or perhaps it would be like what the Saint of Darkness back at the ruins of the battle of gods had encountered, having himself dissociate without realizing it.
What does this actually mean… Klein calmly grew out of the shadows, restoring his appearance back when he first stepped into Calderón City. Then, using his Beyonder powers as a Clown, he produced his present state in his mind.
Holding the white bone scepter with embedded blue gems, he wore a caped papal robe with a papal tiara with different gems dotting it. His face was hidden in the shadows, appearing somewhat blurry. His entire body exhibited a gloomy and cadaveric air, as though he was a zombie that was recently dug out!
This… Klein was alarmed. He never expected to really experience such changes. Apart from the gray fog’s mixing with reality, the reflection on the golden disc really was him!
Something that it doesn’t involve the gray fog, it isn’t anything to worry too much about… he hurriedly consoled himself as he calmed his mental state.
Normally, with Klein’s rich experience and good ability to adapt, there was nothing he needed to do at the moment. But first, considering how he was holding the Sea God Scepter that easily made him rash, he needed to pay constant attention. Second, he knew that this was once Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace’s divine kingdom which contained the setup required for “Her” revival. There was bound to be all kinds of abnormalities. Therefore, he was more nervous than ever before.
Getting Ludwell to return, he used his Beyonder powers to do a thorough inspection of himself before gaining a preliminary understanding.
When living creatures enter Calderón City, they will naturally transform into the deceased. This is similar to the Underworld, but there’s a fundamental difference. Here, living creatures won’t die an abrupt death before slowly turning into mindless undead creatures; instead, they will directly turn into dead spirits.
Composite Start
Composite End
I didn’t notice it before because Enzo and Ludwell are essentially dead, so there’s no need for them to be converted… Arrodes and Red Light Aiur Moria didn’t mention this because the Travelers, spirit world creatures, and angels automatically recovered after leaving alive? This kind of transformation is unable to affect the powers of the gray fog that fuses with reality. And the disc reflects the dead me, not all of me, or the me that has had some interaction with Calderón? Klein was more inclined to believe in the latter, but he wasn’t too sure.
At this moment, he heard a sound coming from nearby.
Clang!
Clang! Clang!
The sound was heavy but crisp, as though someone was striking metal heavily.
Klein wasn’t in a hurry to react. He carefully listened for two seconds before letting Enzo put down the heavy golden disc and walk towards a nearby broken tombstone.
The halved tombstone corresponded to a building that developed further underground. On top of it were the words written with the Language of the Dead:
“…A quick-tempered fellow, one who died as a result of comparing which was harder—his head or someone else’s hammer.”
Enzo circled around the damaged tombstone and arrived at the entrance to the tomb. He reached out his left hand and turned the knob, pulling open the door.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst the rough grinding sounds of rust, the heavy door slowly opened.
Sou! Sou! Sou!
Pale-white beams of arrow-like light flew out!
They brushed past Enzo’s face, the top of his head, torso, and inner thighs and flew into the distance, stabbing into the ground before vanishing. However, Winner Enzo was completely unharmed.
…I have to say that such a marionette is excellent for dangerous explorations… Klein sighed inwardly as he made Enzo cast his gaze down the building.
It was a blacksmith-a giant with bluish-black skin and a head that looked like a ruptured watermelon held onto a hammer as he kept striking an anvil, but there was nothing on it.
As the giant with the cracked head had normal Spirit Body Threads and wasn’t the soul avatar of someone else, Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
Just as he was about to get Enzo to take a more thorough look, his body suddenly turned numb as his thoughts turned sluggish.
This feeling was something he had felt before. Back in Tingen, he had been in a similar state when he was under Sealed Artifact 2-049’s influence!
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein didn’t know better back then, but after becoming a Marionettist, he knew that this meant that his Spirit Body Threads had been controlled by the Sealed Artifact!
This also meant that someone was controlling his Spirit Body Threads!
Furthermore, the difference from before was that, not only were his joints “rusting” as though someone had infused glue into them, he also felt a strong numbness as if he had been struck by lightning. It made his actions become harder.
No good… It’s the Spirit World Plunderer… I was guarded against… its use of soul avatar… It distracted me… and secretly approached… but I never expected… that it not only had a soul avatar… but it also… has a partner… That… giant… blacksmith… made me… careless… And the marionette’s… existence… made me… ignore… my own… safety… Various thoughts emerged in Klein’s mind involuntarily as it disrupted his normal thoughts of trying to save himself.
At this moment, the giant blacksmith with a ruptured head raised his hammer and rushed over to Enzo, hoping to smash him into a pulp. And by Klein’s neck, there was a cold wind blowing at it, pricking his hair up one by one.
The surroundings were abnormally silent before, but now, all kinds of strange creatures emerged from the pale-white stone column, rundown houses, and the tombstone’s tomb.
Some of them only had half a body. Others were transparent and nearly invisible. Some were stretched and soft like noodles. Some had a ruptured chest with bloody innards. Some had dark green faces that resembled that of an evil spirit. Others had eyes growing everywhere around their body. There were also others who looked like jellyfish that lived in the air.
Countless gazes were cast onto Klein from different areas. They were without any feelings, just indifferent.
At this moment, Klein opened his mouth with great difficulty as he said a word slowly:
“Sing…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he said that, the glove on his left palm opened its mouth, revealing its white teeth:
“Praise you!
“The Lord that created everything;
“The Lord who reigns behind the curtain of shadows;
“The degenerated nature of all living things!”
Amidst this jarring voice that resembled blackboard scratching sounds, Enzo, who had been thrown to the ground, successfully avoided the hammer’s strike as Word of the Sea began spewing out water bubbles in excitement.
“Break! Break! Break!”
Klein suddenly felt his head ache as his ability to think was instantly recovered, no longer having disconnected thoughts for a brief moment.
However, his body remained “rusted” as his body was filled with numbness.
Following that, he relied on his spirituality while motionless, controlling Ludwell, who had returned to his side, to punch him with his left fist.
Bang!
Klein staggered back, instantly extricating himself from the numb and sluggish state.
Then, wearing the papal tiara, he became hot-headed as he spread his papal cape and raised Sea God Scepter.
The blue gems lit up one after another as a bright silver bolt of lightning blasted down.
The bolt of lightning spread into “branches,” blanketing Calderón City’s periphery for hundreds of meters with a lightning forest. The destructive aura and sense of destruction were brought to the forefront!
The strange creatures that had charged out from various spots shattered, evaporated, and completely vanished as a result of the swath of silver.
Moments after the silver storm quelled, Tyrant Klein’s Sea God Scepter emitted a blinding light once again.
The rapturous bolts of lightning snaked, embroiled the area, smiting down again and again like a huge wave.
After two repeated casts of Lightning Storm, Klein was exhausted as he found his calm again.
His heart beat suddenly as he recalled something.
Lightning Storm was indiscriminate when it struck. Apart from the Sea God Scepter-wielding him and the partner who stood beside him, everything else suffered a decimating blast!
This also meant that Ludwell was still fine, but there was a high chance of Enzo being “wiped out.”
Klein instinctively looked over and saw Enzo curled by the side of the halved tombstone. Behind him was the huge metallic hammer which still had tiny bolts of lightning snaking around. Not far from it was two nonhuman charred legs.
The tomb corresponding to the tombstone had already collapsed. The iron-black tiles that landed on the ground still had remnant silver bolts of lightning sizzling away.
…As expected of a Winner. He didn’t even die despite such an onslaught… The amount of luck he accumulated has probably been passively expended… Klein felt relieved as he activated his Spirit Body Threads vision to observe his surroundings.
He was searching for the Spirit World Plunderer!
He believed that the range of a Spirit World Plunderer’s controlling of Spirit Body Threads couldn’t match that of a Lightning Storm!
The already dilapidated buildings had nearly been leveled. The remaining stone pieces and bones were mostly charred black. Even the heavy golden disc was in shambles.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the rubble more than a hundred meters away from Klein.
It was wearing a translucent white robe. It didn’t have a head or limbs. It appeared like it was being propped up by an invisible person.
At that moment, it looked like it was in a sorry state, with wounds and black marks everywhere.
This is the Spirit World Plunderer I suppose… My rash usage of two Lightning Storms seems to have restrained it… Upon seeing this scene, Klein had such thoughts flash through his mind.
Chapter 928 Misdirection
At his point, Klein had roughly understood the situation.
Due to the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence, he had been targeted by the Spirit World Plunderer the moment he entered Calderón City, which didn’t even have ordinary dead spirits. It first moved the golden disc of unknown origins to the predicted path, allowing his marionette to see it while walking past. As such, his attention was transferred to the transformation effect Calderón City had on the living. Following that, it used the giant blacksmith, which wasn’t its soul avatar, to distract him further. Finally, it secretly arrived within control distance and achieved success in “one
try.”
If it wasn’t because I had seen those deceased bodies that are hung up like wind chimes at the cathedral, thus having an instinctual fear of High-Sequence Beyonders of the Seer pathway, and having prepared several autonomous means to disrupt any exertion of control over me, I might’ve already been made a soul avatar by the Spirit World Plunderer…
Seriously, I should’ve thought of the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence before I came in… After carrying the Sea God Scepter, even with the Tyrant card suppressing it, I’m still a little too rash. I nearly missed out on such a crucial detail…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
On the surface, I did seem as cautious as I usually am, but in fact, I had turned rash without realizing it. Yet, I didn’t even believe I was being rash… Klein’s thoughts raced before he raised the bone scepter-wielding arm and continued using Lightning Storm.
If once wasn’t enough, make it twice. If that still wasn’t enough, do it a third time. In short, he had to take this opportunity to prevent the Spirit World Plunderer from escaping from the range of his attacks!
This was the safest method, and it was also Klein’s fighting style that he looked up to the most. If it wasn’t because Lightning Strike had been greatly weakened in Calderón City, he even suspected that he could’ve gone over to pick up the Beyonder characteristic already.
And having already digested most of the Sequence 5 potion, his spirituality was sufficient enough for him to deal out such damage for a while!
At this moment, the “invisible” figure wearing a translucent white robe burst into pale-white flames. It appeared in midair several hundred meters away.
The Spirit World Plunderer had used Flaming Jump, which was many times stronger than Klein’s version, instantly pulling away from him!
At the same time, in the rubble it was hiding in, a four-meter-tall bluish-black giant staggered to his feet.
The giant’s chest was open, but there weren’t any innards. However, it stood like a castle, standing in between the Tyrant and the Spirit World Plunderer, blocking Klein’s line of sight.
And in Klein’s eyes, its Spirit Body Threads were gathered together, extending far towards the Spirit World Plunderer. It was obvious that it was a soul avatar.
Composite Start
Composite End
At the tip of the Sea God Scepter, the blue-colored gems lit up. A few bolts of lightning leapt out of thin air, mixing together into a huge silver arrow. Instantly, it smote the bluish-black giant’s head.
All the invisible defenses shattered, and like paper mache, the giant’s head cracked. Countless bits of charred flesh splattered as his headless body evaporated amidst white gases that were tainted with dark green spots. All his vitality was robbed away.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Klein, in his papal tiara and papal robe, raised the bone scepter even higher.
The blue light radiated in ripples as howling wind blew up his cape.
In a very large area of Calderón City’s periphery, dark clouds quickly gathered. Under a suppressive layer, they made the area appear darker and more repressed.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Bean-sized drops of water smashed to the ground, releasing dust that had accumulated over time.
Splash!
The raindrops pattered at an increasing pace, forming a catastrophic storm.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The water extinguished the pale-white flames and formed a stream that gushed downwards towards the lowest point of the city, right for the end of the deep pit.
In such weather, Klein’s Flaming Jump had been made ineffective, but it was likewise for the Spirit World Plunderer!
However, to a Tyrant, his spirituality could spread through the dark clouds as though he had transformed into a deity that overlooked the land.
Every dark cloud, every drop of water had become Klein’s eyes. They allowed him to easily find the Spirit World Plunderer in every area that had its weather change.
This invisible figure with the translucent white robe was hiding behind a broken pale-white column. It hadn’t left the periphery for the core region.
Boom!
A deafening boom sounded as bolts of lightning meshed to form a silver beam that shot out from the dark clouds, right at the Spirit World Plunderer.
Relying on its potent spiritual premonition, the invisible figure burrowed into the ground half a second early.
Three thick silver beams smote the area one after another, melting the soil away as they sank downwards, producing charred craters.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Spirit World Plunderer emerged from another spot as it hurriedly dodged, keeping to the right at times and left at other times, as though it was carrying out a snaking dodge manoeuver.
However, regardless of where it fled to, the silver beams would chase up to it. They even blocked its path ahead of time, preventing it from attempting to leave the stormy region.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deity akin to a Tyrant, who looked down from the dark clouds at the Spirit World Plunderer, waved his scepter and struck down again and again at his target, with success barely eluding him several times.
Klein turned more and more anxious, eager to immediately end the hunt. Hence, he unreservedly triggered the Sea God Scepter to increase the frequency at which bolts of lightning struck down.
Suddenly, he felt a strong sense of exhaustion.
This alarmed Klein for he realized that something was amiss.
The Spirit World Plunderer had the chance of retreating deeper into Calderón City at the beginning, so why is it staying around?
It’s clearly a spirit world creature without a physical body. It can burrow underground to avoid the lightning and a Tyrant’s notice, so why is it circling around from time to time?
It’s trying to make me attack. It has noticed that I’m not a demigod through my Spirit Body Threads and my control over my marionettes. It wishes to drain me of my spirituality! Klein was alarmed. Combining it with his original encounter, he came to a realization of how intelligent the Spirit World Plunderer was. It was a rather crafty creature.
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, he also thought of a problem:
Could Lightning Storm and the stormy rain attract the notice of dangerous existences in the core region of Calderón City?
I’m too rash. I keep neglecting the critical details… As thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein put away the Sea God Scepter.
The heavy storm stopped as the dark clouds quickly scattered, the weather restoring to normal.
Klein made Enzo return to his side with Word of the Sea, and he got Ludwell to protect him in the middle.
Following that, he and his two marionettes walked out as though they were trying to leave Calderón City while he still had some spirituality left.
During this process, Klein had his Spirit Body Threads vision constantly activated to prevent the Spirit World Plunderer from approaching him.
He noticed that this creature’s Spirit Body Threads were somewhat special. A portion of them came out from its body and extended outwards normally. A number materialized externally and were bound together in a thick bundle, right into the translucent white robe.
Klein suspected that this was the state when a Spirit World Plunderer controlled a soul avatar, making it different from a Marionettist.
As he shifted his gaze, he suddenly saw thin black illusory threads coming out from a collapsed house. A portion of them gathered into a thick bunch with its source in the distance.
Klein didn’t hesitate to raise his Sea God Scepter, creating a sonorous thunderclap.
Boom!
Amidst this sound that struck awe into one’s mind and spirit, Ludwell suddenly raised his left hand.
Half his body instantly turned illusory as his arm extended out extensively, heading straight for the collapsed house.
Midway, his palm turned abnormally pale-white. An illusory face protruded out and stuck out with a snakelike tongue which had white fur covering its surface.
The tongue reached out far, penetrating the wall and stabbing at the spot where the Spirit Body Threads were gathered. It immediately sucked on a distorted and blurry soul.
Around the soul, a number of Spirit Body Threads suddenly disappeared as though they never existed.
A portion of them was none other than the gathered bundle, the ones that came from afar!
They were fake!
The Spirit World Plunderer was able to create fake, illusory Spirit World Plunderers or instantly swap location between the soul avatar and itself!
Klein suddenly turned his head and looked elsewhere. Indeed, he saw a blob of Spirit Body Threads swim over from underground at a fast speed.
He once again used Sea God Scepter, releasing a thunderclap close to the ground, one that could awe his Spirit Body.
Meanwhile, Enzo expended some of his remaining luck, adding bad luck to the target. Then, he shot out a silver bolt of lightning from the tip of the Word of the Sea.
The bolt of lightning rather luckily passed through a crack and entered the ground, striking the assailant directly. It caused a portion of the Spirit Body Threads to instantly vanish.
It was also fake!
Just as Klein reacted, his thoughts paused and his body turned numb.
Just as he opened his mouth with great difficulty to instruct the mystical item, the invisible figure in the translucent robe descended from above, landing right before him.
The Spirit World Plunderer had been hiding high in the sky, cloaking itself with the grayish-white clouds!
The moment this invisible figure appeared, maggots began crawling out of its collar where its head should be. They were maggots with strange patterns covering them.
Just one look at them sent his mind reeling. Although he broke out of the control of his Spirit Body Threads, he also lost his ability to think.
His face that was shadowed by the papal tiara began to grow meat tendrils. Each tendril was relatively transparent, like squirming worms.
If it wasn’t for the Tyrant card’s level supporting him, he would’ve fallen to the ground while struggling in pain.
The Spirit World Plunderer had a Mythical Creature form to a certain extent.
At this moment, the invisible figure inside the white robe began to control Klein’s Spirit Body Threads without any obstacles in the way. In a few seconds, it was already close to succeeding.
Seeing that its prey was about to become its soul avatar, the Spirit World Plunderer suddenly saw its target open his mouth with great difficulty and say a word.
He had recovered from the state of nearly losing control faster than it had anticipated. And the word was in ancient Hermes: “Fate!”
It was the incantation for the Fate Siphon charm!
If Klein really wanted to leave, he would’ve grabbed his two marionettes and directly ended the summoning to return above the gray fog. He wouldn’t have walked to Calderón City’s entrance.
He was planting a trap for the Spirit World Plunderer!
The reason why he could recover so quickly from the injuries dealt to him by a Mythical Creature form, and why he was able to chant the relevant word, was because he had experienced such situations too many times. Besides, although he wasn’t sure what method his opponent was using, there was definitely a rather well-rounded way to deal with it-make his target unlucky.
Just as Klein entered a sluggish state, his first reaction wasn’t to make the mystical item sing, but to let Enzo expend all his luck, making the Spirit World Plunderer have enough bad luck!
Chapter 929 True Soul Body
“Fate!”
As the dragged out and abstruse ancient Hermes term resounded, the spots where the Spirit World Plunderer and Klein stood suddenly darkened.
It wasn’t very obvious, as though a cloud had drifted over in midair without stopping.
But when this illusionary shadow dissipated, the invisible figure that was donning a translucent white robe stood frozen on the spot. The surface of its clothes showed signs of worms crawling across it. It was sluggish, slow, and in a dire state.
Across it, Klein’s eyes had their lucidity return. The meat tendrils on the shadowed face beneath the papal tiara vanished.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It appeared as though it wasn’t the Spirit World Plunderer who had controlled Klein’s Spirit Body Threads and nearly succeeded; instead, it appeared as though Klein was the one who was controlling it and had nearly converted it into his marionette!
The Fate Siphon charm switched one’s fate!
This was a high-level charm made using a Worm of Time. It could siphon off the target’s subsequent fate, and in a short period of time, burden it with that of the target’s, so as to complete an exchanging of fates.
Therefore Klein and the Spirit World Plunderer’s situations had switched. One went from death to survival, while the other went from victory to instant despair.
After confirming that the Spirit World Plunderer was intelligent and extremely difficult to deal with, making it difficult to hunt it, Klein began putting on an act of retreating. He appeared rash as he deliberately walked into the Spirit World Plunderer’s control, enticing its actions, ready to use the Fate Siphon charm at the critical moment!
That way, what terrible acts the Spirit World Plunderer did to its enemy, the charm would then allow it to experience the same despair!
Of course, if the Fate Siphon charm didn’t have the expected effect, or if the Spirit World Plunderer’s main soul didn’t appear and had ended up using other means to control the situation, Klein still had his last trick up his sleeve to protect himselfdirectly end the summoning and return above the gray fog. He would sacrifice his two marionettes and a few mystical items in order to ensure his own safety.
Without the time to marvel at how magical the Fate Siphon charm was, or how terrifying angels from the Marauder pathway were, Klein didn’t hesitate to raise the Sea God Scepter high up before the swapping of fates ended.
The dark blue papal robe flared up with the wind as the golden papal tiara emitted meshed blue and silver beams of light. At the tip of the white bone scepter, it shot out bolts of lightning that gathered into a ball before landing on the Spirit World Plunderer’s body!
Composite Start
Composite End
A swath of silver color brightened up immediately, inundating the target, turning the surroundings white.
Once, twice, thrice. Klein continuously triggered terrifying lightning balls, expending his spirituality without holding back.
Finally, he heard a roar that seemed to stem from the depths of one’s soul as he instinctively sensed that his target had collapsed and dissipated.
Only then did Klein lower the Sea God Scepter and watch the silver lightning sizzle away.
At that moment, his entire Spirit Body had turned rather illusory. Even with the Tyrant’s augmentation, it didn’t seem real.
As the lightning dispersed, the invisible figure in the white translucent robe appeared once again in Klein’s sight.
Flickering light emerged from within as the Spirit World Plunderer’s body cracked, turning into countless illusory bubbles that disintegrated bit by
bit.
The Tyrant had succeeded in the hunt.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, deep within Calderón City, there was a sudden quake. It was as though a massive creature had awoken as a result of the Spirit World Plunderer’s death, or that countless dangerous creatures were surging out.
The indescribable feeling combined into a swath of illusory grayish-white and, like a tidal wave, rose up from the bottom.
Other Spirit World Plunderers? No, it appears to be a more terrifying and horrible creature. A being that the Spirit World Plunderer attends to? Also, in Calderón City’s core region, at the end of the deep pit, it’s still as silent as ever. There’s no sound at all, making it more horrifying… Klein pumped himself up as he diverted some attention in order to monitor the situation inside Calderón City as he anxiously waited for the Spirit World Plunderer’s characteristic to appear to form an ingredient.
He wasn’t relishing in the delight of a successful hunt but was pacing about anxiously at the edge of the abyss.
During this process, Klein got Enzo and Ludwell to stay close to him. He threw the Sea God Scepter to the former so as to escape the state of irascibility. He began considering how to deal with the subsequent development with a clear mind, as well as consider whether he had missed out on some other details.
As the thoughts flashed in his mind, Klein suddenly recalled something:
Back when he made the mystical items sing, Creeping Hunger had praised the True Creator and had used “His” complete honorific name.
Although the human-skinned glove had used Hermes instead of ancient Hermes or other languages that could stir the powers of nature, the former was still usable when it came to sacrifices! This also meant that the True Creator might’ve very well heard Creeping Hunger’s praises and noticed the commotion here.
Apart from the rising grayish-white tide and the terrifying creature deep down in the city, there are other dangers… Wait, I’m now a Spirit Body, equivalent to a wraith. I’m not in my normal state… Just as Klein’s mind thought of something, his spiritual perception was triggered as he instinctively cast his gaze at the entrance to Calderón City.
Composite Start
Composite End
The lights there flickered as a figure entered.
The figure was wearing a simple and ordinary linen robe with a head of silver hair.
He was a handsome man with soft facial features. His eyes were gentle with some hints of coldness. It was as though he was observing the fates of everyone in the world like a spectator.
Behind him, there were beams forming illusory layers of pure wings. They spread outwards, blocking the entire entrance.
ILI
Klein nearly hissed through the gaps in his teeth as a series of titles and names flashed across his mind:
Ouroboros!
Tail Devourer!
Angel of Fate!
King of Angels!
Composite Start
Composite End
He didn’t have the luxury of time to consider the possibility of his previous thought. His body expanded as though it was incorporeal, enveloping his marionettes, Enzo and Ludwell, the yet-to-appear characteristic, and the Spirit World Plunderer’s remnant bubbles within!
At this moment, Ouroboros’s silver eyes already had the distant figure in “His” sights. It was a figure wearing a papal tiara and a dark blue robe, exuding extreme oppression and tyranny. There was a grayish-white fog that had been blurred by the Tyrant’s aura.
A river of flickering light appeared in “His” eyes, seeming to circle the Tyrant figure and the periphery of Calderón City.
Silently, the square houses and the pale-white columns stood up again despite being destroyed by the Lightning Storm from before. The charred legs of the giant blacksmith once again possessed a body as he appeared inside the tomb, striking at the anvil.
All of this returned to what it was like shortly after the Tyrant stepped in.
However, Klein in his pontiff attire had vanished. His two marionettes along with the remnant bubbles of the Spirit World Plunderer had vanished as well.
The corresponding figure was unable to return as the rebooted scene shattered, turning back to the desolate state after the battle.
Tail Devourer Ouroboros watched silently for a long while before making a move. The grayish-white swath that rose up from the depth of Calderón City slowly receded back down.
Above the gray fog, Klein slumped in the high-back chair of The Fool in exhaustion. He wasn’t even able to get Enzo and Ludwell to massage him.
He had already thrown the Sea God Scepter back to the junk pile. The Tyrant card had left his soul body and was placed facing down beside the Black Emperor card. The Spirit World Plunderer’s bubbles were floating ahead, with the Beyonder characteristic constantly seeping out before combining with the points of light.
After resting for a while, Klein saw grayish-white powder fall onto the mottled table’s surface. Following that was a transparent item that seemed weightless.
The item was the size of a palm, formed by coiled maggots. It was almost shaped like a human, and its interior was filled with a colorless liquid. Bubbles often emerged, scattering black hints of light.
Klein didn’t dare to look at it carefully, as there was a more complicated structure in the weightless transparent object. They formed indescribable patterns and symbols that seemed to fuse knowledge, power, transformation, secrets, bizarreness, and madness within, making them no longer abstract.
This made Klein feel very dizzy. His mind was even on the verge of breaking down, with his soul almost losing control.
This is likely the true soul of the Spirit World Plunderer… I have the corresponding powder as well. There’s about 70 grams, more than I needed. It’s more than I expected. Klein nodded indiscernibly and stored the powder into a box. Together with the true soul body, he threw them on the junk pile and covered it with the gray fog.
After completing this, he raised his hand to rub his temples and made a self-deprecating remark:
If it wasn’t for the Sea God Scepter, I probably would’ve had to leave Calderón City due to the assault of the Spirit World Plunderer. I would then wait until I had helpers and could make the most solid of hunting plans so as to control the stirrings of the area to not alarm the unknown entity at the core region…
Sigh, I was rash the entire time. Although the outcome was fine, it really doesn’t suit my character. It’s also completely at odds with the Seer pathway’s acting. In the future, I should try to avoid using the Sea God Scepter in the outside world.
Uh… The Spirit World Plunderer has been successfully hunted. There’s no need for me to get Miss Sharron’s help. In a few days, I’ll write to her so that she won’t be thinking over this matter.
However, I have a premonition that I’ll still be heading to Calderón City in the future. When that happens, perhaps I might still need Miss Sharron’s help.
In addition, I have to seek out information on Bizarro Banes. I can’t put all my hope on the City of Silver…
Amidst his thoughts, Klein directly returned to his body, without bringing his marionettes. He ended the ritual and headed straight for bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
“Escaped?” Soest looked at the man opposite him and asked Daly Simone who was carrying out a spirit channeling
They had just finished their operation and had captured a few Numinous Episcopate members. However, the key personnel the intel pointed at, Hand of White Palenque Taciblius, wasn’t at the secret gathering point.
He was a Sequence 4 demigod; therefore, not only had the Red Gloves team used a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, they had even requested Goddess’s Eye Ilya’s help. However, it was all futile.
Daly Simone nodded.
“Yes.”
She then looked at the captive, suddenly speaking with an ethereal voice, “Where did Palenque Taciblius go?”
“H-he said he was going to meet someone,” the Numinous Episcopate member answered slowly.
“Who is that person?” Daly Simone pressed. Leonard Mitchell and company also cast their gazes over.
The man who was being spirit channeled answered with an unperturbed voice, “Ince Zangwill.”
Chapter 930 Former Organization
“Ince Zangwill.”
Upon hearing the name, all the Red Gloves present fell silent. Not a single one spoke for a moment.
Ever since this former bishop betrayed and fled the Church, the Church of Evernight had never relaxed its pursuit of him. Archbishops and high-ranking deacons who took up high posts had taken turns being responsible for searching for him. They helped each other, often bringing the relevant Sealed Artifacts everywhere to search for clues about him. But ultimately, they were unable to lock onto Ince Zangwill. He slipped away as a result of all kinds of coincidences, his shadow wasn’t even noticed. Furthermore, he had caused several major events that killed many Nighthawks.
To the Church of Evernight, especially the Nighthawks, he was someone they hated that had also insulted them!
Without realizing it, Leonard Mitchell had already clenched his hanging fists as his breathing grew deeper.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He soon forced himself to extricate himself from the sudden emotions that emerged within him. He turned his attention to something else.
It was no wonder Dwayne Dantès was able to meet Ince Zangwill on Waypoint Island in the Berserk Sea. It was because the latter’s goal was also the Southern Continent—East Balam!
Amidst everyone’s silence, Daly Simone immediately used her Spirit Body to emit an ethereal voice without any obvious changes. With some coldness, she spoke at a quickened pace:
“Where are they meeting?”
The Numinous Episcopate member shook his head blankly.
“I don’t know.”
Daly raised a few more questions, but she didn’t get an ideal reply.
Finally, she took a step back and cast her eyes at the Red Gloves team captain, Soest.
Soest sighed and deliberated over his words before saying, “First, we need to inform this piece of intel to Her Excellency, Goddess’s Eye. We shall leave it to her to contact the Holy Cathedral. Ince, who has 0-08 with him, isn’t someone a Red Gloves team can handle.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Second, we should continue investigating and follow this clue pertaining to Palenque Taciblius. Let’s hope that we can figure out Ince Zangwill’s motives. With the situation of us not being able to track him or lock onto him, grasping his motives is more important than knowing where he is. Perhaps, it can help us set up a trap that he has no choice but to step into.
“Finally, from now on, everyone is to take note of any coincidences. Regardless of the reason, they are to be reported to me!”
“Yes, Captain!” the Red Glove members replied in unison. Leonard maintained his silence as he turned his head to glance at Daly Simone. He found that this Gatekeeper who addressed herself as a Spirit Medium was similarly silent. Her gaze was dark.
At the same time, he heard Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice resound in his mind:
“Heh heh, from the looks of it, I’ll be witnessing a play of running and pursuing.”
What does Old Man mean? Is he hinting at something? We just decided to start investigations on Ince Zangwill’s motives, and it’s already known by 0-08? Leonard looked away and suddenly had an idea.
If a person who is already dead was to secretly do the relevant investigation, would he be able to avoid 0-08’s notice?
After two hours of sleep, Klein rubbed his still throbbing head and slowly got out of bed.
Following that, he pulled the bell by the side of the door and waited for an attendant to arrive.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Before long, a native deliberately dressed in Loen attire—a white shirt and red vest-knocked on the door.
Klein twisted the handle and opened a tiny gap in the door. He instructed with a hoarse voice, “Send another lunch set to the room. I had my meal too early.”
At that instant, he already looked like the tanned Enzo. As a gentleman living in a luxurious room with two servants, it was impossible for him to personally instruct the attendant at the door.
“Yes sir, a lunch set. Any special requests?” The native attendant took out some paper and a pen and began recording as he asked with a rather strange Loenese accent.
Klein used an equally odd Loenese accent.
“With braised meat as the main dish, match it with a cup of sparkling wine with ice and lemon.”
“Do I include two servant meals?” the native attendant asked, following the usual procedure.
Klein was silent for two seconds before saying, “Yes.”
After ending the conversation, he closed the door and quickly set up a ritual, bringing back Enzo and Ludwell from above the gray fog to the real world. As for Creeping Hunger and Word of the Sea, he temporarily left them in the junk pile. One of them was starving, and the other could hardly resist the urge to sing.
Composite Start
Composite End
After Klein controlled the marionettes to clean up his room, a few attendants came to deliver lunch. Soon, the entire room was filled with the sounds of cutlery hitting the plate and a soft chewing sound.
After some time, Klein put down his cutlery, picked up his napkin, and wiped his mouth. In satisfaction, he leaned backward and shook his head helplessly.
“If this continues, I’ll really become fat…”
The two marionettes had already lost the ability to eat, but to conceal that fact, Klein had no choice but to add servant meals. With him unwilling to see food go to waste, he could only try to eat as much as he
could.
“… Thankfully I’m a Faceless.” Klein covered his mouth as he burped before drinking the last bit of sparkling wine.
Only at this moment did he feel like he had recovered. He now had the energy to consider the various details of his trip to Calderón City.
The Marauder pathway is truly terrifying. Just a charm created from a Worm of Time is able to achieve such incredulous effects. As a King of Angels, it’s obvious how terrifying Blasphemer Amon is. Even an avatar isn’t easy to deal with… Thankfully, I didn’t put on a brave front. I knew to mimic those with experience and directly fled to the Southern Continent…
The True Creator places a great importance on me. “He” directly got Tail Devourer Ouroboros to rush over…
This does have a feeling of traveling across time. The angels on ancient murals are just walking out and standing before me. Thankfully, I was still able to directly end the summoning.
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as Klein thought of this, his expression sank as he discovered a serious problem:
Ouroboros is a King of Angels from the Monster pathway!
This also meant that “He” could directly see the uniqueness about him. “He” could see the grayish-white fog and see the illusory door formed of spherical lights and the transparent and translucent maggots that formed the spherical lights!
What does this actually imply? The Angel of Fate who has survived since the Second Epoch should know something. And the True Creator probably knows more… Could “They” be able to tell that I’m the master of the mysterious space above the gray fog? Regardless, the importance “They” place on me will rise! Klein clenched his right fist and put it to
Order or Rose Redemption might take.
He felt lucky that, be it Rose Redemption or the Aurora Order, they had yet to lock onto any of The Fool’s believers.
However, during the chaotic battle outside Bayam, when he was still active as Gehrman Sparrow, he had thrown out the Tinder glove, which had been corrupted by the True Creator, to attempt to attract a saint from the Aurora Order. This might very well have led to the crazy adventurer to enter the suspect list.
From the clues extending outward from Gehrman Sparrow, there’s Admiral of Stars, Vice Admiral Iceberg, Danitz, and Anderson. All of them will be investigated by the Aurora Order. I have to warn them. Klein slowly exhaled and stood up, prepared to head above the gray fog.
From his point of view, the pursuit of Gehrman Sparrow by the military, Church of Storms, Rose School of Thought, and Numinous Episcopate were all different. The True Creator’s believers were rather crazy and had a King of Angels, a leader who was good at prying into the secrets of fate, active in the real world. This way, it didn’t matter if Cattleya and company were at sea, making it difficult to be locked on. There was still the risk of them being found.
Among them, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina and the Fog Sea’s Strongest Hunter Anderson weren’t people Klein was worried too much about. They knew little, nothing that pointed towards the core problem. Nothing much would happen aside from the need to consider whether the bunch of lunatics of the Aurora Order would employ extreme methods in the interrogation process.
West Balam, Northern State. In the Cookawa City ruled by Maysanchez. Danitz, who was chewing on roasted meat, paused suddenly. He heard Mr. Fool pass him the warning from Gehrman Sparrow.
“Be careful of the Numinous Episcopate. Be careful of the Aurora Order, especially the latter. Pay special attention. Also, warn Anderson Hood as well as Edwina Edwards.”
Be careful of the Numinous Episcopate… Be careful of the Aurora Order… How many has it been… The military, Church of Storms, Church of Evernight, Rose School of Thought… What did Gehrman Sparrow do? Why has he offended so many factions? Dogsh*t! Danitz’s expression froze before grimacing.
He had no idea that the strongest person of the seven pirate admirals had changed.
Opposite him, Anderson put down the knife he used to slice meat, pricked up his brows, and curiously asked, “Have you recalled something?”
Danitz secretly took a deep breath and asked after some deliberation, “Have you heard of the Aurora Order?”
He wasn’t sure if Anderson knew. After all, the Aurora Order was a rather secretive organization in the beginning. Its reputation was later build up in the Loen Kingdom.
Anderson chuckled.
“I’m actually more surprised that you know of them. Did your captain tell you?”
Without waiting for Danitz to answer, he combed his short hair with his finger and continued, “They believe that the Creator is omnipresent. Everything has godhood. They believe that life is nothing but a spiritual journey. As long as one is willing to listen to their preachings, understand, discover, and gather the godhood, they will eventually become angels to transcend reality.
“Such an idea doesn’t sound bad, but that’s not the main point. The main point is that they believe in the True Creator…”
Upon hearing that, Danitz couldn’t help but jeer:
“You know quite a bit, just slightly less than I know.”
Anderson immediately curled the ends of his mouth and said with a beaming smile, “Of course.
“I once joined an organization in Intis. They hoped to change society, the world, to make the supernatural no longer secret and to be out in the open for everyone to see, so as to become true rulers.
“They’re called the Iron and Blood Cross Order, and they also believe in the True Creator.”
Danitz’s expression froze as cold sweat oozed out of his forehead.
Chapter 931 New Method to Acquiring Intel
Glancing at Danitz’s expression, Anderson continued as though he didn’t notice a thing.
“However, their brains appear to have been eaten by zombies. They were fervent to the point of stupidity. They didn’t adhere to my sense of aesthetics. So after cheating them of their things, I quit.
“Eh, why’s your face a little pale. You’re even sweating. Did you get heatstroke? As a hunter, shouldn’t adapting to the environment be an intrinsic ability?”
Danitz lifted his right hand and wiped his sweat. Cursing inwardly, he forced a smile and said, “I’ve heard that once someone believes in an evil god, it’s almost impossible to escape the faith.”
As he spoke, he raised his chin slightly, wearing a look as though he was musing over the circumstances of his future death. It didn’t cross his mind that Gehrman Sparrow had just offended the Aurora Order and was being targeted by the True Creator’s believers. He also didn’t make the connection that he was believing in a suspected evil god, The Fool.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Well said,” Anderson replied with a smile that didn’t have the slightest hint of gloom. “It’s not like I have any true faith. Back then, the incantations I said were lines I modified from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Since they don’t really enjoy using their brains, no—they don’t even have that. As long as you superficially appear devout, any random excuse can be used to fool them.”
Without waiting for Danitz to develop the discussion further, he asked, “Why are you suddenly asking about the Aurora Order?”
Danitz bit down on his roasted meat and slowly chewed and swallowed. After a deliberate pause of twenty to thirty seconds, he said, “I just recalled something. For some reason, Gehrman Sparrow has been identified by the Aurora Order as a high-priority elimination target. Oh right, there’s also the Numinous Episcopate. And both you and me are known to have relations with him.”
“You want me to be careful against the Aurora Order and the Numinous Episcopate?” Anderson nodded in enlightenment as he chuckled. “You’ve recently mentioned something similar. Rose School of Thought, Church of Storms, Loen military… Man, at times, I even feel that Gehrman Sparrow is more suited to being a hunter than me.”
Danitz could hardly retort as he nodded heavily in agreement.
Anderson thought for a moment when he suddenly changed topics out of the blue:
“What do you plan on doing here in West Balam? Helping Gehrman Sparrow with something?”
Upon hearing this question, Danitz fell silent for a second. He put down the item in his hand and tidied his clothes in an unhurried manner.
“Investigate the faith of the different classes of West Balam.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This was determined after his discussion with Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina. In common parlance, it meant: Investigating the developments of the various secret organizations and factions in West Balam.
Of course, this included some preliminary contact with the local ruling forces, and to figure out if they had any desire to purchase firearms.
“Investigate the faith of the different classes of West Balam…” Anderson repeated Danitz’s words as he reflectively raised his right hand to rub his temples as though he had a headache.
After the end of the Tarot Gathering, and warning Admiral of Stars to take note of the Aurora Order’s and Numinous Episcopate’s “investigations,” with the best choice being seeking the Moses Ascetic Order’s help, Klein busily finished the three-party transaction between The World, The Moon, and The Sun. He received 5,000 pounds in return.
After dinner, he bit on an unlit disguised smoke pipe as he read the papers. Then, he saw Miss Messenger walk out of the void to deliver him a letter.
Leonard’s… Klein reached out to receive it and noticed that Reinette Tinekerr didn’t stay at all. She had rapidly returned to the spirit world.
This also made him determine that Leonard Mitchell had already paid the mailing fee; hence, he took out his other hand and unfolded the letter.
“Ince Zangwill has appeared in East Balam. He’s suspected to have met with Palenque Taciblius from the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction…”
Ince Zangwill… Klein ruminated over the name as he slowly leaned back into his reclining chair.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In the letter, Leonard wished that he could do some investigations in secret to figure out Ince Zangwill’s motives.
But the problem is that 0-08 has the characteristic of “any mention of it will be known.” Knowing of it also means being known by it. Besides, it’s good at arranging coincidences, making people follow its directions without even realizing it… Under such circumstances, it’s very difficult to avoid 0-08’s notice while investigating Ince Zangwill. Not only is there no chance of success, it’s also easy to expose myself… As Klein thought, he made Enzo walk behind him and begin massaging his shoulder.
He read Leonard Mitchell’s letter again, hoping to find more clues and incisive points for investigations from those few words.
East Balam… Numinous Episcopate… Artificial Death… Palenque Taciblius… Why is Ince Zangwill looking for them for? Trying to find allies for the true mastermind behind the Great Smog of Backlund, that royal family’s faction?
Artificial Death… Artificial Death…
As Klein thought, he suddenly recalled that there was a matter that no one knew other than himself and Mr. Azik.
The Evernight Goddess had preliminary gained control of the Death pathway’s Uniqueness—in other words, Artificial Death. Presently, “She” was usurping, digesting, and wielding the corresponding authority!
In other words, the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction’s target of belief was, in a way, the Evernight Goddess. After the authority was fully transferred and seized, they were bound to suffer a purge before slowly merging with the Church of Evernight. Or they might continue their work, making contact with the other Numinous Episcopate factions and other secret factions while unnoticeably cooperating with the Nighthawks.
To Klein, this wasn’t anything of importance. What was important was, that in an ancient text he found before, it mentioned:
Composite Start
Composite End
To artificially create Death, a number of Numinous Episcopate members had to pray to the Uniqueness daily, as though it was a true deity. It was an attempt to slowly awaken its sentience and allow it to come to life.
Of course, this was only one part of the overall plan which wasn’t critical.
Then, could it be possible that when Palenque Taciblius prayed to Artificial Death, he had mentioned Ince Zangwill’s motives and had sought blessings?
But he will probably never imagine that Artificial Death has already been controlled by the Evernight Goddess. Although it hasn’t become part of “Her” manifestation, it has already lost its “freedom.”
From this angle, directly setting up a ritual to pray to the Goddess might allow one to obtain Ince Zangwill’s motives… That’s quite possible! The more Klein thought about it, the more certain he was that his seemingly ridiculous plan would succeed.
And as for the reason why this could become a reality:
It was because the enemy’s “leader” was their “spy”!
After getting Enzo to stop massaging him, Klein slowly got up and paced about, considering if he should make the attempt, and if so, how.
Ince Zangwill is a traitor of the Church. He’s an insult to all Nighthawks. If there’s a chance to wipe him out, the Goddess should be very willing to see it happen. “She” wouldn’t mind providing some help…
But the Goddess is now in a critical stage of seizing the Artificial Death’s authority. “She” will not be able to provide answers for a long period of time, and “She” can only provide feedback to normal ritualistic magic. Besides, I also lack the corresponding materials…
Composite Start
Composite End
Also, I’ve been constantly warning myself to be on guard. I must not fully trust and rely on the Goddess… On second thoughts, directly praying to “Her” to obtain a revelation might not be too good. I hope to maintain a safe distance… Amidst his thoughts, Klein felt a little hesitant.
He began letting his thoughts wander in a bid to find a more acceptable plan.
Suddenly, he had a more ridiculous idea.
Directly pray to Artificial Death!
This actually posed no danger. This was because Artificial Death wasn’t able to respond to prayers and rituals. If there was any feedback, it meant that it was essentially controlled by the Evernight Goddess. On the other hand, Klein had the feather produced and left behind from the Artificial Death Project. He also had Azik’s copper whistle. He didn’t need to spend too much time to gather the ingredients needed to set up a ritual for a revelation!
In addition, there’s a layer in between us. I’m not directly contacting the Goddess. Perhaps, this might even help “Her” further seize Artificial Death’s authority. Klein consoled himself as he began busying himself.
He first used the sacrificial and bestowment ritual. He brought back the two remaining feathers and some Full Moon Essence Oil, night vanilla powder, and other items which he had not used in a while to the real world. Then, he modified the sacrificial altar and completed the first part of the preparations. After all, he was essentially praying to the Evernight Goddess, he couldn’t be bothered to head out to buy ritualistic materials of the Death domain.
This was essentially the same as other normal ritualistic magic. With great familiarity, Klein lit the candles, dripped some essential oils, and drew the symbols for “human” and “concealment” on an artificial goatskin. Then, in the thin fog that spread, he pressed Azik’s copper whistle over it.
Immediately after that, he placed the white feather stained with pale yellow oil stains inside the silver bowl that had burning herbal powder. He then watched it curl without any signs of it turning black.
After exhaling silently, Klein took a step back and chanted in Hermes:
“You are the essence of death;
“You are the lord of the dead;
“You are the final home to all living beings.
“I pray for your help; I pray for you to tell me the motives for Ince Zangwill’s contact with the Numinous Episcopate.
II
II
Just as he said those words, the three candlelight burgeoned as though they brightened significantly but were tainted with a dark green. The surroundings turned cold and creepy.
Klein closed his eyes and entered Cogitation for thirty seconds, feeling uneasy. He walked in front of the altar, picked up the Full Moon Essence Oil and dripped one drop onto each of the three candles.
After doing this, he took away Azik’s copper whistle, grabbed the artificial goatskin, and moved it close to the candlelight representing “himself.” When it ignited, he threw it into the silver bowl.
With a whoosh, the white feather which didn’t show any signs of damage soared with pale-white flames, covering the entire silver bowl and obstructing Klein’s vision.
About three seconds later, the fire subsided, leaving a mound of powder in the silver bowl.
The powder moved without the help of any wind, forming one word after another:
“Possessed by an evil spirit. Requires exorcism.”
Chapter 932 Thin-Skinned
… The Goddess really replied… Upon seeing the words formed by the powder, Klein’s first reaction had nothing to do with the content. Instead, he was shocked that this seemingly ridiculous thing had happened.
Although he was already mentally prepared and had believed that the chance of success was rather high, he still felt conflicting emotions. It took him almost a minute to accept it.
After a while, Klein exhaled slowly, raised his right hand, and tapped his chest four times in a clockwise manner.
“Praise the Lady!”
He then ended the ritual, forcing himself to focus his attention on the revelation itself.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Possessed by an evil spirit. Requires exorcism?
Ince Zangwill actually got possessed by an evil spirit? He had gone from Sequence 9 to Sequence 5 of the Death pathway. The godhood he obtained at the critical stage is also Sequence 4 Nightwatcher of the Evernight pathway, one that is good at dealing with Spirit Body-type creatures. Evil spirits and wraiths should be afraid of him, so why would he end up being possessed?
That’s unless the evil spirit’s level is extremely high or, at its core, is very special.
Unfortunately, I’ve only met one evil spirit in the truest sense of the word. It’s that ancient evil spirit sealed in the underground ruins of Alista Tudor. I know little about such monsters, so it’s difficult for me to grasp the details. Hmm, I can write to ask Miss Sharron. I can also get Little Sun to find out more. That Shepherd Elder Lovia had Grazed an evil spirit…
It’s no wonder Ince Zangwill is trying to meet a demigod of the Numinous Episcopate. When it comes to exorcising evil spirits, aside from the Church of Evernight and Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, the best would probably be the Numinous Episcopate. Uh, there’s probably the Church of the God of Combat as well. Neighboring pathways often have similar traits.
There’s also one point that can be gleaned from this. Ince Zangwill doesn’t wish for his possessed state to be known by the royal family faction and the Demoness Sect who are in cahoots with him. Otherwise, there’s no need for him to come all the way to the Southern Continent! The two factions existed before the Fifth Epoch, and they have a long legacy. It’s quite unlikely that they don’t have a Sealed Artifact that can remove or exorcise evil spirits. Even if they can’t find one, getting the Demoness Sect to contact the Numinous Episcopate is definitely safer and more covert than getting Ince Zangwill to make the trip himself…
As his thoughts raced, Klein unfolded a piece of paper and wrote:
“The intel you have provided me made me connect certain clues from what I’ve previously gathered. And due to a particular great existence’s help, this points to a clear conclusion:
“Ince Zangwill is possessed by an evil spirit, and he’s seeking the Numinous Episcopate’s help.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Just based on this fact alone, we can make several useful judgments:
“Ince Zangwill will often manifest inconsistency in his words and actions. He will often deviate from his normal path, doing something we feel that is absolutely impossible for him to do, and to make mistakes we find incomprehensible. Before this problem is resolved, he will not stop having contact with the Numinous Episcopate. It might even become more frequent…
“Making investigations based on this might allow us to catch Ince Zangwill by the tail. However, I believe we still wouldn’t be able to lock onto him. The creation of coincidences from that Grade o Sealed Artifact is insurmountable.”
Upon writing this, Klein couldn’t help but recall his direct encounter with Ince Zangwill.
His own investigations didn’t directly point to him, but it caused their ploy to nearly fail. Hence, Ince Zangwill personally took action, sending a meteor falling from the sky in an attempt to kill Sherlock Moriarty so as to obliterate any clues. And he ultimately received Mr. Azik’s help and escaped the dire situation, forcing Ince Zangwill to step into the limelight and expose himself.
Back then, if Mr. Azik had recovered to his former strength, Ince Zangwill might already be dead… But to replicate such a situation and force him to appear before me is still extremely difficult. After all, back then, not only was there Mr. Azik, a Death Consul, and my use of the gray fog to foil the coincidences, there was also Trissy Cheek and the ring which was suspected to be a Grade o Sealed Artifact. Without her suddenly escaping, Ince Zangwill wouldn’t have been forced to personally take action… Klein deliberated as he wrote:
“If we can figure out the origins and primary goals of the evil spirit, there might be a chance of the situation having a favorable change…”
After writing the matters regarding Ince Zangwill, Klein’s heart stirred. Just as he was about to mention something else, he stopped his pen after writing the first few letters. He raised his left hand and pinched his cheeks. He appeared to be in a serious dilemma and seemed a little embarrassed.
After muttering silently a few times, Klein finally smoothly wrote the rest:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Even without that Grade o Sealed Artifact’s help, Ince Zangwill is an enemy you and I are unable to face head-on. We need to make plenty of preparations.
“If you can provide me with some Worms of Time, I can use them to create high-level charms that can deal with demigods. It’s called a ‘Fate Siphon’ charm. It can swap the fates of yourself and the target for a short period of time.”
Putting down his fountain pen, Klein didn’t take a second look as he quickly folded the letter and seriously sealed it in an envelope.
He then took out the adventurer’s harmonica and a gold coin before summoning Miss Messenger. He got her to take away the reply letter to Leonard Mitchell, but this time, it wasn’t addressed to 7 Pinster Street. Instead, it was directly sent to Leonard’s present address. With Leonard having just written the letter, Klein didn’t believe that he had moved out of Reinette Tinekerr’s detection range.
After doing all of this, Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he shook his head slightly.
Requesting the help of others is really a difficult task. It’s even more so for someone as thin-skinned as me.
He quickly retracted his attention and once again modified Enzo’s and Ludwell’s appearances. After all, they had been seen by Angel of Fate Ouroboros during their exploration of Calderón City.
During this process, Klein suddenly had an idea. He planned on “sending’ them above the gray fog and using the Spirit World Plunderer’s true soul body for a disguise!
The Spirit World Plunderer could make its soul avatars take the form of its true soul body, and it could also get them to disguise themselves as other spirit world creatures. The Beyonder ingredient it left behind must’ve had such abilities. However, it would be difficult to use it with the poor effects and the huge negative side effects!
Composite Start
Composite End
However, this wasn’t a problem for Klein who possessed the mysterious space above the gray fog. After all, he didn’t plan on using the Beyonder ingredient for actual combat. Doing some changes to his marionette didn’t require too many smooth operations and great effects. Furthermore, this could be slowly adjusted. As for the negative effects that came from the godhood, it wasn’t something to consider. Who wasn’t obedient when left in the junk pile?
After a series of tasks, Klein sat at the high-back chair of The Fool. In his hand was the palm-sized Spirit World Plunderer’s true soul body. Without looking down to look at it in detail, he extended his spirituality bit by bit into it.
There wasn’t much changes to the scene before him. It was still the illusory and dense black Spirit Body Threads. However, when he tried controlling them, he discovered that not only could he control the marionettes’ Spirit Body Threads, but he could also let his Spirit Body Threads extend out and penetrate into their bodies.
When both sides established such a two-way connection, Klein suddenly felt that he and his marionette was one. All his Beyonder powers could be enacted on the other party through the Spirit Body Threads, including his trick for changing his appearance and body!
Amidst a slow and difficult process, Klein felt rather groggy as he felt his emotions turned into a mess. He began showing signs of losing control. This was an inevitable outcome from having his spirituality make direct contact with godhood.
He hurriedly diverted some attention to stir some of the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, and he restored his condition back to its normal state.
After enduring the torment, Klein finished his attempt. Enzo had transformed into a Southern Continent native that looked like he came from a plantation. Ludwell had a mixed-blood feel to him. His ghastly face was no longer more bone than flesh. Instead, there was a plumpness to it. As for the silver mask that had the effect of placating the soul, there was no way of removing it for the time being. All Klein could do was let it stick to Ludwell’s chest. This still had a certain level of effect, but it was inferior to wearing it on his face. It could barely maintain the status quo.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to change this mask into other types of accessories. Otherwise, it would save me quite a bit of trouble. As Klein rushed to throw the Spirit World Plunderer’s true soul body back onto the junk pile, he rubbed his temples and allowed his thoughts to wander. Right, I still have a Soul Assurer Beyonder characteristic here that can be made into a mystical item to replace that mask… No, I’ve always planned on returning it to the Church. I’ll mail it to him when Leonard replies.
After the discomfort slowly subsided, Klein took out his golden pocket watch and opened it to check the time.
Following that, he summoned a paper figurine and stirred some of the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. He then threw both into a specially labeled point of light.
Composite Start
Composite End
It was the point of light representing The Fool’s only believer at present—Danitz!
From Klein’s point of view, Admiral of Stars Cattleya had the Moses Ascetic Order backing her. Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina was from the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom. Anderson Hood didn’t know much about Gehrman Sparrow, and being good at identifying the situation he was in, he wasn’t one to put on a brave front. Therefore, when the Aurora Order did an “investigation,” it was unlikely that they would be in grave danger. Danitz was the only exception. With him in West Balam and not able to return to the Golden Dream anytime soon, his lacking strength, and him often wearing the boxing glove that made him act rashly, it was truly worrisome.
Due to this fact, Mr. Fool had to work a little harder. He gave Danitz a Paper Angel’s embrace every day at a fixed time, so as to disrupt any divination or prophecies about him.
Leonard never expected Klein Moretti to reply that quickly. With some level of incredulity, he opened the envelope and read the corresponding content.
“Due to a particular great existence’s help… Is he referring to The Fool?
“Indeed, Klein’s investigations into Ince Zangwill has already reached a significant depth. He has already figured out the truth the moment I mentioned the Numinous Episcopate…
“Possessed by an evil spirit? How did he end up being possessed by an evil spirit?
“How do we make use of it?
“Worms of Time… This…” Leonard quickly scanned through the last part of the letter as his expression suddenly became complicated.
In his mind, Pallez Zoroast maintained his silence without saying a word.
Chapter 933 Evil Spirits’ Common Trait
After a while, Leonard cleared his throat and wore a smile without realizing it. He said with a suppressed voice, “Old Man, Klein’s… This suggestion seems pretty good. It’s very… very viable. The effects should be quite substantial. Why don’t you consider it?
“Didn’t you mention that you would do your best to help me exact revenge?
“Haha, I thought Worms of Time could only be used for avatars and act as support…”
He subconsciously droned on while Pallez Zoroast remained silent the entire time. Only after a while did he sigh lightly and say, “I can only give you a maximum of two Worms of Time.”
Without waiting for Leonard to say a word, he added, “To exact revenge on a demigod who wields a Grade o Sealed Artifact, the most important thing is still your own level and strength. Otherwise, you won’t have a chance of using it even if you have a high-level charm.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard wiped away his smile and nodded seriously.
“I’ll do my best digesting my potion.
“If you finish digesting it and fail to accumulate enough contribution points, I’ll help you seek out the Beyonder ingredients needed for Spirit Warlock.”
As for only having two Worms of Time, he wasn’t disappointed at all. It was already a bonus. Just getting one was a great boon. Having two meant that he and Klein could split it, each of them having one Fate Siphon charm.
After expressing his attitude, he asked in puzzlement, “Old Man, do you think Klein has already used the previous Worm of Time as a charm?”
He remembered very clearly that, back when they were figuring out who Emlyn White was supporting, Old Man had parasitized Tinder with a Worm of Time. Later, it lost contact and failed to be of any use. Now, on retrospection, just Emlyn White’s and Sherlock Moriarty’s close relationship made it easy for him to figure out the truth. The Worm of Time had been eliminated by the upper echelons of the secret organization or even The Fool “Himself.” Furthermore, there was a high chance that it had been bestowed to Klein. Otherwise, his former colleague wouldn’t have known of the existence of the Worm of Time.
Pallez Zoroast immediately scoffed.
“If he hasn’t already used it and seen its effects, why would he raise the issue and ask for more?
“Alright. I need to separate the Worms of Time. This will make me fall asleep for at least two weeks. If you have any questions, find someone to answer them by yourself.”
Composite Start
Composite End
With that said, not giving Leonard a chance to raise further questions, “He” scattered his spirituality and created a blob of light that hung “high” inside Leonard’s mind as though “He” didn’t wish to speak.
Leonard’s instinctive response was to chuckle dryly. He focused his attention back onto the letter from Klein Moretti as he carefully read it again.
Possessed by an evil spirit… The origins and primary goals of the evil spirit…
I don’t know much about evil spirits. Nothing comes to mind…
After a few minutes of thought, Leonard took out a matchbox and burned the letter. Then, he left the room which the local Nighthawks had assigned him at the last minute. He came to a room diagonally opposite his and knocked on the door.
Before long, Daly, who hadn’t removed her blue eyeshadow and blush, opened the door and pricked up her eyebrows.
“When did a Sleepless have the courage to knock on a lady’s door at a time highly associated with a bed?”
“Ahem. I have some questions I’d like to consult you about.” Leonard obviously didn’t dare respond to Daly’s comment as he immediately expressed the reason why he was here.
Daly sized him up and chuckled.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’m not responsible for counseling minors.”
As she spoke, she made way and allowed Leonard to enter her room.
Without daring to let his eyes wander, he casually pulled a round stool to sit on. He then went straight to the point:
“Ma’am, I’d like to know more about evil spirits.
“You’re a Sequence 5 of the Death pathway. You have higher clearance than me. You should know quite a lot.”
“Why are you asking me this?” Daly propped herself with her hands on the edge of the table behind her.
Without waiting for him to reply, she continued, “Most evil spirits are the result of dead High-Sequence Beyonders. A small number of them are wraiths who break through various restrictions via using various opportunities.
“The first situation is more common. After High-Sequence Beyonders consume a potion to obtain godhood, their Soul Body would have experienced a mutation. It would be a mutation at their core. This allows their Soul Body to remain even in death or when their powers are dispersed. There will be a certain level of divinity to it, making them rather terrifying. The second situation isn’t different on a fundamental level.
“Normally speaking, evil spirits will weaken with the passage of time until they completely dissipate. However, they can also assimilate into the region where they were born, making the spirit world and even the Underworld fuse with it. They then extract power from this to maintain their existence.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Therefore, many evil spirits have their own territory and active range. It’s not that they do not wish to leave, but they can’t. The only exception is when they accumulate sufficient power, allowing their existence to experience a fundamental change.”
Leonard habitually crossed his right leg over his left and pressed in thought, “Can evil spirits leave their territory by possessing a person?”
“Yes, but ordinary humans and most Beyonders are unable to withstand the extraction effect the evil spirits have on their bodies. They will quickly lose their spirituality and body temperature and be unable to last long.” As Daly spoke, she raised her hand to point at herself. “The best method is to rely on Beyonders of the Death pathway. Of course, it has to be at least a Sequence 5, because from Gatekeeper, we will have our own dead spirit prison in our bodies. It can be called a miniature Underworld. It can provide an evil spirit with an adequate environment for their existence. Once you become a Spirit Warlock, you will also have similar powers. However, it will be more about sealing and sleeping than an internal Underworld. Heh heh, those natural spirits and wraiths are truly troublesome when they come in and out.”
Ince Zangwill’s Sequence 5 is Gatekeeper… It’s no wonder that the evil spirit can possess him for long periods of time. Or could it be that he failed at an attempt to enslave an evil spirit? Leonard’s thoughts opened up as he immediately made connections.
He deliberated for a few seconds before asking, “What sort of needs does an evil spirit have?”
“Needs? Singing? Dancing? Poetry? Men? Women? The Sea of Stars?” Daly returned with a question, amused.
Leonard realized that his usage of words was problematic as he awkwardly ruffled his hair.
“I mean, what desires will an evil spirit have?”
“That depends on what it desired while it was alive. Typically speaking, the remnant spirit will inherit the original obsessions, without being able to balance it rationally. If it were you, that evil spirit might attempt to write poems, imprison a group of spectators, and seek acknowledgment. Or it will do things in an ostentatious manner like the protagonist of a play,” Daly joked. “However, regardless of what it was while it was alive, as long as one becomes an evil spirit, they commonly desire two things.”
“What are they?” Leonard turned attentive.
Composite Start
Composite End
Daly shot a glance at him and said, “First, it’s to feed on the souls of living creatures. This can pleasure them, an innate pleasure that stems from the need to maintain their existence. In addition, a large number of souls will allow them to escape the restrictions of their territory and active range. It will replace the power provided by the spirit world and Underworld.
“Second, it’s to seek out Beyonder ingredients from their pathway while they were alive. Through this, they could create another foundation. At a certain stage, the evil spirit would no longer need to draw on the powers of the spirit world and Underworld. They would no longer be restricted by their territories or active range. In a sense, they would have transformed into a special spirit world creature.”
Leonard seemed to realize something as he thought.
“This also means that evil spirits can consume Sequence potions?”
“No, Sequence potions are created for human consumption. They reduce the risk of losing control. To many supernatural creatures, there’s no need to do so. They can directly consume the ingredient raw. It’s especially so for evil spirits. Their obsession, cruelty, ferociousness, and penchant for souls make them half-crazy to begin with. There’s no need to regulate it from other sources. Furthermore, they are Spirit Bodies, so the method of consumption is direct accommodation and slow digestion.” Daly corrected Leonard’s point.
This… To the evil spirit that possesses Ince Zangwill, whenever it has the upper hand, it will control the body to seek out Beyonder ingredients of its pathway while it was alive! Leonard was first surprised before he had an idea. He said in a pleasant surprise, “I understand. Thank you for answering my questions.”
With that said, he hesitated for a few seconds and asked after some deliberation, “Ma’am, I believe we shouldn’t just figure out the motives behind Ince Zangwill’s meeting with the Numinous Episcopate demigod, but we also need to track his trajectory since Backlund to East Balam. We need to know what he did midway, what items he found. This might lead us to effective clues.”
Daly suddenly fell silent before she pricked up her brows and said, “Well said.
“But what does this have to do with evil spirits?”
“…Nothing. I raised the question so as to make preparations because I believe that since we are investigating the Numinous Episcopate, we might encounter evil spirits. The latter half was a suggestion I wished to make after the break. I just wished to talk to you about it beforehand.” Leonard’s mind raced as he slowed down his speech and fabricated an excuse on the spot.
Daly listened in silence and chuckled.
“If you actually work so hard to fabricate stories in front of other girls, you’ll no longer be single with those looks of yours.
“Unfortunately, I’m not a clueless girl. Alright, there’s no need to explain further. Leave.”
Leonard stood up lamely without trying to emphasize his point. He then walked towards the door.
Just as he gripped the handle, Daly’s slightly ethereal voice sounded behind him:
“I don’t know what secret you’re hiding, nor do I know what you know. None of that matters.
“But when it comes to Ince Zangwill, if you need any help or aid, you can find me.”
Leonard paused for two seconds as his mouth quivered. He then pulled open the door and walked out.
City of Silver.
Derrick Berg had received the order to join an expedition team. Leading it was Chief Colin Iliad. Their target was Nois City. It was in a northern city’s ruins where the Shapeshifter and other terrifying creatures lived!
Chapter 934 1 + 1 > 2
Ever since the information about the suspected Bizarro Bane-Shapeshifter-was given to Mr. World, Derrick constantly believed that the latter might one day entrust him with a mission for the corresponding ingredients. However, his strength was lacking. Even with his friends, it was impossible for him to complete the hunt. Furthermore, such expeditions needed to go through the six-member council. Private teams were unable to wander too far from the City of Silver. Therefore, all he could do was temporarily suppress it deep down. From time to time, it was used to motivate him to advance quicker.
To his surprise, it didn’t take long before an expedition team headed for Nois City was set up. Leading the team was Chief Colin Iliad!
Combining his previous discussion with Mr. Hanged Man, Miss Justice, and company at the recent Tarot Gathering, Derrick quickly came up with a theory:
During the exploration of the former Chief’s mausoleum, Mr. Fool had provided a certain level of help to the present Chief, allowing him to foil the Fallen Creator’s ploy and successfully resolve certain matters. Hence, noticing his search for information, the Demon Hunter had decided to hunt a Shapeshifter to please the deity!
“This is a necessary way to curry favor, and is also a kind of equivalent exchange…” The Hanged Man’s words resounded in Derrick’s mind. It made him no longer puzzled over the matter. So, taking the opportunity before he set out, he prayed to Mr. Fool and requested “Him” to inform Mr. World of this expedition.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He quickly received a response and heard Mr. World say:
“… If the hunting of the Bizarro Bane is difficult or dangerous, the requirements can be lowered. Attempt to extract its blood.
“As long as you obtain it, I’ll trade for it with the Priest of Light’s Beyonder characteristic.”
Priest of Light’s Beyonder characteristics? Mr. World already has the Priest of Light Beyonder characteristic? Or could it be that he has locked onto a target and will quickly be able to obtain it? With the Chief’s strength and the teamwork of the expedition team, there’s a high chance of success if it’s just extracting the blood… Derrick felt relieved as he held Thunder God’s Roar and left his residence, heading straight for the training field.
Just as he arrived at his destination, he saw Chief Colin Iliad. The latter carried two swords on his back. He was tall and staid, leaving anyone who saw him at ease.
And beside this Demon Hunter was another person. She was wearing a black robe with purple patterns, and she had long, curly, silver-gray hair-Shepherd Lovia.
Lovia, who was apparently participating in this expedition, turned her head as her pale gray eyes reflected Derrick Berg’s figure. However, there was only calm in her eyes.
Derrick felt a baffling sense of alarm as he involuntarily slowed down his pace.
East Balam, above the gray fog.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein deeply approved of the City of Silver’s Chief’s organization of an expedition to Nois City. He also informed Little Sun that there was no need to take risks. All he needed was some blood of the target for the completion of the mission.
When the time came, he could smear the blood over Groselle’s Travels, bring all his gear, and challenge the Bizarro Bane on his turf; thus, obtaining the Beyonder ingredients he needed.
Klein had also considered the possibility of whether Groselle’s Travels’s ability to swallow people into the book’s world was screened by the uniqueness of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. He had also come up with a solution. It was to bestow Little Sun with Groselle’s Travels. After achieving the goal, he could get Little Sun to sacrifice it back.
In addition, he wasn’t worried about the Bizarro Bane lacking blood because of its nature as a spirit world creature. This was because the Bizarro Sorcerer potion formula clearly wrote:
“Supplementary ingredients: 200 ml of a Bizarro Bane’s blood…”
There are always more solutions than problems… Klein muttered in satisfaction before returning to the real world.
Before sleeping, he received a reply from Leonard Mitchell. It mentioned that it would take another day for the Worm of Time, and he described the monsters known as evil spirits in detail.
Another day before it can be provided. And there will be two of them. The grandpa in Leonard’s body has quite a good attitude… Unable to leave the territory, limited in activity range… Their common trait is to devour the souls of living creatures and to desire Beyonder ingredients from their pathway from when they were still alive… This also means that the evil spirit will seek out the corresponding ingredients and Beyonder characteristics when it wields control over Ince Zangwill’s body. This is indeed a direction for investigation. Klein held the letter as he read and thought.
Suddenly, he recalled something:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Back when he encountered Ince Zangwill on Waypoint Island in the Berserk Sea, the latter had been pursued by a powerful demigod from the Hunter pathway!
Could… Could it be a result of that evil spirit?
I previously imagined that Ince Zangwill had received a commission by some faction in the royal family, and did something that targeted the Intis Republic, only to have a mistake happen; thus exposing himself and getting pursued by their powerhouses…
From the looks of it, there might be another possibility… That evil spirit desires the Beyonder characteristics of the Hunter pathway, and when it could control Ince Zangwill’s body, it attempted to hunt Beyonders of the same pathway. This might’ve succeeded or failed. In short, the result was that he was targeted by a powerful demigod from the Hunter pathway. He pursued him the entire journey with his intuition as a hunter. The more Klein thought about it, the more convinced he was that his theory was close to reality.
This was the only way to explain why Ince Zangwill, who wielded 0-08, was discovered!
At this moment, Enzo and Ludwell were kneeling down, massaging Klein’s legs.
I can guess that it’s an evil spirit of the Hunter pathway for now. I’ll later write back to Leonard and get him to steer the investigations in this direction. Eh, this fellow’s acting isn’t that great, nor does he have the psychological experience. I wonder if he will end up exposing himself. Perhaps, he will explain it away with some nonexistent informant… Hunter pathway evil spirit. Hunter pathway evil spirit… Klein’s eyes suddenly widened as he suddenly sat up, leaving his two marionettes at a loss.
There weren’t many evil spirits he knew, and he had only seen one; however, that one happened to be from the Hunter pathway!
It was Red Angel Medici’s main body that had combined with the remnant psyches of the two Sequence 1 angel from the Sauron and Einhorn families!
Composite Start
Composite End
When it came to the Hunter pathway, there was no evil spirit that was of an even higher level. That was unless Blood Emperor Alista Tudor still had his psyche remaining.
Previously, Ince Zangwill was in Backlund. That evil spirit, who I’m not sure if I should call Medici, was also in Backlund.
Later, that evil spirit escaped the seal, and its whereabouts are unknown. As for Ince Zangwill, he suffered from the possession of an evil spirit.
Both sides are evil spirits from the Hunter pathway…
This… Could the one possessing Ince Zangwill be the Red Angel evil spirit? Klein frowned bit by bit, almost finding his theory unbelievable. However, he found it very possible!
As his thoughts raced, he found another indirect piece of evidence:
The unique trait of 0-08 is that once you know it, it will also know you. And as a King of Angels who survived from the Second Epoch, Red Angel Medici probably knows all kinds of details about 0-08!
In other words, as long as the evil spirit attempted to recall anything related to 0-08, 0-08 would know of it and establish a connection.
Right, there was that sentence: “Pleasure working with you” …No way… But the problem lies in the fact that I previously suspected that evil spirit to have one Sequence 1 characteristic. There’s no need for it to seek any more of it. Could it be that it hasn’t digested it? Klein rubbed his temples as his head ached. He stood up, entered his bathroom, and took four steps counterclockwise and headed above the gray fog.
Just as he sat down, he conjured a pen and paper and wrote the following divination statement:
Composite Start
Composite End
“The one possessing Ince Zangwill is the evil spirit back in the underground ruins of Alista Tudor.”
He scrutinized each word for a few seconds before taking off the topaz pendant on his left wrist and planned to use spirit dowsing for the divination.
This time, the scene he saw when he opened his eyes
was:
The topaz pendant stood still.
This meant that the divination had failed.
The level is too high and there’s 0-08. Right, that evil spirit also carried the Red Priest card that has anti-divination and anti-prophecy properties. It’s no wonder I failed with the three combined… Hmm, this is also an indirect confirmation. Klein analyzed the reason and considered what other ways he could make a verification.
He tapped his finger on the edge of the long bronze table and silently muttered to himself, Apart from getting Leonard to lead the Red Gloves to do an investigation, I should do something as well…
Assuming that the one possessing Ince Zangwill is really the Red Angel evil spirit, where will it seek out Beyonder ingredients from the Hunter pathway when it gains control of the body?
Intis’s capital, Trier? Feysac capital, St. Millom? Or would it solely rely on the Card of Blasphemy’s activation and seal in order to use the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence to attract Beyonders to fly to it like moths flying to a fire?
Wait, it mentioned before that the descendants of the Medici family are in Bansy Harbor.
Although it has already been destroyed, there might still be something buried there!
Also, the evil spirit with the three angels’ remnant spirit has very potent provocative traits. This matches Leonard’s description of evil spirits in the letter. It might’ve deliberately left something in Bansy…
With this in mind, Klein immediately conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow’s figure and requested The Hanged Man to head to Bansy once more to do a more thorough investigation.
After doing that, Klein began contemplating. Once he confirmed that Ince Zangwill had the Red Angel evil spirit in him, he wondered if he could use the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence as a starting point, enticing “Ince Zangwill” into the trap he set up using the corresponding ingredients.
Hunter pathway… Hunter pathway… Amidst his thoughts, Klein suddenly recalled two Hunters who were loitering in West Balam.
He frowned slightly and began analyzing.
Although East Balam and West Balam are vast territories, and the distance between the city that Ince Zangwill made his last appearance and the Northern State is very great, he will probably take nearly half a month to travel, even as a demigod since he doesn’t have Teleport. In theory, Danitz and Anderson will not suddenly encounter the Red Angel evil spirit because of the law of convergence. Also, their Sequences are too low, but I can’t be too sure…
West Balam, Northern State, Cookawa City.
Danitz shot a glance at Anderson and blurted out.
“I’m going to do some investigations. Why are you following me?
“Logically speaking, shouldn’t you head back to the Fog Sea at Behrens Harbor?”
Chapter 935 “Meeting Up”
Anderson, who was enjoying a piece of cream cassava bread, looked up at Danitz. Seemingly in thought, he said, “I’m not sure why, but I don’t wish to leave West Balam. Haha. Since I’m here, as a treasure hunter, how can I return empty-handed?
“In the extensive forests, there are all sorts of abandoned temples that have gold, jewelry, antiques, and maybe mystical items. All of them are waiting for me to rescue them!”
Danitz tipped his chin and guzzled down the remaining Gwadar.
This was a beverage made from a fruit native to West Balam. It was orange-yellow in color with a sweetness amidst its sourness. It was good at quenching thirst and relieving heat. It also had some caffeine that allowed people to combat fatigue and stay awake.
Putting down the cup and picking up his napkin to wipe his mouth, Danitz scoffed.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I keep feeling as though you’re up to something.”
“I also hope that’s the case,” Anderson said with an unconcerned smile.
He matched breakfast with coffee.
In East and West Balam, there were many excellent coffee-bearing lands. They were just slightly less famous than Feynapotter’s highlander coffee, the Southern Continent’s highlander coffee, and the Star Highlands and the nearby Paz Valley’s Fermo coffee.
Without waiting for Danitz’s reply, Anderson said with a smile, “Actually, isn’t this good? I’m providing you with free protection, and you’re my interpreter. Everyone benefits out of this arrangement.”
Recalling that he was only a Sequence 7 and was wanted by all kinds of factions, Danitz had a baffling feeling that Anderson’s words made sense.
He coughed slightly and said, “But there will be certain times when I’ll get you to stay away.”
“If you say ‘please,’ then there’s no problem,” Anderson said in a relaxed manner.
Danitz immediately hooded himself and walked towards the hotel’s exit in preparation to begin today’s investigations.
Composite Start
Composite End
Midway, he suddenly said, “Have you had such an experience? Often dreaming of an angel’s descent, wrapping you in its layered wings.
“No, it’s not only a dream. I occasionally will have the same hallucination even when I’m awake.”
Anderson glanced at the boxing glove Danitz was wearing. After pondering for a few seconds, he said with a smile, “Are you a believer of some secret existence?
“Or have you made contact with some ancient item?”
Danitz’s expression froze as he forced a smile.
“If it were as simple as you said, I would’ve long guessed the reason!”
As he spoke, he brushed shoulders with the three men who came in before walking out.
Anderson habitually sized up the passersby to confirm his surroundings. Therefore, he glanced at the three men and realized that they were a master and two servants. The master was tall and his skin was brown. He had soft facial features, as though he had parents from Balam and Loen. He wore attire in the style of the Northern Continent-silk top hat, black formal suit, and a gold inlaid cane.
The two servants were standard locals that seemed to come from plantations. They were helping their master hold his cane and leather suitcase. One of them was a mixed-blood with a fleshy face and baggy clothes. On his waist was a rapier, as though he was also playing the role of a bodyguard.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Unconcerned, Anderson retracted his gaze and followed Danitz onto the street.
He pointed at the different-styled coffins that were horse-drawn or manually lifted with piqued interest.
“Want to try one of those?
“It’s very interesting. Once you get used to it, you will realize that death isn’t something to be afraid of. Perhaps you might be able to open the lid at some point in time and stand up again.”
Danitz looked at the strange transportation tool through the corner of his eyes as he didn’t hesitate to shake his head.
“As a pirate, I more or less believe in the Lord of Storms. Certain things are taboo, and one of them is to stay away from coffins.”
“I’m different. I don’t have any taboos.” Anderson casually took out a few Delexi and bought a few sets of newspapers from the paperboy on the street.
It had to be said that when it came to paperboys, the various cities in the Southern Continent weren’t inferior to the Northern Continent. After all, manual labor was cheaper, and there were many children who needed to supplement their family’s income.
As Danitz walked to the end of the street in search of a carriage meant for foreigners, he took a copy of the newspapers from Anderson and quickly browsed through it.
Composite Start
Composite End
Suddenly, he noticed a piece of news:
“…Infamous pirate who calls himself Admiral Hell, Ludwell, has been killed by the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow. His Black Tulip and entire crew has been taken over by Mirella who claims to be Death’s Envoy…”
“This…” Danitz’s mouth turned slightly agape, and he was hardly able to close it.
He finally understood why Gehrman Sparrow wanted him to be careful of the Numinous Episcopate!
This lunatic had actually killed the strongest of the seven pirate admirals, Ludwell!
About ten seconds later, Danitz handed the newspapers to Anderson with a dazed expression.
“Take a look at this.”
Anderson received the newspaper with a smile and quickly scanned through it.
After a brief silence, he whistled and chuckled.
“That fellow likely has a new nickname:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Pirate Admiral Nemesis!”
Danitz didn’t dare to nod as he poignantly said, “Back when I first met him, although I already found him terrifying, I never expected him to be this terrifying.”
At this moment, he recalled his early attempts of recruiting Gehrman Sparrow as a sailor of the Golden Dream.
And while they left the hotel, Klein had already taken up residence in a luxurious room. He was standing by the window, watching the two Hunters who were being flippant while walking.
Rubbing the cufflink on his sleeves, he unfolded the letter and wrote:
“…I suspect that the evil spirit that possesses Ince Zangwill is from the Hunter pathway. You can carry out more investigations in this regard.
“…Along with this letter is a Soul Assurer’s Beyonder characteristic. It comes from a pitiful person who was Grazed. I liberated him and promised to return his characteristic to the Church of Evernight.”
In East Balam, having just prepared to join the morning meeting, Leonard suddenly saw the angel messenger who wielded four blonde, red-eyed heads appear before him.
Already used to this, he received the letter and opened it and gave it a glance. He was surprised to see an item as resplendent as the night sky.
This is… Leonard had an inkling as to what the item was. He hurriedly unfolded the letter and read it.
Twenty seconds later, he slowly sighed and silently said, As expected, it’s a Beyonder characteristic.
Klein is still very friendly to the Church and the Nighthawks…
He was rather delighted as he took out two transparent dead, ringed worms and placed it in that envelope. He then summoned Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger, handed it to her, and paid the one gold coin.
After doing this, Leonard loosened the top buttons of his shirt, walked out the room, and headed underground
On the way, he encountered Daly Simone.
Still dressed as a Spirit Medium, Daly looked forward and asked very normally, “Any new clues?”
“…It’s suspected to be an evil spirit of the Hunter pathway.” Leonard fell silent for two seconds before he decided against concealing the matter.
Daly nodded indiscernibly and said after some thought, “Then it might have the instinct of being provocative. It will proactively leave clues for us. Of course, this might also contain some level of misdirection to it.”
Knock. Knock. Knock. Someone knocked at the captain’s cabin of the Blue Avenger.
“Come on in,” Alger put down the brass sextant in his hand and said in a deep voice.
A sailor opened the door and looked back. With the urging of his companions, he hesitantly entered the room and struck his left breast with his right fist and bowed.
“Holy Lord of Storms!”
After Alger did the same response, he forced a smile and said, “Captain, many pirates and sailors from merchant ships have been recently saying that they found valuable items in the ruins of Bansy Harbor. There was even gold.
“We don’t have any particularly important missions recently, so everyone is wondering if we should make another trip to Bansy. Such a bustling harbor, even if it has been searched numerous times, it should still have plenty of things left…”
Alger listened with a deadpan expression. After a few seconds of thought, he said, “I can understand your feelings. Let’s do this. Let’s head in the direction of Bansy Harbor, but do not set a destination. If nothing happens midway, we will stay there for a day.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.” The sailor excitedly clenched his right fist and struck his left breast again. “May the Storm be with you…”
“May the Storm be with you…” Alger watched as his subordinate left and closed the door.
Then, as though nothing had happened, he poured himself a cup of Lanti Proof without any joy or anger as he sipped it slowly.
Whatever that had just happened was within his expectations. This was because the news of finding items of value in Bansy Harbor’s ruins was something he had spread while disguised.
As a captain of the Church of Storms, he was constantly monitored by his sailors. Having been to Bansy once, mentioning it again made it suspicious. Therefore, Alger decided on getting the crew to make the request themselves!
That way, even if they discovered anything or encountered something at Bansy Harbor, no one would suspect him, the Captain.
To the sailors, especially sailors who had just spent all their money in Bayam, any news or rumors with sufficient allure would stir their hearts the most. Alger knew this very well.
In addition, the Blue Avenger had stayed in Bayam for too long. If he hadn’t set sail, it would also be suspicious.
As for monitoring Artisan Cielf, it was naturally left to The Hermit Cattleya. Due to the “investigations” of the Aurora Order, this pirate admiral and the Future had recently been hanging around the Rorsted Archipelago. It was said to be an important base of the Moses Ascetic Order.
After drinking the liquor, Alger put down his cup and looked out at the undulating waves and silently said a word:
“Bansy…”
Considering how it was late June, and will Auceptin’s birthday was still unclear, Klein did some reorganization before heading above the gray fog to bring the radio transceiver back to the real world. He also warned himself that he could only ask a maximum of two questions.
In the room that suddenly turned gloomy and cold, the unmanned transceiver began producing clicking voices.
Chapter 936 Don’t Want to Miss Out
Amidst the clacking sounds, a white piece of illusory paper spewed out from the radio transceiver. On it were words composed of Loenese:
“Exalted Great Master, your puny, loyal, and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
“Did you know? Dr. Aaron Ceres’s child was born the night before the last.”
Thankfully I contacted the magic mirror in time… Klein nodded slightly and said, “Now I know.”
Amidst clacking sounds, more of the illusory white paper spewed out:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Based on the principle of reciprocity, it’s your turn to ask a question.”
Klein had originally wanted to ask about matters regarding Ince Zangwill, 0-08 and the Red Angel evil spirit, but considering how he had failed divining it above the gray fog, it was almost certain that Arrodes was unable to see it. At best, it could provide him more detailed information regarding 0-08, but this way, without the gray fog’s screening, it would be equivalent to him knowing of 0-08, and it would result in it knowing him. It didn’t benefit him when it came to hiding behind the scenes to direct a play.
After thinking for two seconds, he asked, “What means are there to speed up the digestion of potions?”
“Do a better job acting.” On the illusory white paper, black words were produced.
Upon seeing the magic mirror’s reply, Klein first fell silent before he slowly exhaled.
For the present him, Ince Zangwill’s appearance was too early!
He still needed about two months to completely digest the Marionettist potion. When that happened, and with him already gathering the ingredients, he could orchestrate an assassination of the demigod, Ince Zangwill, placing the Sequence advancement with his wish together. Then there was no need for him to consider any room for retreat. However, Ince Zangwill wouldn’t “appear,” until he was done preparing everything. He wouldn’t follow the steps that Klein had in mind.
Based on Klein’s earliest ideas, it was to first gather information, figure out where Ince Zangwill was, and wait until it was late August or early September before confirming the plan based on the situation. If not for the possession of the evil spirit, Ince Zangwill wouldn’t have exposed himself. If he didn’t use Ince Zangwill’s current condition, it was very possible that he couldn’t find the latter again once he exorcised the evil spirit. Coincidences would stand in his way when it came to meeting him.
Furthermore, if that were really the Red Angel evil spirit, Klein was also worried that Ince Zangwill might’ve already died by the time he and Leonard started exacting revenge. The reason behind his death could be due to certain machinations, or from some ridiculously comedic situations, and not because of his sins.
Composite Start
Composite End
Due to these considerations, Klein attempted to digest his potion faster, hoping that he could complete it within a week or two. However, Arrodes’s answer left him depressed. He also knew that this wasn’t something he could force.
In two weeks, or even in the next few days, how was he to create a better opportunity to act?
In his silence, Klein had already made up his mind. He didn’t plan on tying the two matters together, and from the beginning, he wanted revenge against Ince Zangwill as his primary goal provided there was a chance of success.
He didn’t wish to miss this opportunity.
Although it had only been about ten months—less than a year-since the incident at the Blackthorn Security Company, it felt like a very, very long time, so long that he didn’t wish to wait any longer.
Catching a glance at the gloomy radio transceiver, Klein thought before wearing a stern look, he asked with a deep voice, “Back when I used the Winner marionette to look at myself, I learned why Beyonders of the Fate pathway will have such a reaction when facing me.
“Now, I would like to know what you see when you look at me?”
This question was a bolt out of the blue that seemed to echo in the room. The radio transceiver suddenly fell silent, and the clacking sounds sounded after quite a while.
A black illusory piece of paper spewed out, and on it were ghastly-white words:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I-I see support and dominance from you.
“Are you satisfied with such a question?”
Support, dominance… What does that mean? Klein had planned on pressing on, but he believed that Arrodes was unlikely to explain it too clearly because it lacked the required knowledge.
Realizing that the Mother Tree of Desire was about to find him if he kept this up, he nodded and said, “Acceptable.
“That shall be all for today. You may return.”
The clacking of the radio transceiver became increasingly brisker as the paper that appeared was white again.
“Alright, Great Master, goodbye~ Your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is constantly at your service.”
This time, the magic mirror seemed to forget to add a hand-waving drawing.
That was quite a quick escape… Klein mumbled and immediately took four steps counterclockwise and entered above the gray fog. He conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and informed The Hermit Cattleya that the Mythical Creature blood she needed was ready. She was to provide the means to regain a certain amount of strength during one’s weak stages as quickly as possible.
Composite Start
Composite End
Before long, Cattleya set up a ritual and sacrificed an item to The Fool and requested this mighty existence to hand it to The World and tell him that the principle of the item’s effect was to temporarily borrow a portion of one’s strength from their former
self!
This sounds familiar… It sounds like the powers of the Seer pathway’s Sequence 3 Scholar of Yore… The Fool Klein was surprised as he picked up the item that Ma’am Hermit had sacrificed.
It was like the end of a cane with a long transparent gem embedded on it. It was carved with complicated, mysterious, indescribable, three-dimensional symbols and magic labels.
Klein recognized two of them. One was the incomplete Pupil-less Eye, and the other was the incomplete Contorted Lines.
Could this be an item that really points towards Sequence o The Fool? But isn’t it a little too complicated… This cane feels really familiar. It’s like… It’s like the crystal ball Little Sun had used when he prayed to me! C-could it also correspond to another crimson star? Klein looked out the ancient palace with an odd expression, but all he saw were illusory stars suspended in the infinite gray fog without any signs of abnormality.
With the fact that such items were one-use items like charms, he abandoned the idea of experimenting with it. All he could do was summon some paper from the junk pile and seriously record down the complicated and abnormal symbols and magic labels on the cane.
Loen Kingdom, Backlund, Dr. Aaron’s residence.
A maid was inside the master bedroom, taking care of a soundly-sleeping infant. Downstairs, the banquet which had many guests attending had reached the mid-way mark.
Suddenly, in a corner, three figures quickly materialized. Leading them was a man in a silk top hat, black formal suit. He was none other than Klein Moretti who hadn’t disguised himself.
Composite Start
Composite End
He tossed out a charm and muttered an ancient Hermes term:
“Crimson!”
The dark red flames flashed, and amidst a light explosion sound, soothing powers emanated out. The maid fell asleep instantly, collapsing onto the bedside into a deep sleep.
Klein made his two marionettes stand in their spots as he walked to the infant’s cot and cast his gaze inside.
It was a child wrapped in silver silk. His skin was very fair, and he was fleshy with layer after layers.
This infant showed no fear towards the stranger as he looked straight at Klein with his eyes wide open while sucking his fingers.
“Ahem.” Klein couldn’t help but smile as he took off his hat and bowed. “Congratulations on being born.”
“You should say that to my parents!” The infant pulled out his fingers and spoke with a bright voice that didn’t match his age.
Klein chuckled and didn’t harp on this meaningless topic with the Snake of Fate. He went straight to the point.
“I brought the method that allows you to regain a certain amount of strength during your weak stages.
“You can now give me that drop of placenta blood.”
Will Auceptin opened up his fleshy palms and said, “Let me take a look first.”
“How do you know that the method is an item?” Klein couldn’t help but ask in puzzlement.
Will Auceptin scoffed.
“An intuition of fate.”
It’s like you didn’t say a thing… Klein moved the cane from behind him forward and handed it over.
The infant held it tightly and glanced at it twice before raising its voice:
“This can only be used once!”
“That’s right. Only once. Is that a problem?” Klein deliberated and said, “With your level and abilities, you can completely replicate the symbols and magic labels engraved on it, and then prepare the corresponding ingredients to hold the correct ritual. Wouldn’t that allow you to use it multiple times?”
Will Auceptin suddenly cut him off.
“Alright, I accept it.
“Remember, you were the one who suggested it!”
Klein was momentarily a little dumbfounded, but he also seemed to realize something. He had a vague feeling that, despite him being here to take advantage of a baby, it ended up as the baby taking advantage of him.
“Yes, I was the one who suggested it.” He finally drew a breath and nodded earnestly.
The baby’s plump face revealed a smile as he spread open his other hand.
“I’ve already prepared it for you.
“A total of two drops. One drop is for the transaction, and the other drop is your commission for facilitating this transaction.”
There’s a commission? Klein was delighted as he hurriedly looked at Will Auceptin’s palm.
There were two drops of silver blood there. Each drop appeared to have countless, minute, aloof, illusory wheels spinning. They formed a belt that had its head connected to its tail.
Just one look at it made Klein seem to lose his ability to think. He felt all his thoughts repeatedly appearing in his mind.
He hurriedly shook his head and took out the iron cigar case which contained Azik’s copper whistle. He then placed the two drops of Snake of Fate blood, which had clearly been sealed, inside.
“Thank you for your generosity,” Klein said sincerely before asking, “Can this be used to make a charm?”
The baby sucked his fingers and said, “Of course.
“As for the exact symbols needed to be carved, you have already seen those. You are free to choose a combination. Whatever you get will all depend on your luck.”
Klein nodded and asked again, “Who should I pray to?
“You’re probably unable to respond to relatively high-level rituals for the time being. And praying to Ouroboros is bordering on being a provocation…
“Do I pray to a Sequence 2 angel of the Fate pathway? But I don’t know ‘Their’ honorific names.”
Will Auceptin immediately grinned.
“There’s a more convenient method.”
“Who?” Klein pressed in delight.
The baby replied with a giggle, “Empress of Misfortune and Horror.”
Chapter 937 Several Days Later
Empress of Misfortune and Horror… Isn’t that the Goddess? That’s right, misfortune includes bad luck
-a part of fate. The Goddess has the corresponding authority and can naturally give a response… By giving this suggestion, doesn’t it mean that, in Will Auceptin’s eyes, “He” has always suspected that I’m Evernight’s Blessed, it’s just that I didn’t notice it myself. It’s the same as the answer I received about how I should get the High-Sequence Beyonder potion formula of the Seer pathway… “He” is even more certain after what happened at Saint Samuel Cathedral… Klein was first taken aback before he became enlightened.
As though he was muttering to himself, he said, “If I were to pray to the Goddess, no matter what symbols I choose, the final product’s effect will likely be inclined towards the domain of bad luck.”
“That’s common sense!” the baby wrapped in silver silk shouted.
After obtaining confirmation, Klein felt more certain as he said with a smile, “Eh… Are you still named Will Auceptin?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He was very curious if “He” changed his name after being born.
“If you like it, you can continue thinking so. However, my full name has already been changed to Will Ceres,” the baby replied indifferently.
Klein thought before asking, “If I want to deal with the wielder of 0-08, what suggestions do you have?
“I don’t want to know about 0-08. I just wish to know if you have any suggestions.”
The plump baby looked at him as he suddenly opened his mouth and let out a loud cry.
“Waaa!”
The corners of Klein’s lips quivered. Upon seeing the maid about to wake up, he took a few steps back and vanished from the room with his two marionettes.
Rorsted Sea. On the Future which was docked in the Bayam Resistance’s private harbor.
Cattleya, who was holding a ritual, saw a drop of silver blood fly out of the illusory door that manifested itself from the candlelight.
Composite Start
Composite End
With just one glance at it, she hurriedly closed her eyes, despite wearing her heavy glasses.
At that instant, it felt like an aloof and mysterious wheel was spinning in a circle, forming a silver snake that had its head connected to its tail.
This made her repeat her previous thoughts as she thanked Mr. Fool twelve consecutive times before returning to normal.
It really is the blood of a Mythical Creature from the Fate domain, and its level is higher than an ordinary angel… Cattleya ended the ritual in delight, and she took out a container she had prepared ahead of time, placing the drop of silver blood inside.
After obtaining some information on the Monster pathway from Queen Mystic, and learning the existence of Angel of Fate Ouroboros from Mr. Fool, she quickly came up with a guess as to who the blood belonged to.
Perhaps it’s the one from the Life School of Thought. Or there might be another Sequence 1 angel… Regardless, Mr. Fool is able to use at least two angels in the real world. Along with that Ancient Bane that I can’t be certain of, aside from the lack of Sealed Artifacts, the faction that believes in Mr. Fool is enough to match that of orthodox Churches. Even the Element Dawn and Moses Ascetic Order can’t compare…
As expected of an awakening ancient god.
Increasingly filled with awe, Cattleya drew a gasp and began considering her matters.
Her other preparations were rather smooth sailing. Without any accidents, all she needed was to wait a month or so to attempt advancing to Sequence 4 to obtain godhood!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Overcast with heavy, black clouds, silver lightning would occasionally streak across the sky, illuminating the desolate plains and the winding rivers that ran dry.
And in the middle of the plains, where the river made a half-circle, black, stacked shadowy outlines loomed. It was a lifeless city.
After several days of traveling, the team led by the Chief of the City of Silver’s six-member council, Demon Hunter Colin Iliad, finally arrived at their destination-Nois City.
The team was a small one. Excluding Colin, there were only four other members. They were the six-member council Elder, Shepherd Lovia, two Sequence 5 Guardians, Legere and Gonlun, as well as Sequence 6 Notary, Derrick Berg. The overall strength of the team wasn’t weaker than a complete expedition team; it was perhaps even stronger.
According to Colin Iliad, this was because Nois City was filled with monsters, making it very dangerous. Shapeshifters were adept at disguises, and they enjoyed making use of the trust between teammates. Therefore, the smaller the expedition team, the better. And since there were fewer people, there was undoubtedly a need to prepare it with a stronger team.
was
As they watched the city in front of them which was covered in mist, one that couldn’t be lit up despite the lightning, Demon Hunter Colin drew the two swords on his back. Unhurriedly, he slathered a silver-gray ointment on one, and a golden liquid on the other.
He then stabbed the two swords in front of him. He then removed three small metal bottles from a hidden compartment on his belt, pulled out the stopper, and gulped the contents of the potion.
Meanwhile, Legere and Gonlun had made preparations for combat. Derrick Berg held his hammer with one hand as he opened up his other palm. With a solemn tone, he said in Jotun, “God says it’s effective!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Silently, Colin Iliad and company felt that the consumed potion, the conjured dawn, and the slathered ointment had been significantly augmented.
Right on the heels of that, concentric rings of warm light emanated out, endowing the expedition team with courage and strength.
After Derrick used Holy Oath to boost his agility, Colin shot a glance at Lovia, who was holding an animal hide lantern and standing silently observing. He then turned his head to point at the perimeter of Nois City which was more than ten meters away. He said to the teenager who was once again a little taller, “Use your ability to light up the streets ahead.”
After saying that, he surveyed his surroundings and added, “Once we enter Nois City, make sure we do not separate.
“A few days ago, I had already introduced the more active monsters that hide away in the darkness in this region. All of you should be aware of how separating will be utilized by the Shapeshifter.”
Gonlun was a beautiful, female warrior who was 2.4-2.5 meters tall. Upon hearing that, she thought and asked, “Then, should we make use of this to hunt the Shapeshifter?”
“It’s best that we do not do so. It’s just too dangerous. Also, it’s very easy to end up killing our own teammates or end up becoming lost in Nois City forever,” the grizzled Colin Iliad seriously warned.
Derrick looked at the silent city that was cloaked in thin mist as he subconsciously asked, “Your Excellency, was this city also under the Giant King’s Court?”
“Yes, but it’s very close to a kingdom ruled by another ancient god,” Colin answered patiently.
Holding two iron-black poles, the 2.4-meter-tall Legere pressed with intrigue, “Which ancient god?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“King of Demonic Wolves, the Annihilator, Flegrea.”
Is that so… Derrick remembered the Chief’s introduction, took a step forward, and extended his arms.
Pure, radiant sunlight emitted from his body, illuminating the either collapsed or rotting buildings, the grayish-white stone-paved streets, and the extremely silent city perimeter.
Derrick and company saw figures appear on the streets. They were either wearing linen robes or animal-hides, as though they were busily going on about their day.
Upon sensing the sunlight’s illumination, they silently turned their heads in unison and looked at the City of Silver expedition team.
Bansy Harbor at night would occasionally have ravens or other birds calling out. It accentuated the gloom and deathly silence of the ruins. Even the sounds of crashing waves were unable to wash away that feeling
As believers of the Lord of Storms and crew members of the Blue Avenger, the sailors were bold, especially when they believed that there might be gold or valuables hidden within the collapsed buildings. It spurred them on, sapping away any fear that might exist. The moment they arrived, they rushed down the ship and began searching the area in groups of two or three.
Alger didn’t follow them as he strolled through the ruins alone, in search of any marks that appeared after Bansy Harbor’s destruction.
As he walked, with him wearing the Whip of Mind ring and having the Blade of Poison slung by his waist, he came to a collapsed building with crumbling walls and a door that was only a few pieces of charred wood.
If I remember correctly, this was the telegraph office of Bansy Harbor… Alger nodded slightly as he approached and did a slight inspection.
He then saw a relatively empty area amidst the rubble. The ground was parched black with two blood-red silhouettes. It was as though two people had been lying there, only to be squashed flat.
And this had been months ago; yet, the two streaks of blood remained fresh, as though they still contained some degree of vitality to it.
Alger’s forehead throbbed as he felt as though he could imagine the vileness before Bansy Harbor was destroyed.
He swept his gaze and suddenly saw a picture engraved on a crumbling wall beside the two blood-colored figures. It was a spot that the moonlight could hardly shine onto.
The picture was very simple, and it wasn’t even colored. It was of an armored monster with a squid’s head that wielded a trident. Lightning swirled around it as waves surged at its feet. Behind it was a cape formed by bird feathers!
Alger’s eyes widened suddenly as he felt a tumultuous storm rage within him.
He recognized who the monster was representing because The Sun had once depicted it before:
It was the warped version of the Lord of Storms according to Rose Redemption!
And could this picture’s appearance implied that a Rose Redemption member had previously come to Bansy Harbor, and they had drawn this picture after the building collapsed. Otherwise, it was impossible for the mural to not be damaged. It happened to fill an abnormal, crumbling wall!
This should be what The World wanted me to find in Bansy Harbor… He’s pursuing Rose Redemption? Alger muttered silently to himself as he raised his right hand.
He had planned on destroying the picture, but after some thought, he retracted his arm, circling around Bansy Harbor’s former telegraph office as though he hadn’t discovered anything. He then walked in another direction.
Chapter 938 Writing
Above the endless gray fog, in the magnificent and ancient palace.
The warped picture of the Lord of Storms, one that’s suspected to be left behind by a Rose Redemption member… Hmm, Red Angel Medici is one of the founders of Rose Redemption… Klein sat in the high-back chair belonging to The Fool as he silently looked at the crimson star representing The Hanged Man.
Using his feedback, he had basically confirmed that the one possessing Ince Zangwill was the Red Angel evil spirit!
In the eternal silence, Klein silently sat at the seat of honor of the mottled table as though he had become a deity’s statue.
After an unknown period of time, he nodded indiscernibly and slowly exhaled.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
His figure vanished and returned to the real world. He continued his nap without thinking of any plans or considering anything related to Ince Zangwill.
He slept till the next morning and got out of bed. He repeated his habits over the past few days, walking to the window barefooted and drawing the windows.
On the streets outside the hotel, Danitz, who had dressed up like a West Balam native with an extra hooded cloak, held his iron-black boxing glove close to his chest before rushing to the square on his right. Based on his previous report, Klein knew that he was meeting one of the local ruling factions today to understand their stance on the arms deal.
Anderson didn’t follow. He had ruffled his parted short blond hair in a mess as he leisurely strolled around the perimeter of the square, sat down, and wore a funny-looking puppet over his left black-gloved hand and began putting on a ventriloquist act for the people who walked by.
The man and puppet each had different voices as they mocked each other with witty remarks. It was quite good at attracting attention.
The only problem was that it was done in the Intis language and not Dutanese. Few people understood it, so after standing around to watch for a moment, they walked off.
Klein focused on the Fog Sea’s Strongest Hunter with the same expression as before. His eyes betrayed how deep in thought he was.
East Balam, in the temporary office for Soest’s Red Gloves.
Cindy, who had long, wine-red hair, walked in with a few telegrams as she said excitedly, “New clues!”
Composite Start
Composite End
“What clues?” Soest put down the white porcelain coffee mug in his hand as Leonard and Daly cast their gazes to the door.
As Cindy handed the telegram to her captain, she said, “Emperor Roselle’s quote ‘wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him,’ really makes sense. We’ve found people witnessing Ince Zangwill in several places, forming a complete trajectory. “From this, we’ve realized that Ince Zangwill’s thoughts seem to be contradictory. He often approaches the colonies of Intis, staying for a short moment, before leaving it. He then approaches it once again and leaves it repeatedly as though-as though…”
Isn’t this what Klein mentioned? That his actions are inconsistent? Leonard was delighted as he offered a better description for Cindy:
“As though he’s oscillating.”
“Yes, oscillating!” Cindy heaved a sigh of relief and began describing the findings, “In addition, Ince Zangwill has killed a few Intis military spies and has purchased several Beyonder ingredients. It’s unknown what he’s trying to do.”
This… Leonard deliberated and said, “Which pathway’s Beyonder ingredients are being bought by Ince Zangwill?”
“They are from the Warrior, Hunter, and Bard pathways.” Cindy pointed at the few telegrams that Captain Soest was reading.
Indeed, there’s the Hunter pathway… Having failed to find an excuse to get his teammates to take notice of Hunter-related clues, Leonard exhaled silently and no longer had any doubts regarding Klein’s theory. He believed it to be the truth!
Next, how should I make everyone realize that Ince has been possessed by an evil spirit of the Hunter pathway… Leonard fell into deep thought. He waited until Soest finished reading the telegram and handed it to the other teammates before he came up with something. He decided to take a risk.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Before he spoke, he subconsciously glanced at Daly Simone. Dressed in a Spirit Medium’s attire, this lady lowered her hand slightly, indicating that he shouldn’t be too anxious, and to stop whatever he was about to attempt.
Ma’am Daly is telling me that it isn’t time, that I should wait for a better opportunity? Amidst his hesitation, he saw Daly flick the telegram in her hand and looked around the room.
“I have an idea.”
“What is it?” Soest asked.
Daly smiled.
“I suspect that Ince Zangwill is possessed by an evil spirit.”
She… She just said it like that… She will be suspected! Leonard jumped in fright.
Without waiting for Soest, Cindy, and company to raise their doubts, Daly continued, “Ince Zangwill was once a Gatekeeper, and now, he’s a Nightwatcher. His body can accommodate evil spirits and use their powers. Furthermore, he also has 0-08’s help. If I were him, I’d definitely try to seek out stronger evil spirits and raise my strength as much as possible.
“This way, before he obtains complete control over the evil spirit, there will be backlashes. Ince Zangwill will take actions that seem contradictory. This can explain what’s mentioned on the telegram.
Composite Start
Composite End
“In addition, haven’t we been puzzled as to why Ince Zangwill has been trying to contact important members of the Numinous Episcopate, and we had come up with various theories? Perhaps getting them to help him exorcise, purify, or completely control the evil spirit is his goal!”
Soest thought for a moment and deliberated over his words.
“That possibility cannot be ruled out, but this is fundamentally a subjective theory of yours… How did you come up with this? Which details gave you the inspiration?”
Leonard became nervous as Daly chuckled.
“This is a woman’s intuition. It’s just like how I know your thoughts, as well as those of the rest of you at times.
“Besides, since this is a discussion and analysis, we should list down all the possibilities. We should then eliminate the possibilities based on the actual investigations. This will aid us in finding the correct answer. Therefore, we need to let our thoughts wander. No matter how ridiculous the idea is, we must dare to propose it!
“From the various details we obtained from our feedback, I believe my theory is the most likely one.”
Ma’am Daly sure is good with words. At least, she has convinced me… She raised the theory of an evil spirit’s possession to protect me and direct the risk towards herself? On this matter regarding Ince Zangwill, she seems willing to take on everything… Leonard became enlightened as he felt poignant.
After hearing Daly’s reply, Soest nodded slightly.
“Indeed, since this is a discussion, we shouldn’t limit our thoughts.
Composite Start
Composite End
“The possibility of an evil spirit possession scenario is quite high. I’ll report this to Her Excellency Goddess’s Eye. I’ll leave it to the archbishop and high-ranking deacons to decide the subsequent investigations. After all, we know too little about 0-08.”
“The Red Gloves team led by Soest discovered Ince Zangwill’s abnormalities from the feedback from various telegrams. Daly Simone used this opportunity to mention the assumption of an evil spirit’s possession and had received a unanimous agreement.
“She claimed it to be a reasonable theory, but she was already in the know. She had learned it from Leonard Mitchell, who has a Parasite, and Leonard Mitchell’s information source came from a letter sent by Reinette Tinekerr. Who could be the one who mailed it?
“Meanwhile, Leonard Mitchell and Daly Simone had already suspected that the evil spirit possessing Ince Zangwill belongs to the Hunter pathway…”
A classic quill dabbed in black ink was writing rapidly on an ordinary notebook as though it was held by an invisible hand.
Suddenly, a silently pale hand reached out and grabbed the quill.
The owner of that hand had dark blond hair with facial features akin to a classic sculpture. One of his eyes was so blue that it was nearly black, and the other was filled with small but obvious blood vessels.
He lowered his wrist and continued writing:
“But is this the truth to the matter? Will everything develop according to what Daly Simone, Leonard Mitchell, and Soest’s Red Gloves team have in mind?”
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, in Nois City which couldn’t be illuminated by the lightning.
The figures looked over without making any sound, giving Derrick a fright. He nearly stopped the illumination effect as he dodged to avoid facing them directly.
However, having trained from a young age, and with his experience over the past year, he didn’t end up flustered. He didn’t rush to end it as he forcefully held back his horror and waited for the Chief to give the next order.
Two dark green, complicated symbols appeared in Colin Iliad’s eyes. He took in the streets that were blanketed with faint mist and the seemingly normal figures which didn’t take any action.
Suddenly, he grunted and genuflected, his hands grabbing the two swords that were stabbed in the ground.
At the back of his neck, his bluish-black skin swelled a little as indescribable and complicated mysterious symbols appeared. They were half illusory and half real as they crept to either higher or lower levels.
At the same time, Shepherd Lovia let out a painful grunt as she raised her hands and held her head, vomiting some blobs of squirming flesh and blood.
Her palms and her body seemed to have silver armor strangely appear, overlapping on top of her.
“Stop,” Demon Hunter Colin muttered softly one second later.
Derrick hurriedly ended the illumination and allowed the thin mist to cloak the figures, allowing the dead silence to once again blanket the ancient Nois City.
Everything quickly returned to its former form as Colin Iliad slowly got up. He cast his heavy gaze at the tower, cathedral, and other buildings that could barely be made out through the thin mist.
“It’s a bit different from my last expedition. I’m not sure why there are such changes either.” Demon Hunter Colin retracted his gaze as he surveyed the team members. “Do you have any ideas or thoughts?”
Shepherd Lovia had already crouched down to pick up the blobs of flesh and blood that had fallen to the ground. However, she wasn’t in a rush to stuff them into her mouth, to munch on them before swallowing. She offered, “We can change directions and explore Nois City’s other entrances. Perhaps we might discover something.”
She had been maintaining her silence and kept the attitude of a spectator the entire journey. This was the first time she was voicing out her thoughts and giving her point of view.
Chapter 939 Bait
Colin Iliad glanced at Lovia without giving a direct response. After he pulled out the two swords in the ground, he nodded and said, “Okay.”
The group of five circled around Nois City’s perimeter, making a few attempts to enter, but they were frightened away by the seemingly normal but silent city’s carrying out of its “daily routine.” They didn’t dare to venture in.
With the frequency of the lightning reducing, and how darkness was slowly beginning to rule the world, Colin took a deep look at Nois City for a few seconds and said, “We will first set up a small camp. We will continue when it’s ‘daytime.””
The so-called “daytime” meant when the frequency of lightning was relatively higher, keeping the moments of darkness to a minimum.
The expedition team members didn’t object to it. Soon, they set up a simple camp by the riverside amidst a series of rocks.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At the extreme end of the camp, there was a huge boulder providing them with shelter so there weren’t any worries about rain. A bonfire was burning with all kinds of strange creature carcasses piled to the side. From time to time, they would be thrown in as timber. Colin, Lovia, and company sat around the fire, eating the rations they had brought and the monster corpses that had been proven to not cause serious harm.
As the fat sizzled from the roasting, Chief Colin Iliad from the six-member council looked at Derrick Berg and said, “We shall inspect the camp first. We’ll switch when they’re done with their meals.”
If this were any other time, Derrick wouldn’t have thought otherwise. But now, the first thought that came to mind was: The Chief wishes to speak to me in private…
“Alright.” Derrick stuffed the remaining piece of meat into his mouth and lifted the Thunder God’s Roar at his side.
The piece of meat was clearly already ready, but it still presented a ghastly green color.
After coming to the dark edge of the camp, Demon Hunter Colin said in a deep voice, his tone unchanging, “Nois City is more sinister and dangerous than I expected. I’m wondering if you have any views on what we should do next?”
I know nothing about this place. I’m also lacking in experience. Why is Chief asking for my views? Derrick was instantly taken aback, wishing to raise his left hand to scratch the back of his head.
He then recalled the few times he had spoken with the Chief while they were in the City of Silver. He recalled Mr. Hanged Man’s analysis of the hidden context in their conversations as he suddenly realized something.
Chief is giving me a hint!
Composite Start
Composite End
He’s trying to tell me that Nois City is more sinister and dangerous than he expected. The difficulty of hunting a Shapeshifter far exceeds his expectations. He’s wondering if there’s a possibility of changing the target?
He wishes for me to pray to Mr. Fool and receive a revelation so as to get “His” views?
Hmm… Mr. World really is a wise person. Along the way, he had already told me of a method to hunt the Bizarro Bane in a relatively easy manner. It’s by getting its blood. Hmm, with the present situation, it seems like his plan is feasible!
As his thoughts raced, Derrick replied earnestly, “Yes, Your Excellency. I have some suggestions.”
Colin Iliad silently heaved a sigh of relief, holding back the more direct speech he had prepared as he nodded gently.
“Go ahead.”
“Since Nois City has changed, it will be very risky for us to enter. Perhaps we can consider luring the Shapeshifter out.” Derrick didn’t directly regurgitate The World Gehrman Sparrow’s method, but he did make some modifications based on the present situation.
Colin didn’t directly reject it, and said rather seriously, “Then how should we lure the Shapeshifter?”
Derrick didn’t hesitate to say, “I have an item that is extremely enticing to Shapeshifters. As long as it’s placed at the boundary of Nois City, or even further, it will lure a Shapeshifter out.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The grizzled Colin wasn’t surprised by his words. He amiably nodded and said, “What’s the item?”
He long knew that Derrick Berg had secretly held a bestowment ritual at night during his guard duty shift.
Furthermore, if he hadn’t kept the truth under cover, it was impossible for Derrick to keep it from Lovia, Lovia, and Gonlun.
Derrick didn’t know what its name or description was. He immediately took out an iron-black box which was completely different from the City of Silver’s style before removing the wall of spirituality.
Following that, he didn’t lower his head. Instead, he turned his head and opened the box solely using his sense of touch.
Inside the box was a palm-sized human-shaped object. A cursory glance allowed one to see the transparent liquid filling the inside. From time to time, it bubbled, emanating a black glow. Upon scrutinizing it, there appeared to be maggots circling around the object.
This was the true soul body of the Spirit World Plunderer which Klein had previously obtained!
He believed that, for the Bizarro Bane, this Beyonder ingredient had an unparalleled allure. This wasn’t simply a result of the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence, but it was also because once the Bizarro Bane obtained it, it could turn into a complete Bizarro Sorcerer. It would break through all kinds of limitations and receive a fundamental improvement in its life’s natural order, truly becoming a demigod!
Therefore, to make the hunting of the Bizarro Bane simpler and clearer, without wasting any time, Klein took the risk of losing the true soul body of the Spirit World Plunderer by lending it to Little Sun.
Composite Start
Composite End
Colin Iliad looked at it carefully for a few seconds before retracting his gaze.
“It’s likely to be effective.
“Close the box and stop adding a wall of spirituality to it. Just bring it around with you. Let’s see if they will be attracted to our camp.”
“They?” Derrick subconsciously asked.
Colin, with a few old scars on his face, revealed a smile.
“Do you think there’s only one Shapeshifter in Nois City?
“If this item’s level was lacking, I would even be worried that it might attract more terrifying monsters.”
Derrick wore a look of shame as he scratched the back of his head. Following the Chief’s instructions, he closed the iron-black square box’s lid, stuffing it into a concealed pocket in his clothes.
In the patrol that followed, he kept a high level of vigilance, but no Shapeshifter attacked.
After a while, Lovia, Legere, and Gonlun took over their mission as Derrick sat back beside the warm
Composite Start
Composite End
fire.
At that moment, he heard cawing as seven to eight red-eyed ravens flew over and spiraled in midair.
This brought about an indescribable sense of horror. Colin Iliad drew his sword and looked up.
Suddenly, his heart stirred as he quickly cast his gaze to Derrick Berg.
On both sides of the bonfire, two brownish-yellow-haired youths who had childlike looks and were nearly 1.9 meters tall were staring at each blankly.
Colin’s eyes narrowed as he immediately shouted, “Illuminate!”
One of the youths was taken aback. After a moment of enlightenment, pure, warm sunlight was emitted from his body.
With a whoosh, an incomplete shadow swept past as Colin’s sword sliced through the fake Derrick.
It was a shadow, a blurry, transparent shadow!
At the same time, a red-eyed raven fell from the sky. Its body swelled up, turning into a pitch-black shadow.
Above this shadow shimmered a transparent, ghostly-blue single eye. Around the eye were similar eyes but smaller.
Shapeshifter!
A Shapeshifter that could disguise itself as ravens!
Just as this pitch-black shadow landed, Derrick’s mind turned numb as he could hardly move, as though he was being petrified. All he could do was watch the enemy pounce at him.
Pa!
The Shapeshifter slammed into an invisible wall and failed to take a further step.
Beside the bonfire, Colin Iliad stabbed the sword in his hand into the ground and drew the other sword on his back.
The surrounding area lit up, and like the legendary dawn, it descended upon this abandoned land. Infinite beams of light reminiscent of dawn erupted, turning into an illusory ocean. It devoured the pitch-black shadows along with all the ravens from the bottom up.
At the entrance of the camp, an illusory knight in silver armor, standing more than five meters tall, appeared behind Shepherd Lovia.
The knight’s eyes burned with dark red flames as they instantly locked onto a spot.
He suddenly opened up his stride and appeared hundreds of meters away in a flash.
Beams of sharp silver light shot out, dicing all the objects around into tiny, neat pieces, including all the different monsters hiding there. It included the Shapeshifter that had used some ability to escape the Demon Hunter’s lethal strike.
The monster hadn’t died as it switched its true body once again, but the pure, bright light of dawn descended once again, completely drowning a huge area.
After the light of dawn turned faint, Colin Iliad in his brown coat appeared with two swords in hand. He calmly watched as points of light gathered above the ground which was covered with cracks. Black-red blood which had mostly evaporated was slowly dispersed.
Success! As Derrick reeled in delight, he hurriedly sealed the black square box with a wall of spirituality.
Colin immediately stabbed the two swords into the ground, took out three metal bottles that had been emptied of their potions, and filled them with the blood on the ground.
While waiting for the ingredient to take form, he said to Lovia and company with his usual expression, “I have a use for the ingredients left by the Shapeshifter. I wish to directly make an exchange for them.”
In the City of Silver, there were typically two ways to handle the spoils from such expeditions. First, it was to bring it back and give it to the city and exchange it for the corresponding contribution points. The distribution depended on the amount of effort put in during the expedition. Second, if it wasn’t something especially important, and if it had caught the fancy of a member of the expedition, they could directly make an exchange for it with equivalent items or contribution points.
“I have no objections,” Legere and Gonlun answered in unison.
Lovia didn’t say a word as a form of tacit consent.
After the illusory silver-armored knight returned, she turned her head and looked towards the bonfire where Derrick Berg was with a deadpan expression.
In East Balam, in the temporary office for the Red Gloves.
Soest surveyed the area and said to all the team members, “Her Excellency, Goddess’s Eye, has ordered us to investigate the sale of Hunter pathway ingredients in the local and surrounding cities, as well as any disappearances or deaths of Beyonders of the same pathway.
“She agrees with Daly’s guess, and she suspects from the death of the Intis spies that it’s an evil spirit of the Hunter pathway.
“Of course, we mustn’t ignore any abnormalities since it’s only one possibility.
“There’s also another thing. We only need to do the gathering of information and to ignore everything else. We will not delve deeper into the investigations. It’s an order by Her Excellency, Goddess’s Eye!
“Got that?”
“Yes!” Cindy and company replied.
Soest looked at Leonard and Daly before retracting his gaze and said heavily, “Move out!”
Chapter 940 A Story
After leaving the local Nighthawks’s base which was disguised as a private detective office, Leonard glanced at Daly Simone who had suggested to team up with him.
“Where do we begin? Any suggestions?”
Dressed in a Spirit Medium black robe with her hood pulled over her head, Daly Simone, with an uncanny beauty and mature air, shot Leonard Mitchell a glance.
“This is when a gentleman’s decisiveness and style should be showcased.”
Leonard looked at his left hand which was wearing a red glove. He deliberated and said, “If we begin by following Captain Soest’s arrangements, that might allow us to find some clues, but it’s not necessarily useful. I suspect that Her Excellency Goddess’s Eye knows that. She’s only giving us something to do in order to confuse Ince Zangwill.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Why do you say that?” Daly wasn’t joking as her expression wore a rare, solemn look.
Leonard glanced to his sides as he said in a heavy voice without realizing it, “Based on what I know, 0-08 has the characteristic of ‘once you know it, it will also know you.’ We shouldn’t be influenced while staying on the periphery of its perception since we aren’t sure of its real name or powers, and only use the code name we gave it. But as Red Gloves who are pursuing the Numinous Episcopate’s matters, and having discussed Ince Zangwill many times, I believe our situation has already been grasped by 0-08. This way, Ince Zangwill should know that his abnormal state has been exposed. From that, he will avoid us by creating coincidences.”
Daly recalled the information regarding Ince Zangwill and nodded.
“Soest had also mentioned this problem in the beginning. However, he didn’t verbalize it as clearly as you did. It’s still in the stage of backward inference from a result of failures.
“Therefore, Her Excellency Goddess’s Eye has gotten us to investigate the situation of the nearby district’s Hunter pathway Beyonders and ingredients, and pretending as though nothing is confirmed. In the meantime, Her Excellency is preparing the usage of some corresponding items to lay a trap for the moment when the evil spirit gains control over Ince Zangwill and thus appears?”
Leonard turned his body and spoke as he walked:
“That’s probably the case, but I suspect that it’s unlikely for 0-08 to not know of it…”
Daly followed diagonally behind as she said in thought, “I believe there’s still a chance for success. Don’t forget that one of the honorific names of the Goddess is the Mother of Concealment.”
“That can counter 0-08? The Church has a high-ranking member or Sealed Artifact that can counter 0-08? It’s no wonder 0-08 was once obtained by the Church and sealed under the Holy Cathedral…” Leonard’s eyes lit up as he came to a realization.
Composite Start
Composite End
Daly nodded very slightly as her expression turned soft.
A few seconds later, her pupils contracted as she blurted out, “Do you think our discussion has caught the attention of 0-08?”.
Leonard’s expression fell, but he didn’t dare confirm anything nor shake his head. He and Daly looked at each other, looking back and forth as they fell silent for a moment.
In a particular room, a slightly pale hand flipped a notebook to its very first page, then it flipped one page after another:
“…After leaving Bansy Harbor, Sauron Einhorn Medici, who had obtained a certain object, was no longer only stubborn or only capable of instinctively conspiring. After repeated struggles and resisting, Ince Zangwill and he had obtained a truce and had even decided on having a limited cooperative effort so as to achieve each other’s goals.
“To an evil spirit of the Red Priest pathway, such a promise cannot be guaranteed to be effective, but Ince Zangwill no longer had any other choice.
“From his point of view, this series of matters had many coincidences, but fundamentally, this was inevitable. At the very least, Sauron Einhorn Medici was many times better at creating stories than him.
“…After confirming the destination to be the Southern Continent’s East Balam, Ince Zangwill boarded a ship to the Berserk Sea… Every time, he would enter the Intis colonial islands, irrationally provoking the official Beyonders and hunting Beyonders from the Hunter pathway. Then, before danger arrived, he would quickly regain lucidity, cover his tracks, and flee far away.
“This might seem like a coincidence, but the problem is when it’s the same coincidence every time, is it too much of a coincidence?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“From the perspective of logic and reason, too many coincidences imply that certain elements or rules were secretly in existence. The reason why Ince was able to do that was because he had written the words above. Using the Quill of Alzuhod, he naturally allowed himself to switch between the two states of ‘being possessed by an evil spirit’ and ‘self-autonomy.’ What a scheming fellow. This wasn’t only directed at Ince Zangwill, but also at Sauron Einhorn Medici. They were clearly already coexisting in peace, but they acted out to be in conflict as though they were relying on an external force to achieve some semblance of balance.
“…Ince Zangwill’s purchase of additional Bard and Warrior pathway Beyonder ingredients was very reasonable. This was because he was hiding the clues that the evil spirit was using him to seek out various items of the Hunter pathway, and to prevent others from realizing that all of this was under his tacit agreement, disguising it as his attempts to resist. In addition, the Bard and Warrior pathways had the ability to resist the dead and exorcise evil spirits. As long as a clever person were to think it over carefully, they would undoubtedly notice this and verify that Ince Zangwill was being possessed.
“…After numerous provocations, the Iron and Blood Cross Order’s Tony Down finally locked onto Ince Zangwill and began pursuing him. During this process, this War Bishop, who had made his goal to become a Conqueror, showed off his powers without any restraint. When a storm happened to stop his pursuit, he appeared on a ship filled with ordinary people in an eyecatching manner before pulling out the fellow disguised as Ince Zangwill.
“This was a little coincidental, but it was nothing surprising. This was because the Iron and Blood Cross Order’s belief is for the supernatural to be known to all, and to be placed above all ordinary people. And Tony Down’s unbridled arrogance often used his own strength to shatter the doubts of others and had extremely great confidence. Therefore, the way he acted was without a problem.
“Likewise, he was overly confident, causing him to neglect the possibility that Ince Zangwill was also on the ship. This didn’t match his intuition as a hunter, but in this world, anyone could make mistakes!
“When Ince Zangwill disembarked on Waypoint Island, he sensed someone observing him from a first-class cabin, but he didn’t mind it. This was exactly the effect he wanted. It was the best development if someone among the passengers happened to know him! Yes, happened to…
“… It was neither too early or too late. Before Soest’s Red Gloves took action, Ince Zangwill met with Hand of White Palenque Taciblius of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction, hoping to obtain their help in exorcising the evil spirit…”
Traces of words scribbled away.
“…The development of things became a little odd. Before having a sufficient amount of clues, Leonard Mitchell and Daly Simone of the Soest’s Red Gloves team seemed to come to a conclusion. It apparently came from a letter sent by Reinette Tinekerr…
Composite Start
Composite End
“Where did the problem lie? Ince Zangwill was rather puzzled by this. From his point of view, unless one could directly capture Palenque Taciblius or other key personnel of the Numinous Episcopate, no one could come up with such a conclusion so quickly.
“This made his preparations a little hasty, but thankfully, this was an outcome he wanted.
“…The Red Gloves team led by Soest discovered Ince Zangwill’s abnormalities from the feedback from various telegrams. Daly Simone used this opportunity to mention the assumption of an evil spirit’s possession and had received a unanimous agreement.
“She claimed it to be a reasonable theory, but she was already in the know. She had learned it from Leonard Mitchell, who has a Parasite, and Leonard Mitchell’s information source came from a letter sent by Reinette Tinekerr. Who could be the one who mailed it?
“Meanwhile, Leonard Mitchell and Daly Simone had already suspected that the evil spirit possessing Ince Zangwill belongs to the Hunter pathway…
“But is this the truth to the matter? Will everything develop according to what Daly Simone, Leonard Mitchell, and Soest’s Red Gloves team have in mind?
“…After the discussion with that person in the Cathedral of Serenity, the Cathedral of Serenity’s high-ranking deacon, Ilya, believed Daly’s theory and decided to use a Grade 1 Hunter pathway Sealed Artifact as bait, so as to allow Ince Zangwill to fall into a trap while the evil spirit was possessing him.
“To conceal this goal, she got Soest’s Red Gloves team to continue investigating the relevant clues.
“Unfortunately, their premise was wrong. Although Ince Zangwill was possessed by an evil spirit, his actions had never been affected! All he had done before was an act. It was done in accordance with Sauron Einhorn Medici’s suggestions, with the aim to confuse the Church of Evernight and to make Ilya blindly attack. And a Red Angel evil spirit that was willing to help and cooperate was enough to change the battlefield’s situation.
“Ince Zangwill’s true motive for coming to the Southern Continent is:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Hunt the high-ranking deacon, Ilya, of the Church of Evernight! It was for his advancement preparations by obtaining her Beyonder characteristic!
“He wanted to prove to everyone that the Church of Evernight had made a foolish mistake to abandon him back then!
“Of course, before beginning this operation, Ince Zangwill had to first satisfy Sauron Einhorn Medici’s thirst-a thirst for Mid- and High-Sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Hunter pathway. To keep it a secret, he didn’t plan on hunting locally, and he had prepared to do it further away.
“When the evil spirit’s undying nature, Red Angel’s level, and the uniqueness of a Gatekeeper combined, Ince Zangwill possessed the relatively High Sequence ability of ‘Spirit World Traversal’ of the Death pathway. He was able to head to remote areas and return in short periods of time. He had deliberately kept this under wraps before.
“After satisfying Sauron Einhorn Medici, Ince Zangwill decided to first kill Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell and pretend to vaguely sense the Church of Evernight’s trap. He would forcefully counterattack, only to lose his rationality and head for the trap.
“He didn’t plan on leaving any unstable elements. All avengers that survived Tingen had to die!”
The notebook flipped to an empty spot as a pale-white hand grabbed a quill and added the words: “Today, everything will go smoothly.”
West Balam, Northern State, Cookawa City.
“You aren’t done with your investigations?” Anderson asked in boredom as he walked beside Danitz.
“Soon!” Danitz replied as he found it a little difficult to focus. “Do you have something to do?”
At this moment, Anderson took out a map and a stack of information. He said with a chuckle, “I’ve already figured out the rough location of an ancient mausoleum. Based on the traditions of East and West Balam, there’s definitely plenty of treasure in it. Here, death doesn’t mean an end but a new beginning. That’s why they have tons of burial items.”
Danitz was taken aback as he asked in surprise, “I thought you aren’t proficient in Dutanese?”
How did he gather the information?
Anderson chuckled and raised his black-gloved left palm. He spread his fingers and said, “I don’t, but I can temporarily steal their language until I finish finding the information.”
“…I knew a fellow like you will have some tricks up his sleeves!” Danitz said with gritted teeth as he pointed to the main street beside the square. “Goodbye!”
Anderson didn’t stop him as he smilingly watched him walk away with large strides.
At this moment, the two simultaneously noticed a figure walking over.
The figure held a classic quill and wore a black clergyman’s robe. He had dark blond hair with facial features akin to a classic sculpture. One of his eyes was so blue that it was nearly black, and the other was filled with small but obvious blood vessels. He was approaching Anderson and Danitz.
Anderson didn’t know the middle-aged man, but his body couldn’t help but tremble as though he was facing his nemesis.
Warning signs of danger flashed in his mind as his pupils rapidly dilated!
Suddenly, he heard a warm voice by his ears:
“Don’t be nervous.”
Who… Anderson blankly turned his head and saw a figure strangely appear beside him despite there not being anyone there in the first place.
This figure had apparently been there all this time, but he had always been ignored.
He wore a strangely simple white robe. He had a pale gold beard that covered half his face. His light-colored eyes were clear like a child’s. He had a genial and reserved look.
Looking at the quill in Ince Zangwill’s hand, this middle-aged man who was dressed like an ordinary priest half-closed his eyes, raised his right hand, and gestured four points before him.
Hanging there was a silver cross.
Chapter 941 Development That Adheres to Logic
The moment he saw the middle-aged man dressed in a priest’s getup, Anderson zoned out for a second. Following that, some shackles in his mind suddenly collapsed as countless memory fragments surged through an invisible barrier. It felt like long-suppressed feelings suddenly erupted.
He remembered the things that had happened over the past two months. He remembered the mission that the demigod had given him!
Back in Bayam, he followed the thoughts in his mind to meet up with the demigod. He followed him and left the Rorsted Archipelago for a secret location.
There, he met the priest beside him. It was arranged for him to enter an ancient coffin, to lay there among Beyonder ingredients and a liquid filled with strange mixed blood, allowing them to seep into him.
After a month of this corrosive treatment, a dark red chrysalis formed inside his body. He then had his memories from this period of time sealed before being sent to West Balam. He was then psychologically cued to not leave until he recovered his memories.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This meant that he hadn’t finished the demigod’s mission and that it was still underway. Everything that had happened before were just preparations!
Scenes flashed through his mind as Anderson discovered that while he was playing the harmonica on the streets, checking into the hotel with Danitz, obtaining of Language Comprehension charms from the Church of Knowledge’s preachers, as well as his arrival in Northern State—all of these incidents had this genial and seemingly innocent priest present beside him the entire time.
When having meals, he was sitting at a neighboring table. When he checked in, the neighboring room was his. When walking on the streets, he was walking right beside him. When playing the harmonica and putting on the ventriloquist act, this man was looking at him in a genial manner!
And Anderson hadn’t noticed any of this back then. Danitz, who was beside him, the people around him
-none of them had noticed him. It was as though they had never seen this priest before!
A chill that arose from deep in his heart ran from his tail bone up his spine to his brain. He felt that the experiences he had been through were enough to drive him insane, to the point of losing control.
Danitz, who had already opened up a distance from Anderson, looked at the black-robed clergyman, Ince Zangwill, and then he looked at the simple priest who was praying with his eyes closed. He hurriedly bowed his head and used ancient Hermes to softly chant, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era.
“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.
“The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
Composite Start
Composite End
A few days earlier, he had received Mr. Fool’s revelation to handle some matters as a guise to stay around Anderson. It was so that he could immediately pray if any abnormalities were to happen.
Although he didn’t know what would happen, or who he had encountered, Danitz, who always cherished his life, didn’t hold back and did as he was toldeven if the abnormalities that happened might very well be him being overly imaginative!
For this, he had specially worn the boxing glove made from Groselle’s Beyonder characteristic. It ensured that he would act first without thinking so as to not waste any time!
At this point, Ince Zangwill had stopped walking. His dark blue, nearly black eye and the eye filled with blood vessels reflected the priest in simple white robes who had a cross hanging by his chest.
In his mind, in his mouth, a furious voice sounded:
“Adam!”
The Creator’s son, King of Angels, Adam! Before Ince Zangwill could finish his sentence, the priest opposite him opened his eyes. His light-colored eyes were already pure gold in color.
Suddenly, pitch-black stone columns were erected around them, setting up a majestic cathedral.
Inside this cathedral, each column, each arch, and each dome’s surface was embedded with the bones of different races. They were densely packed as they used different eye sockets to stare at Ince Zangwill. They surrounded a cross that was more than a hundred meters tall.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In front of the cross, a blurry figure stood there as though he was watching everything with compassion.
This was a cathedral of corpses, but instead of appearing eerie, it was filled with holiness!
The walls, windows, and doors of the cathedral had transparent, warped faces protruding out. It was as though countless souls were sealed inside, preventing Beyonders from sensing the existence of the spirit world or astral world!
The square and pedestrians from before had vanished. They were kept outside the corpse cathedral that had suddenly appeared.
Ince Zangwill’s classic quill had already flown up as it wrote rapidly on his black clergyman’s robe:
“Anderson Hood is Gehrman Sparrow’s friend. Ouroboros had taken notice of him, and due to various unknown reasons, Ouroboros’s appearance here was a development that adhered to logic!”
Just as the quill wrote the exclamation mark, light beams shone in from the colored-windows of the corpse cathedral, forming stacked illusory pure feathers.
Beneath the enveloping feathers, a figure with long silver hair materialized in a genuflecting, praying stance. Following that, the figure stood up straight.
“He” wore a simple linen robe and had handsome looks and soft facial features. He was none other than King of Angels, Tail Devourer Ouroboros!
Composite Start
Composite End
Ouroboros’s eyes were momentarily unfocused, but it soon reflected the genial priest’s image.
In “His” eyes, at “His” feet, and on the stacked feathers of light behind “Him,” a supernatural, mysterious circle was accentuated, forming an illusory river like a snake that had its head connected to its tail.
The corpse cathedral once again reverted to the point when the pitch-black stone columns erected with the surrounding square were still on the border of existence.
Taking this opportunity, Ouroboros flew out. Ince Zangwill didn’t hesitate as he made the surrounding colors saturate and overlap against each other.
Just as this Nightwatcher was about to step into the spirit world, he suddenly saw a cross spanning more than a hundred meters in size plummet down from high above.
This cross impaled the middle of the unformed corpse cathedral as the blurry figure that carried the cross raised its head.
Infinite light spewed out, drowning Ouroboros and the quill-holding Ince Zangwill within.
The corpse cathedral filled with bones of different races and the countless warped souls took form once again.
Upon hearing the stacked, illusory pleas, Klein was inside his hotel and thinking about his daily miscellaneous matters and lampooning in boredom.
He suddenly stood up, went straight to the window and looked towards the nearby square.
Composite Start
Composite End
On the square, coffins were coming and going. The fountain was still spewing, and there was reverberating music. Everything seemed normal and even felt idyllic. Here, what seemed most unharmonious was Anderson genuflecting with a stiff expression while a trembling Danitz was closing his eyes praying. Without a second thought, Klein followed the plan he had formulated above the gray fog. He controlled Winner Enzo who was a hundred meters away to enter the telegraph office. He had instructed Danitz to live beside a telegraph office!
At the same time, he took out his adventurer’s harmonica and blew into it.
Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. All eight eyes turned to the square.
“For Leonard, Miss Messenger. He likely hasn’t left your detection range.” Klein took out a letter he had already prepared and a gold coin before handing it to Miss Messenger.
What he said and did was akin to a marionette. He only followed the instructions he had prepared in advance. If he couldn’t help think of something else, he would immediately use Cogitation to divert his attention.
This was the method he figured out from Will Auceptin on how to deal with 0-08. By doing the thinking above the gray fog, all he did was act according to plan in the real world.
And in a particular prayer from Danitz, Klein had used the scene that appeared to observe Anderson who was nearby. In the end, he discovered an unfamiliar priest who also felt familiar by his side.
Thinking back to the Psychology Alchemists and the Twilight Hermit Order’s hidden connection, and making the connection to the content in Emperor Roselle’s diary, Klein immediately realized something. He was certain about what would happen next:
The master of the Twilight Hermit Order, the son of the Creator, Angel of Imagination Adam, was conspiring to obtain 0-08!
This also meant that there was a high chance for Ince Zangwill to appear with Anderson as the target!
Then, Klein redid his plan above the gray fog, pretending as though he had never noticed anything. He continued his state as a “marionette in reality.”
One of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads bit onto the letter as the eight eyes looked deeply at Klein for two seconds.
Klein nodded indiscernibly without a word, watching Miss Messenger return to the spirit world.
In the Cookawa telegraph office, Winner Enzo handed over the telegram, address, and verl gold he had already prepared for the staff, urging them to send it immediately.
“West Balam, Northern State, Cookawa. Ince Zangwill has appeared.”
The radio waves quickly spread, sending the message to the major bases of the Church of Evernight in West Balam and East Balam.
East Balam.
“Why are you always active around the cathedral? Why don’t you go further to carry out the investigations?” Daly asked Leonard.
Leonard thought and said frankly and seriously, “Awaiting news.”
Daly nodded in thought without prying further.
She turned silent, no longer playing jokes on Leonard. It was as though she was waiting for something as well.
Suddenly, Leonard’s spiritual perception was triggered as he turned to look left.
As a Gatekeeper, Daly had already cast her eyes in that direction.
A letter had appeared at some point in time, landing underneath a gas street lamp.
Leonard didn’t avoid Daly as he hurriedly picked up the envelope and opened it.
The content of the letter was very simple. There was only one line:
“West Balam, Northern State, Cookawa, Revival Square. Coordinates…”
Leonard’s expression turned heavy as he turned to Daly and said, “Ma’am, please help me to cover my tracks.”
As he spoke, his left glove had turned transparent. He stuffed his right hand into his pocket and grasped the Fate Siphon charm.
Daly fell silent for a second and said extremely seriously, “Bring me along.
“Back then, you managed to at least fight, but I didn’t have the time to do anything.”
Leonard’s expression changed as his mouth gaped slightly. Finally, without saying a word, he grabbed Daly’s shoulder.
The two then vanished from the rather empty streets.
As he watched Miss Messenger leave, and once he confirmed that the telegraph office had at least sent one telegram, Klein immediately took four steps counterclockwise and entered above the gray fog. He directly sat at the high-back chair of The Fool and beckoned for the Tyrant card, the Sea God Scepter, and a silver-gray charm.
Immediately, he was wearing a papal tiara with a papal robe draped over him with a bone scepter in hand.
Amidst silver bolts of lightning, Klein spread his spirituality towards the point of light where Danitz was.
Chapter 942 Deity’s Curse
With Klein’s spirituality making contact, the points of light suddenly expanded into a scene before his eyes.
With his Shadow Cloak up, Danitz was praying with his head bowed in the corner of the square, chanting The Fool’s honorific name with ancient Hermes.
Thanks to this, Klein could see an expanded area around him, and he began searching for Ince Zangwill.
Through the gray fog, everything he saw was clearly different from what he had previously seen. In the middle of the square, a pitch-black corpse-embedded cathedral had appeared at some point in time. It was dark inside, but there wasn’t any signs of activity inside.
Using this opportunity, Klein replied Danitz’s prayer, “Leave the area. Find a hidden spot to hide in.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he spoke slowly, dressed in the papal tiara and dark robes, Klein raised his left hand and made the blue gems at the tip of the bone scepter light up.
Sharp, jarring sounds immediately resounded in Revival Square in the real world as a sudden gale swept the area. It made the people who were spending their leisure time there or the pedestrians to leave quickly to head for shelter from the wind. Even Anderson, who had a frozen expression, recovered his usual insouciant attitude. Holding his abdomen, he quickly rushed out of the dangerous area.
In a few seconds, Revival Square became extremely silent. Even the pedestrians who walked slowly without running had experienced the feeling of flying with the nudging of the wind.
The empty area entered a brief silence. Then, a flame appeared from the corpse cathedral’s window. It grew in size and became increasingly blinding.
Silently, the colored glass windows shattered as blinding white light that bordered on blue shot out like a meteor.
This flaming light instantly crumbled, materializing into Ince Zangwill, who wore a black clergyman’s robe and had one dark blue eye and one eye covered with blood vessels.
The moment this Nightwatcher appeared, he couldn’t help but open his mouth and scoff at the classic quill in his hand.
“If a fool like you didn’t listen to my suggestion, how could something like this happen!
“I’m not even sure what you’re afraid of. If you had allowed me to pray to the Lord, allowing me to secretly return to the Rose Redemption and join forces with the ‘Serpent,’ our preparations would allow us to set up a trap. Today, we will be the ones hunting Adam, and not the other way round!”
Composite Start
Composite End
The seemingly dark and damaged quill immediately flew up and wrote on an empty spot of Ince Zangwill’s clothes:
“Due to a rage stemming from embarrassment, Sauron Einhorn Medici pushed the blame of this development to the Quill of Alzuhod, but in fact, it was ‘He’ who was stopping himself from praying to the True Creator. Be it Sauron or Einhorn, neither one of them trusted this evil god.
“Today’s development made this evil spirit’s psychological dissociation to worsen! This is extremely reasonable. This is the diagnosis by the best, most professional psychiatrist!”
“Ince Zangwill” immediately frowned as he raised his left hand and pressed it to his head.
His dark blue eye rapidly recovered its luster as the classically sculpted face turned extremely stern.
At this moment, having escaped the corpse cathedral, he was no longer facing the square. Instead, it was flights of ancient stone stairs. They were leading to the peak of a towering mountain. Erected there was a huge cross with countless angels spiraling around it.
At this moment, an exaggerated bolt of silver lightning tore through the overcast sky, smiting right down at Ince Zangwill.
The sealed and strange space produced cracks. The fountain and its splashes appeared in his dark blue
eye.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Ince Zangwill’s figure immediately vanished, leaving behind a blurry transparent spirit. The latter was struck by lightning and was instantly obliterated.
This Nightwatcher didn’t have the luxury of time to consider what other lurking dangers there were. He took this opportunity to transform into a flame as he penetrated a crack and rushed out.
To him, no matter what lay ahead of him, nothing was more terrifying and difficult to deal with than the Son of the Creator, King of Angels Adam!
Upon seeing the flame rise up from the square, allowing Ince Zangwill to escape the restraints of the illusory world and returning to his appearance with dark blond hair and pale hands, Klein raised his head slightly and subconsciously sat straight.
Countless scenes flashed across his mind-him having his heart penetrated, the pair of bright leather boots just before his previous death, Dunn Smith smiling at him with a wink of his left eye, and the Blackthorn Security Company which had been reduced to ruins.
The corners of Klein’s mouth quickly curled upwards as he revealed a comical smile.
He then deeply muttered using ancient Hermes, “Misfortune!”
The silver-gray charm on his right palm suddenly burst into a gloomy black light.
This was a charm of the misfortune domain Klein made using Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin’s blood and precious metals by praying to the Evernight Goddess.
Composite Start
Composite End
This was a present he had prepared for Ince Zangwill.
This was an arrow of vengeance.
This was a deity’s curse!
Klein immediately stood up, stretched his shoulders, and threw out his right arm, fusing the gloomy black light with the little powers he could stir from above the gray fog as he threw them at Ince Zangwill.
Just as Ince Zangwill returned to Revival Square, he saw a dark black beam appear out of nowhere. It blanketed the entire sky, making him find himself in an extremely dark environment.
Such a change happened in a flash before everything was restored to normal in an instant. Nothing seemed amiss, but as a Nightwatcher who could give others a certain level of bad luck, Ince Zangwill acutely “smelled” the aura of danger. Without any hesitation, he reached out his left palm in a bid to use the evil spirit within him and his powers as a Gatekeeper to enter the spirit world and flee.
However, none of the surrounding bright flowers, pure-white fountain, and dark black tiles had their colors saturate, much less become stacked.
Ince Zangwill’s Spirit World Traversal had become ineffective!
The glint in his eyes froze as he seemed to understand the reason. It was because the evil spirit in him was having an internal struggle; thus, they wouldn’t lend him their power.
“See? Everything would be fine if you had listened to
Composite Start
Composite End
me!”
“Bullsh*t! I’d rather die than believe in the True Creator!”
“What’s the point saying all of this? Didn’t you still end up the same as us, being made into a potion by Alista Tudor?”
“So none of you are nervous at all? Didn’t you notice that the curse clearly came with a deity’s aura? That power was fundamentally very powerful. Our present condition doesn’t allow us to avoid it at all. Haha, continue arguing. Go on! I’ll wait to die with all of
you.”
…
The veins on Ince Zangwill’s forehead throbbed when he heard that. He was furious that Sauron Einhorn Medici would suddenly engage in an internal strife at such a critical moment. They didn’t seem to notice the danger they were in at all.
As a former archbishop, as a Beyonder who had watched over the Church of Evernight’s Holy Artifacts, Ince Zangwill didn’t let his judgment become clouded because of his rage. He instinctively believed that the gloomy black beam had something to do with the Evernight Goddess’s authority over misfortune. He believed that Sauron Einhorn Medici’s sudden fallout was clearly a result of this influence. Otherwise, it was impossible for the Red Angel evil spirit to break into a quarrel without concerning themselves with the situation they were in simply because of the Quill of Alzuhod’s writing!
He immediately turned around, quickly running towards another exit of Revival Square in an attempt to communicate with other spirits. He wished to borrow their powers to escape; however, there wasn’t a single spirit around!
At this moment, a figure stood in a hidden corner of the open square. He was a mixed-blood with parents coming from Loen and Balam. He had a fleshy face and baggy clothes. On his waist hung a rapier.
It was Admiral Hell Ludwell!
This was a marionette who usually didn’t have any thoughts!
After throwing out the Deity’s Curse charm, Klein followed his plan, returned to the real world, and made use of the two marionettes!
As he made Enzo find a corner, he took out the items he prepared, set up a bestowment ritual, and controlled Admiral Hell to walk to a secluded spot to face Ince Zangwill.
This Admiral Hell, who looked nothing like his original self, raised his right hand, allowing his arm and fingers to rapidly turn incorporeal as they extended towards the target.
This was a power he used by borrowing the Underworld creature within him to extract the Spirit Bodies of others remotely!
Ludwell’s palm quickly turned pale-white, and above Ince Zangwill, a figure floated up uncontrollably.
However, Ince Zangwill was once a Gatekeeper. An illusory bronze door filled with mystery immediately took form in his eyes as it quickly pulled back his escaping Spirit Body.
With his level and strength, this was unlikely to succeed so successfully, but for some reason, he repeatedly made mistakes and nearly allowed Admiral Hell to succeed. For a brief moment, all he could manage to do was a see-saw-like struggle.
At this moment, two figures rapidly appeared beside Ludwell. One of them was the black-haired, green-eyed Leonard with a transparent glove in hand, and the other was Davy Simone who had blue eyeshadow and blush.
They had arrived at the perfect moment because the bad luck of an enemy often implied that one was lucky enough!
The first thing Daly saw was the figure she could never forget. Pangs of fury burned in her eyes instantly.
She didn’t rashly attack as she made some observations. She came behind Ludwell and spread her arms.
A bronze door filled with countless strange patterns immediately descended and creaked open a gap.
This was a door that led to the Underworld. It was a door filled with allure to all undead creatures!
An indescribable and terrifying suction force came out of it as the figure above Ince Zangwill’s body completely separated from him.
It was a translucent man wearing blood-stained black armor. He was young and handsome with red hair. His face had terrifying signs of decay, and at his glabella was a flag-like mark.
This young man wasn’t too surprised about being separated from Ince Zangwill. Instead, he sneered.
“We sure are unlucky today. We have already died together once, so is there a need to do so another time? Especially when we’re being controlled by such a weakling?”
A bloody gap appeared on his upper left cheek as it opened and closed.
“Alright, let’s clear out the surrounding trash…”
Before the sentence was finished, the man in blood-stained black armor reached out his palm and drew out an illusory sword with dark red rust stains from his body.
A terrifying suppressive force easily allowed the evil spirit to free itself from Ludwell’s and Daly Simone’s extraction. It swooped down in an attempt to return to Ince Zangwill’s body.
At this moment, a hoarse voice sounded, sounding as though it held sandcloth in it. Admiral Hell Ludwell had chanted in ancient Hermes, “Fate!”
Chapter 943 The Third Act
“Fate!”
In the awkward-sounding voice, the spots where Admiral Hell Ludwell and Nightwatcher Ince Zangwill stood turned dark as if they were covered by two black clouds.
Fate Siphon charm!
This was one of the Fate Siphon charms that Klein had made using the Worms of Time from Pallez Zoroast!
To make plans without 0-08’s knowledge, he had kept himself hidden behind the scenes the entire time. Not only had he lent Creeping Hunger to Leonard Mitchell, he had also given the Fate Siphon charm to his marionette!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hence, the one who was possessed by the evil spirit had gone from Ince Zangwill to Ludwell.
Admiral Hell instantly had Sauron Einhorn Medici’s blood-stained, black-armored body plunge into him as his eyes became filled with minute blood vessels.
Inside the hotel, Klein calmly controlled the marionette without showing any wavering or hesitation due to the impact the evil spirit had. Ludwell reached out to tear his clothes and raised the soul-soothing mask to cover his face.
At the same time, having heard the Red Angel’s words, and witnessing “His” actual condition, Daly Simone, who had suffered immense pressure, seemed to realize something. Not only did she not close the Door to the Underworld, she even gritted her teeth and used all her might to widen the gap.
Bloody, skinless arms, slimy tentacles with teeth, and bluish-black vines with baby faces began emerging from the Door to the Underworld as they grabbed at Ludwell.
This freed up Admiral Hell who had planned on completing this step alone. Taking advantage of the opportunity that the Underworld within his body hadn’t yet been destroyed by Sauron Einhorn Medici, with the only negative effects on his body being decaying, he hurriedly turned around and dashed towards the mysterious, illusory bronze door!
He was then grabbed on his body and legs by the arms, tentacles, vines, and spirits behind the door. With his running working hand in hand with the scalp-tingling tugs, he instantly leaped through the widened door gap and entered the Underworld.
Upon seeing this, Daly immediately pulled back her palm and stopped maintaining the mysterious-patterned bronze door.
Thud!
Composite Start
Composite End
The indescribable illusory door closed heavily. Admiral Hell Ludwell, along with Sauron Einhorn Medici, were kept out of the real world with the Underworld creatures.
This was a key step to Klein’s plan. It was to forcibly separate the Red Angel evil spirit from Ince Zangwill!
Although he believed that the Red Angel evil spirit was the reason for Ince Zangwill’s instability, he wasn’t willing to face an additional evil spirit formed after the deaths of one King of Angels and two Sequence 1 angels when taking revenge on a demigod. No one could predict what actions a Conspirer would take under such circumstances.
Therefore, Klein used the basis of the magical powers of the Fate Siphon charm and Ludwell’s pathway characteristic to formulate a plan. The addition of Daly had allowed the entire process to happen more smoothly. There wasn’t any room for being interrupted as they successfully pulled the Red Angel evil spirit into the Underworld!
This way, even if the evil spirit was able to possess Admiral Hell’s body and travel back to the real world via Spirit World Traversal, it would be far into the future. After all, to leave the Underworld required them to find an exit, and with the Evernight Goddess wielding control over Artificial Death, she had a certain level of authority in the Underworld. “She” was definitely not letting the Red Angel evil spirit leave so easily.
Sacrificing a marionette, a high-level charm, and two mystical items in exchange for removing the Red Angel evil spirit from the battlefield was heart-wrenching for Klein, but it was definitely worth it!
As for the misfortune on Ince Zangwill, on the one hand, it was a continuous state and not a short-term affliction; and on the other hand, he had suffered from Deity’s Curse. The Fate Siphon charm could only replace a tiny portion of that and not empty it out. He could soon recover. As for Ludwell, he had Winner Enzo imbuing him with good luck. Nothing would stop his series of actions for a short period of time.
Such a change was completely unexpected for Leonard. However, he had become a Red Glove for almost a year. He had plenty of experience dealing with supernatural cases, so he didn’t show any hesitation or confusion. He immediately cast his gaze at the still-dazed Ince Zangwill.
When the figure in a black clergyman’s robe with one dim eye was reflected in his eyes, his expression immediately warped as though he was facing a trauma of his.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was a trauma where he did his best but had failed to put it to use. It was the trauma of seeing Captain and Klein already dead after regaining consciousness.
As Leonard raised his left palm, he pressed the human-skinned glove to his temple and grasped the Fate Siphon charm in his right hand tightly. With a deep voice, he said, “Fate!”
The ancient, supernatural language echoed as a transparent book condensed in front of his left glove. Following that, there was the ethereal chant of “I came, I saw, I record.”
Bolts of bright, blinding silver lightning blasted down one after another as they instantly devoured Leonard.
Lightning Storm!
This was akin to Leonard holding a revolver to his temple before pulling the trigger.
He was committing suicide, but at the same time, he was using the Fate Siphon charm. This would transfer such a fate to Ince Zangwill!
This was the best solution he could think of when using the Fate Siphon charm and Creeping Hunger! It required immense courage!
Countless silver lightning swept over, shattering the surrounding darkness. Leonard Mitchell immediately snapped awake and found himself still standing at his spot. His left hand had yet to rise, and his right hand had just grabbed the Fate Siphon charm.
Composite Start
Composite End
Whatever he did was just a dream!
At this moment, in Ince Zangwill’s dark blue eyes, darkness was slowly swirling. It was as though it was saying: When did you get the misconception that you aren’t dreaming?
In fact, long before Sauron Einhorn Medici had been extracted from his body, he had already created a large-scale dream in an attempt to pull all his enemies in. Unfortunately, the man with a rapier was in no way affected. He easily escaped and ended up destroying the dream, reducing its effects to nothing.
As the ability to detect danger which was gained from one’s spiritual perception feedback was that obvious, and with the possibility of the conflict between the two Kings of Angels behind him spilling over at any moment, Ince Zangwill didn’t hesitate to create a large-scale slumber effect while pulling Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell into a dream.
Right on the heels of that, he picked up Quill of Alzuhod and rapidly wrote on his sleeve:
“Ince Zangwill was in optimal condition today. He could effectively control his Mythical Creature form; therefore, he didn’t hold back and used all his strength to escape the area!”
As he finished writing the sentence with the quill, Ince Zangwill’s body began transforming.
His eyes instantly turned black as though it was tainted with ink. The fine patterns around him began to extend, forming strange and distorted mysterious symbols.
At his waist and ribs, his clothes swelled as four skinless arms grew out from squirming flesh; they were covered with blood vessels.
The arm was rapidly covered with white feathers as a cadaveric aura rippled out.
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, Ince Zangwill’s teeth grew long, turning sharp. His body seemed to be embedded with numerous blurry, tiny faces.
In a blink of an eye, this Nightwatcher was already slumped on the ground, turning into a strange monster with eight “legs” and white feathers!
Night suddenly fell upon the square as worms in the soil and the bacteria on the floor tiles died one after another, entering an eternal slumber.
This was the combination of the powers of Evernight and Death!
Just as Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell were about to lose their lives amidst their slumber, a thunderclap boomed.
Bolts of silver lightning struck down, turning into a forest of lightning that blanketed Ince Zangwill’s incomplete Mythical Creature form.
After sending away the Red Angel evil spirit, Klein didn’t stay any longer. Like a marionette with preset orders, he mechanically took four steps counterclockwise and entered above the gray fog. Wearing the papal tiara and papal robe again, he picked up the Sea God Scepter!
This was the third act of the play. With 0-08 exhausted by Adam, and with the Red Angel evil spirit separated from Ince Zangwill thanks to the Fate Siphon charm, he had to face the Sea God’s wrath as a Sequence 4!
Klein knew that he didn’t have the strength to directly fight a demigod. Therefore, his plan had been to wear off Ince Zangwill’s helpers while smiting him from above the gray fog. It was akin to the sea battle with the demigod, Qonas Kilgor, who was from the Black Emperor pathway back then.
Even if he couldn’t complete the kill due to a demigod’s potency, he could stall for time until the Church of Evernight’s archbishop or high-ranking deacons with Sealed Artifacts arrived!
In this plan, there were two uncontrollable parameters.
First, it was unpredictable how much influence 0-08 had towards the end. A card up his sleeve was to let Enzo set up a bestowment ritual and be prepared to send Groselle’s Travels to the real world at any time. By sending it to the edge of the battle, Klein wanted to know if this would lure the quill away from Ince Zangwill. After all, he guessed that the quill was a Grade o Sealed Artifact of the Spectator pathway. It was likely that it was interested in the special book left behind by the Dragon of Imagination.
Second, he wasn’t sure how strong the Son of the Creator, Adam, was. Klein had no reference point, and he believed that it wasn’t impossible for a King of Angels like him to subdue 0-08, imprison the Red Angel evil spirit, and kill Ince Zangwill alone!
Towards such a development, Klein had no means to foil it. All he could do was pray for the Goddess’s blessings and Fate’s tenderness as he waited for the outcome.
Rumble!
The lightning forest smote down, bringing with it intense destructive auras.
At this moment, pure darkness surged out of the gaps in the lightning, devouring all of the silver-white swath.
Right on the heels of that, Ince Zangwill’s eight “legs” moved rapidly as he ran out of the area.
He couldn’t find a target of attack, nor could he lock onto the enemy that had cast Lightning Storm. Holding back his furious emotions, he ran towards buildings along the perimeter of the square, leaving shadowy afterimages behind.
However, amidst booming thunder, terrifying lightning bolts smote down one after another, trapping Ince Zangwill inside the square.
Daly and Leonard had already woken up from their dreams, but the light from the lightning affected their vision, allowing them to discover that Ince Zangwill had apparently turned into a monster, but the details were unclear.
Mythical Creature form… As the two had a solid foundation in mysticism, they immediately realized what was happening and quickly closed their eyes. They then retreated to a spot that provided them shelter.
Realizing that he was unable to dodge the lightning strike given the amount of time he had, Ince Zangwill retracted one of his “legs,” picked up 0-08, and as he ran, he wrote on his body:
“An unknown existence is attracted by the combat and feels great pity for Ince Zangwill’s experiences before deciding to help him by taking him away via the spirit world!”
Chapter 944 The Fourth Act
On the heavily scuffed and damaged Revival Square, the environment turned dark as a gloominess and eeriness filled it in a seemingly corporeal manner. Even the blinding silver lightning wasn’t able to dispel this feeling.
Daly Simone acutely sensed that an unknown creature was crossing the spirit world and approaching. An ominous feeling rose up in her as though she could already see Ince Zangwill using such an accident to easily escape, never to be found.
She felt ice-cold in a manner that couldn’t be resisted, just like when she first became a Beyonder.
Back then, due to a particular accident, as a nineteen-year-old, she had lost her family and ended up drinking a potion by mistake. She ended up becoming a Corpse Collector and was placed into a Nighthawks team.
The influence of the potion and the wounds from losing her family had made her enjoy gloominess and coldness. She couldn’t help but approach corpses, often loitering in cemeteries and sleeping there.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This made her appear odd, with people instinctively avoiding her. This not only dropped her body temperature, but it also slowly froze her heart and soul as they turned ice-cold.
She was afraid of this feeling. She still hoped to live as a person; hence, she instinctively used how men coveted her for her looks and body to gain a boyfriend. She wanted to use the warmth of a body to stop her soul from turning cold.
In this decadent and surreal life, she met that man, a man who always warmly listened to her. He was a man who always stayed by her side and provided her help. He was a man who became embarrassed when faced with jokes involving the two sexes. He was a man who accepted all the flaws and weaknesses of his teammates with a sincere attitude. He was a man who fumbled in helplessness when she jested at him again and again. He was a man who hid the pain and sorrow in his heart, to the point of suffering an early receding hairline. He was a man who was the first to step forward when encountering danger, putting himself in between the danger and his teammates.
She changed. She began putting on makeup that made her appear older. She stopped mixing with other men but kept her jokes to deliberately express that she hadn’t changed in an obvious manner.
However, she still didn’t make it in time. She didn’t manage to witness the man master the acting method, digest potions, and advance to Sequence 6. She didn’t manage to see him reach out his hand to invite her to an opening dance or be able to participate in his final battle. She didn’t manage to tell him her feelings in time.
I was wrong. I failed to do anything in time. Today, I’m not having it repeat again… Daly’s expression turned sorrowful as the corners of lips curled bit by bit with tenderness and sweetness.
With her eyes closed, she suddenly pulled out a small metal bottle from a hidden compartment. She threw the stopper and gulped the liquid inside.
Her blue eyeshadow and blush instantly brightened, and even her skin turned slightly translucent. Her coiled up hair was instantly released, pushing her hood back as they fluttered.
“Spirit wandering the void, higher-order creature that leave one with awe, the unforeseeable creature,” Daly chanted with simple and forceful ancient Hermes, “I, I shall sign a contract with you in my name, pray that you leave this place!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Behind the eight-“legged,” the white-feathered Ince Zangwill, a figure appeared. It was a blood-colored piece of flesh with countless eyes on it and arms of different races.
Just as it was about to grab Ince Zangwill and drag him into the spirit world, it suddenly paused. It then turned its gaze towards Daly Simone.
Pitch-black snake-like scales instantly appeared on Daly’s skin, and within the gaps of the scales, white feathers grew.
Her knees buckled as she knelt down in pain, but she ultimately maintained her spirit channeling posture.
That quill began writing autonomously on Ince Zangwill’s body.
“The unknown existence descended upon Revival Square and was just about to take Ince Zangwill away—but no, it was attracted by Daly Simone. Its sense of aesthetics was inclined towards humans. Oh no, it abandoned Ince Zangwill. It decided to listen to Daly Simone’s suggestion and ended up leaving.
“How surprising that when it came to spirit channeling, Ince Zangwill, a demigod, would actually lose to Sequence 5 Daly Simone. Although this lady had consumed the Flower of Spirit and paid an immense price, she had little chance to defeat Ince Zangwill who was barely using the Quill of Alzuhod.
“Ince Zangwill was just too unlucky. He actually encountered a matter with nearly zero probability!” Amidst the lightning strikes, blood-red beams lit up in Ince Zangwill’s pitch-black eyes that were covered with mysterious symbols before calming down. His “hand” which held the quill wrote on his body once again:
“Another unknown existence was lured into the vicinity and attempted to enter the real world…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he wrote that, the quill suddenly paused as it continued writing:
“Incoming! Incoming! It, no— ‘She’ was Reinette Tinekerr! No, Reinette Tinekerr chased away all the surrounding creatures in the spirit world. ‘She’ gave Ince Zangwill a glance, looked away, and left, continuing ‘Her’ patrol of the surroundings.
“Ince Zangwill is too unlucky, just too unlucky!”
Ince Zangwill’s rapidly-moving body suddenly paused as though he had suffered a terrible blow.
Boom!
A thick bolt of silver-white lightning smote the eight-“legged” monster. It sent Ince Zangwill flying up as he let out an inhuman cry.
In his pitch-black eyes, the blood-red beam spread out like an explosion, turning into two bloodthirsty, cruel, and maniacal blobs of light.
“Ince Zangwill could no longer control his emotions and maintain a good state of mind. He lost most of his reason…” The more the slightly damaged quill wrote, the darker it became until it slowly stopped.
With a scream that left one with goosebumps, an endless darkness blanketed the area, pulling Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell into a dream.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, the thunder booms and lightning snapped the dreamers awake.
Ince Zangwill took a step back with his eight “legs,” leaving behind an afterimage in his spot. He rapidly ran towards Daly Simone who was on the brink of losing control, hoping to rip apart the Nighthawk who had foiled his plans for escaping.
Boom! Boom!
Ridiculous bolts of lightning blasted down, stopping his attempts to escape.
Boom! Boom!
The eight “legs” that were covered with white feathers, which now had signs of being charred, moved one after another as he kept his body low while he circled the square, dodging the lightning in search for an opportunity to kill Leonard and Daly.
With time, he realized there was a problem with the remaining reason that he had. The frequency of the lightning was dropping!
The person that kept casting Lightning Strike had apparently reached his limit, and his spirituality was almost drained!
Ince Zangwill’s heart stirred as a cruel smile was plastered across his face. He ran at high speeds as he muttered in ancient Feysac, “All of you will die!”
He had apparently forgotten of his need to escape.
Composite Start
Composite End
All of you will die… Leonard Mitchell could do nothing despite hearing that sentence. It was because he couldn’t even open his eyes. He couldn’t determine where Ince Zangwill was, nor use his spirituality to lock onto him.
At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to Tingen, back to the Blackthorn Security Company, back to the day where they engaged Megose in an intense battle. He had returned to the time when he was weak and helpless, unable to stop anything himself.
Back then, he clearly wanted to help Captain and Klein. Despite overcoming his horror, despite having Old Man to provide him with help, he quickly fainted due to his low Sequence and lacking strength; thus, failing to participate in the subsequent battle. All he could do was wake up to see two corpses and use the pain of meeting family members to resolve the blame he placed on himself.
He always cherished his leisurely life in Tingen City, the feeling of not needing to take any responsibility as if he was the protagonist. However, the more he cherished those memories, the more he hated his former self, wondering why he hadn’t worked harder.
With his eyes tightly closed, figures of light were darting around, and all he could do was ball his hands into a fist as he hurriedly shouted, “Old Man!
“Old Man!”
This time, there wasn’t any response in his mind. No one provided him any help, as Pallez Zoroast was still in a deep sleep.
Leonard’s breathing turned heavy as he couldn’t help but move his head from side to side with the darting of the light. Then, with a slightly hoarse voice, he shouted in clear anxiety, “Old Man!
“Old Man!
“Old Man!!”
His voice gradually softened, drowned by the thunder. Leonard hung his head bit by bit, his face filled with shame and pain.
His lips quivered as he relaxed his hand and gripped it tight again. His entire body froze for several seconds.
Suddenly, he wore a firm expression. With a grimace, he opened his mouth and chanted softly in ancient Hermes, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era.
“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog. “The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck!”
Just as he said the prayers, he magically saw a scene in his mind.
Ince Zangwill, who had seemingly turned into a spider or some deformed feather wolf, was running frantically and dodging the lightning strikes. From time to time, he attempted to attack him and Daly Simone.
And unlike normally, Ince Zangwill’s figure appeared rather blurry in this scene. It was almost completely represented by red light, and it could only be used to determine his location.
Leonard was first taken aback as he immediately laughed. Teardrops flowed down as he laughed.
Without any hesitation, he raised his left palm, pressed the glove to his temple, and then tightly gripped the Fate Siphon charm with his right hand.
“Fate!”
The incomprehensible, mysterious word in ancient Hermes resounded as a transparent book appeared in front of Leonard. It flipped to a page amidst the ethereal chanting of “I came, I saw, I record,” as he locked onto the eight-“legged” monster with white feathers growing all over him.
Silver bolts of lightning blasted as Leonard Mitchell threw out the charm with a hideous expression, shouting, “Die! Ince Zangwill!”
He had waited to say this for a very, very long time. He had played this scene in his head so, so many times.
Chapter 945 The Story’s Ending
The moment the Fate Siphon charm left Leonard Mitchell’s hand, it vanished into midair, its whereabouts unknown. It cloaked the spots where he and Ince Zangwill stood in darkness. Even the burgeoning silver storm was unable to illuminate it.
At that instant, Leonard felt the surface of his body turn numb, as though lightning was leaping over it, creating a slight stabbing pain, one that would completely pulverize his body at any moment.
But following that, he didn’t get bombarded with irresistible pain, as though nothing had happened.
No, something did happen. A bolt of lightning smote down at him as if it had bared its fangs, shattering the ground and charring the soil.
Klein had personally redirected his casting of Lightning Storm from Ince Zangwill when Leonard Mitchell used the Fate Siphon charm!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Ah!”
A shrill scream sounded as the rich darkness around Ince Zangwill failed to dissipate the storm that was formed from a mesh of silver lightning bolts. His body was swept into the heart of the storm.
He had suffered the fate of Leonard Mitchell being devoured by the Lightning Storm ability!
Boom!
The thunder boomed deeply as the lightning forest quickly dissipated, but before the Lightning Storm came to a complete end, more bolts of silver lightning smote down from the sky, causing a new wave of attacks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The wrath of a thunder god smote down again and again as the lightning’s frequency returned to normal. There weren’t any gaps in between. Even though there were waves of darkness surging out from Ince Zangwill’s position, they were unable to obliterate the silver swath.
After a few Lightning Storms, the blinding light finally dimmed. The minute bolts snaked around weakly.
Ince Zangwill remained standing there without collapsing.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, his head with pitch-black eyes, blood-red halos, and mysterious symbols had cracked. The flesh inside the cracks was charred black as a grayish-white liquid seeped out.
The four “legs” by his torso had already been burnt black and curled up together. All it took was a touch for them to fall off.
On them, not only were the white feathers gone, even the overlapping blood vessels were pulverized and had scattered to the ground, leaving them at head height with him.
But even so, Ince Zangwill still wasn’t dead. Creatures that had obtained godhood had an unimaginable vitality compared to ordinary people!
The blood-red halo in his eyes grew richer as the violent aura no longer had any room for decreasing. Feelings of hatred and regret surged in him, giving him the urge to vent them out.
He hated himself for only thinking of escaping in the beginning and not killing all the enemies present. Back then, if he hadn’t held back and had used his powers by releasing the terror of a demigod without any reservations, he was definitely able to kill Daly Simone and Leonard Mitchell amidst the lightning strikes. If he had done so, he wouldn’t have been left in such a sorry state by two Mid-Sequence Beyonders.
“Damn it! Damn it!” Ince Zangwill roared and threw away the darkened 0-08 quill. Using his remaining four “legs,” he pounced at Leonard Mitchell.
Leonard was just about to take action when he felt a coldness in him. It was as though thin, long hair was reaching out and binding him from the darkness, doing so from a dream. He was unable to move again.
Boom!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
A bolt of lightning struck Ince Zangwill, but it only served to stagger him for a moment and drop a few pieces of charred flesh. He continued his attack and even revealed a cruel smile.
From that strike, he was already certain that the person hiding in the background casting the lightning was at their limit. The person was unable to use any more demigod-level powers!
As for Leonard, who was being bound by countless strands of invisible hair, his thoughts quickly became serene. It was as though he no longer put up any resistance and had wished to sleep in the darkness.
Unable to move, he bit his tongue lightly and temporarily recovered some of his lucidity. He made the transparent book in front of him emit the ethereal chanting: “I came, I saw, I record!”
With a resonating whoosh, a terrifying Hurricane swept at Ince Zangwill, who had arrived with a pounce.
It snapped the illusory black hairlike objects, giving Leonard freedom again.
Whoosh!
Ince Zangwill was thrown up as he slammed heavily to the ground. His body was covered with deep gashes as pale-white blood gushed out of him.
Despite having lost another front “leg,” he still wasn’t dead. He “stood” up again and locked onto the Evernight poet who still had his eyes closed.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without any warning, Leonard suddenly slipped and fell to the ground. When he tried to get up, he seemed unable to maintain his balance. Even the gale he created had failed to sweep up his body.
“Damn it! I should’ve killed you when you were unconscious back in Tingen City!” Ince Zangwill cursed through clenched teeth. “That woman is about to die. The same goes for you!”
As he cursed, he hobbled over to Leonard’s location as though he had lost his ability to move at rapid speeds. With a ferocious expression, he said, “Your captain was irritating. Likewise for that teammate of yours. All of you are the same!
“After I kill you, I’ll leave this place and return to Tingen to dig up their graves!”
As he cursed, the darkness filled with cadaveric auras surged out of Ince Zangwill, sweeping towards the nearby Leonard Mitchell.
Leonard could sense that he was riddled with bad luck, but he could do nothing. He didn’t even dare to open his eyes.
Bang!
Amidst a gunshot, a pale-golden bullet pierced through the thick deathly darkness, bringing out blinding sunlight, terminating the abnormality within.
Pa! Tarot cards flew over, stabbing into the ground at different spots.
One of the cards landed in front of Leonard as it burst into scarlet flames.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst the flames, a figure wearing a half top hat and black suit walked out with a revolver in hand. With a bookish demeanor, he had black hair and brown eyes with a face with a deep outline. He was none other than Klein Moretti.
Unable to use the Sea God Scepter anymore, he had decisively returned to the real world. He had rushed here with Death Knell!
“You, it’s really you! You really are still alive! Die together with them!” Ince Zangwill’s movement speed instantly recovered as he circled around Klein, trying to forcefully pull him into a dream.
He had been acting!
However, Klein was completely unaffected. He didn’t show signs of falling asleep as he raised his right hand and pulled the trigger as though he had foreseen it.
Bang!
Ince Zangwill was thrown to the ground by a powerful impact. The cracks on his head widened.
“That shot was for Ma’am Daly,” Klein said in a deep voice as he snapped his fingers. Using the flames that burst up, he flashed to the side of Ince Zangwill.
Ince Zangwill’s eyes protruded out. As he moved at high speeds, he released bad luck in a bid to influence Klein, but it was completely useless.
“This shot is for Leonard.”
All the Tarot cards were ignited at the same time, like bursting fireworks. Klein flashed behind Ince Zangwill, cocked the gun, and relying on his intuition, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Pale-white blood spurted out of Ince Zangwill’s left leg as it broke.
His running came to an abrupt stop as he even failed to maintain his balance.
Using the burning tarot cards, he repeatedly cast Flaming Jump, preventing himself from entering the influence of the black “hair.”
“This shot is for Megose.
“This shot is for the Keepers.
“This shot is for the destroyed Blackthorn Security Company.
“This shot is for all the Nighthawks.
“This shot is for me.”
Amidst the gunshots, Klein kept pulling the trigger and did the corresponding reloading as he shot demon-hunting bullets. He blew through another of Ince Zangwill’s legs, blasting open his forehead, causing his roars to turn into a whimper until he fell onto the ground.
Finally, Klein flashed in front of Ince Zangwill. He then held Death Knell to his face.
At this moment, mysterious patterns accentuated Ince Zangwill’s almost-cracked head, creating an immense impact.
He still had the ability to resist!
He was waiting for him to approach and then use his Mythical Creature form to turn the tables!
However, Klein’s brown eyes continued looking at him without reflecting anything.
He thrust Death Knell forward and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Ince Zangwill’s head completely exploded, and like a smashed watermelon, the fragments and the juice splattered everywhere.
Death Knell had sounded the knell for him!
Klein raised his left hand and rubbed away his two eyes. The real eyes that hid beneath were moved back to their original spots.
His brown eyes had blurred up. He curled the corners of his mouth bit by bit and said to the already dead Ince Zangwill softly, “This shot is for Captain.”
He didn’t give Ince Zangwill a chance to leave any last words. He had no wish to know what bitter past the latter had experienced.
He then took out one remaining tarot card from his pocket and threw it on Ince Zangwill’s corpse.
It was an inverted The Star card.
At this moment, a figure appeared not far from him. He bent down and picked up the darkened quill.
This figure wore a simple white robe and had a pale gold beard that covered half his face. On his chest hung a silver cross as though he was the most ordinary priest, but he was the King of Angels, Adam!
Adam looked at Klein and said with a genial smile, “Unfortunately, I failed to retain the snake.”
He looked at the quill in his hand and then at the tarot card. He smiled and added, “A price is always exacted for what fate bestows(1), isn’t that so?”
With that said, he turned around and slowly disappeared from the ruined square with each step he took. He left the following words as though he sang it:
“Under the witness of a Spectator, Klein Moretti completed a grand performance, directing a magical murder. With that, he managed to digest his potion with enough energy left to attempt an advancement before the curtains fell.”
Klein didn’t take in the feeling of his Marionettist potion’s digestion and the corresponding feedback. With a Flaming Jump, he arrived in front of Daly Simone.
The lady was already on the brink of losing control. She said in a daze, “I don’t want to become a monster…”
“Alright…” Klein looked at her with a sorrowful gaze as he quickly thought of the means to rescue a Rampager.
He had considered getting her to chant The Fool’s honorific name before pulling her Spirit Body above the gray fog, but with her body already mutating, it was apparently useless. The only way was for Daly to choose to remain there forever. As for the Flower of Blood, it was also unable to resolve such problems.
Daly smiled with great difficulty as she resisted the white feathers and pitch-black scales that kept growing out of her.
“So it’s you…
“Didn’t you ask me why I didn’t take the initiative to confess to Dunn, to throw him in bed?”
She gasped for air and said with a bitter smile, “I had indulged myself too much in the past. H-he was a conservative man. I-I felt inferior.”
She couldn’t hold out much longer, with the outcome of her becoming a monster happening at any moment.
At this moment, she heard Klein Moretti reply, “Captain actually liked you too, very much. Because you were too outstanding and young, he felt inferior as well.”
Daly smiled as her blurry gaze saw a man in a black trench coat with a receding hairline. He had dark gray eyes. She watched as he pressed his hand to his chest, bent down, and reached out his palm to invite her to a dance.
She reached out her hand as her thoughts turned sluggish.
The gray-eyed man in a black trench coat pulled up Daly, whose mutation was slowly fading away. Under Leonard’s watch, they danced a brisk dance in the destroyed square with the fountain spewing water everywhere.
One material after another flew out. There were golden grapevines and a rather ugly rubber mask. Under the guidance of spirituality, they slowly mixed together and entered a small metal bottle.
Amidst the beautiful dance, Daly leaned forward gently, resting herself in Dunn’s embrace.
Klein held the potion bottle, brought it to his mouth, and downed it.
[1] Quote from Stefan Zweig.
Chapter 946 A Bestowment Or A Curse
The ice-cold potion slid down his throat, bringing Klein numbness, one that reached deep into his soul.
He had already stopped dancing. His mind seemed to be lifted as though he was high in the air, looking down at the ruined Revival Square, at Cookawa City which had been left in shambles by the repeated lightning strikes.
At this moment, he felt his emotions rouse up for some baffling reason as all the pedestrians below seemed to be connected to him by some invisible threads. They could be happy, angry, or sad, making all kinds of actions based on his directions.
Klein often had such feelings recently. He knew that this was the vision of a “director.” By viewing all participants as marionettes or actors, he attempted to control or guide them into putting on a grand performance.
Using that hint of familiarity, Klein hurriedly adjusted his state of mind, completely separating his emotions from it, and viewing everything in a cold, aloof manner, so as to prevent himself from being affected by the play.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As a “director,” he followed the script, referred to reality, and rationally made an analysis to choose according to the circumstances. He allowed emotions to build up, allowing himself to push matters forward and use the clues that had developed.
Once his state of mind settled, he felt the potion’s power spread across his body, like a sharp threaded net.
Suddenly, Klein felt that his Soul Body was connected to his physical body. They were split into countless parts, and without being able to hold it in any longer, he let out a cry from deep within his soul.
“No!”
His thoughts were diced apart, turning into fragments as they fused with different pieces of flesh as he gained his own sentience.
These included Klein with pain, Klein with arrogance, Klein with coldness, Klein with gentleness, Klein who could amusement himself, as well as Zhou Mingrui, Sherlock Moriarty, Gehrman Sparrow, and Dwayne Dantès!
His entire Spirit Body seemed to be thrown into a grinding machine.
Not far away, Leonard, whose cheeks were streaming with unconscious tears, first saw Captain Dunn, who was embracing Daly Simone, transform back into Klein Moretti. Following that, he noticed his face, neck, and the back of his hands. Pale-colored tendrils protruded out as though they had a life of their own. They kept growing outwards, turning into a transparent maggot. And beneath his clothes, there were also signs of squirming.
This made Leonard have the feeling that Klein would collapse into a cluster of transparent maggots the next second as they raced in different directions!
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he wanted to do something, he felt dizzy. He instinctively closed his eyes and didn’t dare to keep watching
The transparent maggots that grew out of Klein’s body shimmered under the sunlight, producing three-dimensional layers of mysterious symbols. They connected to higher and lower levels, directly presenting the abstract concepts of bizarreness, madness, change, strength, and wisdom.
Amidst howling cold winds, black illusory threads rose up around Klein as they bonded together, forming strange “tentacles.”
The tentacles flailed as his Soul Body, Astral Projection, Body of Heart and Mind, and Ether Body were reduced to fragments as they fused with the different maggots that represented Klein’s various thoughts, turmoil, and dilemmas. As they wafted between them gently, they seemed to fly up to an infinite height where there were countless illusions hugging huge distorted buildings. They were either playing wind instruments, giving speeches, growling, or raving.
Amidst Klein’s countless chaotic senses, everything around him stacked together as though they turned into the spirit world. However, there were living people coming and going with the stars shining upon them.
At this moment, the fragments filled with thoughts had similar memories appear-fresh memories:
It was of King of Angels Adam praying with his eyes closed. It was the scene of his shocking appearance;
It was him using Death Knell against Ince Zangwill as he pulled the trigger to blast open his head;
It was when he revealed his Clown’s smile, saying in a deep voice, “This shot is for Captain”;
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
It was when Spectator Adam used an extremely clear and innocent eye to take in the ending of the performance;
It was of him turning into Dunn Smith, inviting Daly Simone to dance the closing dance.
They were all so fresh on his mind, especially the gaze of a Spectator. There was a seemingly corporeal feedback that felt like a magnetic force. It made Klein gradually discover his sense of self-awareness once again.
I…
Who am I?
This was a question that Klein had an answer to when he was still a Faceless. He didn’t need to think too much about it as he quickly understood his identity:
A person from Earth, a person who had been reconstructed from Klein’s memory fragments;
A person whose experience as a Nighthawk deeply influenced him;
A person who played safe and was afraid of danger, but was able to persist and give up everything;
Composite Start
Composite End
A guardian and a miserable wretch.
Strange sensory organs that didn’t come from the Body of Heart and Mind or Soul Body were extracted bit by bit from the fragments, condensing Klein’s new thoughts—coldness, calmness, spectating, and overlooking. They were thoughts that allowed him to view the world from even more angles and dimensions.
He knew that this could possibly be godhood. Without putting up any resistance, he chained the original Spirit Body fragments with black threads, allowing him to slowly take form again.
At this moment, he realized the purpose of the advancement ritual.
It was a mark, an anchor. Compared to other pathways, the Bizarro Sorcerer, who experienced the fragmentation of their Soul Bodies, required an anchor much earlier!
However, this didn’t require the support of any faith. On the contrary, faith was a numerous and jumbled affair with too many personal feelings involved. During the fragmentation during this ritual, it easily wiped away the humanity of the advancer who was only Sequence 5, leaving behind godhood.
A grand and profound performance under the watch of countless spectators was enough to make up this anchor!
Although the spectators were few in number, as the pinnacle existence of the Spectator pathway, Adam could match thousands of ordinary spectators. He could even imagine a theater of spectators to create the effect.
With his entire body taking form, all kinds of knowledge surged out from the depths of his demigod Spirit Body, embroiling Klein’s mind and giving him an indescribable impact. It felt as though his brain was about to explode.
However, with some level of godhood and his rich experience, he could view this in a detached manner and rather easily pass through this stage.
Composite Start
Composite End
The transparent maggots on his face, hands, neck, and beneath his clothes returned into his body, turning back into the black-haired, brown-eyed Klein Moretti.
Looking at Daly Simone, who was still in his embrace and slowly turning cold, he lifted her up and walked to Leonard Mitchell. He bent down and placed her on the ground.
Daly no longer had pitch-black scales or white feathers. She had been restored to normal and her eyes were closed. The corners of her mouth were curled up like she was having the deepest and sweetest dream.
Klein stood up and looked at Leonard, who had opened his eyes again, and said heavily, “She has returned to the Goddess’s kingdom, just like Captain.”
He had turned her into a marionette to reverse Daly’s mutation, allowing her to die like a human before releasing his control over her.
Leonard tried to force a smile as he whimpered a sound of acknowledgment. Tears were streaming down his face.
Klein gently nodded his head.
“To her, this might not be the worst outcome. She returned as a human to the embrace of a deity she believes in, and that’s where Captain and the others are.”
As he spoke, he subconsciously and sincerely raised his right hand and tapped his chest four times in a clockwise fashion.
Leonard instinctively drew the sign of the crimson moon. He was momentarily taken aback as his expression turned odd.
Klein surveyed the area and said, “Take Ma’am Daly back with you to East Balam. Make it known that she died due to Ince Zangwill’s attack and had made exceptional contributions in causing Ince Zangwill’s death.
“Don’t worry, no one will investigate you. Of course, you can take this opportunity to leave the Red Gloves.”
“I-I’m used to the Church,” Leonard said heavily.
Klein took off his hat and bade farewell with a bow.
Holding his hat, he turned to walk to Ince Zangwill’s body and took a card that had a chariot and a red priest on it.
The red priest wore the face of Roselle Gustav.
Leonard’s lips quivered as he suddenly asked, “A-aren’t you returning to the Church?”
Klein didn’t turn around as he wore his silk top hat and headed for another exit of the square.
After a few steps, he paused and replied to Leonard with his back facing him:
“I can’t return anymore…”
Can’t return anymore… Leonard stared in a daze as the familiar figure gradually distanced himself and vanished.
After a while, a few Beyonders flew to Revival Square. One of them was wearing the clergyman robes of the Church of Evernight. She had a head of beautiful raven-black hair and an exquisite face.
No one could tell her age, because no one cared. They could only notice the eyes that seemed to contain countless stars within.
This lady was floating in midair as she looked at the square. All she saw was Ince Zangwill’s sorry corpse that could hardly be recognized. Covering his cracked head was a commonly-seen tarot card.
It was The Star.
Above the gray fog, Klein placed the Red Priest card by his left hand and closed his eyes to rest for a moment.
He had a basic grasp and understanding of the powers of a Bizarro Sorcerer.
On the one hand, he could transform into animals that weren’t too disparate in size. In a Spirit Body state, he could completely ignore this point. He could transfer wounds from either himself or others onto a paper figurine. He had also gained the enhancement of the Flaming Jump ability that now spanned nearly a thousand meters. The might of Air Bullet reached that of a cannon.
On the other hand, he could now obtain initial control of one’s Spirit Body Threads in three seconds. He could turn a target into his marionette within fifteen seconds. His control range was 150 meters. At the same time, he could switch Spirit Body Threads, allowing his marionette to obtain all his Beyonder powers. Within a thousand meters, he could switch locations with his marionette as he wished.
Due to this point, and the maggots he separated as a Mythical Creature form, as well as the disguise from the Spirit Body Threads, Klein obtained a higher level of body doubles. This also meant that, as long as any one of his marionettes were alive, a Bizarro Sorcerer would never die!
The enemy often found it difficult to know if the one killed was the Bizarro Sorcerer or his marionette. What was real and what wasn’t was difficult to determine.
After confirming his state and resting for a moment, Klein immediately walked deep into the mysterious space above the gray fog. He headed for the staircase of light that seemed to lead to heaven.
As he expected, there was another step, one formed of light.
This time, Klein believed that he could use this sixth step that resembled a giant’s to step onto the condensed gray cloud.
One step, two steps, three steps… He came to the end and, with a leap, stepped onto the cloud formed by the gray fog.
Reflecting in his eyes was a door of light tainted with a bluish-black luster. It was formed from countless layers of spherical light, and each spherical light enveloped squirming maggots. Some of them were transparent, others translucent. This was the scene Klein saw through Enzo’s eyes, but the objects were very blurry, as though something was obstructing his vision.
In addition, above the door of light, there were thin black threads that hung down. They were hanging up what seemed like completely transparent cocoons.
These cocoons were gently swaying, wrapping different souls. They looked to be of all descentsAfrican, Asian, Caucasians, etc. Some were wearing jeans, others holding cell phones. Some had beautiful clothes, others having beautiful facial features. All of them had the aura as though they were living, but their eyes were tightly closed.
Klein’s gaze froze as though he had returned to Earth and had walked onto the streets which were filled with people.
Then, he noticed that three cocoons had opened. They were empty and were swaying with the wind.
Raising his head, Klein took in this sight as he observed in silence.
Chapter 947 House Call
Backlund, East Borough, in a two-room apartment.
A few policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms opened the door and entered. All of them reached out to cover their mouths.
There was a strong stench of blood inside!
“Officer, I’ve no idea what happened. Other tenants said that it seems like there’s plenty of blood here that they can even smell it from next door.” The landlord with a silk top hat looked around in fear, unwilling to stay in the room for another second.
A black-haired, blue-eyed police officer with an inspector epaulet waved his hand and said, “Wait by the door. We still have questions for you.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he spoke, he wore his white gloves and cast his gaze towards the wooden door of the bedroom.
However, he wasn’t in a rush to enter. He slowly surveyed the area and visually took in the surroundings-a pile of coal, a cupboard with cutlery and food, a small stove, a cleanly washed iron pot, a somewhat greasy table, two collapsed circular stools, two slanted chairs, a few glass bottles with unknown powders, and a stack of scattered tarot cards.
“A mysticism enthusiast with an ordinary financial situation?” The black-haired, blue-eyed inspector nodded gently as he made a judgment. Then, he signaled for a subordinate to open the bedroom door.
With a creak, a stronger smell of blood gushed out.
The constable who opened the door looked in and let out a short exclamation as he repeatedly retreated.
The inspector frowned. He pressed the retreating constable’s shoulders, circled around him, and approached the bedroom.
When he swept his gaze, his expression immediately changed.
In the bedroom, on a wooden bed, there was a man lying there. His hands were tied to the bedpost.
He was naked with deep and shallow marks on his body. His blood had long been drained, dyeing the bedsheet and blanket beside him dark red.
Composite Start
Composite End
On a cursory glance, the deceased had apparently been bound by metal wire, cutting into his skin and flesh, right into his bones.
This scene still affected the policemen who had seen many murder scenes. Furthermore, it had a diabolical feeling like it was a ritual.
As the inspector was about to say something, two people rushed into the room. One of them attempted to take photos while the other bombarded him with questions.
“Another murder case?
“Hasn’t there been many murder cases in East Borough recently?
“Officer, do you think it’s a serial murder?”
The black-haired, blue-eyed inspector frowned and waved his hand.
“Do not interfere with the scene; otherwise, we will view you as the criminal’s accomplice.”
He then said to the constable from before, “Khazix, please escort the two reporters away. Tell them that if they have any questions, ask the news department of Sivellaus Yard.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After the reporters were escorted out of the crime scene, the inspector let out a long sigh.
“I’m going on the newspapers again. Damn it!”
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.
“Another murder in East Borough. The victim is suspected to have been abused before being killed…” Having had dinner, Audrey was in the activity room casually reading the Backlund Evening News.
Upon hearing his daughter’s soft muttering, Earl Hall shook his head and sighed.
“This isn’t new in East Borough. The statistics show that there are people dying every day in there. It’s far from one person.”
Audrey didn’t pay too much attention to the matter. After a casual chat with her parents and brother, she returned to her room with her golden retriever, Susie.
The human and dog could read each other’s minds without any exchanging of words. The latter stood by the door as a guard while Audrey locked the door. She sat by her bed and chanted Mr. Fool’s honorific name.
After a few seconds, she saw a dark red beam of light surge and drown everything.
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey arrived above the gray fog, coming inside the magnificent and ancient palace.
She then saw a small room to the side. The mottled door was ajar.
It’s much better than the old confessional from before… However, this doesn’t match Mr. World’s character. Did something happen to his state of mind? In thought, Audrey entered the room and closed the mottled door.
She had previously had a follow-up appointment with The World Gehrman Sparrow and concluded that he had fully recovered. To her surprise, she received a request from him for another treatment.
This left her puzzled as she felt a little intrigued.
In the rather spacious dark room, Audrey leaned against the wall that obviously had another person behind it. Her body slowly slid down as she knelt down with her legs placed diagonally.
In the calm and serene atmosphere, she adjusted her state of mind and said with a brisk tone, “Good evening, Mr. World~”
Just as she said that, Audrey’s spiritual intuition already knew the situation with his Body of Heart and Mind, or in common parlance, his emotions or mood.
Gloomy, disheartened, confused, depressed, and having no interest in anything… Mr. World’s current problem is completely different from the last one… What happened this time? Audrey gently bit her lip and calmly made a judgment and used a timely Placate.
This was the most useful power of a Psychiatrist. In ancient times, it was called Psychoanalysis.
Composite Start
Composite End
The “dark clouds” behind the wall scattered significantly. Gehrman Sparrow finally hoarsely said, “Good evening, Miss Justice.”
Leaning against the wall, Audrey thought and canceled her original plan. She maintained her brisk tone and said, “I’m very curious about your recent experiences. It seems you have had too, too many encounters.
“There’s no need to think about anything else. Let’s have a chat first, just like we’re friends.
“If you’re interested in my life, I’m also willing to share with you some of the interesting matters.”
On the opposite side of the wall, Gehrman Sparrow fell silent for a moment. Without answering the question, he asked, “What hopes do you have for the future?”
Audrey’s eyes darted slightly to the side as she replied seriously, “To advance myself, to work hard to become a demigod so as to better protect my father, mother, and brothers.
“Oh, I’ve recently visited the applicants to the bursary foundation with the other staff of the foundation. Their living conditions are really worse than I imagined. Although I’ve read some reports and was mentally prepared, I still found it unsettling when I saw it with my own eyes. A girl who’s just a few years younger than me was very short and skinny. She doesn’t fill her stomach daily, and she only has two tattered dresses. When she said that she wishes to study, her eyes were extremely pure and filled with an earnest desire. I can’t forget it to this day…”
As she spoke, Audrey acutely sensed the change in Gehrman Sparrow’s mental state. It was no longer a completely still lake, and it was now rippling and undulating
After a short deliberation, this Psychiatrist continued as though she didn’t seem to notice anything, “I once anticipated having a beautiful wedding, wishing that my ‘prince’ will appear like those popular novels. However, after becoming a Spectator, I realized that I might never be able to fulfill this dream. I can often read the true thoughts of those men and see through their lies. I’m able to confirm that many people aren’t as nice as I imagined, and it has left me disappointed. Hmm, in a few more years, I might be able to appreciate people for their flaws, but it’s really difficult to do so now…”
Noticing that Gehrman Sparrow, who had his back to her across the wall, having the emotions of laughter, Audrey did a timely Placate on him. Then, she heard him ask, “You once gathered information about dragons from The Sun. You should have some understanding of the Dragon of Imagination.
“If I were to tell you that your father, mother, and brothers are imagined by the Spectator pathway’s King of Angels and that they do not really exist, what would be your reaction?”
I’ll definitely collapse on the spot and directly lose control… Mr. World has a psychological problem because of his discovery that the thing that he has been anticipating-his ultimate goal—will never be fulfilled? Audrey was first alarmed by Gehrman Sparrow’s question before she realized the essence of the question.
She didn’t reply as she asked in a guiding manner, “You seem to have witnessed the destruction of hope.”
“Heh.” There was a self-deprecating scoff sounding from the wall behind Audrey. “Indeed, I once thought that I had family. Later, I realized that it was only an extravagant hope of mine.”
“Why do you say that?” Audrey asked like she was having a casual chat.
Gehrman Sparrow fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “Have you heard of those fairy tales that Emperor Roselle used for bringing up children?”
“Those are my childhood memories,” Audrey acknowledged.
At the same time, she discovered that Mr. World’s emotions were clearly stirred on the other side of the wall. Repressed pain was surging out. This time, Audrey didn’t use Placate. Her spiritual intuition and professional knowledge told her that he needed to vent it out.
“Then you should know of Sleeping Beauty and her prince,” Gehrman Sparrow said with a soft, hoarse voice. “There’s one such person who also entered a deep sleep until he suddenly woke up one day… He believes that his family is still around, and he works hard to improve himself, hoping that he can one day find them. This becomes his main driving force in life. Finally, he realized that he has slept for at least three hundred years, or even more than a thousand years, perhaps even longer. He can never find anything that he once had any more…”
The intense pain and sense of loss was extremely clear to Audrey. She came to a realization.
The gloomy, restrained, experienced, and ruthless Mr. World also has his own goals and reason for existing!
This is in line with his gentle heart… How pitiful… Although he was giving an example using a fairy tale, some of the emotions he felt when saying certain words reflect reality… When he mentioned “deep sleep,” “family,” “three hundred years,” “more than a thousand years,” “even longer,” “never find,” his pain clearly increased… This means that he’s from an ancient time and has lived to this day due to certain encounters? This matches the situation of Mr. Fool being an awakening ancient god. It’s no wonder he became his Blessed… Audrey quickly grasped the key to the matter.
She pursed her lips and pondered for a moment.
“Did his family say anything? Did they say what they wanted him to do when he wakes up?”
Chapter 948 Meaning of Existence
From Audrey’s point of view, Mr. World’s current situation wasn’t him suffering from a mental illness, nor was it close to pushing him to the state of losing control. It was because his goal in life and the meaning to his existence had been destroyed. It left him with a psychological barrier that just needed some guidance. Once she helped him set up a short-term goal, allowing him to find meaning in life, the problem would slowly be resolved.
In the serene and silent darkness, Audrey heard Gehrman Sparrow answer in a deep voice across the wall, “No.”
As expected… Audrey wasn’t surprised as she asked, “Then did he search for his family’s last words? Did he search for their grave? Did he try to figure out the reason for the deep sleep?”
The Spirit Body behind the wall seemed to vanish for a few seconds as there wasn’t a single sound. After a moment, the hoarse voice continued:
“No, not yet.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Not yet… That means that it’s a possibility in the future? Audrey felt relieved as she clearly felt that Gehrman Sparrow’s emotional state wasn’t as heavy and gloomy as before, without any interest in anything. He had a certain level of drive and a tiny sense of urgency. He was just still in a state of confusion.
Taking this opportunity, Audrey cast Placate again. The effects were much better than before. At the very least, she believed that Mr. World had used this impetus to escape from the abyss of gloominess and depression, returning to a normal person’s disheartened state.
Following that, Audrey didn’t press on regarding how he could find clues or investigate, because this could bring about some resistance. She nodded in the dark room in a natural manner and said, “Yes, there are many things to do, and many things that need amending! Perhaps you will have the chance of meeting someone from the same bloodline? Perhaps a family member of his hasn’t died from age, or had ended up living to this day due to some reason? The reason why there’s meaning to life is because of its infinite possibilities.
“In the process of searching, make sure to not miss out on your surroundings. Life isn’t just a one-way street. There are many branches and alleys. If only the former exists, how boring would it be. You should know how to approach it, to broaden your horizons, and to discover…”
Trying hard to recall all the suitable words she read in books, Audrey suddenly thought of something as her voice softened significantly.
“Also, don’t wear that thick mask.”
The thinner and transparent ones don’t matter because everyone wears a mask when interacting with others. No one likes to directly express one’s relatively private secrets to others. It’s both a way to protect oneself and also a way to respect others… When Mr. World has a certain number of friends, a new meaning in life will naturally be formed… Audrey added inwardly, but she ultimately didn’t say it out loud. She believed that it might even backfire.
Unsurprisingly, Gehrman Sparrow fell silent again, seemingly still in confusion.
After a few seconds, a voice that wasn’t that hoarse sounded again:
Composite Start
Composite End
“Thank you for straightening me out, and for your treatment.”
“No, this is all a result of the strength inside you,” Audrey replied seriously.
She cast a final Placate to confirm that Mr. World’s mental state was back to normal and that it wouldn’t relapse.
She then heard Gehrman Sparrow say, “Let’s end it here for today, okay?”
Audrey adjusted her tone and briskly replied, “Of course. It’s not a serious problem. I can do another follow-up whenever you’re free next week.
“Also, if it’s possible, make some medicine to stabilize your mental state. Take it for seven consecutive days. The ingredients are 10 grams of chamomile powder, 5 grams of rosemary powder, 10 milliliters of lemon balm extract… During this period, don’t reduce your consumption of desserts, and try to relax yourself in an appropriate manner…”
In the dark and silent room, she propped herself against the wall with her hands and slowly stood up.
At this moment, Gehrman Sparrow’s voice passed through the wall:
“What’s the consultation fee?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey held one hand to the wall and turned her head in thought.
“Wait till I get the potion formula for Sequence 5 of the Spectator pathway. I might need you to help me find the ingredients.
“If the Psychology Alchemists provides me with the ingredients, hmm…”
She curled the ends of her lips and said, “When you return from the Southern Continent to Backlund, remember to bring me some of the local produce as a
gift.”
A super luxurious and light transportation coffin that’s carried by eight people? On the other side of the wall, Klein had the inexplicable urge to lampoon. He then stood up while clinging to the wall and sent Miss Justice back to the real world.
With a wave of his hand, the room vanished. He returned to the seat of honor at the long bronze table and sat at the seat belonging to The Fool.
In front of him, there were the Black Emperor, Tyrant, and Red Priest Cards of Blasphemy on the right. On the left, there was the Creeping Hunger, which Leonard Mitchell had sent back via Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr.
“I owe Miss Messenger 10,000 gold coins again…” Klein retracted his gaze and raised his right hand to rub his temples.
Composite Start
Composite End
To prevent Ince Zangwill from escaping through the spirit world, he had already communicated with Reinette Tinekerr before he made plans for the murder. She was in charge of chasing away all the spirit world creatures around Revival Square, in exchange for that very same 10,000 gold coins.
The only thing that caught him by surprise was that 0-08 was more terrifying than he imagined. With Ince Zangwill suffering from Deity’s Curse, and with King of Angels Adam having drained it, its first attempt was able to “attract” an unknown creature which could pass through Reinette Tinekerr’s seal. If not for Daly Simone’s forceful spirit channeling and signing a pact, Ince Zangwill might very well have escaped.
Of course, while under Deity’s Curse, even if Ince Zangwill were to successfully escape, there was a high chance of him encountering other misfortunes, such as being thrown by the unknown creature to somewhere more dangerous or having it directly cause him harm. However, that wasn’t within Klein’s control.
At the thought that he was 10,000 gold coins in debt again, Klein felt a headache, but his mental state was a lot better.
After seeing the cocoon above the gray cloud, and the door of light beyond the staircase of light, he had suffered a shock that was as though a river had broken through its banks. He felt that all his expectations had been shattered. His mature world view, outlook on life, and values had crumbled as a result, causing his entire being to fall into a turbid state, as though he were a walking zombie.
Thankfully, he still had the innate desire to live and had sought out his private psychiatrist, Miss Justice Audrey, in time for treatment.
Phew… Klein exhaled and forced himself to turn his thoughts towards the cocoons. And from the scene he saw, his first reaction was:
An extremely high-level existence or Sealed Artifact had used different means to grab a large group of people from Earth at the same moment in time. Here, there were people who used the luck enhancement ritual, others bought strange silver plates, or had their phones hit by some strange virus…
Then, these transmigrators had their souls sealed inside the cocoon and were left hanging above the door of light, awaiting a particular opportunity before being sent to the real world.
Based on Klein’s observation, the door of light didn’t have any intelligence. It was operating based on pure instinct. This also meant that as long as the conditions were met, it would catalyze a cocoon and deliver the soul inside to a specific target’s body.
Composite Start
Composite End
Based on the current circumstances, Klein guessed that there were probably two conditions that needed to be met.
First, there mustn’t be any other transmigrators prior, or the transmigrator had already been deemed to have failed or died. Second, the “calling out” of a certain object, item, or ritual. For instance, Klein Moretti had followed the Antigonus family’s notebook to perform that dark divination.
As for the rest, it’s impossible to know. Unless I can find the corresponding content in Emperor Roselle’s diary… Putting together everything that I know, my current theory should be very close to the truth. This will make it easy to explain why, despite being from the same era as the emperor on Earth with less than a year in between us, our entry into the real world was separated by slightly more than two hundred years… It’s because we transmigrated at the same time, but we were “released” in different eras! Before entering the real world, who knows how long we’ve been asleep for… A brother from next door? Klein leaned back into his chair as his eyes shimmered before turning gloomy again.
This was a hypothesis he came up with based on the conditions of the door of light, his situation, and the emperor’s diary.
Of course, this didn’t mean that there weren’t other possibilities. At present, Klein was just unable to find evidence to support them. For example, a cocoon might represent the life of a transmigrator, but this was in contradiction with Klein’s own recovery or the lack of change in his Spirit Body.
And if his hypothesis wasn’t too different from the truth, it meant that he had left Earth, transmigrating over for at least two hundred years or even thousands of years. Even if he found the way and method to go back to Earth, he was unable to return to the place he called home.
Compared to the gap in distance, the barrier of time left him in greater despair.
This was the reason why it caused Klein’s mental state to instantly collapse. “Returning home” was always his ultimate goal.
Miss Justice is right. There are still many questions to resolve and to probe… What’s the meaning behind hanging so many transmigrators behind the door of light? What goal does it have? Who set up everything back then? How many people were pulled in here? Where has the other person gone to? The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth? Klein tried hard to engross himself in thinking, so as to find a new goal for the future.
Unfortunately, he was only able to approach the door of light and not touch it. He was unable to touch it, grasp it, or even carefully inspect it. He had no means to do any studies to receive any direct information.
I should consider finding clues from the real world… Also, since reaching Sequence 4 allows me to reach that gray cloud and see the door of light, will there be another qualitative change at Sequence 2? Will I be able to gain control over the door of light when that happens, allowing me to figure out the truth?
Heh heh, I was affected by the Seven Lights, the Goddess, and Arrodes’s attitude. I almost imagined myself to be the real owner of the gray fog, and believe that I’m some great master above the spirit world. Now, from the looks of it, I’m just a “test subject” that was randomly thrown down. Once I fail, the next transmigrator will appear… Klein thought as he tapped the edge of the long bronze table.
He was rather curious of another point. Three broken “cocoons,” with one representing himself, and another representing the emperor, so who was the third one?
Chapter 949 Direction of Investigations
Klein’s first target of suspicion was undoubtedly Elf King Soniathrym. This ancient god had created chopsticks, made blood cakes, enjoyed eating animal innards, and was good at using spices for cooking. “His” descendants had facial features, hair color, and eyes that resembled Asians on Earth. Not only did Klein suspect that “He” was a transmigrator, even Emperor Roselle shared his feelings.
Of course, after a deeper level of investigations, Roselle had ruled out that hypothesis from their language, symbols, traditional proverbs, and other facets. Klein believed that using chopsticks as cutlery, the preference for eating innards, and using spices wasn’t an exclusive trait. To a species that enjoyed nature, it was possible for these to gradually appear in their daily life!
As for why elves who wielded the Sailor pathway were close to nature, Klein didn’t know why. It was just something as described by the murals and texts they left behind.
I for one felt that the Elf King is unlikely to be a transmigrator, but after seeing the three shattered cocoons, I can’t be too sure… Perhaps “He” might be a fellow countryman… Hmm, I can’t rule out the possibility that this ancient god isn’t a transmigrator but that one of the high-ranking elves around “Him” is one. This can also allow the tradition to pass down in the name of the Elf King… Klein tapped his fingers as he thought silently.
Almost at the same time, he had two directions for his investigation:
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Groselle’s Travels had Elvish Songster, Siatas, who served Soniathrym’s queen, Queen of Calamity Cohinem!
As long as I enter her sea of collective subconscious, I should be able to see or make contact with the elves and find memory fragments regarding the ancient
god!
I can also use Hypnosis, directly allowing her subconscious to speak… But the problem is that I’m not good at such matters. The last time I attempted to delve into Groselle’s subconscious, I felt quick-tempered and could hardly calm down. Although I’m already a demigod, it also becomes more pressing that I resist the inclination towards madness and losing control. And I won’t be able to regulate my mental state for quite some time… Forcefully spirit channeling isn’t suitable for such a situation and for such a target… Klein frowned slightly. He felt that he might need a mystical item that was of a relatively high-level Sequence in the Spectator pathway, or an assistant that was at least a Hypnotist.
He began seriously considering the possibility of getting Miss Justice’s help. There’s no problem doing it. It’s not impossible to leave by entering as a Spirit Body above the gray fog…
I don’t have to worry that Miss Justice will pry into the secret of a transmigrator. As long as Siatas doesn’t have any knowledge of this, her subconscious and collective subconscious wouldn’t point towards such a conclusion. And I can find the desired clues in details so they don’t pay any notice…
The biggest problem is that Miss Justice has no adventuring experience and she lacks it. Entering the sea of subconscious of an ancient figure is very dangerous to her. There might be the remnants of an ancient god in there at any time… Once I don’t have the help of a Psychiatrist, I will also end up the same…
Even if I’m getting Miss Justice as support, I’ll have to wait until she reaches Sequence 5 so that she can use her level to make up for her lack of experience. When that happens, we can first attempt to hypnotize Siatas and see what we can learn from her mouth. If there’s nothing of value, we can consider entering her dream to delve deeper into her consciousness and step into that sea.
Yes, the Dream Charms I create now aren’t potent enough. I might not be able to maintain such a long exploration. Sigh, the Goddess won’t directly respond to such trivial matters. It’s a fixed feedback based on a fixed ritual… The corresponding Beyonder characteristics have been returned to the Church… Don’t tell me that I need to bring Leonard with me? I wonder if pulling someone at the Spirit Body level can avoid the notice of the grandpa inside him. I’ll do some research over the next few days…
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein reined in his thoughts and considered his second target of suspicion.
This person didn’t seem too special in the past, nor did Klein believe that he was a transmigrator. But now that his mind calmed down, he began processing his thoughts and analyzing, Klein realized that many points that he viewed as common sense weren’t that simple on careful thought. They contained an unspeakable sense of horror.
He suspected: the ancient sun god, the City of Silver’s Creator!
The seven Church’s separate bibles have similarities to Earth’s Western religions… It is similarly the case for their Masses!
Based on Little Sun’s description, from what Emperor Roselle saw from Adam’s chapel, and the content of the murals in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, it’s clear that the ancient sun god’s main symbol is the cross!
“He” gave his children the names Adam and Amon…
The angels beneath “Him” all have wings of light. I’ve not seen that in the other pathways to date…
It’s unknown how “He” rose up. “He” suddenly appeared late in the Second Epoch, killed several ancient gods, and took “Their” various authorities…
I never thought much about these details in the past. It’s quite scary now that I think deeply of it. Klein drew a gasp as he began feeling more convinced that it was the ancient sun god instead of Elf King Soniathrym.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“His” experiences were just too legendary, more of a protagonist of an era than Emperor Roselle!
Of course, “His” outcome was rather tragic, becoming a feast for “His” Kings of Angels. Emperor Roselle was also tragic but in no way as terrible.
Doesn’t this imply Amon’s and Adam’s attitude in a certain sense? “They” believe that the gray fog is related to “Their” father, but due to “Their” different pathways, they made different choices? Hmm, there’s a certain chance that Adam can’t see the gray fog. “He” isn’t a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Fate, Marauder, Seer, and Apprentice pathways… Klein nodded slightly.
Based on these clues, he also had a direction of investigation that didn’t require him to make contact with major figures at the angel level.
In Groselle’s Travels lived Ascetic Snowman who survived the Third Epoch and had served the ancient sun god!
The problem circles back to itself… There’s nothing to doubt about the rest for the time being. Klein slowly exhaled, reached out his right hand, and picked up the newly obtained Card of Blasphemy: Red Priest card!
Infusing his spirituality into it, the card produced a blood-red light, forming a palm-sized illusory book.
The pages of the book flipped, presenting portraits of a lifelike Roselle Gustav. He was either wearing a hunter’s attire, raising his middle finger, walking through a burning building, or standing behind a trap. He had all sorts of attires and was doing all kinds of things.
Sequence 9: Hunter… Sequence 8: Provoker… Sequence 7: Pyromaniac… Sequence 6: Conspirer… Sequence 5: Reaper… Sequence 4: Iron-blooded Knight… Sequence 3: War Bishop… Sequence 2: Weather Warlock… Sequence 1: Conqueror… Sequence 0: Red Priest… Klein’s gaze swept past the different portraits on the tarot card and imprinted the content into his mind.
Composite Start
Composite End
He wasn’t surprised at this pathway’s Sequence o’s ritual to become a god. This was because Hermes had once told Roselle that the “red” in Red Priest meant the red of war.
Therefore, when he saw “stirring up a war that sweeps an entire continent and gain victory,” he wasn’t stirred at all.
After flipping the Red Priest card, he began thinking about problems and felt his mental state improve. He rubbed his temples, finally feeling exhausted.
I should set a short-term goal and investigate the person behind the Great Smog of Backlund. This is something that I’ve yet to complete. Yes, I should continue the arms deal according to my original plans, and return to Backlund after receiving the money. Now, there are two clues. First, the captain of the royal guards, Viscount Stratford, and the other is MI9’s deputy director, Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor… Klein tried to pull himself up and decided to occupy himself with something.
Before leaving the gray fog, he threw the mental medicine recipe that Miss Justice had given him to the crimson star representing The Moon Emlyn. He requested this vampire, who was good at making it, to make a week’s worth at 1 pound a bottle.
Backlund, within the Odora family’s villa.
Emlyn White, who was waiting in the activity room, curled his lips and thought to himself, A transaction that’s just 7 pounds. I really don’t want to do it… The World can concoct it himself if he’s a little careful.
He hadn’t objected to The World’s request, because after spending 5,000 pounds to buy the Sequence 5 Vampire Beyonder characteristic, he only had 730 pounds left.
At this moment, Cosmi walked over, looking like a middle-aged gentleman.
After exchanging a bow, the Sanguine Baron asked, “Emlyn, why are you suddenly here?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn immediately felt a little guilty before recalling his previous experiences of conversing with The Hanged Man and The World. He tipped his chin slightly and answered in a seemingly casual manner, “I’ve received a Sequence 5 Scarlet Scholar Beyonder characteristic. I wonder when we can begin the ritual to make me a Viscount.”
Cosmi was taken aback as he asked in surprise, “You obtained a Scarlet Scholar Beyonder characteristic?”
Emlyn glanced at him and nodded with a faint smile.
“That’s right.”
He didn’t explain how he had obtained the Beyonder characteristic, as though Cosmi wasn’t worthy of knowing
Cosmi turned agape as he fell silent. After a few seconds, he said, “Wait till the next full moon.”
He paused and said, “I happen to have something for you.
“My grandfather wishes to inform you that an important figure will be coming to Backlund. ‘He’ wishes to meet you.”
“He”? Emlyn’s pupils dilated instantly.
The ancient ones of the Sanguine that lived since the Second Epoch to this day, together with the Grade o Sealed Artifacts, all of those important existences at the angel level didn’t exceed five in number!
Chapter 950 Keeping Secrets
Emlyn fell silent for two seconds as he lowered his chin and asked, “Who… is it?”
To him, angels were naturally worthy of respect, but those who could truly make him bow his head were the important figures addressed as “He” by every Sanguine. “They” had witnessed and experienced the Sanguine’s long history, the source of his pride.
“I’m not sure. But in short, I’ll notify you when the time comes.” Cosmi Odora shook his head.
… The person is coming because of the Ancestor’s revelation? There are subsequent instructions? Why doesn’t the Ancestor directly give me a revelation? This will be better concealed. I’m “Her” chosen one! This is to avoid agitating Mr. Fool? Questions flashed past Emlyn’s mind as he answered them himself.
He didn’t speak further as he wore his top hat and left Odora’s villa.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When he arrived at the door, he looked at the thin clouds that could hardly block out the sun. Emlyn curled his lips in disdain, raised his hand to press down on his hat, and ran for a rental carriage at the end of the street as he inwardly mumbled, Such weather really isn’t suitable for heading out!
The medicine that The World wants isn’t rare. It can be concocted in fifteen minutes… Hmm, the ingredients I ordered previously should be in by today. I can carry out the transaction with Miss Magician that I’ve delayed for days…
Backlund, Cherwood Borough.
Fors placed glass bottles on an altar and looked at the light blue and golden liquids, feeling the exhilaration from shopping. More enticing than a cocktail. I wonder what it tastes like. Putting some ice in might make it taste better… Seriously, what am I thinking? These are all medicine! Fors sputtered at herself and hurriedly cleaned up the room.
Upon receiving the medicine required for medical treatment, she finished her preparations for heading to the abandoned castle in Delaire Forest. She was just waiting for Xio to return!
After tidying up certain matters, Fors slumped onto the sofa and casually picked up a few newspaper copies and began planning her itinerary for the day.
Set off at dusk. Dinner will probably be when we arrive at the town bordering the forest…
Amidst her silent mumbling, Fors flipped to the copy of News At Sea.
Suddenly, her gaze froze as a familiar name was reflected in her eyes: “Gehrman Sparrow!”
Composite Start
Composite End
This adventurer had appeared at sea again, boarding the Black Tulip with a middle-aged name known as “Death Consul.” He killed Admiral Hell Ludwell, changing the lineup of the seven pirate admirals again.
ILIL
Fors subconsciously patted her chest, unsure what she was happy about.
At that instant, she had a baffling feeling that Gehrman Sparrow’s experiences were sufficiently legendary, something that could definitely be written into a novel!
Unfortunately, he’s not someone who’s easy to get along with; otherwise, I can totally be a part-time biographer to write a book for him… Haha, if I were to write the book titled “Gehrman Sparrow,” I’ll definitely be targeted by the official Beyonders… Fors thought in amusement before hearing the lock turn.
She looked up and saw Xio pushing open the door and entering the living room.
“You’re early?” Fors asked in surprise.
Xio ruffled the right side of her blonde hair and said, “I met with MI9 again and received a mission.”
“What is it?” Fors sat up, asking out of curiosity.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio casually threw herself onto the single-seater.
“Investigate the background of the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow.
“Based on the information provided by MI9, he’s a terrifying Beyonder, and the name he uses is fake. Even his identification documents are fake. He probably came from Backlund.
“They suspect that Gehrman Sparrow has another identity and partners here.”
Upon hearing the word “partners,” Fors couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth. She had the urge to tell Xio that MI9’s guess was right. Gehrman Sparrow’s partner was sitting directly opposite her.
She coughed slightly and acted calm while she asked, “Why are you investigating Gehrman Sparrow’s background?
“What did he do this time?”
Xio glanced at the stack of newspapers beside Fors.
“Haven’t you read today’s News at Sea?
Composite Start
Composite End
“Gehrman Sparrow killed Admiral Hell Ludwell and is now known as the strongest adventurer of the Five Seas.
“By the way, MI9 also told me that Gehrman Sparrow might very well believe in the secret existence known as The Fool. This is news that came from many different sources, including the Aurora Order and the Rose School of Thought.”
I can testify to that… They are right… Fors forced a smile and said, “Sounds rather dangerous.”
“Yeah.” Xio nodded. “I only plan on gathering the intel and not delving too deep into it.”
Fors didn’t continue on this topic as she said, “I’ve already prepared the medicine. Shall we head to Delaire Forest today?”
Xio had already become a Sequence 7 Interrogator a few days ago, and she had mastered a rather useful power, Psychic Piercing.
“Alright.” Xio stood up, showcasing how she was a woman of action. “Let’s set off now.”
“Ah? Let’s wait a little longer. I was thinking dusk…” Fors replied, feeling a little resistant.
She often wished to procrastinate until the last moment.
Before long, she was pulled out of their rented apartment by Xio while bringing all kinds of items along. They got a rental carriage and headed for the metro.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst the sonorous whistle of the steam engine, the massive steam locomotive hauled its meandering body and entered the platform. Under the illumination of the wall lamps on both sides, it stopped
Fors and Xio stood outside a carriage and waited patiently for the passengers to alight.
Suddenly, they saw two Red Gloves.
The owner of the Red Gloves was a man in his thirties. He wore a white shirt with a black trench coat. His collar was raised up high, covering his chin and mouth.
He had a pair of dark-green eyes with golden-brown sideburns. He held a silver chest that was big enough to put a tiny violin in it.
Fors and Xio exchanged looks as they lowered their gaze, staring at their toes.
As a high-ranking deacon of the Church of Evernight’s Nighthawks, one of the twenty-two members of power in the Church, and one of the three bigwigs of the Red Gloves, Crestet Cesimir wasn’t someone who cared about parading himself around. He enjoyed traveling alone, taking the transportation that commoners took, making him appear like an ordinary clergyman.
After transferring to another line, he eventually arrived in North Borough. He then took a rental carriage and headed straight for Saint Samuel Cathedral where he met Backlund diocese’s archbishop, Saint Anthony Stevenson.
After greeting each other and praising the Goddess, Cesimir found a seat and said, “I’ll be troubling you to provide me with some help for the next couple weeks.”
The clean-shaved archbishop, Anthony, in his black robe with red accents sat down as well. He deliberated before asking, “Is it something to do with Ince Zangwill?”.
“Yes.” Cesimir nodded slightly. “The Holy See wishes that I inform you that another servant of the Goddess, the matron of the Evernight cloister, Ma’am Arianna, will be in Backlund not long from now.”
This ascetic was ranked first among all the thirteen archbishops.
Without waiting for Saint Anthony’s inquiry, he explained in detail, “Ma’am Ilya learned plenty of important information from Ince Zangwill’s remnant spirit, including his mental problems that 0-08 used to escape, as well as the details of his cooperation with the royal family and the Demoness Sect…
“After machinating the Great Smog of Backlund, Ince Zangwill was betrayed by 0-08 and had ended up being possessed by the Red Angel evil spirit. He headed for the Southern Continent alone in an attempt to set up a trap to hunt Ma’am Ilya.
“An important point to take note of is, that in Ince Zangwill’s memories, there is a very important underground ruin. It’s in the northwestern outskirts of Backlund, an area just before the Tussock River flows in.
“My mission is to find that ruin.”
Saint Anthony finished listening in silence before asking in thought, “Ince Zangwill doesn’t know of the exact location?
“He has never been there before?”
Cesimir shook his head.
“He had entered, but he was led in there and didn’t grasp the required key information.”
Saint Anthony tersely acknowledged before asking, “Have you figured out which batch of people from the royal family that Ince Zangwill was working with?”
“No.” Crestet Cesimir paused and continued, “Based on normal logic, regardless of whether the partners donned disguises, if they meet, there should be the corresponding memory fragments, but inside Ince Zangwill’s Spirit Body, there were no traces of that. It was as though it never existed.”
“Perhaps it’s an influence of a deed. The source of the deed’s power that even a Sequence 4 demigod can’t resist is something worth paying attention to.” Saint Anthony nodded very slightly.
He thought and said, “The telegram didn’t include much. I do not know the exact sequence of events. Who exactly killed Ince Zangwill?”
Crestet Cesimir exhaled slowly and said, “A name you might never believe, Klein Moretti.”
“The Nighthawk who died in the line of duty during the Tingen incident?” Anthony’s wrinkles deepened.
“Yes, that’s what Ilya sent back. No one knows how Klein Moretti, who was only a Sequence 8, had resurrected, or how he could kill Ince Zangwill, a demigod wielding 0-08…” Upon saying this, Cesimir’s expression turned somewhat odd. “The Holy See requests us to strictly keep this intel confidential. We are not to divulge this to anyone who isn’t an archbishop or high-ranking deacon. Furthermore, we are not to pursue Klein Moretti, pretending as though he’s still in his grave.”
Saint Anthony fell silent for a few seconds as though he recalled something trivial. He nodded and said, “Perhaps, he’s a Blessed of the Goddess…”
Cesimir suddenly looked up at Saint Anthony as though he was a lunatic.
His lips quivered, but he ultimately didn’t say a word.
Anthony didn’t continue the topic as he looked at the door and said sternly, “Your mission might need plenty of investigations. This requires enough manpower. Hmm, Soest’s team has completed their mission in the Southern Continent. I’ll get them to return quickly and follow your instructions.”
“Alright.” Crestet Cesimir didn’t put up any objections.
“Rest for the remainder of the day before returning to Backlund?” Leonard looked up at team captain, Soest.
Soest looked pitifully at Leonard, who had been silent for quite some time, and nodded.
“That’s right.”
After watching this Spirit Warlock leave his room, Leonard sighed and leaned against the wall.
At this moment, dark red light surged out from before his eyes, enveloping him completely without any prior warning.
Chapter 951 Drawing A Card
By the time Leonard reacted, he saw numerous towering stone pillars, as well as a towering palace that looked like a giant’s residence above the endless grayish-white fog that was being propped up by these stone pillars.
His green eyes wore a blank look. After a second, Leonard found himself sitting on a high-back chair beside a long mottled bronze table at some point in time. Beside him and opposite him were high-back chairs that exuded solemnity.
And at the end of the long mottled table, where the seat of honor was, a figure was shrouded in thick gray fog. The figure was leaning into his seat leisurely, as though he was overlooking everything.
When this figure appeared in Leonard’s eyes, he felt as though he was on a liner, seeing a bottomless abyss whose boundaries were nowhere to be seen. It also felt like he had left the city and was on the outskirts, looking up to see lofty mountains that tore through the clouds.
Instantly, many thoughts flashed through Leonard’s mind. He had a rough guess as to what he was experiencing. As a Beyonder of the Church, a believer who knew that deities truly exist, he wasn’t able to resist his feelings. He subconsciously wished to leave his seat and prostrate before the existence before him.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The might of a deity was boundless!
Just as Leonard stood up, he was pressed down by an invisible force. A slow and calm voice resonated in his ears:
“There’s no need for such trouble.
“You can call me Mr. Fool.”
The Fool… Indeed… Leonard’s fear of the unknown had settled immediately. Although he was still worried about what would happen next, he wasn’t that perturbed any longer. He didn’t sit uneasily with a dry mouth and parched lips.
He got up halfway, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed.
“Honorable Mr. Fool, why did you summon me here?”
As an experienced Nighthawk and a Red Glove who had participated in major cases, Leonard knew how dangerous it was to establish a connection with a secret existence. He knew that he had slid down the edge of the abyss and had no chance of redemption.
At that moment when he decided to chant The Fool’s honorific name, he was able to foresee his tragic end. But for revenge, he had made the choice regardless.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, everyone had the instinct to survive. Recalling how Klein Moretti, who believed in The Fool, was still alive and had even become a demigod, Leonard couldn’t help but hold out some hope and expectations.
At this moment, he heard the fog-enshrouded Fool chuckle.
“Since you prayed to me for help, then based on the principle of equivalent exchange, you definitely need to pay the price.”
Leonard’s body trembled as he bowed his head lower.
“What is it you wish?”
After a brief pause, The Fool’s voice sounded again:
“There’s no rush. Perhaps there will be something that requires you to provide help to certain people.
“Have a seat.”
Leonard slowly calmed himself down and sat. He looked around and asked, “He… Klein Moretti… has been here like me?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Fool’s said with a calm tone, “In a different manner.”
Different manner… Indeed, Klein didn’t enter because he chanted the honorific name. He had been introduced by that Death Consul named Azik Eggers before becoming one of Mr. Fool’s faithful… Leonard couldn’t help but survey the area, and he discovered that there were a total of twenty-two high-back chairs around the long mottled table.
It corresponds to the twenty-two Beyonder pathways. There are also twenty-two tarot cards… The Fool… Just as Leonard came up with a theory, he heard Mr. Fool chuckle.
“Other than you, there are other living beings that have been pulled in here for various reasons.
“They earnestly wished for me to convene a gathering to carry out the exchange of information and the transaction of materials and formulas. They also help each other. This allows them to rapidly advance, eventually becoming High-Sequence Beyonders.”
This is a little different from the secret organization represented by tarot cards I had imagined. It’s rather loosely organized… What motives does Mr. Fool have to agree to such a request? After coming to the ancient palace above the gray fog, Leonard felt high-strung, causing his thought processes to be a lot more agile than usual. He came up with all kinds of questions.
After successfully achieving revenge, he had been feeling low-spirited and empty for a moment, as though he had lost his goal in life. However, he quickly pulled himself together. This was because Daly’s death told him that he wasn’t strong enough. To reduce the number of casualties of his companions in future missions and so as to not lack the ability to save them, he needed to reach Sequence 4 at the very least. He needed to become a demigod.
Therefore, The Fool’s words had stirred his heart. He felt that it was an opportunity. Meanwhile, he also believed that by joining the gathering, he could deeply understand the situation of the secret organization. It helped in maximally averting the danger that resulted from establishing contact with The Fool.
After some deliberation, Leonard asked, “Klein Moretti is also a regular member of this gathering?
Composite Start
Composite End
“Does he have a seat here?”
The Fool replied without much concern, “Yes.”
Leonard fell silent for a second as he asked, “Honorable Mr. Fool, can I join this regular gathering?”
Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool said with a smile, “Sure.
“But when you return, remember to mention this to Pallez Zoroast about it. Do not attempt to hide it from ‘Him.”
“Him”… Old Man really is an angel! It’s no wonder the Luck Siphon charm is so magical… Although Leonard had already expected this, he still couldn’t help but be alarmed after receiving confirmation from Mr. Fool.
He hesitated for a moment and said, “Why must I tell Pallez Zoroast?”
Although he had a good relationship with Pallez Zoroast and had established a certain level of trust, he still felt wary. The reason why he had made the request to join Mr. Fool’s secret gathering was to balance the latent danger of the ancient Parasite.
He then heard Mr. Fool reply with a smile, “Many a time, striking fear is a lot more useful than conflict.”
Striking fear is a lot more useful than conflict… That’s right, forcefully creating a balance might agitate Old Man. Regardless, the final battlefield will be in my body, and it would be extremely disadvantageous to me. By striking fear into “Him,” I can get “Him” to recognize the situation. Even if “He” has ill intent, “He” will think of another solution and take another path… Leonard bowed his head in enlightenment.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Honorable Mr. Fool, I have no more questions.”
At the end of the long bronze table, The Fool conjured a deck of tarot cards and lifted up his hand and pointed at them.
“They have each selected a tarot card to represent their code name. You can also choose one.
“The deck has the cards of their respective owners taken away.”
They do use tarot cards are as their code names… Leonard exhaled and couldn’t help but ask again, “Which card is Klein Moretti?”
“The World,” The Fool said casually. “It’s him, and also not him.”
What does that mean… Leonard didn’t dare to ask further. He extended his right hand and pulled out a card from the deck of tarot cards.
Flipping it over, he saw a goddess pouring holy water, with stars littering the background.
The Star card!
This didn’t match Leonard’s taste, but since he had already completed the ritual under Mr. Fool’s watch, he could only accept it.
“Return. The gathering happens every Monday at three in the afternoon, Backlund time.” Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool raised his hand and made Leonard, who was rushing to bow, vanish from the ancient palace.
The Fool Klein chuckled as he flipped all the tarot cards.
All of them had the same picture with the same sky-filled stars.
All of them were The Star cards!
After laughing for a while, Klein cast his gaze to the crimson star that represented Leonard.
While attempting to pull the poet above the gray fog, he had made some careful observation and had discovered that there was a blob of light hiding in Leonard Mitchell’s body. It seemed to be made of countless ringed worms, hidden deep inside his Soul Body.
This made Klein confirm that Pallez Zoroast had only parasitized Leonard at a preliminary stage. “He” didn’t control Leonard’s Body of Heart and Mind, Astral Projection, Ether Body, and physical body. And after advancing to become a demigod, Klein had gained a deeper control over the mysterious space above the gray fog, allowing him to pull in anyone he wanted, without targeting the soul. He could make a selection.
Therefore, Klein decided to not touch Leonard’s Soul Body, and only pulled his Astral Projection above the gray fog. This avoided agitating Pallez Zoroast or end up bringing “Him” into the mysterious space. Of course, it was almost certain that the Sequence 1 angel of the Marauder pathway would notice it.
And the ability to enter the dreams of others stemmed from the Astral Projection of Beyonders of the Evernight pathway, so it didn’t affect Leonard’s ability to do what he was good at in this mysterious space.
Let’s hope that he can escape from Pallez Zoroast’s parasitizing bit by bit… Klein suddenly sighed.
The reason why he made Leonard join the tarot club was because he wished to help this former teammate grow stronger, allowing him to escape the claws of Pallez Zoroast.
If that Marauder pathway angel didn’t have any ill intent, he could get Leonard to help “Him” hide from Amon and aid “His” recovery. This would speed up “His” switching of parasitic targets.
Retracting in his gaze, Klein thought for a moment. He threw the Hunter pathway’s Sequence 6 Conspirer potion formula to the point of light representing Danitz. He then instructed him to leave the Southern Continent and return to the Golden Dream.
Black Hunting Spider’s composite eye, sphinx’s brain… Danitz recalled the content he had just “seen” in a daze as he stood up in delight.
He planned to immediately bid farewell to Anderson and leave the dangerous Southern Continent.
After coming to the door of the Fog Sea’s Strongest Hunter, he knocked on the wooden door, only to see it open.
Anderson hadn’t locked the door!
Danitz was puzzled as he cast his gaze inside and saw Anderson holding a knife and sliding it against his abdomen.
Chapter 952 What a Small World
Danitz jumped in fright as he blurted out, “Sorry, I didn’t see anything…” Before he could finish his sentence, he had already pulled the door handle towards him.
Bang!
The door closed, emitting a sound that echoed through the corridor.
At this point, Danitz finally came to a realization.
What was I doing just now…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
What is Anderson doing?
He instinctively removed the black boxing glove and thought bitterly with a frown. Finally, he decided to return to his room, pack his luggage, and leave.
As for what Anderson was trying to do, he felt that something was amiss despite his curiosity. He had no plans on getting himself involved in it, lest he fell into a trap.
Captain said that I should maintain fear and respect towards the unknown. So, I should distance myself from this… Just as Danitz turned around, he suddenly heard the door unlock before being opened.
Anderson, whose buttons on the lower part of his shirt weren’t buttoned up, walked out with a dull, pitch-black knife. He looked at Danitz with a mixed expression.
“Aren’t you going to try to stop me?”
Danitz acutely noticed the chance to mock him as he sniggered.
“That’s your freedom.
“If you didn’t leave a will, I’ll be rich!”
Composite Start
Composite End
Anderson rubbed his cheeks.
“Aren’t you curious about what I encountered?”
Danitz glanced at him suspiciously.
“I keep feeling as though you’re up to something.”
Anderson roared with laughter.
“Well, I had been captured some time ago and was soaked in strange blood with all kinds of ingredients. I was corroded by it for an extended period of time until a strange chrysalis was formed inside my body. This was to create the effect of having a certain level of attraction towards High-Sequence Beyonders of the Hunter pathway.”
As he spoke, he pointed at his abdomen.
Danitz was taken aback.
“I’ve never really heard of something like that.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“If you were another sex, I might’ve imagined that you’re pregnant…”
He paused for a moment before asking, “That strange fellow in Revival Square was attracted by the baby, no— ‘chrysalis’ in your stomach?”
Anderson nodded as Danitz gestured with his hands.
“You were trying to cut open your abdomen to extract the ‘chrysalis’?”
Anderson replied honestly, “Yes, I’m worried about how it would affect me, or if it will continue attracting demigods. I have to make every second count to remove this latent problem.”
Danitz thought before asking in puzzlement, “Then why aren’t you making the attempt?
“You forgot to set up a will, and you want me to be your witness?”
Anderson’s facial muscles twitched as he chuckled.
“Not bad. Your Provoker potion should almost be digested.”
Composite Start
Composite End
He then sighed.
“After some careful analysis, I believe there’s no direct way to extract it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have soaked me in blood and allow the ingredients to seep into me. They could’ve just opened up my stomach and placed the chrysalis inside before sewing me up.”
Without waiting for Danitz’s reply, he said in thought, “Don’t you have the method to contact Gehrman Sparrow? He’s been through so much and knows so much, so I would like to consult him on how to resolve this problem.”
In recent months, Danitz was extremely afraid of people raising the matter about him knowing Gehrman Sparrow, so he subconsciously retorted, “No! I haven’t seen him since I left the Golden Dream!”
Anderson curled the corner of his lips and said, “When you were writing to Gehrman Sparrow, I was beside him and have met his messenger.”
Danitz’s expression immediately froze. He forced a smile after a few seconds.
“Then why don’t you directly summon his messenger?”
Anderson raised his hand again and touched his throat, chuckling.
“I don’t know the ritual for summoning his messenger.”
Danitz still suspected that Anderson was up to something, and was unwilling to confirm that he had been repeatedly communicating with Gehrman Sparrow. He then suggested, “Actually, you can always seek the help of our captain on such matters. She’s very knowledgeable and good at research. She knows many secret techniques and can also seek the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom for help. She should be able to give you the solution for resolving the matter of the chrysalis in your stomach.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Haha, if you’re embarrassed, I can talk to her for you.”
Just as he said that, he saw Anderson’s face beam. He quickly replied with a rushed tone, “Alright, let’s do that!
“I’ve already packed my luggage. When shall we set off?”
“…” Danitz fell into a daze for a few seconds, feeling that he had been tricked by Anderson.
He returned to the room, drank his remaining beer, and threw all the miscellaneous items into his luggage bag, leaving behind a dried leaf with golden patterns.
This was the token Danitz previously used to establish contact with the Northern State’s dominant leader, General Maysanchez. Following Gehrman Sparrow’s instructions, he left the leaf inside and allowed the person-in-charge to follow up.
In the room that Danitz checked out of, a candle was suddenly lit as a two-meter-tall scarlet flame burgeoned.
Amidst the flames, a figure walked out. He was wearing a silk top hat, black formal suit, and had white sideburns. He looked outstanding with his deep, blue eyes and mature demeanor. He was none other than Klein as Dwayne Dantès.
After picking up the leaf with golden patterns, Klein left the hotel, circling around the sealed-off Revival Square, and came to Cookawa’s core region, White Feather Square.
Maysanchez’s residence was there, located beside a Death cathedral that descended downwards.
As a standard Loenese gentleman, Dantès looked out of place when walking through the city. Here, the foreigners were a minority, with most foreigners seen around the few major embassies located around Rejoice Square. The other places were filled with mostly locals from Balam.
Their skin was slightly brown, and they had curly black hair. Their facial features were soft, and in the eyes of most people from the Northern Continent, people of the same sex all looked the same, aside from the differences in height and weight.
These locals, be it male or female, enjoyed rolling dried tobacco leaves into Balam cigarettes. Along the way, Klein would see residents spewing out smoke alongside the road from time to time.
In addition, many of them hung a fruit known as Dalawa by their waists.
This fruit was the size of two fists, with thick skin. After digging open a tiny hole and eating the flesh inside, one could use it to store water, alcohol, and other beverages.
Based on Klein’s observations, they mostly drank an orange-yellow Gwadar. It was sour with a hint of sweetness, good at quenching thirst and relieving heat. It was also great at keeping people awake.
I didn’t have a chance to try it before… Klein mumbled as he found the guard manning the general’s residence and sought to meet a man named Haggis.
Due to his appearance as a Loenese person and a gentleman, the guard didn’t deny his request or make it difficult for him. He got a person to head in to get a man in his thirties.
The man’s facial features and skin were that of a standard Balam native. However, his curly black hair had been pulled straight and neatly combed back as though he was trying to mimic members of high society in the various countries of the Northern Continent.
He wore a white shirt and a black vest, matched with a very formal bow tie. Upon seeing Dwayne Dantès, he said in standard Loenese, “Good afternoon, I’m Haggis. Nice to meet you.”
His accent was a little odd, different from any borough in Loen.
Klein had lived in high society for quite a period of time, so he wasn’t too surprised. He said with a smile, “Good afternoon, I’m Dwayne Dantès. I never expected to meet a gentleman who’s so good at using the accent of Loenese nobles.”
Haggis couldn’t help but smile.
“Many children of noble birth from Loen have one come to East and West Balam to seek out opportunities. I was fortunate to learn from them.”
“Oh, I might know some of them.” Klein wasn’t in a rush to talk business as he began making small talk with Haggis like a gentleman.
Haggis smiled.
“My friend includes Colonel Alfred Hall, the second son of an earl.”
Hall… Klein let out a soft chuckle.
“I once met Earl Hall at a charity party. He’s a true noble.
“What a small world.”
Haggis nodded in agreement.
“Perhaps this is an arrangement of fate. Unfortunately, Alfred was transferred to East Balam last year.”
He didn’t continue as he immediately invited Dwayne Dantès into the general’s residence.
When passing through the side door, Klein suddenly looked up, glancing at the embedded stained glass above.
The glass shimmered like a rainbow under the illumination of sunlight, as though gazes were sweeping past.
Chapter 953 Prophecy
Klein retracted his gaze in a natural manner, held his gold-inlaid cane, and followed closely behind Haggis before entering the general’s residence.
The architecture style was completely unlike those found in the Southern Continent. It didn’t make any use of light manipulation to make the rooms appear dark and gloomy, nor did they boldly use some human bones as accessories to produce a strong visual impact. Instead, it was more in the style of the Northern Continent. Furthermore, there was an undeniable hint of Intis influence.
Every column was covered in segmented gold foil. The use of colors in the murals were warm, and there were sculptures embedded with gold. A beautiful spiral staircase descended from above, connecting all four stories before ending in the middle of the huge hall where it faced the entrance. It was extremely grand.
I have to say that countries led by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun are really at the forefront when it comes to gold artwork. It doesn’t have the feeling of the gaudy nouveau riche… Klein swept his gaze to the palm-sized golden angels that extended out from the staircase’s railings and mid sections of the columns, holding back his urge to caress them.
Looking at the guards standing by the two sides, he casually found a topic and said to Haggis, “Colonel Alfred Hall seems to have made some significant contributions in West Balam?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Haggis nodded and used a Loenese noble accent to say, “He’s a determined and brave man. He once led a special forces team of more than thirty men to raid an Intis battalion with more than a thousand people, completely crippling them. I heard that he had also made significant contributions in East Balam; therefore, becoming a colonel before the age of thirty.”
Sounds impressive… Perhaps Miss Justice’s brother has already become a Beyonder with quite a significantly high Sequence… Hmm, in every aristocratic family, every generation should have some members taking the Beyonder path… Heh heh, if this Mr. Alfred finally reaches his goal of becoming a Beyonder with a relatively high Sequence and gaining the rank of brigadier general or major general through hardship, I wonder how sad would he be when he returns to Backlund to realize that he’s no match for his sister’s dog… Having drank his medicine before heading out today, Klein used the act of lampooning to adjust his mental state.
He didn’t ask further about Alfred as he asked with a curious tone, “I realize that there are some differences in the traditions of East and West Balam. Here, in many houses, there are people with human bone decorations, but it’s not present in East Balam.
“I’ve been here several times, but I’ve never been able to bring myself to get the answer to this question.”
Haggis stopped and pointed to the exaggerated spiral staircase.
“Mr. Dantès, the general will be here in a few minutes.”
After informing him of this, he chuckled.
“It’s actually not common to see human bone traditions. Only fiefs that came under the royal family of the Balam Empire still have this tradition. To us, the death of family members doesn’t mean that our relationship has come to an end. After the burial, we will take a piece of their bones and place it at home as a decoration as a way to indicate that the deceased continue being with the living.
“As for which bone to choose, it will be decided by the interring priest through a ritual. The best and most symbolic part is the skull.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Some families will even make the skull into a vessel for drinking alcohol, using it only when entertaining the most honored guests.
“Mr. Dantès, if you close a deal this time, I wish to invite you home. I wish to offer Finis Wine in my grandfather’s skull to show my respects to you.”
II
11
Klein’s expression nearly fell apart. He felt that he was incapable of accepting the local customs in this aspect.
He laughed and was just about to be perfunctory when he saw a figure slowly walking down the golden railings of the staircase.
The person didn’t wear a hat. He was wearing a cut black military attire with shimmering gold buttons. The sash he wore was red like blood.
He had light-brown skin and a rather soft facial outline. His facial features looked scrunched up in the middle of his head, making his face appear abnormally big
Klein, who had obtained the relevant information from various channels, instantly recognized the man to be the dominant ruler of West Balam’s Northern State. He was Maysanchez who declared himself as general.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
On the surface, he wavered between the factions of Loen, Intis, Feynapotter, Feysac, and the Resistance, maintaining a balance, but secretly, he had received the support of the Numinous Episcopate’s royal family faction.
Meanwhile, Klein suspected that this native general had established a solid working relationship with the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
As for Maysanchez’s strength, be it Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina or Admiral of Stars Cattleya, he was noted to be a Sequence 5. But the two ladies didn’t mention which pathway he was from, as the powers this local general exhibited were mostly related to spirits, but he carried a mystical item from the Death pathway.
“Good afternoon, Your Excellency.” Klein took off his hat, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed.
At this moment, he sensed gazes locking onto him from some unknown location. They were like lights that flashed across the golden angel figures, the sunlight reflected from the stained glass or the lustrous glow from the smooth marble.
“Hello there, Mr. Dantès,” Maysanchez replied in Dutanese.
Having grasped Dutanese through his marionette, Klein naturally was able to understand him. However, in the Southern Continent, the longer he stayed in East and West Balam, the more he felt the similarities between Dutanese and ancient Feysac.
Although these two languages obviously followed different systems, making it much more difficult if he were to truly study Dutanese, certain details were shockingly similar as it was as though they shared a common heritage.
Klein could only be certain that the heritage wasn’t Jotun.
Composite Start
Composite End
Pretending as though he hadn’t noticed anything, he very naturally chatted with Maysanchez until the other party raised the topic of the arms deal.
“How many goods do you have in total?”
Klein laughed and replied, “It wouldn’t be a problem equipping three to four thousand people. In addition, there will be a few cannons.”
Maysanchez fell silent and said, “Name your price.”
Klein pretended to deliberate and said, “If you wish for me to send the goods to the Northern State, the price would be 50,000 pounds. If you send your troops to retrieve the goods with me and be responsible for the subsequent transportation and safety, it will only cost 40,000 pounds.”
Maysanchez thought and said, “The latter.
“Take the down payment and go with my men. Once they see the goods and move it onto our carriages, my men will pay the rest.”
He paused for a moment and then added, “However, I do not have much Loen gold pounds.”
So you don’t have enough foreign reserves… Klein surveyed the area and said with an unconcerned smile, “You can directly pay me in gold coins, or even gold bars or gold bricks.”
Maysanchez was rather decisive. He didn’t waste any time to nod and say, “Deal. I’ll get Haggis to bring my men and money to you tomorrow.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Not bad. I like doing business with people who don’t haggle… Klein first heaved a sigh of relief before suspecting if his price was too low.
After Klein left the general’s residence, Maysanchez suddenly looked up and said to the person above, “Your Excellency Lucca, is this the person you’re waiting for?”
One story above the beautiful staircase, a figure slowly appeared.
He was an elder in a white robe with inlaid brass lines. His hair was completely white and neatly combed. His pair of gray-green eyes were so deep that they appeared bottomless.
He replied with an unhurried tone, “There’s no way to be certain. Although my prophecy tells me that I’ll meet the person who can resolve my future predicament in the next two days here, that person was too ordinary. Besides being a Beyonder, there’s nothing worth taking note of.
“Of course, I can’t tell the more profound truth. He might have an existence that’s at least not weaker than me behind him.”
Having said that, he slowly walked down and, after a few seconds, said, “I’ll attempt to use a dream to see if I can discover more.”
“Do I need to prepare a special room for you?” Maysanchez asked reverently.
Lucca shook his head.
“I’ll use the activity room here. Hmm… The best time will be four hours later. Don’t disturb me before that happens.”
He then entered the room, sat down, and leaned against the sofa. He relaxed himself, closed his eyes, and fell silent.
Only when it slowly turned dark did the old gentleman fall asleep.
In the dream, he found himself standing in the hall of the general’s residence, standing at the first floor of the beautiful staircase. By the side was Maysanchez and numerous guards.
The middle-aged man named Dwayne Dantès was standing opposite him when he suddenly curled his lips into a smile, revealing an exaggerated smile.
Flames soared up as poker cards fell from above.
Lucca’s green eyes instantly darkened as Dwayne Dantès’s body instantly fell into a strange darkness that appeared.
The old white-robed gentleman immediately spread his arms open, revealing a dark vortex at his chest.
The vortex expanded and devoured Dwayne Dantès.
Before Lucca could confirm the situation, he felt something. He turned to the side and saw Maysanchez’s face squirming and turning tall before instantly becoming another Dwayne Dantès.
Almost at the same time, Haggis and all the guards present turned into Dwayne Dantès. All of them were casting their gaze at Lucca!
Lucca was jolted awake, and under the watch of Maysanchez, who had entered at some point in time, he faltered for two seconds and said heavily, “I have to personally meet that gentleman from before and see the demigod behind him.”
Before he finished his sentence, he subconsciously turned his head to look out the window.
At this moment, the street lamps lit up. It was dark outside, and the crimson moon’s moonlight was strangely tainted with a bloody color.
Another Blood Moon!
Thankfully there’s Mr. Fool… I must say that there are way too many Blood Moons this year… It’s only been two months since the last time… I didn’t even have any time to prepare! Fors who sat up, wiped her cold sweat, and muttered silently.
She had arrived at a town near Delaire Forest and had checked into a hotel. She shared a room with Xio, and they had made preparations to do some investigations of the abandoned castle early tomorrow morning. To Fors’s surprise, there was a Blood Moon just as she was preparing to get some rest.
At this moment, she seemed to recall something as her body stiffly turned to the side.
Xio, who had exhorted her to sleep early, had already woken up at some point in time. She was looking at her with her eyes open.
Chapter 954 Strange Ancient Castle
Fors’s gaze met Xio’s in midair as both parties remained silent.
After a while, Fors chuckled dryly.
“Haha, you haven’t fallen asleep?”
Xio frowned and said, “What happened to you?”
“Nothing. Didn’t I tell you before? Whenever the full moon happens, I won’t be in a good state. It’s even worse during the Blood Moon,” Fors replied as though everything was normal.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio sized her up and pulled her blanket.
“I remember that you brought sleeping pills?”
“There’s no need for that. I’ve fine now.” Seeing that Xio wasn’t pressing further, Fors secretly heaved a sigh of relief. “Go back to sleep. We still have to head into the forest early tomorrow morning.”
Xio didn’t say another word as she turned around, gripped the blanket, and closed her eyes.
Before long, her breathing turned heavier and became more drawn out and uniform.
Fors stared blankly at the ceiling as her thoughts ran wild. At some point in time, she fell asleep as well.
The next day at noon. In the core region of Delaire Forest, in front of a collapsed, ancient castle covered in green vines.
Fors wiped the perspiration on her forehead and exhaled.
“We’re finally here…”
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio shot her a glance and said, “The boss at the hotel told me that we only need two hours to get here.”
They had set off before six in the morning, but they had spent nearly seven hours to arrive.
The corners of Fors’s lips twitched as she said, “Ideal conditions and reality are different. There weren’t any trails for us to take towards the end. We needed to explore and forge a new path ourselves!”
Xio took out her triangular blade, nodded, and said, “You should’ve foreseen this from the beginning, but you refused to have a guide as suggested by the hotel’s boss.”
“As an Astrologer, I don’t believe such trivialities will cause any trouble. Look, aren’t we there now? Besides, the time is perfect. The wraiths and ghosts are definitely in their weakest state.” Having forced a smile, Fors held Leymano’s Travels in one hand as she pointed with the other. “I didn’t notice it before, but the more I think about it, the more puzzled I become.”
“About what?” Xio also cast her gaze to the ancient abandoned castle that was covered by vines.
Fors casually found an excuse.
“Tell me, who would build a castle in the middle of a forest? Furthermore, they didn’t open up a trail to it…”
Before she finished her sentence, she really found the matter a little odd.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio thought and said, “Perhaps there was a trail, but after the castle was abandoned, whatever traces of it had been wiped out with time.”
Fors stroked the hair by her ear and shook her head.
“Then why would they abandon it?
“If they had considered safety back when building it, it would be more dangerous building it far from the town in an uninhabited castle. If it’s just for vacations, with the way nobles do things, they wouldn’t abandon it even if the maintenance and repairs are difficult.”
Xio blurted out, “Could it be because it’s haunted?”
Fors thought for a few seconds.
“Won’t someone who can build such a huge castle hire Beyonders to deal with the ghosts?
“I suspect that the three Churches and the kingdom’s government don’t know of this ancient castle. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense that they will leave the Beyonder ingredients inside…”
Upon saying that, she raised a possibility:
Composite Start
Composite End
“An ancient castle of the Sanguine?”
Such extraordinary creatures enjoyed living in places with few people. Furthermore, they were usually connected to dark forests and ancient castles.
In addition, information about this ancient castle came from the Sanguine to begin with.
“It’s possible,” Xio first agreed before disagreeing. “Will the Sanguine be afraid of ghosts? They definitely have the means to deal with the ancient wraiths inside.”
Makes sense… Don’t tell me those Sanguine don’t like money and don’t care about the search for Beyonder ingredients? Fors recalled Mr. Moon’s behavior and denied her hypothesis. In deliberation, she said, “Unless there’s some problem that’s not easy to resolve. That’s what made the bigwigs choose to skirt around it.”
In that case, her operation would become more dangerous than she had anticipated.
Xio tersely agreed.
“Let’s do some preliminary investigations while the sun is still strong.”
“Alright.” Fors held Leymano’s Travels and approached the half-collapsed ancient castle one step at a time.
The two soon arrived at the entrance which was two-thirds blocked by rocks. They discovered that, beneath the green vines, the stone walls were mottled and heavily weathered as though it had been in existence for a very, very long period of time.
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio wasn’t in a rush to enter. Calling out to Fors, they circled around the castle slowly.
When they returned to the entrance, she said in puzzlement, “This castle’s style is purely defensive. It doesn’t seem to consider the problems needed for living in it. Besides, many of the peculiarities of the building are ones I haven’t heard of before. It has probably existed in the late Fourth Epoch or even earlier.”
“What’s there to defend again? Beastmen? Treants? They’ve all gone extinct after the Cataclysm. Haha, don’t tell me that it’s a building from the Second or Third Epoch?” Fors casually replied.
She observed the terrain and left the entrance with Xio before arriving at a relatively complete wall. She reached out her palm and pressed on it.
Although she lacked combat experience, she was rather skilled when it came to the various aspects before a battle.
An illusory light appeared in front of her, allowing Fors and Xio to instantly enter the abandoned castle.
The first thing that they saw was a collapsed staircase and layers of remnant concrete from above. There were rays of pure sunlight shining in from above, as well as masonry and rotten wood. There weren’t any animal or bird feces or any green weeds on the ground.
With a whoosh, the wind seeped into their bones, chilling them despite it being noon.
Fors activated her Spirit Body and surveyed the area, but she failed to see any Spirit Bodies.
However, she noticed that on the right of a remnant collapsed wall, there was a rather intact stone staircase.
The staircase was mottled and scuffed as it extended downwards to an unknown location.
“Shall we head over there to take a look?” Fors shot a glance at Xio and made a suggestion.
From her point of view, everything else in the castle could either be taken in at a glance or collapsed and stacked together. If they wished to do thorough investigations, it was certain that it would take a rather long amount of time. Therefore, it was better to gain a general understanding of the overall picture to assure themselves.
Xio glanced around and nodded gently.
“The cold wind is gathering underground… I suspect that all the wraiths and ghosts are hidden in the area where the staircase leads to.”
“Yeah.” Fors cautiously walked towards the mottled stone staircase and followed the steps, which were covered in gravel, down.
The staircase was rather narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. Furthermore, they spiraled down, leaving Fors shaken.
Tap. Tap. Tap. As their footsteps echoed into the distance, the light that shone inside the staircase darkened.
Xio lit the lantern in her hand as Fors opened Leymano’s Travels, swiping a page with great familiarity.
A bright and warm light burst out, illuminating the mottled stairs ahead of them. Tensed, Fors and Xio walked down one level at a time.
On the way, cold wind blew past them, making them overreact and nearly cause them to launch attacks at nonexistent enemies.
Tap. Tap. Tap. In the narrow and silent environment, Fors finally walked down the steps and stepped onto rather flat and solid ground.
She had originally wanted to say “being in a place like this for too long will really make one go mad,” but due to the silent and heavy atmosphere around her, she didn’t make a sound. She was afraid that breaking the silence would result in extremely terrible developments.
Using the blob of light that was floating above her, Fors cast her gaze forward in an attempt to see what was at the end of the staircase.
It was a huge hall that was nearly ten meters tall. There were black tiles laid on the ground with water droplets seeping out. There were signs of damage everywhere.
Dozens of meters away, where the light nearly failed to illuminate the other end of the hall, there was a pair of double bronze doors sitting there silently.
It went from the bottom to the top, and the rocks on the walls to its side had peeled off. The statues were in shambles, revealing the dark brown mud underneath.
The surface of the door was engraved with dense symbols and strange patterns. They had a very mysterious and heavy feel, as though they were sealing something or blocking out something.
Fors finally couldn’t help but say with a hushed tone, “Have you seen such large doors before?”
Beside her, Xio shook her head.
“No.”
Fors immediately drew a gasp.
“Say, what could be behind that door? Where does it lead to?
“C-could it be the reason for building this castle in the first place? To prevent the creatures behind the door from coming out?”
Xio circled the area but didn’t find any murals that could provide any information. All she found was that the closer she was to the bronze door, the more water seeped out from the ground. There were also more and more abandoned silver-black swords on the ground.
“During the Fourth and Fifth Epoch, murals were very common in all castles and buildings. And before the Cataclysm, it can be seen from various elvish ruins that supernatural creatures similarly like to use murals to praise their deities and to record their daily lives…” Xio said slowly, using her experience and knowledge from being a bounty hunter.
Fors nodded slightly and said, “That’s indeed the case.
“This ancient castle is more magical than I imagined.”
At this moment, she felt hesitant. She even had thoughts of leaving and seeking Mr. World’s help.
Having heard Little Sun describe so many horror stories when exploring abandoned ruins at the Tarot Gatherings, her mind couldn’t help but wander when placed in a similar situation. She was scaring herself.
“Perhaps we can gather more clues by going closer.” Xio boldly took a few steps forward and approached the heavy sealed door that seemed to lead somewhere.
Fors gripped Leymano’s Travels tightly and hurriedly chased after her.
As she walked, she suddenly saw bright redness appear before her.
What seeped out from the cracks of the black tiles was no longer water but staggering blood!
This… Fors immediately flipped open the notebook with a bronze-green cover and cast her sight on Xio through the corner of her eye.
It was unknown when Xio had turned pale. Her eyes were dark-green, and her lips were red. The area around her was dark and gloomy as her expression looked extremely distorted.
Chapter 955 Ancient Wraith
Fors’s pupils dilated as though she was trying to absorb more light into her eyes to better see Xio’s current circumstances.
Meanwhile, the light in front of her suddenly exploded with a flash several times more blinding than old-school cameras, blanketing the surroundings with whiteness.
Following that, her finger swiped on a page on Leymano’s Travels as black fog soared from her feet, enveloping her entire body.
The thick black fog quickly transformed into palm-sized illusory bats as they flew in different directions of the underground hall.
This was Wings of Darkness which The Moon had recorded in Leymano’s Travels!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Its original use was to enhance one’s speed and bestow temporary flight capabilities while producing a horde of blood-sucking bats to attack the enemy. However, Fors didn’t use it for this purpose. Instead, she used it as a “prop” for her performance.
After the illusory bats flew away, the space where Fors stood was already empty.
At some point in time, she had appeared more than ten meters away!
After subconsciously escaping and defending herself, Fors could finally calm down as she hurriedly cast her gaze onto Xio, who had turned abnormal.
However, Xio only appeared to have slightly disheveled blonde hair with malt-colored skin due to her continuous forays out in the sun. Besides looking somewhat blank as though she was surprised as to why her friend had such a huge reaction, she didn’t show any signs of being influenced by wraiths or ghosts.
sor
as
“What happened?” Xio asked warily.
Fors narrowed her eyes without directly replying to her. Flipping through Leymano’s Travels’s pages, she asked, “Xio, how tall are you?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Seemingly realizing something, Xio answered, “152. Isn’t that so?”
Just as she said that, Fors’s fingers slid across the notebook’s page which was filled with symbols and magical labels.
Silently, a holy light swirling with fire plummeted down from above.
The unadulterated and bright light instantly enveloped Xio before rippling outward with sunlight.
As the blazing light stabbed into Fors’s eyes, she saw the hall collapse and the surroundings space shatter like glass.
This feeling was gone in a flash as Fors realized that she was still in her original spot. She had yet to flee.
That was an illusion? She hurriedly turned to the side and saw Xio looking at the damaged region of the heavy door.
Fors deliberated for a moment and asked, “Xio, how tall are you?”
Xio glanced at her and angrily said, “Stop asking such inane questions!”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Phew, she’s real… Fors heaved a sigh of relief as she quickly described her encounter to Xio.
After a few seconds of thought, Xio used her lantern-wielding hand to nudge Fors’s arm.
“Let’s retreat. Perhaps the closer we are to that door, the easier it is to hallucinate.”
“Yes, that’s possible!” Fors nodded in agreement as she quickly moved back a few steps.
Following that, she surveyed the area and asked in puzzlement, “Why can’t we find any wraiths or ghosts here?
“Such an environment should be something that they enjoy.”
Xio was perplexed as well. She then did a careful observation before landing her gaze on the blob of sunlight floating above Fors’s head.
“Try extinguishing it,” she suggested.
Fors came to a realization as she immediately dispelled the light. Silent darkness blanketed the area and ruled the underground hall once more. Only the lantern’s faint yellow light put up a resistance against all of this.
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, Fors saw two figures in her Spirit Vision.
They were rather close to the bronze door. One was a female with coiled hair, wearing a knight’s trousers and a garish shirt for ease of movement. The other was a man wearing silver-black armor as he held a sword that was almost snapping due to rust.
The former’s face was a blur as it kept wandering between the door and where Fors and Xio arrived. The latter was loitering beside the door, muttering something
These are the two ancient wraiths? Fors nudged Xio and said with a suppressed voice, “I see Spirit Bodies.”
“I see them as well. They aren’t hiding at all.” Xio curved her back as she readied herself for a fight.
Fors hurriedly nudged her.
“Don’t be hasty. We aren’t sure that they’re the targets.”
She attempted to take three steps forward, but the two relatively blurry figures didn’t even look at her.
Fors thought and suddenly said, “Ma’am, what are you doing?”
She had heard of stories in other mysticism circles that wraiths, shadows, and other higher-level Spirit Body creatures could be communicated with.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, she regretted it the moment she said that. This was because communication didn’t allow her to achieve her goal. There was no way she could persuade the other party to kill themselves and hand over the cursed item and remnant spirituality of an ancient wraith.
O
m
Just as Fors was considering if she should launch a direct attack, the lady in the garish shirt and knight’s trousers replied with a flat tone, “I’m searching for my husband.
“He’s a guard here.”
Communication is really possible… Fors pressed out of curiosity, “Where did he go?”
At this moment, Xio approached as she wore a look of extreme vigilance.
The blurry-figured lady answered blankly,
“He’s a guard here. He told me that magical power seeps out from behind the door, corrupting his teammates. He got me to leave as quickly as possible with a messenger.
“He said that he would ensure that I escaped safely, but I don’t wish for that. I want to leave with him… After sending off the messenger, I returned midway and returned underground. But I can’t find him…”
With the age of this castle exceeding the present Epoch, the last defender has definitely transformed into an ancient wraith. Hmm, this lady’s story has moved me. I really can’t bear to attack her… Fors’s mind whirled as she carefully took a few steps and circled around the ancient female wraith and approached the bronze door.
This time, she and Xio didn’t suffer any more hallucinations. This seemed to imply that her encounter was subconsciously created by the lady.
A distance from the silver-black armored knight with a rusty sword, Fors attempted to ask, “Sir, what are you doing?”
The knight paused and said with a humming voice, “I’m guarding this Door of Blackness. I need to ensure that my wife has escaped safely.
“If you meet her, tell her that her knight will fight for her to the very last moment.”
Ah… Door of Blackness. It’s clearly a bronze door… Wait, what did he say? He said that he’s guarding the door to ensure that his wife can safely escape? I-isn’t this the other half of that woman’s story which she described? This is her husband? Fors was taken aback as she kept looking back and forth between the two ancient wraiths.
The lady wearing a garish shirt and knight’s trousers slowly approached the bronze door before returning to the middle of the hall repeatedly. As for the silver-black armored man, he was patrolling about the door with a rotting sword in hand. At times, they would pass by without noticing each other.
Such a scene must’ve gone on for at least fifteen hundred years, or even longer… Fors commented silently as she turned to glance at Xio. She realized that her friend’s eyes were already welling with tears.
What an easily touched person… Fors couldn’t help it as she shouted at the female wraith, “Look at the door. Your husband has been there all along!”
The lady slowed down her pace and first glanced at Fors before casting her gaze at the heavy door.
Her blank gaze penetrated the knight, landing behind him.
“Why can’t I find him…” the wraith repeated her words and repeated her actions.
Fors felt an explicable sense of sorrow, and just as she was about to shout again, she saw the knight turn to look at her and Xio. He shouted, “Who are you?”
Just as he said that, the female wraith cast her gaze at Xio and Fors again.
Fors immediately felt her thoughts slow down as a coldness quickly formed inside her body and rippled out, freezing her flesh and joints. As for Xio, she too was suffering from the same condition. The area around the lantern dimmed significantly.
At this moment, two bolts of lightning lit up in Xio’s eyes.
This made the wraith let out a painful cry as his body turned faint.
Xio instantly escaped from her frozen state and threw out the triangular blade in her hand towards the female wraith.
Bolts of illusory lightning swirled around the triangular blade’s tip, stabbing straight into the lady.
Psychic Lashing!
The female wraith screamed as her body turned faint.
Fors instantly snapped awake as she slid her fingers across the open Leymano’s Travels.
Life seemed to immediately gather from the surrounding shadows, turning into a pitch-black chain that restrained the male wraith to the ground, sealing off his “mouth.”
Abyss Chains!
Meanwhile, Xio rushed out, and with an illusory brand in hand, she stamped it on the female wraith.
With her holding back the female wraith, Fors’s actions became more composed.
She flipped through Leymano’s Travels and slid her fingers.
Silver lightning that branched out and blasted out of thin air, smiting the male wraith and turning the area into a lightning hellscape.
Finally, a holy pillar of light that had flames swirling around it appeared. It enveloped the male wraith and completely purified him.
With one enemy taken down, Fors immediately turned and dealt with the female wraith with Xio.
She didn’t hold back on using powers from Leymano’s Travels. She came up with wise combinations of them, and using Xio’s suppression, she switched between restrainment powers and offense from time to time. Soon, they finished off their target.
Everything fell silent as Fors heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked at the battlefield with a look of disbelief.
“Is that it?”
She originally imagined that two ancient wraiths had unique powers, and with their higher levels, they weren’t something sub-Sequence 5 Beyonders could deal with. However, she realized that everything happened rather smoothly.
This made her truly realize how godly Leymano’s Travels was. She also began looking forward to the next Sequence as a Scribe.
Xio was somewhat astonished as she thought for a few seconds.
“It’s no wonder someone told me that, beneath the level of demigods, the number of Beyonders, their cooperation, and usage of powers are more important than the Sequence.”
Just as she said that, she heard knocking sounds resonate.
It broke the silence of the hall, and it came from behind the bronze door.
Chapter 956 The Things Behind the Door
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Behind the bronze door, the slamming sounds continued incessantly, echoing throughout the vast underground hall as though they came from an abnormally distant past.
Fors clamped up and couldn’t help but tremble. Unable to help it, she suppressed her voice:
“What could be behind the door?” “I’ve no idea.” Xio honestly shook her head, subconsciously gulping.
Her right hand, which had just picked up her triangular blade, had her joints protruding out as her blood vessels surfaced. Clearly, she was gripping the triangular blade tightly.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The slamming sounds continued without any change in frequency. Each sound seemed to strike at Fors’s and Xio’s hearts, leaving their hair standing and scalps tingling
“It likely won’t be able to come out, right… If it could so easily come out, it wouldn’t have waited until today.” Fors tried to console herself with parched
lips.
Xio nodded heavily and said, “We leave once the ingredients form.”
“In such an environment and atmosphere, her curiosity had been completely overwhelmed by her innate fear.
“Alright!” As Fors glanced at the spots where the two ancient wraiths had been cleansed, she blamed The Moon for providing undetailed information. He hadn’t mentioned that there was such a strange door beneath the ancient castle.
At this moment, glowing dust was landing on the ground like shattered gems, forming into two piles as they gathered together.
Around them, nearly formless remnant spirituality condensed into a seemingly ethereal crystal.
Composite Start
Composite End
Accompanied by the crystals and dust were two different items. One was ring-shaped and completely transparent as though it was a corroded ring. The other was an eye carved from crystal, with faint black gas swirling within. Upon seeing this scene, Fors suddenly realized something
An ancient wraith was a ghost-like creature with a Beyonder characteristic mixed in. The cursed item would be related to a particular item while they were still alive, fusing with the characteristic and turning into a foundation to which they relied on for their existence. It was precisely because of this that different ancient wraiths had different corresponding cursed items in shape and form. However, they were essentially the same. And the dust was another type of characteristic. It was the source of most of their strength, stemming from remnant spirituality, slightly equivalent to the blood and ingredients of monsters.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The entity striking behind the bronze door didn’t let up at all. It kept testing Fors’s and Xio’s psyche.
Being afraid and cautious, the duo’s bodies trembled so much that they even imagined that the door was shaking slightly. Their racing hearts were in their throats.
With them being able to head for the staircase at any moment, Fors finally waited until the ancient wraiths’ powder and cursed items took form.
As she signaled to Xio to be wary, she crouched down and took out three square metal boxes she had prepared.
After some hesitation, Fors looked up at Xio and said, “These two ancient wraiths have been waiting for each other for so long. I-I’m thinking of separating a little of what they left behind and burying them together… Uh, in that case, I’ll get a cursed item, and you’ll get a pile of dust. We’ll split the remaining spirituality, alright?”
Xio didn’t hesitate as she nodded.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Alright!”
Fors silently heaved a sigh of relief as she pursed her lips. Flipping through Leymano’s Travels, she slid her finger across a particular page.
The five nails on her right hand immediately grew long and sharp, covering black patterns and symbols.
This was the Claw of Corrosion from the Sanguine.
Upon seeing her palm transform, Fors grabbed at the ground, easily digging a hole and leaving behind a corrosive mark.
Right on the heels of that, she placed the crystal eyeball-like cursed item and a pile of dust into the hole before filling the hole with the gravel and soil she had dug up.
She lightly grazed the flattened ground with her fingernails, writing an epitaph.
“Returning for you; Defending for you; Together forever.”
After doing all of this, Fors sighed when she heard the slamming behind the bronze turn louder.
Composite Start
Composite End
Bam!
She jumped in fright and hurriedly placed the pile of dust, ring-shaped curse item, and remnant spirituality into the different square metal boxes.
Then, she put the boxes away, stood up, and slowly walked to the spiraling and cramped staircase with Xio.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The slamming sounds behind the bronze door grew intense as Fors and Xio subconsciously gritted their teeth, following the staircase and rapidly heading up.
They increased their speed until they began running. They ignored the possibility of falling on the staircase and tumbling down like a wheel.
Finally, Fors and Xio saw sunlight.
Sunlight beamed in from outside, shining upon the staircase ahead of them. It was bright, pure, and warm.
At this moment, the slamming sounds from underground had come to a sudden stop without any follow-up.
Fors and Xio exchanged looks, slowed down their pace, and after a few large strides, returned to the top of the abandoned ancient castle.
Composite Start
Composite End
The duo didn’t say a word and directly left the area, returning to the periphery of the forest.
After walking for some time, Fors calmed down and pursed her lips.
“It was really terrifying. Although the thing behind the bronze door didn’t deal any harm to us, nor did it even show itself, I think it was more terrifying than the ancient wraiths. Compared to all my past experiences—uh, it’s far more terrifying. In those few minutes, I couldn’t help but imagine all the different tragic deaths I might suffer. Each one was more terrifying than the last, but none of them were as terrifying as the slamming sounds.”
Xio turned her head and agreed with a nod.
“Yeah. I felt as though I was walking on the edge of a cliff.”
Fors was about to continue when she saw two streams of bright red blood flowing down Xio’s nose.
“Xio, Xio! Your nose is bleeding!” Fors hurriedly warned her friend.
Xio was taken aback as her pupils dilated.
“You too!”
“Ah?” Fors blankly reached out her hand and wiped her nose. It felt warm to the touch, wet and sticky.
She was appalled as she hurriedly held her right hand in front of her and saw red blood smeared across it. It was bright and striking.
“A result from being overly-anxious?” Fors muttered in puzzlement.
At this moment, through the sunlight diffusing through the forest’s canopy, she realized that faint black spots were quickly growing on her wrists at a discernible pace.
The black spots rapidly spread, covering her arms and the back of her hands.
“Ah!” Fors subconsciously cried out as she hurriedly looked at Xio.
She saw Xio’s cheeks and neck covered with black spots!
“Th-this isn’t normal!” Fors blurted out.
Xio sensed the abnormality happening to the both of them as she recalled and said, “Do you still remember what that female wraith said?
“She said that the guards from before had been corrupted by the forces that seeped out from behind the bronze door!
“Could it be that we’ve been corrupted?”
Fors was taken aback for a second before she nodded heavily.
“It’s possible!”
She hurriedly took out the medicine that she had prepared, handing over some of it to Xio. Then, she twisted the lid off and downed two bottles.
However, they didn’t show any signs of recovering. The black spots grew in number, turning their vision blurry.
Badump! Badump! Before long, Fors, whose efforts to save herself were in vain, could hear her heartbeat and sense her body beginning to lose strength.
Out of ideas, she quivered her lips, clenched her teeth, and turned her body around. She took a few steps to open up a distance from Xio.
Then, she bowed her head and chanted Mr. Fool’s honorific name.
In about ten seconds, she saw dark red light appear, engulfing her like the tide.
The ravings and roaring vanished and Fors saw the familiar mottled table and the ten high-back chairs opposite her.
She then realized that her dizziness and blurred vision had vanished. There weren’t any more of the strange, accentuated black spots on her Spirit Body.
“Thank you for your help.” Fors hurriedly stood up and bowed at the figure shrouded in gray fog at the end of the long bronze table.
Then, she heard Mr. Fool say in a calm tone, “Your spirit had been corrupted by some force.
“It should be fine now.”
Cleansed by Mr. Fool? Fors’s heart stirred. Just as she wanted to make a request to Mr. Fool regarding how Xio could be saved, the scene before turned red as light soared up.
After a brief pause, she found herself in the real world, back in Delaire Forest. The black spots on the back of her hands and wrists were rapidly fading and receding. The blood that kept dripping from her nose had already come to a stop.
Returning to her body, she saw Xio weakly slumped on a tree. Her face was covered in black spots, making her look terrifying. The muscles on both sides of her neck were tensed up as her mind spun.
A few seconds later, she walked over quickly, pressed Xio on the shoulders and rapidly said, “I have a way to save you, but you need to follow my instructions!
“Use ancient Hermes to say this: The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era…”
Xio could hardly turn her swollen eyelids. Looking at Fors for two seconds, she heavily chanted, “The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era.
“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.
“The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”
Just as she said that, Xio saw dark red starlight surge out from the void, sweeping over her.
Indescribable roars continued for a second before vanishing from Xio’s ears. She then saw herself seated in an ancient and majestic palace. She was sitting beside a mottled, bronze table. At her feet was a boundless grayish-white fog. In front of her was a lofty figure looking down upon her.
This scene was both unfamiliar and familiar to her. She had once seen it in a “dream,” but she hadn’t ever had it again after the exorcism ritual.
That purification was actually useless… Xio suddenly had this thought as she stood up in deliberation, bowing at the figure enshrouded in gray fog.
“You are the great King of Yellow and Black?”
She didn’t appear too surprised or alarmed, as though she had already expected it.
“You can call me Mr. Fool. Have a seat,” the figure with an epic aura replied calmly.
Xio bowed again and sat down, confirming that she had escaped her unwell state.
She looked to her sides and thought before asking, “Honorable Mr. Fool, does Fors Wall have a seat here?”
Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool nodded gently and said, “Yes.” Xio fell silent for a second and directly asked, “Can I join just like her?”
The Fool chuckled.
“It’s a gathering they organized on their own accord but is convened by me.
“There’s still a seat available at present. You may join.
“Draw a card. They use one of the Major Arcana cards as their code name.”
Xio didn’t ask or speak further. She immediately nodded.
“Yes, Mr. Fool.”
On the bronze table in front of her, a deck of tarot cards immediately appeared.
Xio reached out her right hand and solemnly cut the deck, pulled out one card, and flipped it over.
Her card depicted an angel with a trumpet and the sleeping dead awaiting salvation: the Judgment card!
Chapter 957 Getting to Know Each Other
Looking at the Judgment card in hand, Xio was taken aback.
“This greatly meets my expectations.”
Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool nodded and calmly said, “The gathering is held here at three in the afternoon on Mondays, Backlund time. Be prepared.
“During the gathering, you can exchange information, ingredients, formulas, and knowledge. You can also pay a certain price to entrust missions to the other members.”
Xio recalled for a moment before nodding in enlightenment.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes, Mr. Fool.”
Believing that this was all for the day, she heard the voice coming from the end of the bronze table.
“What did you do before being corrupted by that force?”
We really were corrupted… Xio composed herself and completely recounted her exploration of the ancient castle with Fors. She emphasized the bronze door which had been named the Door of Blackness, as well as the ancient castle’s guard that had been reduced to a wraith due to the corruption.
Then, she noticed Mr. Fool nod slightly as he said calmly, “Don’t enter that ancient castle again before you reach Sequence 4.
“It’s time for you to return.”
Xio then got up, and following the descriptions in the religious rituals, she bowed and said, “Your wish is my wish.”
Just as she said that, the dark red color surged in front of her. After everything dissipated, she was back in the real world and leaning against a thick tree.
Subconsciously looking at the back of her hand, she realized that the black spots were rapidly turning faint. Xio looked up at Fors who was staring at her worriedly.
Composite Start
Composite End
As their gazes met, Fors was first delighted before revealing a smile. She opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.
Xio slowly exhaled and pointed ahead.
“Let’s first return to the town.”
“Alright!” Fors answered without any hesitation.
At this moment above the gray fog, The Fool Klein was tapping on the edge of the mottled table as he considered Miss Magician and Miss Judgment’s encounter.
The object or power sealed behind the Door of Blackness could still corrupt the guards and explorers outside, even without escaping. Just the mere thought of it was terrifying!
Furthermore, this corruption stemmed from the Spirit Body. To resolve it, Klein had only two solutions. One was to make the corrupted entity hold a complete secret deed ritual as he used the powers above the gray fog and the Sun Brooch to complete a purification. The other was to directly pull the Spirit Body over, using the gray fog to “cleanse” them. As he didn’t have the luxury of time, he had chosen the latter.
What could it be?
The most corruptive power belongs to the Devil pathway… That place connects to the Abyss? That’s not impossible. Based on Little Sun’s description, during the early and mid-stages of the Second Epoch, Devils often left the Abyss and were active over the land. It was only when the ancient sun god appeared, causing ancient gods to perish one after another, did they retreat into the Abyss and seal themselves in. Based on that, it’s rather normal to have an underground ancient entrance in the Northern Continent to lead to the Abyss… It can also be imagined that a castle is built with men sent to watch over it…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
But the problem lies in the fact that it’s been millennia. Why would there still be an existence slamming the door? Are the Devils planning on returning? Klein made a preliminary guess.
He temporarily had no plans on exploring the abandoned castle to verify his thoughts, because it was unlikely that there would be any changes anytime soon. After all, since it was news that came from the Sanguine, he could get The Moon Emlyn to do some gathering of information to figure out the history of the castle.
Reining in this thought, Klein removed the topaz chain from his wrist and divined if the matter regarding the ancient castle was pressing. He received a negative answer.
He immediately returned to the real world and waited for the local ruler, General Maysanchez, to send over the down payment.
At two in the afternoon, Feynapotter time, Haggis, with his hair combed backward while dressed as a Northern Continent gentleman, carried a black leather suitcase with a team of guards as he knocked on Dwayne Dantès’s door.
“Please come on in.” A warm and elegant voice sounded from the inside. It was first Loenese in a Backlund accent before it was changed to the local language of Dutanese.
Haggis turned the doorknob and entered. He saw Dwayne Dantès with his white sideburns and deep, blue eyes stand up from his reclining chair while pressing down the ends of his black vest.
“Good afternoon, my friend.” This Loen gentleman with good looks and bearings took two steps forward and extended his right palm.
This time, he switched to using Loenese.
Composite Start
Composite End
Haggis replied using the accent of a Loenese noble, “It’s my honor to be your friend.”
After he shook hands with Dwayne Dantès, he surveyed the area and chuckled.
“Is this your servant?”
He pointed at a mixed-blood youth standing behind the arms dealer. In between the lines, he was asking if he was trustworthy. After all, Dwayne Dantès hadn’t brought any servants back when he visited the general’s residence yesterday.
“Yes, his greatest strength is the ability to keep secrets.” Dwayne Dantès smiled as he pointed to the leather sofa across the reclining chair.
With two guards following Haggis, he closed the door and sat down. He then said with a smile, “I’ve heard of an Intis proverb that’s said to be from Emperor Roselle.
“He said that dead men tell no tales.”
Dwayne Dantès said with a laugh.
“Emperor Roselle also said something else:
“Corpses can speak.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Is that so? This is my first time hearing of this.” Haggis enjoyed conversing with a Northern Continent gentleman, so they continued their conversation for a while before he lifted up the leather suitcase beside him and opened it.
At that instant, there seemed to be overflowing golden lusters. Under the illumination from the sunlight outside, the entire room seemed to brighten significantly
Haggis then looked at Dwayne Dantes and said, “5,000 Loen gold pounds, as well as 5,000 gold coins and gold bars.
“This is the down payment.
“I’ll bring along the remaining 30,000 pounds in cash and gold the entire time, and will hand it over when the arms deal is completed.”
Dwayne Dantès scanned the stacks of cash, the gold coins, and gold bars in the leather suitcase before retracting his gaze and saying with a smile, “When do we set off?”
Haggis closed the leather suitcase and handed it to Dwayne Dantès’s servant and said simply, “Tomorrow morning.”
He paused for two seconds before saying, “Mr. Dantès, the general has a guest who would like to meet you.”
Dwayne Dantès’s expression didn’t change as he fell silent for a few seconds.
“When?”
“Now,” Haggis said without daring to show any signs of being perfunctory. “He’s downstairs.”
Dwayne Dantès nodded slightly.
“Please invite him up.”
Haggis immediately heaved a sigh of relief and left with his guards. They followed the stairwell down.
Before long, Lucca, in a simple white robe with brass lines adorning it, walked up. His silver hair had been combed very neatly.
When he arrived by Dwayne Dantès’s door, he heard a voice from the inside just as he raised his hand.
“Please come in.”
This time they spoke using ancient Feysac.
Lucca’s expression didn’t change as he naturally pushed open the door.
He then saw the middle-aged gentleman who had rather good looks and qualities from yesterday standing beside a reclining chair facing him.
And sitting on the reclining chair was a young man. He had black hair and brown eyes, with a thin, cut face. He had a cold temperament.
Lucca was taken aback as he took a step forward, entered the room, and closed the door.
After he sat down on the sofa in a composed manner, his gray-green eyes clearly reflected the young man in front of him.
“Gehrman Sparrow?” Lucca addressed him with a rhetorical question.
Gehrman Sparrow curled the corners of his mouth.
“Directly addressing others by their full name is impolite.”
Lucca nodded and said, “My apologies for my faux pas. I recall that you advanced to Sequence 5 less than half a year ago, or it might have only been three months. Yes, it should have been completed when you were in the ruins of the battlefield of gods. I never expected… that you were already a demigod. It left me a little bewildered.”
Gehrman Sparrow smiled without giving any explanations.
After a brief moment of silence, he said in an unhurried tone, “Why are you visiting me?”
Lucca calmly replied, “I don’t know.”
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned somewhat odd. Gehrman Sparrow seemed to forget that there was an elderly man sitting opposite him that needed him to speak again.
Lucca indiscernibly nodded and said, “This is the thing: I made a prophecy by chance not too long ago. In that prophecy, I will be in a rather thorny situation in the future. And one of the people I met with over these few days will help me deal with it.
“I’m not sure if it’s you, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. So I decided to meet you and get to know each other.
“My name is Lucca Brewster, a clergyman who serves the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. I’m presently in charge of various matters in West Balam.”
Gehrman Sparrow nodded and said, “Not bad. I now know you. I don’t believe I need to introduce myself, right?”
“Of course,” Lucca thought and said. “You should be a Bizarro Sorcerer. I recently received some intel that there has been some reshuffling among the Secret Order in Intis.”
He didn’t see Gehrman Sparrow reveal any looks of shock. This powerful adventurer, who was famous across the Five Seas, said after a moment of silence, “Zaratul has returned.”
The look in Lucca’s eyes changed immediately before being restored to normal.
Then, he stood up and nodded.
“Since we’ve gotten to know each other, it’s time we bid farewell.”
After saying this, he walked to the door, twisted the doorknob, and left the room.
Sitting on the reclining chair, Gehrman Sparrow watched as his figure was concealed inch by inch by the wooden door until he completely disappeared. Then, he chuckled.
“What a charlatan.”
“Yes.” Dwayne Dantès, who was standing beside the reclining chair, found a seat and sat down. Then, he picked up a cup of tea and sipped from it.
With white sideburns and deep blue eyes, he and the thin, angular-faced Gehrman Sparrow exchanged looks and smiled in unison.
On Monday afternoon, Dwayne Dantès took out his golden pocket watch, opened it, and said to Haggis opposite him, “We’re almost arriving at our destination. I believe you and your men need some rest.”
“An excellent suggestion,” Haggis was rather agreeable.
Dwayne Dantès pointed at the street ahead.
“There’s a hotel ahead. Let’s rest there for half a day before we set off again tomorrow.”
Haggis didn’t object to it as he turned to the front and instructed the carriage driver.
After checking into the hotel, Dwayne Dantès declined Haggis’s invitation for afternoon tea by using an afternoon nap as an excuse.
Slightly more than half an hour later, above the boundless gray fog, Klein sat in the seat belonging to The Fool.
Chapter 958 Labeling
Dark red beams shot up, materializing into different figures on both sides of the long bronze table.
The unchanging silence above the gray fog was broken as the eternal palace seemed to have an additional, inexplicable sense of life to it.
Just as Justice Audrey regained her senses of her surroundings, she prepared to stand up to greet the existence at the end of the long bronze table.
At this moment, as a senior Spectator, she acutely noticed a difference:
There were two more members than last week!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
One of them was a man sitting to the right of Mr. Moon. The other was a lady sitting to the left of The Hermit.
Audrey first felt happy that the Tarot Club was developing and becoming stronger, but then she kept to her professional instincts and quickly began observing
Due to where she sat, the man opposite her was much easier to observe compared to the lady two seats away from her. Therefore, she placed her attention on the man.
Black hair… Green eyes… He doesn’t wear a coat… A vest matched with a shirt… He sits a little oddly. He’s not accustomed to sitting properly… He’s probably about 180 cm tall… He has quite a desultory temperament… He’s rather tense… At one glance, Justice Audrey had “read” plenty of information from the rather blurry figure.
She then noticed something different.
The man was quickly surveying his surroundings.
Such an action wasn’t a problem in itself. Anyone who came to this strange and secret location would definitely subconsciously size up the other members and attempt to grasp their traits and general situation so as to calm down. But the problem was that the man was moving his gaze too quickly!
His gaze had swept past The Moon, The Hanged Man, and the other members without pausing.
To Audrey, this was a very clear phenomenon. It didn’t mean that the man was observing his surroundings and studying the members, but that he was finding someone!
Composite Start
Composite End
He was looking for someone he had in mind!
Audrey instantly felt a little excited, as she believed that this newcomer knew one of the members present!
Who could it be? She observed for another second and realized that the man sitting diagonally opposite her had fixed his gaze on The World Gehrman Sparrow.
Audrey was thrilled as though she had discovered a secret. She thought in enlightenment, The newcomer is a friend of Mr. World, or it’s at least the case that they know each other in the real world. He also knows that he’s a Tarot Club member…
Or it could also be said that Mr. World had inducted him into the gathering… No, that’s not very possible. If that were the case, the newcomer would be much more certain. He wouldn’t be eagerly searching for someone he knows. He definitely would’ve placed his gaze on the other members for a longer period of time…
Furthermore, such an action also proves that he’s not a Blessed of Mr. Fool.
What is his relationship with Mr. World?
Audrey held onto her thoughts of continuing to observe as she stood up and turned to face the seat
of honor.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
During this process, she took the opportunity to sweep her gaze at the new member sitting beside Ma’am Hermit.
She’s exchanging looks with Miss Magician… Her height… Xio has finally passed the test and joined the gathering? Upon identifying her, Audrey did a curtsy towards the figure shrouded in gray fog.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~”
Just as she issued the brisk greeting, she realized something:
Mr. Fool is a little different from before.
This great existence seemed to be more one with the entire gray fog, palace, and space. “His” aura was lofty and mighty, like the sea or sky.
This feeling isn’t something that can be described with words… Mr. Fool has taken one more step to “His” awakening, allowing him to retrieve more of “His” authority over “His” divine kingdom? Audrey’s eyes darted around, feeling curious and delighted, as well as a little sense of pride.
At this moment, The Hanged Man Alger and The Hermit Cattleya had noticed the two new members. They noticed that the lady was a little short and was secretly exchanging signals with Miss Magician. She was both unfamiliar but also familiar with the Tarot Gathering. At the very least, she was unlike the man in the white shirt and black vest. He had frantically stood up only after everyone began bowing.
In addition, they sensed that the new male member took special notice of The World Gehrman Sparrow, causing them to have many guesses.
Composite Start
Composite End
These thoughts resonated in their minds, but they didn’t express them. The Hanged Man and The Hermit completed the usual first steps of the gathering with Miss Justice.
As for The Sun Derrick, he was just happy because the Tarot Club had new members again! The Moon Emlyn had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he felt a sense of superiority being more senior compared to the newcomers, but on the other hand, he had a feeling that there were just too many messiahs for the apocalypse.
After some searching, The Star Leonard determined that the one sitting at the bottom end of the long bronze table was Klein Moretti. This was because his physical characteristics were similar to that of Gehrman Sparrow’s description.
He’s hiding his true identity… He doesn’t relax even in such a secretive gathering, using two levels of disguises. I have to take note… Just as this thought flashed across his mind, Leonard saw the girl sitting to the left of Mr. Fool stand up. Then, she led everyone into bowing.
He was taken aback, failing to react in time. He stood out when amongst all the standing members.
After a second, Leonard snapped back to his senses and hurriedly stood up to deliver the greeting.
Opposite him, Xio glanced at him, equating him to Fors to a certain extent.
Fors shared the same thought; however, she had equated the man with Xio to a certain extent. This was because Xio had appeared rather unreliable when they first met.
“This is The Star, and this is Judgment. Take your seats and introduce yourself.” The Fool Klein raised his right hand and casually pointed.
The name “The Star” keeps making me think that it’s the code name for a lady… As Leonard thought in exasperation, he focused and began labeling the members in the order of their introduction.
Composite Start
Composite End
Miss Justice. Seems like a young lady, but she might’ve donned two levels of disguise like Klein… She’s rather optimistic and cheerful. Although I can’t tell the details of her attire, it appears to be very classy…
Mr. Hanged Man. Burly, restrained. He’s likely to be a straightforward but rash person…
Miss Magician. The way she looks at me is weird. From time to time, she will glance at Klein. I’ve no idea what’s on her mind. She seems rather ordinary overall with nothing standing out…
Mr. Sun. He’s very tall, but the way he speaks sounds like he’s going through puberty. Although he’s silent, he does seem rather friendly…
Miss Hermit-uh, Ma’am Hermit. She exudes a mature and staid demeanor. She’s likely a very experienced Beyonder…
Mr. Moon. Rather young and looks a little reserved. Makes me feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before, but I can’t recall it. I’ll continue observing…
Miss Judgment. Very short with very obvious traits. However, I can’t be sure if she has donned two levels of disguises…
The World. Very, very gloomy. This is likely his disguise… Well, it might also be his true nature… He wasn’t a demigod before, meaning that this gathering has no lack of Mid-Sequence Beyonders. I wonder if I’m the weakest one…
As Leonard was observing the other members, Judgment Xio Derecha was also using her powers as a Sheriff to extract the traits of the different members and keeping them in mind.
A noble lady… Sailor or a crewmember… Rather young and introverted, but it’s not serious… Rather strong. The leader of at least a mid-sized team… Arrogant, of pretty good family background… Desultory, not staid… Gloomy, terrifying…
Amidst their thoughts, the other members finished their self-introduction. The Hermit Cattleya looked towards the end of the long bronze table and said with a bow, “Honorable Mr. Fool, I didn’t receive any new Roselle diary pages this time.”
Didn’t receive… Does this mean that Queen Mystic didn’t reply? I wonder what Bernadette is busy with… The Fool Klein nodded and calmly replied, “Begin the transactions then.”
As he said that, Audrey noticed the reactions of The Hermit and The Hanged Man. She realized that they had yet to notice Mr. Fool turning loftier and sublime.
Was I the only one who noticed it? Audrey darted her eyes slightly in thought, feeling somewhat poignant and a little happy.
Of course, she also knew that Ma’am Hermit and Mr. Hanged Man didn’t dare to look at Mr. Fool too much, especially the former. Most of the time, she only dared to look at the table edge in front of Mr. Fool.
Table edge… Eh, there’s an additional Card of Blasphemy! Audrey’s gaze froze before she retracted it in pleasant surprise.
With her intuition as a Spectator, she was quite certain that the obtaining of the new Card of Blasphemy was likely to be the same matter as The World Gehrman Sparrow’s mental problems but with different outcomes.
She hesitated for a moment and observed the area.
“I have nothing I need.”
Cattleya, Derrick, Emlyn, and Fors had already made preparations and were about to advance; therefore, they didn’t have any requests. Likewise for Alger who was still digesting his potion.
Instead, it was Leonard who had the desire to purchase a mystical item. However, with no one showing him an example, he was momentarily unsure how to begin. All he could do was divert some attention to considering Mr. Fool’s need for Roselle diaries.
After selling Tinder, he wasn’t lacking in money. Furthermore, having had the experience using Creeping Hunger, he realized that having a powerful mystical item was rather useful.
At this point, Fors looked at the silent Xio before looking opposite her.
“Mr. Hanged Man, I have a material that I wish to be made into a mystical item by that Artisan.”
She was referring to the ancient wraith powder that Xio had.
Alger shook his head.
“That Artisan has been controlled by some members of the Rose School of Thought who believe in the Primordial Moon. That’s all I know. The subsequent matters have been left to Ma’am Hermit to handle.”
Rose School of Thought… Primordial Moon believers… Left to Ma’am Hermit to handle… Leonard and Xio looked around and suddenly realized that the gathering they were participating in wasn’t as loose as they imagined.
They were secretly traversing through the shadows of the world!
Chapter 959 Even Newcomers Are Different Amongst themselves
Cattleya turned her body slightly to the side and looked at The Magician.
“It’s a little complicated. I suggest that you wait for another one to two weeks. I’m unable to promise anything. All I can say is that there should be someone to help you create the mystical item when the time comes.”
Should be someone… It also means that it might not be the original Artisan… Does this mean that she’s planning on nurturing an Artisan for herself? Or could it be that she’s thinking of a way to turn the original Artisan into a Sealed Artifact, using a machine to create machines? Hmm, Ma’am Hermit is indeed an experienced Beyonder… Leonard listened quietly while doing some analysis. It was the first time he was this serious during a meeting.
“No problem.” Fors had the utmost confidence in Ma’am Hermit. After all, she had already obtained the Mythical Creature’s blood and was likely to undergo a qualitative change in time.
At this moment, she heard The World say with a hoarse voice, “If this matter requires my help, you can get my help.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
To Klein, the Mother Tree of Desire’s abnormal interest in the gray fog, as well as Emperor Roselle’s warning to “be careful of the moon,” which made him, who was determined to figure out the secret of transmigration and the door of light, take note of matters involving the Rose School of Thought and the Primordial Moon believers more than ever before. Furthermore, the Artisan was now involved in both matters.
Cattleya never expected The World to offer his help. After some silence, she nodded slightly.
“Alright. If I’m unable to handle it, I’ll seek your help through Mr. Fool.”
She had deliberately said “through Mr. Fool” to inform the two newcomers that the Tarot Club had a magical way of contacting one another. There was no need for them to be stumped or be in a dilemma in such aspects. It was something they would understand in due time.
As the pirate admiral with the highest bounty across the Five Seas, and as a pirate crew leader of hundreds of subordinates, she wasn’t doing this solely out of goodwill, nor was she worried that the two newcomers would affect the progress of the gathering because of excessive questions. Instead, it was a way to assert dominance in front of newcomers.
Of course, unless time was of the essence, leaving Cattleya no time to set up a ritual, she would in fact rather summon Gehrman Sparrow’s messenger than trouble Mr. Fool.
Seek help through Mr. Fool… Xio vaguely understood something and held back her urge to look at Fors.
Seek help through Mr. Fool? Leonard’s thoughts raced quickly as he made a guess.
Seeing that someone had begun, he relaxed a little and deliberated for a few seconds. Then, he said, “I need a mystical item.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“What kind?” Audrey answered at the perfect time to prevent an awkward atmosphere from descending upon the area.
Leonard verbally showed his indecision and subconsciously replied, “I don’t know…”
He only had such a plan, but he hadn’t thought carefully into the details. He only realized that there was this possibility after being pulled into the gathering
Doesn’t know… Is he an idiot… The Fool Klein, who knew Leonard’s desultoriness and casualness, resisted the urge to laugh and criticized him inwardly.
Seeing everyone’s gaze fall on him with mixed expressions, Leonard immediately felt embarrassed as he hurriedly added, “I mean there are no limits on the type. As long as it’s geared towards offense, has rather stealth-oriented attributes, and lesser negative side effects, it would be fine by me.”
This was to boost his Nightmare’s control to its full extent. At times, he could control a target by himself while Pallez Zoroast controlled the mystical item, giving the dazed opponent a lethal strike. Once he became a Spirit Warlock, with a natural spirit or wraith or shadow sealed in his teeth to aid him, he could do two or even three things at a time.
After Mr. Star finished his explanation, Alger didn’t harp over the details. He asked, “Roughly what level is needed?”
“Somewhere around a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact but slightly stronger. Uh, corresponding to Sequence 5 or 6.” Leonard had habitually described the item using the parlance of an official Beyonder before switching to more common terminology.
At that instant, a thought flashed across the minds of Audrey, Cattleya, Alger, and Xio: Mr. Star is an official Beyonder, or at least he once was!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
From their point of view, although Beyonders that didn’t belong to any official organization would at times use the concept of grades when describing Sealed Artifacts, they wouldn’t consider using such a vague description when precision was needed in expressing their thoughts and requests. One would often choose a method of explanation that was more direct and easier to understand.
Therefore, the conclusion easily appeared.
This way, things turned way more interesting.
Uh, Mr. World is actually very familiar with an official Beyonder… How did they get to know each other? Why would he rope in an official Beyonder into the Tarot Club? Audrey didn’t say a word as she maintained her state as a Spectator while enjoying herself.
At this moment, Alger tersely acknowledged.
“A mystical item at Sequence 5 costs at least 9,000 pounds. For one that matches your request, it can typically exceed 12,000 pounds.”
Very frank… Leonard nodded.
“I understand.”
After hearing his reply, Klein nearly facepalmed as he sighed inwardly.
Composite Start
Composite End
A-aren’t you showing your hidden card to Mr. Hanged Man by doing so?
I dare bet that if he has something suitable, the price will definitely be above 12,000 pounds!
Aside from the 7,000 pounds from Tinder, Leonard still actually has other savings… With the guidance of a grandpa from the Marauder pathway, he has likely amassed quite a bit. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to purchase Tinder…
I get it. He’s not afraid of being fleeced, because he still can purchase from the Hermits of Fate. He can compare the traits and prices from both sides… But the problem is that gathering happens once every half a year. It’s totally not at the Tarot Gathering’s pace…
At this moment in time, Klein couldn’t help but consider selling items to the dear poet that had repeated effects or were of little use after becoming a demigod.
He then heard Mr. Hanged Man reply in a deep and calm manner, “Alright. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“Okay.” Cattleya and the other members expressed their stance as well.
Following that, there weren’t any transactions, allowing the gathering to automatically enter the free exchange segment.
Without waiting for Mr. Hanged Man to inquire, Derrick raised his hand and said, “I’m already back in the City of Silver. The chief has informed me that we will begin another round of preliminary explorations of the Giant King’s Court shortly.
“Does he mean that I should make use of this time to advance to become a Priest of Light?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Giant King’s Court? Explorations of the Giant King’s Court? Leonard cast his gaze to the pubescent youth one seat away from him in surprise.
From what he knew, the Giant King’s Court had already been destroyed long ago in the Second Epoch. Pallez Zoroast, as an angel, had already said that it had vanished from the rivers of time.
To his surprise, The Sun of the Tarot Club was about to explore the area, but none of the members were astonished!
Yes, not one of them. Leonard subconsciously looked at Miss Judgment who was also a newcomer, but he realized that she was apparently aware of this and had remained rather calm.
This… Miss Magician has privately kept Miss Judgment up to speed. Only Leonard doesn’t know anything… The Fool Klein leaned into his seat and seriously analyzed himself.
After he pulled Leonard above the gray fog and assigned him The Star card, he had ignored him. He didn’t even write to him or introduce the Tarot Club’s general situation to him!
Compared to women, men truly aren’t meticulous with the details… Klein was just about to control The World Gehrman to explain to The Star Leonard when he saw The Moon Emlyn glance at the poet beside him and say with a rather faint smile, “The Giant King’s Court is in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.”
After saying that, he ignored Leonard’s reaction, and he said to The Sun, “Have you obtained the ingredients to Priest of Light?”
He knew that someone had only received the formula just one to two weeks ago.
“Yes, I’ve gotten it from Mr. World,” Derrick answered honestly, but he didn’t go into the details of the transaction.
At this moment, Leonard’s mind was filled with the words “Forsaken Land of the Gods” and “Giant King’s Court.” He had a feeling like he had walked out of a fantasy or myth.
He instinctively reassessed his knowledge of the Tarot Club, realizing the weight of the simple words of how “the members come from different places.”
Even the Churches of the seven deities are unable to find the Forsaken Land of the Gods, but the Tarot Club can do so. It has even roped in a member from there… Right, Azik Eggers, who I believe wields the Death card, doesn’t appear at the gathering… Apart from the members here, there are others that come directly under Mr. Fool? It’s as I first imagined. It’s a secret organization that might develop into an orthodox Church. It’s not much weaker than the Aurora Order or Rose School of Thought, and it might even be stronger in certain aspects… This is really a Divine Council… Amidst Leonard’s thoughts, Alger agreed with Derrick’s guess.
“That’s what it is.
“Exploring the Giant King’s Court is a very dangerous matter. He wishes that you quickly grow stronger to resist that Elder Shepherd’s level.”
Derrick nodded in vague acknowledgment.
“I get it. Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man.”
He then shared information about what he saw at Nois City, leaving Leonard and Xio dumbfounded. They had no idea how such a strange state and atmosphere was generated.
However, The Fool Klein noticed something familiar. He felt that Nois City and the foggy town resembled each other to a certain degree.
The walking crowd was suspected to be lifeless marionettes!
Could it be that there’s a higher Sequence item of the Seer pathway or some monster there? Klein didn’t say a word as he silently took note of Nois City.
At this moment, Xio glanced at The World and said, showcasing some goodwill, “MI9 has recently been investigating Gehrman Sparrow’s origins.”
Chapter 960 The Fool’s Sigh
Upon hearing the name “Gehrman Sparrow,” all the members on both sides of the long bronze table looked at The World. No one spoke or interjected.
They more or less knew that the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, had once again done something huge such as killing Admiral Hell Ludwell. However, Audrey didn’t believe that this was the main reason why he would suffer mental problems.
And the way they acted made Leonard instantly realize a fact: Everyone in the Tarot Club knew that The World was Gehrman Sparrow!
Klein’s disguise is really well done… However, why does he let the other members know of his identity as Gehrman Sparrow? Isn’t it common sense to hide one’s background at such gatherings? Amidst his puzzlement, Leonard heard the blurry-figured The World reply with a hoarse voice, “What clues has MI9 obtained?”
Xio showed no shame in betraying MI9 as she replied frankly, “They have confirmed that the identity “Gehrman Sparrow’ is fabricated, and that it was sourced from Backlund.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Indeed, he was previously known as Sherlock Moriarty. He became Gehrman Sparrow after leaving Backlund. However, Sherlock Moriarty isn’t his real identity either… Leonard subconsciously surveyed the area and realized that, although the other members weren’t surprised, they didn’t seem to show any signs of realizing it. Hence, he believed that their knowledge of Klein was only at the uppermost surface.
Under Klein’s control, The World Gehrman Sparrow chuckled and answered Miss Judgment’s information, “There’s no need to bother about such matters.”
To him, to figure out who the fake identity of Gehrman Sparrow was given to, one had to first capture Queen Mystic Bernadette, or one had to obtain news of Sharron from her. Clearly, the level of difficulty made it nearly impossible!
In comparison, if they did the same as Leonard, starting off from the events in which Detective Sherlock Moriarty was involved in, there was a chance of them figuring out more. However, since MI9 had chosen the wrong direction, Klein was happy to see them take the futile route.
Mr. World is unperturbed and very confident… Xio retracted her gaze and didn’t continue.
At this moment, Audrey deliberated and asked, “Mr. World, will you be returning to Backlund in the future? Will you still use the identity of Dwayne Dantès?”
As a qualified Psychiatrist, she obviously wasn’t going to inform the mental problems of The World to the other members of the Tarot Club. She only wanted to confirm if he would still return to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation. That way, she could be in closer contact to him in the real world, allowing for a better checkup.
She didn’t conceal the matter about Dwayne Dantès, since the original members already knew of it. As for Mr. Star, he was clearly familiar with Mr. World. As for Xio, she had Fors to inform her ahead of time.
Ah… Upon hearing Miss Justice’s words, Leonard nearly couldn’t believe his ears as he felt a little confused.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein Moretti is equivalent to Dwayne Dantès?
I’ve once asked Dwayne Dantès to his face about Klein Moretti…
No, it’s impossible. Dwayne Dantès is an undying creature who has lived since the Fourth Epoch! The way he acted is sufficient proof!
Old Man said the same too!
At that moment, Leonard was unable to control his tumultuous emotions. He instinctively rejected the fact that Miss Justice had conveyed.
If what appeared here was his Astral Projection, he felt that his expressions would be rather obviousoscillating between red and white.
Opposite Leonard, Xio looked up as well, looking at Mr. World with puzzlement.
He’s Dwayne Dantès? Dwayne Dantès is Gehrman Sparrow?
I even accepted his butler’s mission… I even protected him before… I even pitied him…
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He can squash me to death with one hand…
Xio then turn her head and glared at Fors.
I don’t dare to say too much about Mr. World. I could only briefly mention a little… Fors turned her eyes away in guilt as she mumbled silently. Alger and Cattleya figured out something from the duo’s reactions:
Miss Magician and Miss Judgment knew each other in the real world.
Miss Judgment had once interacted with Dwayne Dantès before, but she didn’t know that he was Gehrman Sparrow.
As a senior Spectator, Audrey noticed the abnormalities of The Star and Judgment without a doubt. Immediately, she understood that she had made too many assumptions.
Audrey, you need to reflect on this! She said to herself in embarrassment and attempted to make up for it before Mr. World spoke.
“Dwayne Dantès is a public identity. At times, it will be Mr. World, and at other times, it will be the other Blessed of Mr. Fool.”
So that’s how it is… Makes sense! Leonard’s mind stirred as he instantly accepted Miss Justice’s explanation and figured out many different matters.
Composite Start
Composite End
The Dwayne Dantès that appeared during the period before the breaching of Saint Samuel Cathedral’s Chanis Gate was likely Klein. The periods before and after that was the other Blessed of Mr. Fool… That Death Consul? Indeed, he’s an undying creature who lived since the Fourth Epoch. Old Man’s old friend…
Yes, it might be other Blessed I’m not aware of, but their levels definitely aren’t too low… Uh, other Blessed. Does that mean Klein is also considered Mr. Fool’s Blessed?
It’s no wonder Mr. Fool said that he comes here and participates in the gathering, but the experiences are different from mine… It’s because he’s a Blessed and enjoys the benediction of Mr. Fool, so he also has the ancient aura. It’s why Old Man doesn’t realize that Dwayne Dantès is played by different people?
This explains my previous question. As a Blessed, Gehrman Sparrow doesn’t need to keep his identity a secret…
But to Judgment Xio, Dwayne Dantès being a public identity, or him being Gehrman Sparrow was not her concern. The reason why she overreacted was because, after realizing the truth, she felt embarrassed at all her various thoughts back then.
Seeing the atmosphere return to normal, Klein heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to answer Miss Justice’s question:
“Yes.
“When the time comes, there might be certain matters that need all of your help.”
When he finished the second half of his sentence, The World swept his gaze across Justice, The Magician, Judgment, The Star, and The Moon.
H-he has plans for something in Backlund? Audrey instantly understood what Mr. World was getting at. She momentarily felt excited but also a little worried.
Composite Start
Composite End
She was excited because she was about to participate in a secret operation that all the participants didn’t seem to have any ties with, to the point of not even “knowing” each other. This was something she had always looked forward to. Her worries stemmed from whether the operation would have any threat to Backlund’s safety, or if it would bring harm to the innocent.
As for danger to herself, she wasn’t too worried. She believed that Mr. World would arrange for the mission to be held in the outskirts of the city, provide key information, or cause serious misdirection to the target, without needing any direct participation or fighting.
Emlyn was the second person to read between the lines. And this was a result of his innate aversion towards troublesome matters.
Will it be troublesome… he thought with a frown without saying a word. While the other members came to a realization, Alger took a deep look at The World Gehrman Sparrow and said, “I recently received news that the traitor of the Church of Evernight, Archbishop Ince Zangwill, was killed in West Balam. Before that, he had already become a demigod. As for the Sealed Artifact, 0-08, which he had stolen, it’s unknown whose hands it’s in. The only thing that can be certain is that the battlefield was cleared by the Church of Evernight.”
The Hanged Man is very updated on the news… It’s only been a few days… The Church should’ve kept this strictly confidential… However, there might have been other factions arriving at the square that day… Leonard was taken aback for a moment, but he didn’t provide more information.
This was the first time Audrey and company were learning about the news. They could only determine that the matter was rather important from the words “archbishop,” “0-08,” and “demigod.” But since it had nothing to do with them and there wasn’t any stimulus, they weren’t too intrigued. As for Cattleya, as she had a deep impression and understanding of Grade o Sealed Artifacts, she planned on seeking out information on this via Queen Mystic and the Moses Ascetic Order after she returned to the real world.
Amidst a brief silence, The Fool Klein suddenly extended his hand and rapped the table’s surface.
He felt that he needed to warn all the members.
In the coming years, the waves of the times would come flooding in!
Upon hearing that, all the members straightened their backs or made them even straighter before turning to the seat of honor at the long bronze table. Even the newly joined Leonard and Xio were no exception. It was almost instinctive.
Then, they heard the profound and lofty figure chuckle amidst the gray fog.
“The times have changed as a result.”
The times have changed because of this? Ince Zangwill’s matter is key to something? Although it involves a Grade o Sealed Artifact… Alger, who had shared the news, never expected Mr. Fool to place so much emphasis on it. He was momentarily unsure what to make out of it.
Leonard, who had participated in the matter regarding Ince Zangwill, felt the same. He knew how important and terrifying the Grade o Sealed Artifact was, but he never expected that what happened that day would change the times.
While Audrey and company wore blank looks, they focused fully. Even Derrick couldn’t help but take on an attentive posture.
The Fool Klein surveyed the area and said with a laugh and sigh, “Adam is one step closer to being divine.”
Chapter 961 Warning By Informing
“Adam is one step closer to being divine.”
Such a simple sentence instantly sent tumultuous waves through every member of the Tarot Club.
Other than Leonard, the other members, including Xio, who had been briefed of the important points by The Magician, immediately recalled the information regarding Adam.
Ancient sun god, City of Silver’s Creator’s son, brother of Blasphemer Amon. Suspected to be one of the eight Kings of Angels!
And this mythical figure, who had existed before the Cataclysm, had become active in the real world once again. And “He” was one step closer to being divine!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This… To make Mr. Fool sigh, it means that Adam is probably just one step short of reaching the divine throne, Sequence 0. There’s a chance that “He” might make that step at any moment. Alger subconsciously came to a conclusion as he hurriedly clasped his hands and couldn’t help but have thoughts run through his mind.
A Sequence o true god is about to be born!
There are still births of true gods in the Fifth Epoch?
This will be the first true god this Epoch?
With deities no longer able to descend upon the real world, it’s unbelievable that a Sequence o would still appear!
Alger always found himself ambitious, with him now setting his sights on Sequence 2, to become an angel. But after hearing about Adam, he still found it unacceptable.
One had to know that the last one to become a Sequence o true god was the former God of Craftsmanship, the present God of Steam and Machinery. And that happened in the late Fourth Epoch.
Since the Fifth Epoch, over thirteen hundred years, there hadn’t been any new existence reaching the divine throne!
It’s no wonder Mr. Fool said that the times will change as a result… Amidst Cattleya’s scattered thoughts, she suddenly came to a realization as though she could see the waves that marked the end of an Epoch flooding over.
Composite Start
Composite End
Having already gathered the ingredients and being in the process of making preparations for the Sequence 4 ritual, she believed she had the chance of attaining divinity in the near future to change her existence. She was still reeling in joy, anticipation, and unease. But at this moment, she suddenly felt a baffling sense of horror. All she wanted was to communicate with Queen Mystic face to face to confirm the future.
Fors, Xio, and the other members had a myriad of reactions. On the one hand, they were shocked that Adam was attempting to achieve divinity, never expecting such a matter to happen in the Fifth Epoch. On the other hand, they were worried for their present life. After all, be it Emlyn from the Sanguine, or Audrey who lived amongst the Loen Kingdom’s upper-class, all of them lived in the Fifth Epoch, living in a situation which had more than a thousand years of history setting the foundation. They didn’t dare have any sacrilegious thoughts towards true gods. Even when facing evil gods like the True Creator, they still felt a deep sense of fear and awe, acknowledging “Their” level and loftiness. Therefore, they couldn’t believe that a god would soon appear. They couldn’t imagine what would happen next.
In their eyes, The Fool was a reawakened ancient god, an existence who originally sat at the throne of Sequence o.
One step closer to being divine… Becoming a god… Derrick was mostly excited, as though he could see hope and have a target to strive for.
To him, only a Sequence o could save the City of Silver!
Adam? Becoming a god… Although Leonard didn’t know who Adam was, just the simple words of being “one step closer to being divine” was easy to understand.
He connected it to that ordinary priest who had appeared after the battle ended and had picked up 0-08 in front of Klein.
That’s Adam? Or a subordinate of Adam? No, 0-08 is a Grade o Sealed Artifact. Only Adam, who’s very close to the divine throne, can do it personally with great certainty… It’s no wonder the battle with Ince Zangwill was easier than I expected. I thought the best outcome would be me and Klein dragging Ince Zangwill into hell together… Who’s Adam? Why haven’t I heard of “Him”… Perhaps a result of being parasitized by an angel, allowing him to know some of the secrets and developments of the Fourth Epoch, Leonard had a deeper understanding of Adam’s path to being divine. The impact he felt wasn’t too great, with most of his feelings puzzlement and curiosity over Adam’s true identity.
And at this moment, The Fool didn’t speak again or give further explanations. It was as though he was simply warning the members to make preparations for the change of the times.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst the confusion and wandering thoughts, The World Gehrman Sparrow glanced at The Star Leonard and simply said, “Adam is the son of the ancient sun god, Blasphemer Amon’s brother.”
Leonard immediately jumped in fright and failed to control his expression.
He had a deep impression of Amon, and he had a deep trauma for Amon because of Old Man’s descriptions. And Adam was Amon’s brother, so it was very possible that the level of horror was likely the same between the two brothers!
The World ignored The Star’s reaction and continued, “It can be confirmed now that Adam is one of the eight Kings of Angels, titled ‘Angel of Imagination.’ ‘He’ is ranked on par with Angel of Time Amon.
“The reason for ‘Him’ targeting Ince Zangwill is to obtain 0-08 to make up any shortfalls for ‘His’ path to being divine. And ‘His’ plan succeeded.”
Angel of Imagination… Adam is a King of Angels from the Spectator pathway? Audrey instantly connected this to the Dragon King Ankewelt’s title, Dragon of Imagination!
And she had long known that mind dragons represented the Spectator pathway.
As for Leonard, another comprehension obstacle appeared before him. He had been stumped by the concept of a King of Angels, but he was too embarrassed to ask. He had planned on seeking Old Man’s help when “He” awakened.
Alger pondered over Gehrman Sparrow’s words as his expression turned slightly odd. He probed, “You seem to have witnessed the matter?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as he said that, all of them heard a familiar, hoarse laughter.
After Gehrman Sparrow finished laughing, he looked at The Star and said as though it was nothing, “The murder of Ince Zangwill was committed by me and my partner.”
“…” Cattleya’s mind instantly went blank.
She could accept that Gehrman Sparrow could easily finish off Admiral Hell, but she couldn’t imagine that he would one day kill a real Sequence 4 demigod!
Cattleya quickly calmed down because, with a King of Angels involved in the battle, it was possible that a Sequence 5 could kill off a heavily injured demigod due to various coincidences. Furthermore, he had a partner.
Audrey “read” confidence from The World’s tone. She couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, “Mr. World, have you already become a demigod?”
The World didn’t give a direct answer as he chuckled.
“In the future, all of you can entrust matters involving demigods to me.”
Every member present figured out the meaning in between the lines.
He had become a genuine Sequence 4 demigod. Furthermore, he was the kind who had the ability to kill peers at his level!
Composite Start
Composite End
At that instant, Cattleya became abnormally calm. She tried hard to recall everything that she had seen and heard regarding Gehrman Sparrow. She was very certain that he was only a Sequence 6 before the visit to the ruins of the battlefield of gods. He relied on the glove to match a Sequence 5.
As for Gehrman Sparrow’s search for mermaids without hunting any of them, it implied that it was a requirement of a ritual. This meant that he had indeed advanced to Sequence 5 back then. His various performances after that proved this point.
Today, it had only been about three months since Gehrman Sparrow stepped into the ruins of the battlefield of the gods, but he had already advanced to Sequence 4, becoming a demigod existence. This overturned Cattleya’s understanding of the world.
She wasn’t too old, with her age being less than thirty. But to reach Sequence 5 and gain the title of Admiral of Stars, it took her about seven to eight years. It was only in the past one or two years did she have the confidence to attempt to breach the gate to become a demigod. With her starting to make preparations, she believed she was already far ahead of the pack.
Mr. World is impressive! He became a demigod so quickly! Derrick sincerely felt joy. His idolization for Mr. World grew more intense as he hoped that he could be like him, becoming a demigod at the fastest speed possible.
Audrey was both alarmed and delighted. Following that, she gained an understanding towards the abnormality in Gehrman Sparrow’s mental state.
From the looks of it, his low spirits, gloomy, and depressed feelings happened after he became a demigod. These are the negative effects accumulated from potions. It’s just like how I nearly lost control when I became a Psychiatrist…
Also, after becoming a Sequence 4 and gaining godhood, he could naturally penetrate more of reality. He then realized that he had been sleeping for a very long time. His family had passed away, making him lose his goals…
How pitiful. With his warm nature, he must’ve had deep feelings for his family and friends…
However, I’m so envious. Does being Mr. Fool’s Blessed make one advance so quickly… I also wish to become a demigod early. Mr. Fool’s mention that “the times have changed as a result” leaves me fretting…
While Emlyn and the other members were still in shock, Alger, who also shared the same feelings and felt deep envy and jealousy towards Gehrman Sparrow, had other thoughts.
As Mr. Fool’s Blessed, Gehrman Sparrow’s embroilment with this King of Angels and 0-08 matter clearly isn’t an accident…
On the contrary, it might be more reasonable that it’s a mutual plan between Angel of Imagination Adam and Mr. Fool. That will explain it!
Two mythical figures that existed before the Cataclysm. One is awakening, and the other is making an advancement, the two secretly coming together!
Amidst his thoughts, Alger had another idea:
Since Adam had obtained 0-08 and opened the door to the divine throne, what about Mr. Fool? What benefit did “He” get in this matter?
Subconsciously, Alger turned his body and slightly bowed his head to look at the seat of honor.
He didn’t dare look directly, and could only look through the corner of his eye.
Chapter 962 Being Known
Almost instantly, Alger discovered that Mr. Fool was somewhat different than before.
In the past, although Mr. Fool was distant and profound, making “Him” appear unfathomable, as though “He” was looking down upon everything from above, that was all. It wasn’t like “He” was now. Even though “He” wasn’t doing anything, he seemed to have fused with the entire space, a clear expression of “Him” being the ruler at the pinnacle level.
Sweeping his gaze, Alger saw the third Card of Blasphemy as he felt more certain of his guess.
Indeed, Mr. Fool and the Angel of Imagination Adam had cooperated to machinate Ince Zangwill’s demise. One of “Them” obtained 0-08, making “Him” take one step closer to being a god, while the other obtained the various benefits in a Card of Blasphemy and regained a substantial amount of “His” strength!
The times will change as a result! At that instant, Alger had a deeper understanding of what Mr. Fool had just said.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The other members undoubtedly noticed him turning his head, and they realized that he was looking at Mr. Fool.
After a brief moment of surprise, they made a certain realization at different speeds.
Mr. Fool was aware of Angel of Imagination Adam’s plot against Ince Zangwill from the very beginning and had sent “His” Blessed to cooperate. “He” had even provided a certain level of help!
If that weren’t the case, how could a recently advanced demigod participate in a matter that involved a King of Angels and Grade o Sealed Artifact?
If this weren’t the case, The World wouldn’t have been able to understand the situation that well, even if he had been embroiled due to all kinds of coincidences.
The obtaining of the Card of Blasphemy, Mr. World’s advancement, Ince Zangwill’s death, the meeting of Angel of Imagination Adam’s goal, these all happened in one week… This means that the relationship between them is tightly intertwined… My previous intuition was right. The obtaining of a new Card of Blasphemy and the appearance of an abnormality in Mr. World’s mental state were the different outcomes of the same matter… Audrey nodded very slightly as she confirmed her theory.
Leonard was increasingly convinced that Ince Zangwill’s matter was more complicated than he had imagined. Apart from King of Angels Adam, there were likely other important figures of similar levels appearing back then. Otherwise, Amon’s brother, the son of the ancient sun god, had no need to seek out Mr. Fool’s help. After all, no matter how powerful or terrifying 0-08 was, it was incapable of comparing with the Blasphemer as described by Old Man, as Adam and Amon were likely on par with each other.
The evil spirit that Klein pulled into the Underworld probably isn’t simple. It’s definitely not something that “being from the Hunter pathway” would be enough to describe it with… Hmm, Klein’s participation in the matter regarding Ince Zangwill isn’t solely for revenge, but is also due to Mr. Fool’s orders… As Leonard sighed, he didn’t generate any negative feelings. Instead, he was secretly relieved.
From his point of view, this was a very ordinary situation. Mr. Fool’s agreement in convening such a gathering to establish a corresponding organization while hosting it as a deity was definitely not because “He” solely wished to make the area more lively or being done out of goodwill. “He” definitely had “His” goals and needs that “He” wished Blessed like Klein or members like him could complete.
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, seeking revenge on Ince Zangwill and accepting Mr. Fool’s mission wasn’t in conflict. The latter didn’t reduce the former’s meaning and importance.
As for why he was relieved, it was because Leonard believed that Mr. Fool’s clear expression of “His” goals had made it better than having everything chaotic and unknown. He didn’t need to guess or wait with trepidation.
He originally had intense wariness for Pallez Zoroast precisely because he wasn’t sure of “His” true motives.
At this moment, The Fool Klein didn’t say a word. He didn’t confirm or deny the members’ guesses and theories. Controlling The World, he made him continue, “Adam might’ve established a very secretive organization, and it has been secretly steering the development of the times.
“Many important figures you might never have expected are members of this organization. They would machinate one matter after another.
“Also, after leaving this place, do not say or write down Adam’s name, including ‘His’ title. Try not to think about such matters, because ‘He’ has the trait of ‘any mention of it will be known.’ The more you know about ‘Him,’ the more ‘He’ might know about you. This is somewhat similar to 0-08.”
After hearing Mr. World’s description, Audrey instantly recalled learning of the mysterious organization from Mr. Fool: the Twilight Hermit Order!
This made her quickly come up with a corresponding theory:
The King of Angels Adam was the leader of the Twilight Hermit Order!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The Angel of Imagination was a member of the Spectator pathway. Likewise for 0-08. Therefore, “any mention of it will be known” was a Beyonder power of this pathway at higher Sequences. Likewise for “the more you know of it, the more it knows of you”!
Impressive… But won’t this be rather noisy… Audrey momentarily looked forward to it with envy while also feeling worried and puzzled.
“Any mention of it will be known”… So the organization behind the assassination of Duke Negan, the one backer behind Qilangos was established by King of Angels Adam… Alger was first somewhat enlightened before his expression fell.
He began to suspect that the primitive island that he had previously explored was related to this secret organization. This was because Qilangos had once ventured deep into it and discovered several items. Furthermore, the final disappearance of the island had resembled the powers of the Dragon of Imagination as described by The Sun.
Putting the two together, Alger couldn’t help but come up with such a theory as he made a deeper realization that Mr. Fool’s cooperation with the Angel of Imagination had started when he and Gehrman Sparrow stepped into that primitive island!
He was more convinced that it was the truth because after the existence in that island’s ruin “awakened,” the only thing that happened was a sigh. He and Gehrman Sparrow weren’t stopped from leaving.
So that’s how it is… The way important figures set up their ploys are truly well-concealed. I didn’t notice it at all back then… The games between gods are truly complicated. Perhaps only Sequence 1 Beyonders or even King of Angels are qualified to participate… Alger sighed as he felt a baffling sense of desire.
Fors had already forgotten the mysterious organization which Mr. Fool had mentioned previously. Only when she heard “any mention of it will be known” did she recall that it was related to Duke Negan’s assassination.
However, she wasn’t concerned about this problem but something else.
Composite Start
Composite End
Back when she was informing Xio about the general situation of the Tarot Club and the general knowledge, she had mentioned Adam’s name!
Adam has the trait of “any mention will be known”? This… Xio and I are known by “Him”? Fors instantly felt horrified as she couldn’t help but turn her head and cast her gaze to Xio.
She had learned that Adam was the son of the Creator from Ma’am Hermit. Furthermore, she had never emphasized to not mention the King of Angels’s name in the outside world!
“I-I’ve mentioned Adam in the real world,” Fors said with a clear stammer. Xio’s nerves were taut as though a venomous snake had crawled into her clothes and was sliding across her back.
Cattleya tersely acknowledged.
“No need to worry. Although not many people know of Adam and Amon, there’s no lack of them. I’ve mentioned ‘His’ name on several occasions. As long as the words you mention doesn’t involve any secrets, I believe ‘He’ will only observe you for a moment before casting ‘His’ gaze elsewhere.”
She was rather certain when saying that because, in the Moses Ascetic Order that had been pursued by knowledge, Adam’s existence wasn’t a secret. People often mentioned “Him.”
At this moment, her mind was filled with another matter. Could it be that the secret, ancient organization that Emperor Roselle joined was the one that King of Angels Adam established?
Fors hurriedly tried recalling and said somewhat hesitantly, “There were mentions involving the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the Giant King’s Court, Amon, King of Angels, and other knowledge. Would that be a problem?”
She was very happy that she had never mentioned the words “Tarot Club” or described the other members. At most, she mentioned that the gloomiest was Gehrman Sparrow. Cattleya thought and said, “At your Sequence, discussing knowledge at that level is indeed strange. However, if Adam were to delve deeper, he will realize that you’re related to the Abraham family. It’s quite normal to be aware of this information.
Composite Start
Composite End
“What you need to pay attention to is that any major matters involving the Abraham family will require you to be wary of Adam.”
How do I be wary of him… Fors forced a helpless smile as she glanced at the seat of honor at the long bronze table. Then, she looked back at The Hermit and said, “Thank you for your analysis.”
As Mr. Fool hadn’t said anything, she decided to believe Ma’am Hermit’s words.
At this moment, Klein sighed inwardly.
Back when Cattleya mentioned Adam during the Tarot Gathering, he wasn’t aware that Adam’s name wasn’t to be verbalized, nor did he know that he was related to the Twilight Hermit Order. It was only when he entered Groselle’s Travels and learned from Ascetic Snowman about Adam being the Angel of Imagination that he grasped this point and came up with the theory.
After seeing Mr. Door’s warning from Emperor Roselle’s diary and gained preliminary confirmation, he ultimately lacked the opportunity to warn the various members. Furthermore, the way the archbishop of the Church of Steam casually mentioned Adam’s name made him believe that many people in the real world knew of Adam and that it wasn’t taboo. Furthermore, Adam might not be “His” full name. He wasn’t in a rush to guide the conversation towards this, but he was waiting for an opportunity.
Any mention of it will be known? The organization established by Adam is really impressive… Is this the target our Tarot Club is aiming at? As Emlyn reflected over it poignantly, he gained a clear picture of the Tarot Club.
He had previously been figuring out a category for the Tarot Club. He realized that it wasn’t like an orthodox Church, and it was unlike the other secret organizations. Apart from being a messiah alliance, there wasn’t anything too special. It muddled his analysis.
And today, he finally confirmed that the early development of the Tarot Club could match Adam’s organization!
Knowing 0-08’s trait, Leonard wasn’t surprised that Adam had a similar trait. He was more concerned about the organization with many important figures participating, as well as the Abraham family which Ma’am Hermit had mentioned.
He had once heard Pallez Zoroast mention: This family’s standing in the Fourth Epoch was very high!
Chapter 963 Problem with Intelligence
According to what Leonard knew, amongst the major noble families of the Fourth Epoch’s Tudor Empire, the Abraham family was ranked first. It was even stronger than the Amon family who had the Blasphemer. Of course, he couldn’t be certain if the Amon family didn’t have any members—that it was all filled with the son of god’s avatars.
Miss Magician is actually an important member of the Abraham family… Everyone here isn’t to be trifled with… Is this what’s called a gathering of protagonists? Leonard first sighed before he made a self-deprecating comment.
Derrick didn’t say a word, nor did he make any connections. He seriously listened to Mr. World’s description, as well as the conversation between the two ladies—The Magician and The Hermit-before keeping them to heart.
To him, the other members were in the outside world. Regardless of what happened, it had little to do with him or the City of Silver. Only matters regarding the King of Angels was something to be concerned about. After all, be it the Angel of Fate Ouroboros, the Dark Angel Sasrir, and Red Angel Medici, they had left traces around the City of Silver. As for the Angel of Time, Amon, he had personally visited it before, bringing about inexplicable horror.
After everyone quietened down, Derrick couldn’t help but consider certain matters.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Any mention of it will be known… How should I inform the Chief about such matters? Or is it fine not saying it for the time being? I’ll just mention that Amon is a son of the Creator, that “He” has another brother who’s of the same pathway as the Dragon of Imagination…
If the City of Silver were to encounter an overwhelming disaster, would Adam be able to hear it if I said “His” name? Can “He” enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods?
With this in mind, Derrick instantly felt somewhat ashamed. This was because, in such situations, the honorific name he should chant was Mr. Fool’s.
At this moment, The World spoke again: “Although War Angel Medici has long perished, ‘He’ isn’t completely dead. The soul ‘He’ left behind has fused with the souls of the ancestors of the two major families of Sauron and Einhorn, forming an evil spirit. During the death of Ince Zangwill, there were traces of its appearance.”
Klein had specially brought up this point to firstly pass this information to the Church of Evernight via Leonard. Secondly, it was to remind The Hanged Man to take note. After all, he had been to Bansy twice, possibly embroiling himself with the Red Angel evil spirit’s fate.
That evil spirit was War Angel Medici? While Leonard was feeling alarmed, he was taken aback. He had just guessed that Adam wasn’t the only bigwig who had been present!
Later, setting off from the titles of War Angel and Angel of Imagination, he suspected that the evil spirit was a King of Angels in its former life.
And such an evil spirit had been sent to the Underworld without putting up any resistance under the influence of the Luck Siphon charm!
Old Man’s level is higher than I previously imagined… Yes, the evil spirit must’ve been weakened by Adam, and perhaps even by Mr. Fool, before Ma’am Daly and I arrived. Otherwise, it’s not an enemy we could’ve handled… Right, what was Adam doing back then? There wasn’t any sign of “Him” during the entire battle… Could it be that there was another figure at the level of a King of Angels holding back Adam? Leonard felt tumultuous waves swishing through his heart as he forgot to observe the reactions of the other members.
Composite Start
Composite End
War Angel Medici… “He” perished and became an evil spirit… Bansy was the place “His” descendants lived… “He” was one of the founders of Rose Redemption… Alger quickly linked up the pieces of information and learned many new things.
That mural I saw in the Bansy Harbor telegraph office must’ve been drawn by that evil spirit!
The World Gehrman Sparrow had gotten me to head to Bansy Harbor to search for traces in order to grasp that terrifying evil spirit’s location. It was to prevent his subsequent plans from being disrupted.
Thankfully, I didn’t destroy that mural. Otherwise, I might’ve caught the notice of the evil spirit…
While Alger sighed in relief, he felt increasingly alert. He planned on getting the Blue Avenger to leave Bansy Harbor and head for the northern front of the Sonia Sea to investigate the matter Mr. Fool had previously given him.
Audrey, Cattleya, and the other members listened attentively as they kept it in mind without making too many connections. This was because the matter The World was describing contained information that mostly consisted of key and rich points. And lacking the additional experiences and knowledge, they were unable to expand on the matter.
After sharing the information that everyone needed to take note of, The World chuckled hoarsely.
“That’s about it.”
After a brief silence, Emlyn straightened his back and looked ahead.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“An important figure from my kind will arrive in Backlund, and a meeting with me has been arranged.”
After a pause, and seeing how no one responded, he cleared his throat and asked, “How should I deal with ‘Him?”
“Him”… Another angel… Leonard felt numb as he noticed something: Mr. Moon had mentioned the concept of his “kind,” and he had red eyes.
Leonard was taken aback as he thought to himself, He’s a Sanguine?
Sanguine… Don’t tell me he’s Emlyn White from the Harvest Church? He had been close to Klein’s identity as a detective!
Leonard couldn’t help but look at The Moon’s side profile and figure a few more times. The more Leonard looked at him, the more familiar he appeared. He was almost certain.
Without any doubts, Emlyn noticed The Star sizing him up, just as Audrey was surprised and excited to confirm that Mr. Star had suddenly realized he knew Mr. Moon.
Did I say something wrong? That fellow, The Star, looks somewhat astonished… He knows me in the real world? Do I know him? A series of thoughts flashed through Emlyn’s mind as he subconsciously sniffed, trying to catch the scent of the new member beside him; however, the gray fog ensured that he failed.
As he surveyed the area and waited for The Hanged Man, The Hermit, and The World to provide him with an analysis and suggestion, he tried hard to recall if he had met someone like The Star.
Composite Start
Composite End
Gradually, he felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn’t recall who it was due to the superficial impression the person left on him.
At this point, Audrey recalled another problem:
Mr. World and Mr. Star know each other, and Mr. Star knows Mr. Moon. Then, does Mr. World know Mr. Moon?
She subconsciously sized up the person at the lower end of the long bronze table, but she failed to “read” anything of use from The World Gehrman Sparrow.
As for Alger, he turned to look at The Moon after a few seconds of thought. He said with some deliberation, “Mr. Fool just mentioned that the times are changing. Although the important members of the Sanguine might not know of the ins and outs, at their level, they will more or less sense something and make preparations.
“The reason that this important figure wishes to meet you is both a probing action and surveillance. You just need to act as you usually do, but there will subsequently be some tests and missions.”
As I imagined. A second test and mission will begin. I wonder what revelation the Ancestor has given… Emlyn nodded and said to The Hanged Man, “Thank you.”
With the question answered, Fors, who had been holding back all this while, finally spoke:
“Mr. Moon, the intelligence you gave me regarding the abandoned ancient castle was highly problematic.
“There were two ancient wraiths, but in the underground area was a door. Sealed behind the door is a powerful corruptive power. As long as one enters the region where the ancient wraiths are, they will be corrupted.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This… Emlyn frowned slightly.
He wasn’t enraged, and he instead felt that her description was completely right.
If the person who had provided the intelligence knew that there were two ancient wraiths, he wouldn’t have ignored that door!
As a cultured and noble Sanguine, Emlyn never wished for anyone to incur any losses or harm because of his mistakes or neglect. He was rather perturbed by this as he thought and solemnly said, “I will investigate the source and provide you with an answer.”
As Fors had returned safely, she didn’t mind it too much. She tersely answered, indicating that she was awaiting the outcome.
As for being saved by Mr. Fool, with it happening once a month or even twice a month, she had already lost count. She was prepared to do anything Mr. Fool instructed her to do in the future.
After they finished their conversation, Audrey was somewhat concerned. She asked out of curiosity, “Do you know what brought about that corruptive force?”
Fors shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
With Mr. Fool not sharing any information, and how she didn’t have any Roselle diary entries to exchange for the answer to the Card of Blasphemy, Audrey retracted her gaze and attentively listened to the conversation of the other members.
After a while, the learning segment came to an end as the Tarot Club drew to a close. The members stood up and bowed at the existence at the end of the long bronze table to bid “Him” farewell.
This time, Leonard didn’t appear too slow.
The dark red light dissipated as he returned to the real world. In front of him was a Red Glove he hadn’t worn.
At this moment, a slightly-aged voice suddenly sounded in his mind:
“Whose dream did you enter a moment ago?”
Old Man has woken up… Leonard was first delighted before he heaved a sigh of relief.
He didn’t immediately answer Pallez Zoroast as he deliberated over an answer.
“Say, it is possible that, at certain times, Dwayne Dantès is Azik Eggers who’s disguised using some particular item?”
After learning that Dwayne Dantès was a shared identity, he began doubting Old Man’s original theory. This was because this Parasite had came to a conclusion based on the different appearances and auras of Azik Eggers and Dwayne Dantès. Furthermore, not every one of Mr. Fool’s Blessed looked identical to Dwayne Dantès, nor were every one of them Beyonders of the Seer pathway; therefore, since a shared identity was needed, it meant that they wielded a mystical item or Sealed Artifact that allowed them to transform into someone else. Together with the ancient aura of being a Blessed causing some interference, it wasn’t impossible for an angel to make an error in judgment.
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for two seconds before saying, “You reminded me. Azik Eggers does have a mask that allows ‘Him’ to transform into anyone.”
Chapter 964 Medici’s Cause of Death
As expected… After confirming his hypothesis, Leonard didn’t harp on the matter as he returned to the topic at hand.
“Old Man, didn’t you ask whose dream I entered?
“Yes, on the day we sought revenge against Ince Zangwill, Amon’s brother and a King of Angels appeared.”
In his mind, the slightly-aged voice didn’t immediately reply. After a few seconds, there was a sigh.
“It’s just as I expected. Matters related to 0-08 will often attract Adam.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Thankfully, I chose to sleep ahead of time.”
Leonard didn’t have the time to ponder over Pallez Zoroast’s words as he instinctively cried out, “Old Man, y-you said ‘His’ name!”
Adam’s gaze was about to be cast over, or might have already landed on them!
The slightly-aged voice chuckled. “You actually know about Adam’s trait… However, me mentioning ‘Him’ doesn’t matter. ‘He’ will only imagine that someone else is talking about ‘Him.’ Of course, there’s no need for you to know too much. That will definitely make you occasionally think of it. Once that happens too frequently or at a close physical distance, Adam will also know of it, just like 0-08. Furthermore, 0-08’s influence is limited to a huge city, while Adam’s is the entire world.” As horrifying as Amon… Another form of horror… Leonard composed himself and forced himself to stop thinking about Adam as he ruminated over what Pallez Zoroast had said.
Suddenly, he nearly blurted out without suppressing his voice:
“Old Man, did you sleep not because you were weak, but because you were afraid of encountering Amon’s brother?”
“Ahem.” Pallez cleared “His” throat. “It was a result of both reasons, but they don’t contradict one another. After giving you the two Worms of Time, my condition deteriorated again. Under such circumstances, how am I to deal with a King of Angels and conceal my existence? I’m already old and feeble. There’s no need for such developments, so it’s almost necessary for me to hide.”
Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words and said after a few seconds, “Amon and ‘His’ brother should be older than you. The ancient sun god is an ancient god before the Cataclysm…”
Without waiting for Pallez Zoroast’s reply, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Composite Start
Composite End
“That is to say that, because of your act of sealing yourself and sleeping, that King of Angels didn’t discover a problem with me?”
Pallez chuckled.
“No, it was discovered.”
“…” Leonard’s expression sank as he nearly looked around frantically.
He suspected that Adam was sitting in some corner, silently listening to his conversation with Old Man!
At this moment, Pallez Zoroast added, “You were very close to ‘Him.’ Do you think you can hide from a King of Angels who has accommodated the Spectator pathway’s Uniqueness?
“Besides, you likely cried out ‘Old Man’ impolitely at the most critical moment.”
Leonard was taken aback as he subconsciously answered, “…Y-you heard it?”
He suspected that Old Man had heard him but had deliberately chosen to ignore him for fear of being discovered by Adam.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“No.” Pallez’s slightly-aged voice teased, “I don’t have to hear it to know what you would do. How can I not be aware of what kind of person you are?”
Amidst Leonard’s embarrassment, Pallez Zoroast continued, “Adam definitely knows that you’ve been parasitized, but as I’d sealed myself and was asleep, ‘He’ didn’t discover who was parasitizing you. The demigods with such abilities aren’t many, but it’s also not a very tiny number.”
Is that so… Leonard instantly heaved a sigh of relief. He was most worried about having Adam see Old Man before returning to inform Blasphemer Amon.
With this in mind, Leonard raised a question he had been wondering all this while:
“Old Man, what’s a King of Angels?”
Pallez Zoroast didn’t ask where Leonard had learned of this concept as “He” simply explained, “Those that exceed Sequence 1 but have yet to become a deity.
“If we are specifically talking about the eight Kings of Angels, apart from those that meet the previous definition, they’re the ones who served the ancient sun god before the Cataclysm.”
What does it mean to exceed Sequence 1 but have yet to become a deity? How is that achieved? By accommodating the so-called Uniqueness? Leonard had the intention of asking, but he suspected that Old Man wouldn’t answer in detail. He gradually decided to first talk about other matters before finding an opportunity to raise this issue again.
He deliberated for a moment and said with a suppressed voice, “During the battle for revenge with Ince Zangwill, I faced immense adversity, to the point of not being able to look at my enemy head-on, much less use the Luck Siphon charm… When seeking your help failed, I chose to chant Mr. Fool’s honorific name and had received a response.
Composite Start
Composite End
“After everything ended, I found myself heading for an ancient palace as though I was dreaming. It was above the boundless gray fog…”
Before Leonard finished his description, Pallez, who had been listening quietly, cut him off.
“You met The Fool?”
“Yes, ‘His’ aura is vastly deeper than the sea, loftier than the mountains. His figure was cloaked in the gray fog, preventing anyone from seeing it clearly,” Leonard recalled his encounter and described in a poetic manner. “‘He’ established an organization, holding a Divine Council-a true one-every Monday afternoon. I’m already one of the members.”
Pallez fell silent once again and didn’t say a word for quite some time. Only after a while did he say, “The Fool allowed you to tell me this?”
“Yes.” Sitting there, Leonard nodded and let out a suppressed voice into the air as he said “Old Man, do you know ‘Him?”
Pallez Zoroast sighed and said, “No, but I can roughly guess of ‘His’ origins. You don’t have to ask what it is because I won’t tell you.
“Heh heh, this might be an opportunity for you. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to become a demigod.”
Leonard turned agape before closing his mouth. He stopped mentioning the Tarot Gathering because Mr. Fool hadn’t given him permission to go into the details of other matters.
He thought and said, “Old Man, is there another King of Angels named Medici, known as ‘the War Angel’?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Pallez tersely acknowledged:
“You can also address ‘Him’ as Red Angel. However, ‘He’ has long perished. You were even close to where ‘He’ died.”
“Where?” Leonard was surprised, but he had no impression of that happening.
Pallez scoffed.
“Are the memories of you people from the Evernight pathway so terrible? I recall that your Goddess wasn’t like that.
“Do you still remember the ruin found beneath Backlund?”
“The Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire? The place where Alista Tudor became Blood Emperor?” Leonard asked in enlightenment.
Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice resounded once again:
“That’s right.”
As Leonard tried to figure out the logic embedded in this matter, he informed Old Man of the evil spirit.
“The remnant soul of Medici fused with the two angels of the Sauron and Einhorn family, becoming a brand new evil spirit?” Pallez repeated Leonard’s words in disbelief. Following that, “He” couldn’t hide his amusement and said, “The three of ‘Them’ are absolute archenemies, the kind that can’t stand each other’s existence. To think that ‘They’ are together in death, fused as one, is truly–haha, it must be quite lively.”
Leonard didn’t know what Old Man was laughing about as he subconsciously asked, “They’ are archenemies?”
Pallez held back his laughter as he said, “Yes, the reason why Medici failed and was captured was because ‘He’ was dealing with the Sauron ancestor who had fallen into ‘His’ trap.
“It wasn’t that ‘He’ wasn’t prepared, but that was mainly focused on the Primordial Demoness’s side. Surprisingly, Alista Tudor suddenly went mad. Heh, on this matter, Amon and Adam had played a rather important role.”
That evil spirit is an enemy of Adam… Why would the Blood Emperor want to capture Medici and the two angels of Sauron and Einhorn? The place “They” perished was in the palace where Alista Tudor was trying to become Blood Emperor… “They” were the ritual materials needed to become a true god? Hmm, according to Mr. Fool, Adam is one step closer to divinity after obtaining 0-08… Is this also considered a gathering of materials? Amon is dealing with Old Man because of similar reasons? Leonard had some theories and had the urge to ask, but he ultimately held back.
He was afraid that he touched on highly secretive matters, causing Old Man to react negatively.
He planned on finding an opportunity at the Tarot Club to ask about such matters.
After a brief silence, Leonard looked at the closed door and said with a suppressed voice, “Has Mr. Fool and the Church reached a certain degree of tacit cooperation?”
“That’s the implication if no one is investigating you,” Pallez Zoroast answered in a rather direct manner.
Leonard nodded indiscernibly.
“What will they arrange me to do next?”
“Arrangement? Reward you for the services rendered and allow you to advance to Sequence 5 after you finish digesting the potion. Then, you will be allocated a Red Gloves team, and you’ll be sent to complete missions. Otherwise, they might send you to a large diocese like Backlund to be a deacon in charge of certain matters,” Pallez said without much concern.
Back to Backlund… Klein seems to be planning something in Backlund… Leonard’s thoughts were suddenly liberated.
He didn’t converse with Old Man again as he slumped against the wall and cradled his head with his hands, sitting rather leisurely.
Late at night, in the border town of East and West Balam, outside a row of warehouses.
Dressed in a formal suit, Dwayne Dantès, with his white sideburns, was holding a gold inlaid cane. After exchanging signals and countersigns with the officer on duty, he watched as the officer opened the door to the warehouse and heard him say in a relaxed manner, “It’s everything inside. Check the goods and move it yourself.
“Also, pay me the remaining amount before leaving.”
Dwayne Dantès nodded slightly and weighed the suitcase in hand. In it was 5,000 pounds in cashentirely from Maysanchez’s down payment.
At this moment, two figures were silently watching this develop two warehouses away in a three-story building
Chapter 965 Brief Crisis
On the top floor of a small building, a black-haired, brown-eyed man donning dark-colored clothes was looking down at the arms deal not far away. This man who looked about twenty-eight couldn’t help but say, “He actually got Maysanchez? Oh, Holy Lord of Storms, Alfred, if I had known it would turn out this way, we might as well have done the mission ourselves. Even if all the expenses are deducted, we should still earn at least 20,000 pounds!”
The man beside him was a young man in a black trench coat. He looked about twenty four and had a head of resplendent blond hair and blue eyes that resembled a lake. He had pretty good looks.
Being addressed as Alfred, he shook his head and said, “No, that would be too noticeable. Maysanchez’s allegiance has always been unclear. Before figuring out his take on matters, rashly discussing an arms deal with him is extremely dangerous. Dwayne Dantès is able to earn twenty thousand pounds because he dares to take the risk.”
The black-haired and brown-eyed man immediately scoffed.
“To think that Alfred Hall, who has led a few dozen men to assault a battalion with over a thousand troops, would claim that he doesn’t dare take risks!”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Alfred shot a glance at him and said, “Pagani, this isn’t the same thing. That happened because I was confident of wiping out their command center. And once there’s a lack of leadership, a thousand scattered troops might not be as formidable as a thousand pigs.
“In addition, the transaction this time is solely a test. It’s to establish communications and to set up a channel. If it’s done by us, who are we to seek out the next time? And the subsequent ones? If we keep at it, we will ultimately expose ourselves. Once that happens, it will be a diplomatic matter. Furthermore, with the deals deepening and broadening, who knows if this would incur the notice of the demigods of other factions. That would spell danger.”
“Haha,” Pagani said with a smile. “How can demigods be that free to pay notice to such small-scale arm deals? Every faction has a limited number of demigods. There are too many matters awaiting them.”
“I know. I’m only raising an example,” Alfred replied in a staid manner.
Pagani didn’t harp on the matter and turned his gaze back to Dwayne Dantès who stood outside the warehouse.
“This gentleman is said to be very generous. He donated stocks worth more than ten thousand pounds to the Church of Evernight shortly after he arrived in Backlund. Is this the early-stage investments that you often speak of?
“Also, he seems to be working at the same charity foundation with your sister. Tsk, such men are very welcome with the young ladies. He’s good-looking and has an outstanding demeanor. He’s smart, experienced, and has the artifice. He has seen all kinds of women, and he’s at the age to settle down. Alfred, you have to warn Audrey that a playboy will always be one and that one’s moral character is a flaw that can never be corrected. You can’t let the most dazzling jewel of Backlund be taken by this fellow.”
Alfred turned his head to glare at Pagani.
“There’s no need for you to show any concern about such matters. Audrey isn’t a young and clueless lady. Her knowledge of the world is far more mature than you imagine. Besides, my father and mother are in Backlund. They have the ability to prevent any nasty things from happening.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon saying that, Alfred looked at the nearby arms warehouse and paused.
“Maysanchez actually sent Haggis. I’ll go greet him.”
This isn’t the best time to meet, right… Just as Pagani was about to say a word, Alfred had already turned to walk down the stairs.
Klein, in the form of Dwayne Dantès, didn’t bring any servants. He held his gold-inlaid cane and stood with Maysanchez’s representative, Haggis, outside the warehouse. They watched as crates of munitions were carried out and loaded onto carriages.
At this moment, he half-turned his body upon sensing something and looked elsewhere.
The person that was reflected in his eyes was a young man wearing a trench coat without a hat. His blond hair was combed into a slick back, and his blue eyes looked like a lake under a bright clear sky. He was tall with a good build. His every move exuded an indescribable sense of dignity. Even without any troops surrounding him, the authority he wielded was obvious.
“Alfred!” Haggis noticed the man as well when he cried out in delighted surprise.
Alfred… Miss Justice’s second elder brother… This feeling resembles that of the Arbiter pathway… Klein raised his right hand and took off his top hat to press it against his chest as a form of greeting.
After Alfred Hall greeted Haggis, he turned to look at Dwayne Dantès.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Your character is widely spread across Backlund. Even I’ve heard of you, despite being in East Balam.”
Character? A character at making arms deals? Klein lampooned as he chuckled.
“I’m only doing things that I believe need to be done.”
Alfred nodded.
“I believe there’s no need for any self-introductions? Haggis should’ve mentioned me to you.”
“Yes, Colonel Hall,” Klein replied with a smile. “I only learned that Miss Audrey has another brother here in the Southern Continent after I arrived—that he served in the military and has rendered impressive services.”
Alfred cast his gaze on Dwayne Dantès’s face and changed the topic:
“I thought you would take the opportunity to work at the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, but you surprised me by choosing to come to the Southern Continent.”
Klein maintained his smile from before.
Composite Start
Composite End
“For an outsider to truly enter a preexisting circle is quite impossible just by giving donations, doing charity, and hosting balls and banquets.”
Alfred tersely answered, “Very wise.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, he asked Haggis, “Did something happen in Cookawa? It seemed rather serious.”
Haggis squeezed a smile.
“I’m not too sure. I was hiding in an underground bunker at the general’s residence. I later heard that there was a lightning storm at Revival Square.”
“Lightning storm?” Alfred’s gaze turned towards Dwayne Dantès again.
Klein nodded and said, “Indeed. The hotel I was staying at isn’t too far from Revival Square. I did see continuous bolts of lightning striking that area. All of that happened in the day.”
Alfred’s gaze turned towards Haggis again.
“What happened to the scene in the end?”
“Most of the area was in shambles. There were marks of lightning strikes.” Haggis didn’t hide the truth at all.
Composite Start
Composite End
Alfred nodded gently and pointed to the side before saying to Haggis and Dwayne Dantès, “I still have other matters to tend to. We can chat again when the opportunity arises.”
“See you again,” Klein politely replied. It made them appear to be at a social gathering instead of being outside a munitions warehouse.
He was watching Alfred Hall leave when his body trembled. His head made an abrupt turn to the side.
In the primitive forests that covered East and West Balam, a figure was slowly outlined with his back bent.
He had a fleshy face with slightly brown skin. His clothes were baggy, and he had a rapier by his waist. In his hand was a silver mask.
Looking to his sides, this figure straightened his body. He was none other than Admiral Hell Ludwell who had entered previously entered the Underworld.
However, at this moment, two clumps of blood-red flames were burning in his eye sockets. He looked completely different from before.
“I’m starving…” Ludwell opened his mouth, letting out a sigh that seemed to come from his chest.
He then cast his gaze in a different direction, muttering, “The owner of this marionette is over there. Fate has brought us together again.
“He has a Hunter pathway item on him. It’s perfect for replenishing myself.”
Just as he said that, a bloody mouth appeared on the left cheek of Ludwell’s face. It opened and closed as it said, “Medici, what we need to deal with first is our survival! After this marionette loses its connection to its owner, it’s no different from the dead. The remnant spirit will quickly return to the Underworld and not be able to maintain the body. And without the Underworld inside him, we will inevitably be weakened until we dissipate!”
“Yes, the most pressing matter now is to find another Gatekeeper.” Another mouth appeared on Ludwell’s right cheek.
Red Angel Medici immediately scoffed.
“Sauron, Einhorn, were the two of you women in the past? Your nature as angels has been left in the dumps because of you! That fellow was able to resist 0-08’s arrangements several times, implying that he’s definitely not simple. With a chance to lock onto him, how can we give it up? Once this marionette completely dies, things wouldn’t be that simple again!
“Besides, the Hunter pathway item on him can effectively extend our existence. Once we finish him, it wouldn’t be too late finding a Gatekeeper.”
The bloody crack on Ludwell’s left cheek immediately scoffed.
“Medici, have you sacrificed your brain to the True Creator? That fellow has clearly advanced. In our current condition, defeating a Bizarro Sorcerer isn’t difficult, but killing him is nearly impossible!”
Medici wasn’t frustrated, and instead, he laughed deeply.
“This isn’t something unresolvable. As long as you allow me to chant my Lord’s honorific name, helpers will immediately arrive. A Gatekeeper might even be automatically brought here.”
The mouth on Ludwell’s right check immediately opened and closed.
“Sauron, let’s work together to stop him and search for a Gatekeeper.”
“Alright.” The mouth on Ludwell’s left cheek didn’t hesitate to reply.
Upon seeing this, Red Angel Medici laughed.
“The two of you have fallen for it! My goal has been met. I can confirm that the two of you were previously women!”
The two mouths on Ludwell’s cheeks roared, “Shut up!”
“Humph, we’ve been merged together for two thousand years. Would we not know what tricks you’re up to? There’s no need to struggle again!”
As they spoke, the colors around Admiral Hell Ludwell instantly saturated and stacked upon one another.
He had entered the spirit world and began traversing
it.
Outside the munitions warehouse, Klein finally retracted his gaze as his premonition for danger vanished.
For that one moment, he had a baffling feeling, but he was unable to project the corresponding scene in his mind.
What happened? Klein muttered to himself. Without waiting any further, he threw the suitcase in his hand to the officer who was in charge of handing and taking over. Then, he said to Haggis, “The rest is yours. You can give me the rest of the payment.”
He was referring to the heavy case filled with gold bars and coins.
Haggis had planned on having drinks with Dwayne Dantès after the completion of the deal to celebrate its success, and to discuss any future deals. He never expected Dwayne Dantès to be in such a hurry to leave.
“Alright. It’s on the carriage,” he pointed and said.
Alfred, who had already walked quite a distance, turned his head to look over, perplexed. He wasn’t sure why Dwayne Dantès wasn’t following the predesignated procedure.
Chapter 966 Train
Seeing Alfred look over, Klein returned with a smile and nodded gently.
“I suddenly sensed some danger.”
With that said, he calmly turned around and headed for the carriage which Haggis had pointed out.
“Danger…” Alfred repeated the word softly as he warily surveyed his surroundings but failed to find anything odd.
He slowed down his pace, constantly taking note of his surroundings before returning to the nearby three-story building with out-of-the-ordinary vigilance.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Pagani glanced at the heavy-expression wearing Alfred and asked, feeling somewhat puzzled, “What happened?”
He was quite a distance from the arms deal, so he hadn’t heard their conversation.
Alfred walked to the window and looked down at the convoy that was prepared to leave after loading the munitions. He deliberated and said, “Dwayne Dantès suddenly left, saying that he had sensed danger.”
“Danger?” Pagani didn’t dismiss it as he warily looked around. He didn’t notice anything amiss even when Maysanchez’s men left the region and vanished into the darkness.
He then laughed.
“Haha, Alfred, I think you’re too sensitive. I believe it’s solely because Dwayne Dantès is a coward and was unwilling to stay here for too long!”
Alfred retracted his gaze and frowned.
“Perhaps.”
After returning to his hotel, Klein made Enzo, who had turned into a mixed-blood lad, open the suitcase in his hand. He took out the gold coins and bars one by one and did the count.
Composite Start
Composite End
It was valued at a total of 30,000 Loen gold pounds!
Thankfully my previous agreement with Miss Messenger is 10,000 Loen gold coins. I don’t need to make any additional conversions… Sitting leisurely in the reclining chair, Klein drank the sweet and sour but refreshing Gwadar as he “monitored” his marionette’s work.
After Enzo separated the items, he took out the adventurer’s harmonica and blew into it.
Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. It was as though she was constantly nearby.
Her eight eyes turned towards the pile of gold coins and gold bars that had been separated.
After a few seconds, the four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand said, “Very good…” “In the future…” “Missions will…” “Cost more…”
…What’s the logic behind this? Why are you raising the price after the mission despite me paying you so quickly? Klein was taken aback as he asked with a straightened back, “What?”
Reinette Tinekerr’s four blonde, red-eyed heads nodded seriously.
“Mission…” “Price…” “Depends On…” “Your…” “Ability…” “To…” “Earn Money…”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
I never expected that… Klein turned agape, but he was unable to retort. After all, such matters were solely decided by the helper. Furthermore, with him advancing to Sequence 4 and becoming a demigod, the missions that he needed her help with in the future was likely to increase in difficulty and danger. It was seemingly reasonable to increase the price.
After Reinette Tinekerr swallowed the gold coins and vanished from the room, Klein reined in his thoughts and began doing calculations regarding his current wealth.
My expenses have been quite significant recently. I’m left with 17,275 pounds in cash and 65 gold coins… This pile of gold bars is worth 25,000 pounds… That makes for a total of more than 40,000 pounds. It’s not something to dismiss in all of the Loen Kingdom. I can already buy a manor and some land for farming… Arms dealing sure is profitable…
Reinette Tinekerr needed gold coins, so whatever was left were gold bars.
Standing up and sending the gold bars above the gray fog, Klein walked to the window and cast his gaze to the north.
With the matter coming to a close, he was poised to return to Backlund.
Looking at the horizon, Klein suddenly sighed silently.
Backlund…
North Borough, Backlund University of Technology.
Composite Start
Composite End
Audrey was touring the campus with a few staff members of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
She was dressed in a simple, light-green dress. By her waist was a white, unadorned leather belt. Her blonde hair had a veiled hat with ribboned flowers that showed off her playful side. She didn’t wear any other accessories other than a silver bangle on her left wrist. She looked no different from a female student that came from a family that could only be considered middle-class.
Over the past few days, she had been to public primary schools that bordered East Borough, and she had visited the technical schools in the area around Backlund Bridge. She already knew the appropriate clothes needed for the occasion, not treating charity work as another social scene.
Her green, limpid eyes darted around slightly as she wore a faint smile as she observed the students that came and went.
Backlund University of Technology had recently sent out its acceptance letters, and it was matriculation day for the new class of students.
Matriculation should’ve happened in late-August or early-September, but as a newly restructured university, Backlund University of Technology’s entrance examinations were later than the other universities. That also delayed the results, which also meant that students that applied to the school had also participated in the examinations of other universities or might’ve already been accepted. Therefore, they had brought forward the registration work to confirm the matriculated numbers before deciding how many more students needed to be accepted.
Due to this, Audrey and the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation’s staff came to help the first batch of approved applicants to complete their matriculation procedure.
Wherever she could see, she discovered that the students on campus wore a beaming expression, and every action they made exuded obvious confidence. Their words and actions had an indescribable vigor, one that seemed to have immense hope for the future that allowed them to see light.
And this feeling was completely different from the few public primary schools that Audrey had experienced in the past. The students there were either boorish and noisy or silent and gloomy. A common trait of theirs was being uneasy and confused. Whenever they encountered strangers of status, they would be filled with trepidation. Their eyes were dull, lacking the spirit that youths ought to have.
I really wish those kids will have a chance of receiving higher education and be like the students here where they can work hard for a better future… As Audrey sighed silently, she swept her gaze to a male-female duo who were likely siblings.
Composite Start
Composite End
The elder brother had clearly stepped into society and started working. He wore a silk hat and wore a rather thin black formal suit. He appeared to be in his thirties and had the air resembling a civil servant.
He had borrowed a rather old camera from somewhere and had placed it on a tripod. He gestured for his younger sister to move and adjust her pose as he searched for the best angle.
The sister was about seventeen or eighteen, and her black hair simply cascaded down. Her brown eyes had a look of exasperation, but she didn’t say a word as she seriously listened to her brother’s instructions.
Such combinations were everywhere on campus. Some of them had parents and their child, while others were groups of friends.
What a beautiful scene… Audrey looked away and continued proceeding forward.
It was a square, and in the middle of it was a decommissioned steam locomotive. Its massive body was standing there proudly, adding industrial vibes to the Backlund University of Technology.
Whoosh!
The behemoth-like steam locomotive spewed out smoke as it hauled its long body into the platform before slowing down a stop.
A mixed-blood, seven- or eight-year-old girl who looked like a doll, held her mother’s hand as she waited in a long line. She asked her father, who was similarly mixed-blood with Loen and Balam heritage, about Desi Bay.
Amidst her shuffling, she saw a gentleman with white sideburns and a top hat holding a gold-inlaid cane. He had a servant with brown skin as he walked towards first-class.
The servant looked around curiously and said, “Sir, the recent situation is different from what I had imagined. I thought the people from Balam would lead tough and difficult lives, with squalid, chaotic, poor, and repressed surroundings. But there was none of them. We even drank Gwadar and smoked East Balam cigarettes. There were even some people who could afford bikes. Uh, as you know, although I have Balam blood in me, I was born in Backlund. I’ve never been to the Southern Continent. Of course, my Dutanese is still not too bad.”
The very noble middle-aged gentleman chuckled and waved his cane.
“That’s because we only went to the cities and regions that aren’t too bad. The saddest people of Balam are in the villages, in the plantations. The rest take up residence around the factories, creating slums. We never had a chance to see them.”
As though sensing the girl’s notice, the gentleman with his deep blue eyes and his servant looked over and gave a warm smile.
The corners of their lips clearly curled up, revealing eight teeth before they nodded gently, looked away, and continued on their way.
Before long, the girl and her parents boarded the steam locomotive and found their seats.
When the whistle sounded again, the girl saw a man with dark brown skin, soft facial features, and red lumps on his cheek walk over with his head bowed. His hand pressed on his hat as he quickly walked down the aisle and headed for the head of the train.
The man knocked on the partition before quickly entering the operator’s compartment and said to the train driver, “All the train attendants have been swapped with our men. The bridge ahead is where the sacrifice will be held.”
With a thick mustache, the train driver nodded and said, “May God be satisfied with the sacrificial items on this train.
“Let’s hope we can gain eternal life in the kingdom.”
Whoosh!
The steam locomotive drove under a bridge before cruising past a huge bridge. After a long trip, it finally arrived at its destination, the pier.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
The doll-like, mixed-blood girl was somewhat sleepy and was no longer as lively as before. Under her parents’ lead, she followed the crowd and inched towards the door.
There were a few attendants at the door who were helping some of the passengers remove their luggage.
When the girl and her parents walked past, these attendants curled the corners of their lips and revealed eight teeth, showcasing a warm smile.
After the girl jumped onto the platform, she looked back at them subconsciously. She saw figures standing outside the door, discussing something. Among them was the train conductor, as well as the man with the lumps on his cheek.
A second later, these people turned their heads over and curled the corners of their lips, revealing eight teeth.
The girl retracted her gaze and skipped along as she left the platform with her parents.
Chapter 967 “Revelation”
Cold winds blew across the platform at night, causing the hanging gas lamps to sway.
The light of dusk stretched and shortened from time to time in this scene, allowing the steam locomotive that was silently parked on the tracks to oscillate between being cloaked in shadows or escaping the darkness. It had an indescribable sense of gloom and death.
At this moment, a squad of black-and-white checkered policemen entered the platform. Under the lead of the railway company’s duty manager, they walked to the huge train that appeared old.
“For some reason, after the passengers disembarked, all the train staff, including the train driver, returned to the carriage and never came out again. I s-sent people to look for them and get them out to have some rest, b-but they quickly ran out looking like that had been inflicted with a disease. All they could do was hysterically shout, ‘they’re all dead,’ ‘they’re all dead’!” The railway duty manager in a blue coat held a lamp, walking as he briefed the police about the situation.
From his stammering and trembling body, the police could easily tell the extreme horror in him. It was as though a sudden tap on his shoulder would literally cause him to jump and abandon everything to rush for the exit.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
His emotions infected the police. All of them held their hands to their waists as they pressed onto their holsters.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The leather shoes hitting the solid, hard ground left reverberating echoes. The police followed the duty manager and warily entered the front carriage.
Inside the carriage, there were two people sitting in each row. They were distributed to the left and right, and they stood away from the windows. At that moment, they were leaning against the backs of their seats, motionless.
Through the illumination of the gas lamps outside and lanterns in their hands, the inspectors leading them very quickly recognized the scene before him. Here were the staff of the steam locomotive. They were wearing blue uniforms that differed for men and women, and they were sitting in different seats in silence. Their faces were pale and their eyes wide open. Although there wasn’t any sounds of breathing, the corners of their lips were curved up, revealing eight teeth.
Everyone present felt their hair stand up upon seeing the uniform smiles as they subconsciously held their breaths.
This was an extremely bizarre and terrifying scene. All they wished was to turn around and leave, beginning investigations only when it was bright!
The leading inspector drew two deep gasps before he instructed the constables beside him:
“Go confirm if they a-are dead…”
Upon saying that, he glanced at the duty manager.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Follow him and see if there’s anyone missing or excess people included.”
“A-alright, Officer,” the duty manager said with a trembling voice.
As he and the constables ventured deeper into the carriage, the other policemen drew their revolvers and remained on high alert.
In an unbearable silence, time slowly ticked by until, finally, one of the constables stopped at the end of the carriage, turned around, and shouted, “It’s confirmed. All of them are dead!”
The railway manager stuttered immediately after him, “There are two missing. The train driver and the train conductor…”
The inspector calmed down significantly when he realized that nothing had happened all this time. he thought and said to all the constables, “Maintain the corpses’ present state and await an autopsy.
“Meanwhile, split into two teams. One team is to head to the other carriages to search for the train conductor and driver while the other team is to check the scene for clues and relevant information. Once the sun rises, we will begin investigations starting with the train personnel and the passengers who were previously on board. We will search for any commonalities and peculiarities.”
Although many passengers didn’t present their identification documents when purchasing tickets, the inspector believed that it was possible to find people who had registered themselves and learn from them of any abnormalities on the train or passengers worth paying attention to.
Just as he said that, a biting cold wind stirred, blowing through the carriage.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
When all of this came to an end, the inspector was about to emphasize his orders when he suddenly noticed something amiss.
The steam locomotive staff members who were in their seats still had their eyes open with their whites showing and their faces pale. However, their mouths had closed at some point in time and were no longer showing their eight teeth.
Inside a luxurious hotel room, the wall lamps shone brightly onto the carpeted region where a desk stood.
Klein had transformed into Gehrman Sparrow and was sitting on a single-seater. He had his left leg crossed over his right.
Beside him was Enzo who looked like a native. In front of him stood a row of cultist marionettes.
They were the people involved in attempting to make a sacrifice on the steam locomotive—the man with the lumpy cheek, the train conductor and the train driver.
They had circled from different streets donning different looks to gather here.
“Who made you do the sacrifice?” Klein asked in a deep voice.
After advancing to Sequence 4 and becoming a Bizarro Sorcerer, not only was he able to read the thoughts of his marionette’s superficial consciousness, he could also use the increased control of Spirit Body Threads to do things similar to spirit channeling.
Composite Start
Composite End
Of course, the higher the level of the marionette, the poorer the effects of the spirit channeling.
After a brief silence, the conductor who was clearly Loen with rather thick body hair said blankly, “It’s a revelation from God.”
“Which god?” Klein received the porcelain teacup from Enzo and took a sip.
The train conductor replied in a daze, “God is God. There are no others.”
Klein lowered his cup and asked, “How did ‘He’ reveal ‘His’ revelation? What was said exactly?”
The conductor instantly turned reverent.
“He’ gave a revelation through a divine item, requesting us to sacrifice many lives to pleasure ‘Him.’ In return, ‘He’ will give us eternal life in ‘His’ kingdom.”
Sacrifice many lives… Compared to the Numinous Episcopate, the Rose School of Thought prefers doing such things. They have always been infamous for blood sacrifices… But to have eternal life in God’s kingdom is closer to the Numinous Episcopate’s beliefs. Of course, I can’t eliminate the possibility that it was fabricated… Klein pondered for a moment and asked, “What divine item?”
The train driver didn’t reply as he glanced at the man with the red, lumpy cheek.
The man then took out an item from an inner pocket.
Composite Start
Composite End
It was a cloth doll of shabby craftsmanship with curved eyes and mouth.
“God will issue us commands at a specific time through it. I bought it at a flea market,” the man with the lumpy cheek said slowly without any perturbation in his tone.
This… Klein instantly thought of many possibilities before getting Enzo to take the cloth doll and scrutinize it carefully, but he didn’t discover anything odd.
With his experience, this meant that the problem wasn’t with the doll. That meant that there were two possibilities: First, someone was using the doll as a decoy while acting as a deity nearby. Second, it was a truly secret existence who had specially labeled the item to send a revelation.
If it’s the former, the train attendants’ death would’ve been discovered, and preparations would’ve been made… If it’s the latter, perhaps nothing has been detected… Klein contemplated for a moment and made Enzo place the cloth door on the desk in front of the window.
He then stood up and instantly transformed into another train attendant and stood with the row of cultists.
Similar changes happened when Enzo returned.
After an unknown period of time, the night grew deeper.
Suddenly, on the desk bathed in crimson moonlight, the cloth doll with curved eyes and mouth moved its limbs and slowly stood up.
Chapter 968 “Descending” Saint
The cloth doll turned its lifeless eyes before its body stood up straight. It looked towards the area that the crimson moonlight failed to illuminate. There, the man with the lumpy cheek and the other cultists had been standing quietly, but at this moment, they bowed their heads, raising their arms as though they were praying, piously listening to the “revelation.”
About two to three seconds later, the cloth doll finally stood up straight. Just as it was about to open its tongueless mouth and produce a voice that didn’t belong to the “body” it was in, all its movements suddenly turned sluggish, as though it was a highly-rusted robot.
Hidden amongst the cultists, Klein had seen a strange spirituality thread extend from the cloth doll. Without any hesitation, he began controlling it!
Inside the wall lamp-illuminated room, the lights dimmed instantly. The doll with curved eyes and mouth instantly lost the support that seemed to arise from having a skeleton before slumping to the table, motionless.
Amidst the flickering street lights that were more than a thousand meters away, Klein lost control over the blob of Spirit Body Threads. The power that descended with the help of the doll took less than two seconds to escape out of his range!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Whoosh!
A biting-cold wind swept up inside the room as the rug with tables and chairs above was suddenly tugged, sending the man with the lumpy cheek and most of the other cultists tumbling. Only the disguised Klein had jumped up in time to avoid the accident.
Of course, Winner Enzo stood perfectly fine at the border of the rug, completely unaffected.
Whoosh!
Amidst the cold wind, the rug rolled up and bound the few cultists and covered their noses and mouth tightly, gripping their throats.
Meanwhile, the fountain pens on the table had their caps removed autonomously before shooting forward, stabbing into the neck of the man with the lumpy cheek. They left no gaps in the dense array of pens.
A wooden chair exploded as its splinters swept over without sparing any of the remaining cultists.
Near the wall, the pipe of a wall lamp cracked, causing the gas inside to whistle out.
The cloth that draped the sofa rose up, tied itself into a robe, and wrapped around the train conductor’s throat. A few of the floor tiles flew up, stabbing a few cultists from below.
Composite Start
Composite End
Instantly, all the items in the room were filled with offensive capability as though they were attempting to kill all signs of life inside.
Klein tried to dodge, but his shirt, pants, belt, coat, and hat seemed to have a life of their own. They forcefully locked him down on the spot.
He hurriedly opened his mouth and let out a sound: “Pa!”
He had mimicked the sound of snapping fingers.
Scarlet flames surged out from his clothes, instantly blanketing his body and removing the restraints
At this moment, the cloth on another sofa rose up as though it was draped over someone.
This strange scene reflected in Klein’s eyes immediately as he trembled and turned stiff. He had been possessed by an evil spirit!
The flames that soared up from before hadn’t extinguished. They were burning away his clothes and flesh, only to reduce him to a pitch-black paper figurine.
Behind this paper figurine was a pattern covered with feathers. It was a surreal and illusory feeling.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
This was the mutated paper figurine that had been tainted with Artificial Death’s aura!
Klein knew that there were only two situations that were possible for the doll to mutate. One was that the entity disguising as a god was nearby and had sensed the deaths of the cultists; hence, preparations were made via a deliberate descent, laying a trap for the antagonist. Another was that the one using the doll was indeed some secret existence. “He” wasn’t aware that the sacrificial ritual had been foiled and descended at the predetermined time to give the next round of “revelations.”
And regardless of which situation it was, it meant danger. Therefore, how could Klein perform unprepared?
Based on the characteristics of a descent or the possession of the doll, he had already placed the paper figurine, which had mutated because of the corruption of Artificial Death’s aura, in the iron cigar case. He had also maintained the level of his marionette at the level of an ordinary person in order to lure the target into possessing him!
At this point, the possession target of the “god” that the cultists worshiped had gone from Klein to the Death Paper Figurine! As the scarlet flames swept about, the pitch-black paper figurine ignited as a pale-white color spread abruptly, tinged with a slightly dark green color.
A rather painful grunt sounded as a transparent afterimage flashed across a window tinted with the crimson moonlight.
Almost at the same instant, the items that came “alive” inside the room fell to the ground, returning to their lifeless state. As for Enzo, flames were swirling around him.
At this moment, in the port city north of the Southern Continent, the residents were enjoying the comfort and warmth of their home and family at night. They didn’t notice that their glass windows and the surfaces of the wall lamps would dim before quickly returning to normal.
Alongside this dimming environment, the flames in the fireplace either intensified or dwindled. The remnants in the kitchen were ignited and snuffed out.
Composite Start
Composite End
During this process, the glass windows in that room dimmed the most, and the fluctuations in the flames kept happening. However, the believers in the room were praying to the Primordial Moon, paying no notice to what was happening.
After an unknown period of time, the crimson moonlight brightened a little, as though covering the entire city in a light veil.
Such brightness quickly returned to normal as a scarlet red flame flared up on a silver candle on a dining table.
Enzo walked out of it as his body and face rapidly changed into Gehrman Sparrow.
Just moments ago, at the instant when the crimson moon brightened, he had lost his target.
Not only possessing the Beyonder powers of a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Wraith pathway, but they can also borrow the power of the crimson moon… Regarding these two aspects, one of them is only possible with a Sealed Artifact or mystical item… Klein muttered silently and came to a preliminary judgment.
After the demigod who possessed the doll had been corrupted by the Death Paper Figurine, he had believed that he had the chance to take his opponent down. To his surprise, the enemy’s strength and means available to them were more varied and potent than he imagined.
The only thing he could confirm was that it wasn’t an angel, as the strength and level were far inferior to one.
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Klein left the dining room and entered the activity room. There were a few believers praying to the Primordial Moon.
Unlike the cultists on the steam locomotive, they knew who they were praying to, as though they were more formal members of the parish.
Composite Start
Composite End
One step. Two steps. Three steps. Klein entered the room in an unhurried pace before they turned their heads when they noticed him.
With the powerful illusion power of a Bizarro Sorcerer, they treated Gehrman Sparrow as an oracle that had descended upon them. They saw a bright moon halo at his head.
The believers plopped to their knees in devout prostration.
Klein didn’t beat about the bush as he asked in a deep voice, “Who was the saint you met previously?”
Although one of the believers was puzzled, he still respectfully answered, “Oracle, it was Shaman King Klarman.”
Shaman King Klarman… That’s a familiar name… Ah right, the author of that Book of Secrets… Isn’t he long dead? He was alive in a time over a millennium ago. Saints of non-special pathways have no way of living that long… He joined the Rose School of Thought but still believes in the Primordial Moon. Through some means, he has extended his life? Or could it be that his Sequence alone affords him a long life? Klein’s mind whirred and recalled the origins of the name “Klarman.”
A sailboat was docked by the pier as the faint moonlight illuminated the cabin’s interior.
A figure with frizzled black hair with white streaks in them walked out of a mirror. He wore a back robe with crimson patterns. He had wrinkles that were neither too deep or shallow on his face. His eyes were bloodshot.
At this moment, on the skin he exposed, such as the back of his hand, his pores had expanded, producing white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil.
This elder’s expression was somewhat warped as if he was enduring pain.
He quickly sat on the bedside, bowed his head, clasped his hands, and silently chanted.
In his jarring voice, his forehead slowly cracked apart, revealing a red full moon that seemed to be embedded in it!
The moonlight dispersed and cloaked the elder, causing the white feathers on him to contract and recede into nothingness.
But at this moment, his abdomen bloated up as though it was filled with liquid.
Finally, his clothes, together with his skin, tore apart as a blob of flesh and blood covered in white feathers flew out onto the deck. After squirming for quite a while, it rotted and died.
Phew… The elder looked up and slowly exhaled. His bloodshot eyes were filled with puzzlement.
He muttered softly, “Death’s Blessed?
“But Death is no more…”
Early in the morning, the Church of Storms’s Mandated Punishers, who had taken over the case of the mysterious deaths of the steam locomotive’s staff, had received new intelligence.
The missing conductor and driver, as well as a few suspicious passengers, had been found!
Before long, this Mandated Punisher team followed the clues and found their targets.
They were silently hung outside a building in a row.
“This is a provocation!” The Mandated Punisher’s captain growled through clenched teeth.
But after they lowered the corpses and carried out their investigations inside the room, they saw that these people had been piously praying to the Primordial Moon in the activity room, holding a rather diabolical ritual.
“…Apprehend all of them!” The Mandated Punisher captain issued a command after a second of surprise.
The believers of the Primordial Moon seemed to regain their reason as they tried to resist. However, they were quickly suppressed, either dying or being injured in the process.
The Mandated Punisher captain surveyed the area and inexplicably said to his peers, “They didn’t notice the row of corpses hanging at their doorstep?”
A member of the Reader pathway thought and said, “Those corpses might’ve been left there to guide us to investigate the area.”
The Mandated Punisher captain calmed himself down and nodded in thought, “Which Church’s demigod passed by?”
Chapter 969 Duke
Backlund, West Borough, within the Odora family’s villa.
Emlyn White, who had been summoned, took off his hat and coat and entered the activity room to wait.
In this room, there were a few other Sanguine members who had been called by name to meet the important figure. After surveying the area, Emlyn picked a spot to sit in, right beside a man with a nose so high that it almost seemed deformed.
Adorning his cut face was brown hair and red eyes. He held a comic in his hand, reading through it aimlessly.
He was none other than the Sanguine who had provided Emlyn with the information about the ancient, abandoned castle in Delaire Forest. His name was Ernes Boyar, a viscount.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Emlyn had planned on visiting this viscount in the next couple of days, but he never expected to bump into him here. After some careful consideration, he said in deliberation, “Your Lordship, I would like to know where you obtained the intel regarding the ancient abandoned castle in Delaire Forest.”
“Why? Did your client say that there weren’t any ancient wraiths?” Ernes Boyar moved his gaze away from his comic and shot Emlyn a glance.
“No, not at all.” Emlyn didn’t provide an explanation as he stubbornly emphasized his question again. “I’m just very curious of the source. It doesn’t seem that simple.”
Ernes Boyar closed his comic and nodded slightly.
“It’s not a secret. I learned of it from Lord Nibbs. To be frank, I’ve never heard of this before. I find it hard to imagine that there’s such an ancient castle in Delaire Forest.”
Lord Nibbs… Emlyn instinctively had some thoughts arise in him.
It’s another test…
But isn’t such a test too dangerous? It even needed Mr. Fool to resolve it… Emlyn frowned slightly as he recalled the details he had contemplated previously. He probed, “Your Lordship, then why didn’t you explore that ancient castle? I remember you being an archaeologist. And during this process, you’ll be able to obtain the corresponding Beyonder ingredients of an ancient wraith.”
“Lord Nibbs told me that it’s very dangerous. One shouldn’t approach it unless they’re at the level of Earl.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“…” Emlyn’s mouth gaped as his expression fell into a daze.
He then held back his anger and asked with a suppressed voice, “Then why didn’t you warn me?”
Ernes laughed.
“Isn’t it obvious?
“How can a location with Beyonder creatures present, one that’s known by us Sanguine, still exist if not for special reasons?”
Emlyn fell into a daze as Ernes added, “Normal reasoning should be like this: Ancient wraiths might exist in some place in Delaire Forest. People have encountered it before, but they were unable to find their origins.
“This means that finding those ancient wraiths is a very difficult and troublesome affair. The time cost exceeds their value, which allows them to live to this day.
“I thought you’d have easily discovered the problem with this reasoning. Likewise for your client. If they had chosen to take action, they must’ve had possessed the corresponding confidence.”
At that instant, Emlyn felt that Viscount Ernes made plenty of sense, and he could hardly rebut him. He believed that it was because he and Miss Magician were too foolish, resulting in her slamming headfirst into danger. It had nothing to do with him.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The next instant, Emlyn felt embarrassed and frustrated, filled with anger towards himself.
Finally, Emlyn figured out another problem:
Regardless of whether the intel exposes any danger or not, Ernes Boyar should’ve clearly informed me of this point because figuring out the level of danger, the source of danger, and how the danger manifested itself. It held immense importance in the subsequent exploration, one that can’t be missed!
He did it on purpose! Emlyn came to a final conclusion as his scarlet eyes narrowed. He raised his chin and said, “Indeed. It’s easy to tell, but I’m more curious about the danger lurking in that ancient abandoned castle.”
Ernes picked up the black tea that nearly resembled the color of blood and sipped it.
“I’m not sure either. Lord Nibbs didn’t mention anything.”
Emlyn’s expression sank. Just as he was about to make a derisive remark, he suddenly saw Odora Cosmi walk into the activity room and look at him.
“Emlyn, it’s time for the meeting.”
“Alright.” Emlyn reined in his emotions and pressed onto the bottom half of his vest, standing up unhurriedly.
Composite Start
Composite End
Following him down the stairs underground, he finally couldn’t help but softly ask, “Baron Cosmi, who am I actually meeting? How should I address ‘Him?”
Cosmi, who looked like a middle-aged gentleman, didn’t hide the truth. He replied with deep respect, “Duke Olmer.”
Duke Olmer… Emlyn subconsciously straightened his back and cast his gaze to the lamps on the wall. He appeared to use the reflection of the metal surface to check on his appearance.
“He” was one of the three dukes that held up the Sanguine, an ancient powerhouse who existed before the Cataclysm. His title was “Round Moon,” with an age exceeding three thousand years. He had once followed in the footsteps of Ancestor Lilith!
Without a doubt, this was synonymous with the history and glory of the Sanguine!
After passing several secret doors, Emlyn and Cosmi arrived inside a metal-gray hall.
The ground and walls were filled with green grass, flowers, and grain. Insects were crawling between the plants, making Emlyn feel as though he had left the city and arrived somewhere rural. He felt life thriving all around him.
Such a scene didn’t seem too odd, but on careful inspection, there were many strange points.
The grass had mouth-like crevices with fibers flying out of them to capture the insects. The flowers used their leaves as hands to harvest pollen for themselves. The grains were heavy, occasionally emitting wailing from inside. There was a myriad spectrum of extraordinary insects. Some had snakes for heads, others birds.
These things grew lusher the closer it was to the middle of the hall. Surrounding the area was a grave filled with exuberant spirits.
Composite Start
Composite End
Cosmi faced the grave and reverently bowed.
“Your Grace, Emlyn White is here.”
“Good afternoon, Your Grace.” Emlyn didn’t don his usual arrogance and was, in fact, a little flustered.
Inside the grave, a mellow voice which didn’t betray its owner’s age chuckled.
“A very outstanding young Sanguine.
“Cosmi, you may leave for now.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Cosmi bowed in response and left the metal-gray hall that was filled with freshness.
Emlyn stood there, listening to the mellow voice from the grave.
“In the morning, Nibbs informed me that you obtained the Artificial Vampire Beyonder characteristic that corresponds to the viscount title?”
“Yes, but it has been corrupted and requires purification.” Emlyn hadn’t mentioned the need to remove the mental corruption in the Beyonder characteristics, because he believed that it was a trivial matter to the Sanguine. At the very least, Baron Cosmi had previously confirmed that it was possible.
Olmer tersely acknowledged.
“Very well. I’ll personally purify that characteristic.”
“He” paused before saying, “Although the Sanguine enjoy a long life, we will still mature and grow old. There will be new births and deaths. Regardless, nurturing young members is a necessity for any race. As for the excellent talent and outstanding abilities you have recently showcased, they have made you a target we place great importance on. Therefore, I personally came to meet you to give you some tests so as to expedite your growth.” Excellent talent and outstanding abilities… Emlyn raised his chin slightly higher once again.
He then sighed inwardly.
Indeed, just as Mr. Hanged Man determined, there will be a test and mission, as well as an interview…
Amidst his overflowing emotions, Emlyn replied reverently, “I’m always prepared.”
“Not bad,” Olmer’s mellow voice sounded from the grave. “Your next mission is to find the key members of the Rose School of Thought that are hiding in Backlund. There are very few clues for this, and many situations will require you to carry out the investigation by yourself.”
Rose School of Thought? They have a grudge with us Sanguine? They seemed to be taking in some believers of the Primordial Moon? Emlyn actually knew quite a bit about the Rose School of Thought via the Tarot Club, but he deliberately hid this without showcasing it.
“Apart from taking in believers of the Primordial Moon, they have in their possession one of the holy artifacts of us Sanguine. It was something left by the Ancestor. We need to retrieve it.” There was a solemnity in Olmer’s voice.
Left by the Ancestor… Holy artifact of the Sanguine… Emlyn didn’t hesitate to say, “Your Grace, I’ll work hard to find the key members of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.”
Olmer’s voice turned mellow.
“Very good. Get some of the intel from Cosmi in a while and seek out an incisive point.”
Emlyn was already eager to do so, but he still restrained himself, asking in deliberation, “Your Grace, do you know about the abandoned ancient castle in Delaire Forest?”
“You wish to head there? It’s very dangerous,” Olmer said from inside the grave.
Emlyn didn’t explain as he directly asked, “What kind of danger?”
Olmer chuckled.
“That ancient castle might be older than me, even older than Delaire Forest.
“I do not know who built it. I only know that there’s something sealed underground, and it hides an immense secret.
“Any creature that approaches it will be in danger of being corrupted by the force within. We once imagined that it has something to do with the Abyss, but a Devil suffered corruption after being thrown into the ancient castle as well, turning crazy and chaotic from his cold and cruel demeanor.”
Then why didn’t you attempt to open the seal to figure out the situation? Emlyn mumbled inwardly but didn’t say a word.
Olmer didn’t speak further as “He” ended the conversation and dismissed Emlyn.
In the evening, Backlund was covered with dark clouds as a drizzle began falling.
Emlyn White wore a hat and walked under a sheltered veranda, his scarlet eyes locked onto Viscount Ernes Boyar who was browsing some antique stores.
He was upset that Ernes had given him incomplete intelligence, so he had subconsciously tailed him after leaving the Odora villa.
But after a while, he felt lost. He hadn’t figured out how to deal with Ernes or how severe a lesson he should teach him.
Chapter 970 Talent at Soliciting Donations
After blankly following Ernes Boyar for a distance, Emlyn White gradually abandoned his thoughts.
He glanced at the area beyond the veranda as the downpour grew in intensity. He couldn’t help but think, How should I punish Ernes? Although he had done so because he likely followed orders or a cue, it’s still despicable!
As for Lord Nibbs… I presently do not have the ability. But wait, once I become a marquis or a duke, I’ll definitely make him pay the price!
Miss Magician has already completed her exploration of the ancient abandoned castle. I’m not sure if Lord Nibbs had sent Sanguine to monitor the area… From her tone, description, and the feedback given by Mr. Fool, there was probably no monitors… Could it be that Lord Nibbs didn’t send any Sanguine to the vicinity of the ancient castle? But what’s the point of such a test? Or could it be that they missed it because of some problems?
Amidst his thoughts, Emlyn White felt that he needed to get someone to discuss the matter of punishing Ernes Boyar. He was severely lacking in such experience.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Subconsciously, the first candidate of choice that came to him was The Hanged Man. This senior member of the Tarot Club was shown to be extremely experienced in various matters. He was extraordinarily reliable and had never left the other members disappointed.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Emlyn struck down this choice. This was because this matter involved the Sanguine’s internal test. To consult the Tarot Club members before he obtained an answer damaged his pride and overall image of the Sanguine!
By the same reason, he eliminated The World as a choice.
Of course, he believed he could guess the suggestion that The World would give: Kill him!
There’s no need to go that far… Emlyn mumbled inwardly. As he aimlessly tailed Ernes Boyar, he began expanding the candidates to the real world.
Then, he realized he didn’t have anyone to choose from. He almost had zero friends.
Eliminating his parents who were Sanguine as well, he only had two or three people in mind. They were the Harvest Church’s Father Utravsky and Detective Sherlock Moriarty, who had a mysterious background and a myriad of means at his disposal.
Sherlock hasn’t returned after leaving Backlund. Sigh, I can only seek out Father Utravsky tomorrow. But I can’t be that direct… Emlyn quickly made up his mind. He walked past Ernes Boyar, who entered a watch shop, and headed for the end of the veranda where there were several rental carriages.
Getting in the carriage, he felt the wheels turning. He casually glanced out the window and saw more raindrops striking the glass, drawing out trails that streaked down.
Composite Start
Composite End
In his blurred vision, carriages drove past.
Audrey retracted her gaze from the rainy scene outside the carriage and glanced at her lady’s maid, Annie, before communicating with Susie silently.
The look in her eyes, her expression, and her not obvious body language said: We’re almost home. I’m a little nervous.
On the ground, Susie shook her tail, raised her paw, and adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses hanging by her neck. Together with the changes in the colors of her Ether Body and Body of Heart and Mind, she expressed herself:
Don’t worry. That Ma’am Escalante, who’s a psychiatrist on the surface, is only a Telepathist. She won’t be able to see through your lies.
Audrey nodded gently and watched her carriage enter the Hall family’s luxurious villa and stop in front of the sheltered foyer.
Ever since joining the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, she had begun spending less time at home. She had originally planned on meeting Ma’am Escalante from the Psychology Alchemists at 22 Phelps Street in North Borough, but since Mr. Dwayne Dantès had left for the Southern Continent and wasn’t in the foundation, there was no need for that.
In the study she called her own, Audrey met Ma’am Escalante Oseleka who had black hair reaching her waist and a baby face.
“I must apologize. I’d been busy meeting up with friends after returning to Backlund. My subsequent joining of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation has delayed my meeting with you until today.” After leaving Susie outside, Audrey elegantly bowed to express her attitude. In fact, this has been deliberate. By dragging out their meeting for about a month, her digestion of the Psychiatrist potion and advancement to Hypnotist became rather reasonable. It was the progress one would expect from a genius and nothing else.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Escalante returned the greeting without much thought.
“I heard that you have been busy with children who desire knowledge. Your virtues are more dazzling than diamonds.”
As Audrey gestured for her to sit, she walked to a single-seater and tersely acknowledged.
“Those children are in situations I’ve never seen before. There’s often a voice inside me that’s urging me to do something. Ma’am Escalante, if you’re free, you can join me and the staff of the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation to go visit the different schools. There, you will get to see what most children in the world are experiencing.”
Having said that, she chuckled as though being self-deprecatory.
“I apologize. I’ve recently been accustomed to kick-start such topics. It’s because I wish for more nobles and the wealthy to involve themselves in such charities. I hope they can donate more to help even more children.”
After hearing Audrey, Escalante replied somewhat uncomfortably, “I will do so. I’ll also donate some money to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.”
“No, I’m not forcing you to donate. This has to be an action that comes from the heart, and something voluntary. I only wish for you to take a look and then inform the people around you of these children’s plight and their possible futures. This includes the members of the Psychology Alchemists.” Audrey shook her head, rejecting Escalante’s suggestion.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
“Alright.” Escalante first nodded gently in agreement before feeling that there was something ridiculous in this matter: Miss Audrey’s true motives were to solicit donations from the Psychology Alchemists.
Composite Start
Composite End
But this was a secret, extraordinary underground organization!
This was no different from soliciting donations from the Aurora Order!
Audrey didn’t continue discussing matters related to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation. Instead, she said, “Ma’am Escalante, I have something I’d like to inform you of.”
“What is it?” Escalante “read” the solemnity, joy, and pride from her actions and emotions.
Audrey smiled and said, “I’ve already become a Hypnotist.”
“…” At that moment, Escalante suspected that Audrey had hypnotized her.
Although she knew that Audrey had obtained the Hypnotist potion formula previously, how long ago was that?
“You should be able to determine that I’m not lying,” Audrey said with a smile.
Only then did Escalante snap to her senses as she asked in surprise and doubt, “You seem to have some extraordinary encounter?”
“It’s to have the courage to make use of matters,” Audrey said things that couldn’t be any truer.
Composite Start
Composite End
Escalante frowned and said with some hesitation, “You wish for the Sequence 5 potion formula?”
“Yes. What do I need to do, or what price needs to be paid?” Audrey didn’t hide her motives.
Escalante looked at the beautiful, blonde, and green-eyed lady in front of her and deliberated.
“This isn’t something that’s up to me to decide. I will report it and try to arrange for you to meet with Hilbert and Stephen.”
She was referring to psychologist ad jewelry designer, Hilbert Alucard, and furniture merchant, Stephen Hampres.
Clearly, in this group of Psychology Alchemists members, Escalante was in a subordinate position.
Audrey wasn’t surprised by Escalante’s reaction, but this didn’t mean that her handling of matters wasn’t without a problem.
A Sequence 6 Beyonder who had the wish to advance was someone that required deep importance to be attached to in any secret organization. This was even the case with the orthodox Churches. They were people who were qualified to meet high-ranking members directly!
This also meant that, after advancing to Hypnotist, Audrey was already an elite in the middle-ranking members of the Psychology Alchemists. Her next goal was to become a quasi high-ranking member. The person she needed to meet was a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists’ Council, and not Hilbert or Stephen.
As her thoughts flashed across her mind, Audrey deliberately showed some of her displeasure.
Escalante acutely noticed this and hurriedly explained, “Meeting Hilbert and Stephen is to confirm your condition before a councilor meets you.
“In fact, with your present level, you should be leading a team and recruiting new members. But with your identity, status, and daily environment, we have canceled that plan, afraid that it would influence your normal day-to-day life.”
Councilor… I wonder how many councilors from the Psychology Alchemists there are in Backlund… Could it be the royal family’s consultant, Hvin Rambis? Audrey nodded in thought and said, “I can understand that and will await your arrangements.”
She then diverted the topic and asked with a curious look, “Ma’am Escalante, do you know what’s the name of the Sequence 5 potion of the Spectator pathway?”
Seeing this blonde, green-eyed, young noble lady taking on such a demure pose, Escalante silently heaved a sigh of relief.
“I’ve once heard Hilbert mention that it’s called Dreamwalker.”
Dreamwalker… This is somewhat different from what I imagined. Or it could be that “dream” is just an analogy. To be precise, it should be Subconscious Walker? Audrey didn’t conceal her contemplation and analysis before directing her questions to psychology and various information.
After having Escalante stay for dinner, she sent the lady to the door where she got on a carriage.
At this moment, it was dark outside with gales roaring and rain pouring.
Amidst the pouring rain, howling winds, and the dark night, a steam sailboat hybrid was cruising through the safe sea route in the Berserk Sea with tourists on board.
Klein had already left the Southern Continent and had returned to Desi Bay as Dwayne Dantès.
Amidst the shaking ship, he suddenly woke up, got out of bed, and headed to the window of his first-class cabin’s living room to look outside.
Amidst the downpour, three huge strange pure-black sailboats were silently cruising over.
Hanging on their sides were lanterns with three black sails on masts almost a hundred meters long.
And on its deck stood a mottled stone chair that was two to three meters high; its back facing the cabin. No one was sitting on it.
It was the Black Emperor-symbol of the King of the Five Seas, Nast!
Chapter 971 Restraint
On the observation deck of the liner, the bugle was sounded. It tore through the obstacles put up by the wind and rain, awakening all the passengers on board.
Unable to dress up in time, they could only don a coat or their pajamas, rushing barefoot to the window to observe the situation outside.
Half of the passengers quickly saw a gigantic sailboat that didn’t adhere to common sense. They saw its three pitch-black sails and the blob of pale flickering yellow amidst the dark environment.
Together with the howling winds, spattering rain, and the moonless and starless night sky, many passengers felt as though the ship was approaching them from hell, bringing with it an inexplicable sense of horror and dominance.
After a brief pause and frenzy, a name surfaced in their minds: Black Emperor!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Anyone who had been out at sea for some time, or people who lived in port cities in the various colonies, more or less knew the existence of such a pirate ship!
“Sigh, may the Storm be with you and me.”
“May the Goddess watch over us!”
“Holy Lord of Storms!”
As the passengers subconsciously made prayers, they were filled with horror and helplessness.
These passengers knew very well that the owner of the Black Emperor had the highest bounty on the Five Seas. In a particular sense, he was the King of Pirates, and was a powerful figure who could remain alive despite the campaigns of the various fleets from different nations. He was definitely not someone the cannons and crew of a liner could resist.
This meant that they were about to fall into the hands of pirates!
Many women couldn’t help but imagine being raped by the pirates and being sold to unfamiliar lands. Some trembled while others collapsed to the ground. Some rummaged for daggers or revolvers; it was unknown if they wanted to resist, or if they were unwilling to face the worst outcome. Having failed to find weapons, some moved a clothes rack to their side.
The men didn’t react any better. Apart from a number of them drawing weapons in a bid to organize themselves to resist, the remaining froze in a daze or sought places to hide. Other cursed the darn liner and the King of the Five Seas.
Composite Start
Composite End
Finally, the captain’s voice boomed into the ears of every passenger via the broadcasting equipment or something else.
“Silence! Don’t be afraid!
“The owner of the Black Emperor has his own code. He’s not like other pirates. His subordinates can only plunder for items and wealth, nothing else!
Such words were repeated a few times as the panicking passengers finally calmed down and no longer exhibited such horror.
Compared to the outcomes they had imagined, being able to live and not be raped was an excellent outcome.
Almost a minute late, a number of passengers were overwhelmed with sadness and cried upon realizing how their hard-earned savings would be wiped out.
Some of them were doing business through loans. If they were unable to pay their loans, it was possible that their family would end up on the streets, relying on the workhouses for survival.
Upon having this thought, they hurriedly took action and hid their wealth in all kinds of hidden compartments, hoping to keep as much as they could from the pirates. After doing this, they held their weapons tight, prepared to fight the pirates to the death at critical moments.
Even feral beasts would fight back when cornered, why not humans?
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, many of the pirates on the Black Emperor were waiting by the broadside according to their orders. They were prepared to jump onto the prey once the distance was closed.
Their second mate, Horror Viscount Bird Mustang was holding a telescope as he observed the liner opposite him without much thought. He was inwardly calculating how much longer before the two ships met.
This pirate, whose bounty had exceeded ten thousand pounds, wore an Intis-styled shirt with complicated patterns on his sleeves and collars. He donned a dark red captain’s attire, as though he was awaiting the commencement of a ball, and not a pirate attack.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
Suddenly, his vision blurred and he could no longer see the liner!
Bird Mustang hurriedly searched with his telescope, but regardless of the direction he aimed it at, there was nothing but stormy waves and red-headed sea eagles who enjoyed hunting fish during storms.
Such a huge liner had vanished!
The light in Bird Mustang’s eyes flickered as he failed to make an accurate judgment.
“Where’s the ship?”
“Where did such a huge ship go?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“It was still around!”
The pirates on deck also noticed something amiss as they exclaimed.
A ghost ship? No, there aren’t any ghost ships with such a make. This is a steam and sail hybrid that got popular in recent decades… An illusion? Someone had hidden a liner with a large-scale illusion? An illusion at this scale has to have been done by a demigod… Bird Mustang’s thoughts raced as he retracted his telescope and headed for the cabin.
During this process, the distance he traveled seemed to distort. In about eight steps, Bird Mustang covered quite a sizable distance and arrived in front of the captain’s cabin. He reverently bowed and said, “Earl Nast, something abnormal has happened with the hunt.”
On the Black Emperor, King of the Five Seas Nast continued having himself addressed as an earl, as it was a title conferred upon him by Emperor Roselle.
Of course, he had publicly announced that it was a matter of time before he established a pirates’ kingdom, becoming a duke, king, or even an emperor.
After a brief silence, a solemn voice sounded from the captain’s cabin:
“Circle around it.”
“By your will!” Bird Mustang didn’t ask why as he directly accepted the order.
Of course, he could imagine the reason.
Composite Start
Composite End
Be it an illusion or not, to make such a huge steam and sail hybrid liner vanish from the scrutiny of hundreds of pirates, it was definitely not something a Low- or Mid-Sequence Beyonder could accomplish. The ship definitely had a demigod or a powerhouse wielding a demigod-level Sealed Artifact!
And to clash with an unknown demigod for an ordinary liner was definitely an irrational act. Even if the Earl of White Maple Nast, as the King of the Five Seas, he wouldn’t do such rash acts unless there was something worth fighting for.
From this angle, the demigod was only hiding on the liner and had not launched any counterattack. This also implied that he didn’t wish to clash with the Black Emperor and the King of the Five Seas. Therefore, he had only exhibited his existence for shock and awe purposes.
Bird Mustang immediately got the sailors to leave the broadside and turn the Black Emperor around.
At this point, a huge and heavy red-headed sea eagle suddenly flew out of its flock and headed for the Black Emperor, spiraling above the ghost ship.
Amidst the pirates’ confusion, the red-headed sea eagle looked down upon the deck and spoke deeply in a human’s voice:
“I wish to meet the Earl of White Maple.”
Bird Mustang was taken aback for a second before he cast his eyes at the cabin.
King of the Five Seas Nast’s solemn voice sounded again. Instead of directly answering the sea eagle, he instructed his subordinates, “Let him in.”
Bird Mustang immediately followed the order as the sea eagle swooped down in the storm. Its body gradually changed and turned into a humanoid form.
When it landed on the deck, it was no longer a red-headed sea eagle, but a man with a tall top hat and tuxedo. His face wore a feathered mask.
Bird Mustang’s eyes dilated slightly as though he was trying to take in the figure clearer.
But no matter how much he observed it, he was unable to discover anything abnormal about this exaggerated man. It was as though there wasn’t a red-headed sea eagle from the very beginning.
A few seconds later, Bird Mustang’s pupils dilated even more because he saw the figure’s side profile when it walked past him.
This man, who appeared like he was an invitee at a banquet, was very thin. His side profile was about the width of two fingers!
At that instant, Bird Mustang felt as though he was seeing a walking paper figurine, but it was also slightly thicker than one!
A monster… He gulped with great difficulty as he watched the terrifying demigod walk towards the cabin.
The pirates on deck quickly retreated and leaned against the shipboard as though a nightmare had just walked past them.
To them, this abnormally proportioned man was something they had never seen before. It was more harrowing than the many monsters they had seen in the past.
At the third story of the cabin, outside the captain’s cabin.
Klein held the handle, twisted it, and opened the door.
The reason he had made himself appear so strange was partially due to having no choice, but it was also partially deliberate. The former was because the red-headed sea eagle wasn’t big enough, so after creating the clothes and mask, there was no way to create a normal human’s body, even without the innards. The deliberate choice was because he was beginning to try out his theories on acting as a Bizarro Sorcerer. He had some ideas regarding this:
The term “Sorcerer” wasn’t key. What was key was to use the methods of a sorcerer to appear bizarre!
With a light creak, the dark black door opened, revealing the interior of the captain’s cabin.
Candle lamps drooped down from above, with 41 on the left and 40 on the right in an asymmetrical manner. At the end of it, a black platform rose up, surrounding an iron-black chair.
King of the Five Seas Nast’s figure was relatively normal. He was slightly taller than 1.9 meters, unlike the nonhuman form which resembled a giant that Klein had previously encountered.
He was still wearing a miniaturized crown with a black robe with silver ends. He had a squarish face with slight wrinkles. He had a short black mustache underneath his chin, and his black eyes swirled with a red glow. It made one bow their heads without realizing it.
“I’ve never met you before,” Nast said in a deep voice, “Mr. Bizarro Sorcerer.”
Klein took off his hat and bowed.
“You know me now.”
Nast made his voice which made Spirit Bodies tremble resound inside the captain’s cabin.
“Speak. Why are you visiting me?”
“Emperor, I wish to know of your impression of Emperor Roselle. Everyone knows that you and your father have met ‘Him’ in the past far more than once,” Klein replied without being affected.
Nast swept the paper figurine-like demigod as his dark red light brightened significantly.
“Have a seat first.”
Before he finished his sentence, Klein felt a potent suppressive force on him. His body involuntarily sat on a chair beside him.
However, he was only here as a marionette. With a flick of the Spirit Body Threads, the figure that was thin as a book had quickly restored its balance.
Chapter 972 Nast’s Memories
With the pressure relieved, Klein casually pulled a chair over and placed it by the door, sitting opposite King of the Five Seas Nast with the entire hall separating them.
Although the Pirate King was more than 1.9 meters tall and was sitting on a black platform, allowing him to look down in a domineering manner, Klein didn’t play second fiddle in this encounter. He wore his tall top hat again.
After a brief silence, Nast, who had the official title of Earl of White Maple, said with a solemn tone, “Give me a reason why I should answer your question.”
Klein’s thin body casually leaned back as he said, “You will not need to hear the same request when you have something you need to trade with me in the future.”
The dark red light flickered in Nast’s black eyes as he said, “I basically know all the saints active in this world, but that doesn’t include you.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein caressed the feathered mask on his face and laughed. Without answering, he asked in return, “Have you met Zaratul?”
“I’ve met ‘Him’ twice in Emperor Roselle’s palace. I’d also interacted with quite a number of Secret Order members,” Nast replied with a calm and direct but extremely domineering tone.
Quite a number of Secret Order members… You should introduce me to them when the opportunity arises… Klein couldn’t help but quip.
He then smiled and said, “I’ve also met Zaratul.”
Nast raised his hand to stroke his short black beard. His already tall figure seemed to burgeon, making the mood in the captain’s cabin even gloomier and repressed.
After a few seconds, he stared at Klein from above and said, “My impression of Emperor Roselle is very simple:
“No one is more suitable than ‘Him’ to be the Black Emperor.”
He didn’t explain what “Black Emperor” meant or pointed to, ignoring if the demigod opposite him understood or not.
Is that so… From this King of the Five Seas’s words, although the emperor’s diary implied that he made up his mind only in his later years to switch to the Black Emperor pathway and make preparations, he had long had such inclinations. He had unconsciously exhibited it and set up the situation ahead of time… Klein thought in enlightenment.
Composite Start
Composite End
He believed that Nast’s impression of Emperor Roselle was limited to that. After all, they had only met a few times. Hence, he switched topics.
“In the emperor’s later years, did ‘He’ get you or your father to do something secret?”
Nast’s crown shook a little as he replied, “Someone had once asked me the same question.”
Klein laughed and asked with a bold guess, “Bernadette?”
“Yes.” Nast held the two sides of his black throne with his hands. “Back then, she was very young and immature to ask such a question. With Emperor Roselle’s level in his later years, compared to handing something secret to me and my father, what could be kept more secret than doing it ‘Himself?”
This is implying that I’m as immature as Bernadette back then… Klein sighed and said, “To people who are concerned about this, one wouldn’t abandon even the slightest sliver of hope.”
This was also why he wished to meet the King of the Five Seas after concealing the liner.
He was now trying to find clues to the door of light above the gray fog in the real world. Apart from confirming who the third transmigrator was, he had to delve deep into Emperor Roselle’s matters. This was a necessary decision!
The dark red glow in Nast’s eyes contracted and expanded.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“What’s your relationship with Emperor Roselle?”
Klein thought and said with a sigh, “We can be considered old friends.”
After all, they had been above that mysterious door of light, and the cocoons they were in were neighbors with only a thin obstacle in between them. They had been hanging there for centuries or even millennia.
This was a connection that stemmed from reality, and psychologically, having read so many of the emperor’s diaries, Klein had long treated the emperor as a fellow countryman. He shared the same feelings for home and sense of identity with him.
Nast stared at the thin demigod who sat by the door before he retracted his gaze and solemnly said, “Any more questions?”
Klein was already prepared. He asked in an unhurried tone, “Do you feel that there was anything abnormal about Emperor Roselle in his later years?”
The slightly wrinkled Nast remained silent for quite a while before saying, “I don’t know enough about ‘Him,’ so I wasn’t able to notice anything abnormal.
“The only thing that made me feel odd was that when me and my father met ‘Him,’ ‘He’ would stand at a floor-to-ceiling window facing west. He would stare into the distance. This would happen in the morning, noon, and the evening. And that room wasn’t the only one with a floor-to-ceiling window.”
“West… Into the distance… the Fog Sea?” Klein seemed to mutter to himself as though seeking confirmation.
Composite Start
Composite End
He recalled that the emperor’s diary had mentioned of a mysterious primitive island, and he recalled the Abyss that hid somewhere in the Fog Sea.
Nast nodded slightly and said, “That was my guess as well.”
Phew… Klein silently exhaled. After some consideration, he stood up and said, “I’m done with my questions. Please pardon me for my intrusion. “Your Lordship, I wonder if I can help you in a transaction?”
He was fulfilling his promise.
Nast fell silent for two seconds and said, “Help me find the Card of Blasphemy that corresponds to the Black Emperor.”
For an instant, Klein suspected that the Pirate King was testing him, but he immediately felt that an unknown demigod had little to do with the Black Emperor card. He said with a smile, “I’ll try my best.
“However, the questions from before aren’t worth a Card of Blasphemy. If I can obtain it, I’ll trade you for the information inside it. Of course, I might only provide clues to that card.”
Nast caressed the armrest of his iron-black throne and said in a deadpan manner, “So be it.”
Klein took off his hat again, bowed, and turned to leave before returning to the deck.
Under Horror Viscount Bird Mustang and company’s gaze, he raised his arms.
Composite Start
Composite End
His body rapidly contracted as the feather mask on his face spread out. In just two or three seconds, his entire person became an ordinary red-headed sea eagle.
This sea eagle immediately flapped its wings, flying into the dark storm, vanishing from the sights of the pirates of the Black Emperor.
That’s a demigod… Bird Mustang looked into midair and sighed.
Although making a further advancement at Sequence 5 increased the inclination towards madness and a loss of control, making it highly possible for Beyonders to fail their advancement, the title of being a demigod remained attractive. As long as one successfully took the step, they could attain godhood, allowing their life to undergo a fundamental change. Be it in terms of lifespan or powers, it far exceeded that of humans, allowing them to reign above all.
On the liner, Klein abandoned his control over the red-headed sea eagle, allowing it to plunge into the sea to be fish food without anyone seeing it.
And at this moment, the passengers on board felt high-strung because the Black Emperor was about to approach.
In fact, this should’ve happened a few minutes ago, but for some reason, the Black Emperor had ignored the liner and headed forward. Yet, the liner didn’t use this opportunity to escape, and it had instead circled around the Black Emperor, maintaining a few hundred meters from it.
This bizarre situation continued for a while before it finally ended, leaving dozens of meters between the two ships.
The Black Emperor passed the liner and steered into the stormy night without returning.
The passengers and crew watched blankly and realized the reality of the situation only a few minutes later.
The Black Emperor was gone! It hadn’t attempted to plunder them!
A number of passengers cheered while others had tears stream down their faces. A few collapsed to the ground and relaxed. Only a few maintained their lucidity, feeling puzzled as to everything that had happened. However, they were unable to find an answer that agreed with the situation at hand. All they could do was console themselves.
The Black Emperor must’ve completed a plunder already. Since this is a liner and not a cargo ship, it didn’t catch its eye!
As the euphoria spread across the ship, Kleindonning the appearance of Dwayne Dantès-cast his gaze to the north.
Compared to King of the Five Seas Nast, who had only met Roselle a few times, there was another person who knew the emperor even better: Queen Mystic Bernadette!
Being an equal peer to Nast, she had recently been in Backlund!
After I return to Backlund, I’ll get Admiral of Stars to contact Queen Mystic and try to meet her as soon as possible… Klein retracted his gaze, drew the curtains, and went to bed.
In the Rorsted Archipelago waters, on the Future.
Admiral of Stars Cattleya finally received a letter from Queen Mystic Bernadette.
She had no idea when the invisible messenger arrived, but this didn’t stop her from effusing her joy.
Tearing open the envelope and spreading open the letter, Cattleya eagerly read the first line below the salutation:
“That’s indeed Ciel’s descendant…”
That Artisan is really Emperor Roselle’s direct descendant… I can’t allow him to mix with the believers of the Primordial Moon. I have to bring him on board the Future… As Cattleya thought, she nodded indiscernibly.
After making up her mind, she thought of Artisan Cielf’s character and morals that only spelled trouble. She felt that she had the responsibility and duty to discipline him.
Amidst her deliberation, she walked to the window of the captain’s cabin and cast her gaze outside.
After some searching, her gaze fell onto the shipboard where Frank Lee was munching on mushrooms.
“Frank,” Cattleya shouted out with her normal tone.
Frank, who had his sleeves rolled up, snapped out of his deep thought.
“Captain, is there something?”
Cattleya said seriously, “I’ll get you an assistant for your experiments.”
Frank was taken aback before he revealed a pure smile.
“Alright!”
Chapter 973 New “Angel”
Upon seeing Frank’s smile, Cattleya had mixed feelings. She then retracted her gaze and turned it to the nearby fishing village where the Future was docked.
No one expected this place to be an important base of the Moses Ascetic Order.
To avoid the pursuit of the Aurora Order, Cattleya and her crew had been docked here recently!
She wasn’t in a rush to set sail but was prepared to go ashore. She planned on using the equipment in the fishing village to make contact with her subordinates who were monitoring Artisan Cielf in Bayam. Through that, she could confirm the situation and make plans.
Only with this in place could the Future set sail again, headed for the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, Bayam, that was several days away.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In Backlund, the sky brightened especially early in July, but the overall temperature wasn’t considered hot. It didn’t even exceed 30°C.
Emlyn wore a top hat to shelter him from the sunlight that penetrated the clouds as he disembarked a carriage and walked into the Harvest Church.
Looking over, he saw the mountainlike Father Utravsky who wore a brown priest robe and a clergyman’s bonnet. He was standing in front of the Sacred Emblem of Life, preaching to the few believers that came to pray in the morning.
Emlyn didn’t take a second look as he walked straight to the back of the cathedral. He arrived in a room that he called his, and he familiarly changed into his priest robes.
As he wiped the candle stands, he waited for the believers to leave. About twenty minutes later, he finally found an opportunity to sit beside Bishop Utravsky and muttered to himself while looking at the Sacred Emblem of Life, “Father, I have a question I would like to consult you about.”
The thin-browed, light blue-eyed Bishop Utravsky with some clear wrinkles replied with a smile, “Go ahead.”
Emlyn held his breath and verbalized the words he had been thinking over the entire night.
“If—and I’m saying, if there’s a distant relative who fools you, making you and your friend fall into danger and almost lose your life, and this matter isn’t suitable in court, how would you punish him?”
Despite sitting down, Utravsky remained like a hill. He said in a deep but gentle voice, “First, you have to confirm if the relative had made a mistake due to negligence, or if he had deliberately fooled you and lead you into a trap. If it’s the former, you need to warn him, remind him, and teach him, instead of thinking of punishing him. If it’s the latter, you still need to confirm if this is the way he usually does things.
Composite Start
Composite End
“If it is, then you need to eliminate him. Otherwise, he will definitely bring more harm to others, bringing harm to innocents. By ending his life and sending him back to the land, it will restart the cycle of life. It’s a type of compassion and a type of purification…”
…Elimination… Father speaks of murder in a way that’s more natural, mellow, and calmer than The World! Emlyn’s facial muscles twitched as he hurriedly interrupted Utravsky’s reply.
“No, he usually doesn’t act this way. It’s just that due to various reasons, he had targeted me this once. I-I don’t wish to kill him because of this.”
Just as he said that, Emlyn froze. He had apparently, probably, most likely, just expressed the fact that he was the victim, expressing that this matter was a Sanguine internal matter.
Utravsky turned to look at him and revealed a smile.
“Not bad. You already understand how precious life
is.”
Emlyn forced a smile.
“Then, how should he be punished?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Utravsky looked at the Sacred Emblem of Life in front of him.
“I do not advocate appealing to violence. You can bring him here and have him listen to my preaching and reading the bible. He will understand the value of life and experience the compassion of Earth Mother. He will serve to redeem his sins.”
Isn’t this what I experienced… Emlyn was taken aback before realizing that this method was in line with his intentions.
This neither caused Ernes Boyar’s death, nor was it comparable to simply beating him up and demanding compensation. More importantly, this wouldn’t escalate to a conflict that would cause strife among the Sanguine!
Of course, every method had its flaws. To Emlyn, the biggest problem was:
How was he to bring Ernes Boyar to the Harvest Church?
From the moment he began doing volunteer work here, all the Sanguine in Backlund knew to avoid this region. Ernes Boyar was no exception. It was impossible to trick him into coming in!
And if he resorted to violence, Emlyn believed that, with the ring bestowed to him by Ancestor Lilith, as well as Miss Magician’s powerful spellbook that could be rented, defeating Ernes Boyar wasn’t a difficult endeavor. However, to control him wasn’t simple. After all, he was a Sanguine Viscount, equivalent to that of a Sequence 5 Beyonder. In addition, although Ernes Boyar wasn’t too old, he had quite a collection.
Under such circumstances, the extent of which to directly taking action was hard to gauge. It could easily lead to death, and Emlyn would be blamed for
Composite Start
Composite End
Perhaps I need some help… In Backlund, there are many members of the Tarot Club. If we work together, we should be able to easily control Ernes… Uh, I can’t expose my identity because of this. The cooperation should be done in stages, so that we don’t have to meet… Amidst his thoughts, Emlyn had made his decision. He planned on assigning a mission during the Tarot Gathering next week in search for help.
He nodded gently in response to Father Utravsky’s suggestion.
“It sounds pretty good.
“I plan on making a decision a few days later after calming down.”
Father Utravsky nodded and smiled.
“Fruits are obtained from planting them. It’s a long process that requires patience. From the looks of it, you have understood this point.”
Of course, it’s such a simple principle! Emlyn raised his chin slightly as he habitually clasped his hands and prayed to the Sacred Emblem of Life.
22 Phelps Street, Loen Charity Bursary Foundation.
Audrey placed a document in hand on the table and looked up at the wall clock in the director’s office. She could hardly relax.
She had already made an appointment with Escalante to head over to Stephen Hampres’s residence in the afternoon.
Composite Start
Composite End
Clearly, this meant a test. If the Psychology Alchemists’s team was careful enough, they would’ve already reported the news, and there might be a councilor secretly observing everything.
Based on her current level and abilities, although Audrey was unable to determine how terrifying a High-Sequence Spectator was, she could imagine the kinds of performance they had in certain domains. This made her uncontrollably nervous, afraid that she would be “seen through.”
In fact, I should’ve delayed it a little more. Although the time and the emotions I showed are in line with logic in psychology, delaying a meeting would definitely incur suspicion. But compared to a little bit of suspicion, it’s more important to wait for Mr. World to return from the Southern Continent. That way, I can directly arrange for them to meet at the foundation. I don’t have to worry about a High-Sequence Spectator discovering anything… Sigh, Audrey, your plans weren’t well-thought enough… Audrey sighed silently and cast Placate on herself to calm her emotions.
After the afternoon, she wasn’t in a rush to leave the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation. Sitting inside her office, she bowed her head, clasped her hands together, and softly prayed to Mr. Fool.
After completing this, she got onto her carriage with Annie and Susie, heading for the residence of the furniture merchant, Stephen Hampres.
Just as the carriage began moving, Audrey suddenly saw a gorgeous beam of light appear.
Amidst the beam of light, a twelve-winged angel bathed with golden light descended. The wings which were made of flames had wrapped her in layers before they dissipated layer after layer.
Audrey’s vision quickly recovered as she swept her gaze past Annie and Susie through the corner of her eye in an unnoticeable manner. She realized that they hadn’t noticed anything that had happened.
It’s a little different from the previous angel… With Mr. Fool’s greater reawakening, “His” angels have also recovered further? As the corners of her lips quivered, Audrey wiped the smile from her face, her inner heart becoming abnormally firm.
In less than half an hour, her carriage had stopped by Stephen Hampres’s door.
After passing her hand to Annie, Audrey was helped down the carriage, and she walked straight to the door. She watched as her attendant pulled the doorbell.
Before long, Escalante came to open the door. Like before, she directly brought Audrey to the activity room on the first floor. Annie and Susie were brought to the living room by the servants.
Upon arriving at the activity room, Escalante reached out to hold the doorknob as she gestured for Audrey to enter.
This… Audrey had a guess, but she didn’t show it. She slowly walked through the door which Escalante had opened.
Escalante didn’t enter as she closed the activity room’s door.
Audrey looked ahead and saw that on a single-seater facing the activity room’s door, there was an elder sitting there quietly.
The elder wore a shirt, vest, and a jacket, matched with blue-gray trousers with lines adorning it, as well as a dark red bow tie. His hair was completely white but remained thick and lush. He had a warm and elegant bearing.
He had a pair of blue eyes that seemed to hide wisdom and knowledge. Apart from the wrinkles on his forehead, he didn’t have any wrinkles elsewhere.
Audrey knew him. He was the royal family’s consultant-Hvin Rambis!
Of course, Audrey had long known of this old gentleman’s secret identity from the Tarot Club: a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists!
She didn’t disguise her surprise, because she truly was surprised. Although she had guessed at the possibility of Hvin Rambis’s appearance, she never expected him to appear directly. She imagined that he would observe her in secret, allowing Hilbert and Stephen to speak on his behalf.
“You’re very surprised?” Hvin Rambis asked with a faint smile.
He then stood up and bowed.
“A pleasure meeting you, Miss Audrey.”
Audrey deliberately opened her mouth before closing it again. Following that, she replied with a mixed smile, “I’m not sure how I should address you.”
Hvin Rambis chuckled.
“Like always.”
He pointed to the sofa beside them.
“Let’s have a seat.”
Audrey took a deep breath, wore a smile, and unhurriedly walked over. Sitting by the sofa, she maintained an adequate distance from him.
Chapter 974 Mind World
Hvin Rambis picked up the porcelain teacup and took a sip. Looking at Audrey, who sat in a flawless posture, he said genially, “There’s no need to act so reserved. This isn’t our first meeting. I still recall discussing Birman’s philosophy of ethics and Kongsoka’s pragmatism with you two years ago.”
Audrey smiled faintly and said, “I just find it difficult to put the idea of you and a Psychology Alchemists councilor together.”
Hvin Rambis hadn’t introduced himself, but it was a reasonable inference based on Audrey’s knowledge of the Psychology Alchemists and the present situation.
Hvin crossed his right leg and said with a smile, “This isn’t something worth paying attention to. Never forget that our Psychology Alchemists is an organization established with the goal of studying the psyche and to build knowledge. We are more about the academic side of things rather than handling matters. Heh, since it’s academic, you can always treat a councilor as a university’s professor.”
If she hadn’t learned from Mr. World that Hvin Rambis was behind Cuarón’s suicide, Audrey would’ve been able to conclude that he was a knowledgeable, amiable, humorous, and humble scholar, regardless of the amount of observation that she did. However, since she was wary, Audrey wasn’t someone who would so easily believe things that appeared on the surface.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As she looked at him and organized her words, she prevented herself from focusing too much on one point. She kept her thoughts lively and scattered to prevent herself from being hypnotized.
At this moment, her mind suddenly turned adrift. She seemed to see the seven pure lights that contained infinite knowledge, and the dense, indescribable figures. She saw them blanketing everything from high above.
This was the spirituality sky, the reflection of the spirituality in one’s mind!
And beneath the spirituality sky was a deep, dark sea. Every drop of water resembled a point of light as though they represented an imprint on each subconscious.
Near this sea were several islands. One of them belonged to Audrey.
She clearly knew that this was a manifestation of her consciousness. What was exposed above the sea was what she could detect, and the parts covered by the “seawater” were her deeper consciousness that she was usually unable to grasp or know.
Floating above the island, Audrey looked to the bottom. She first noticed that the area was a solitary, quiet, gray blur. They screened out her vision, making her only capable of seeing the massive and dark black outlines of the subconscious, as well as the illusory and rippling sea of collective subconscious. She was unable to obtain much information from that.
Audrey was puzzled as to how she had entered this strange state when she saw large swaths of gray split apart like the sea deep in the sea of subconscious at the island below. It revealed a stone platform that had appeared at some point in time.
On the platform, a figure grew up rapidly in a fashion akin to blinking, entering Audrey’s field of view almost instantly.
Composite Start
Composite End
His hair was completely white but remained thick and lush. He wore a standard three-piece suit, matched with blue-gray trousers with lines adorning it, as well as a dark red bow tie. This man with deep wrinkles on his forehead was none other than Hvin Rambis.
Compared to the Hvin sitting on the sofa, he appeared more sinister. He didn’t wear a smile, and his head was slightly bowed. It was as though he was observing Audrey’s subconscious that lay behind.
In a few steps, he walked into Audrey’s island of consciousness through the sea of collective subconscious. Then, he went from the subconscious to the area exposed above the sea like a silent visitor who didn’t knock on the door or receive any permission.
After arriving on the island, Hvin Rambis raised his head. His facial skin was already covered in grayish-white scales. His irises were gold and vertical, and it didn’t show any hint of emotion.
This… Floating in midair, Audrey observed this scene and fully understood the situation she was in.
This was the world of the mind, a mind world formed by the spirituality sky, sea of collective subconscious, and the island of consciousness!
Due to the blessings from Mr. Fool’s angel, Hvin Rambis’s intrusion of my Body of Heart and Mind and psyche through the sea of collective subconscious sounded alarms… That force has separated my most fundamental part of my self-conscious, allowing me to control everything on the island from the spirituality sky. Thus, I’m able to truly resist true forms of telepathy… How magical — No, how despicable of Hvin Rambis! He’s not polite at all. He intruded into my “house” without gaining any permission or providing any notification! Audrey grumbled in midair.
After understanding her current situation, she secretly controlled the changes that were influencing the island while answering the casually seated Hvin Rambis in the real world.
“I’m also very reserved when facing university professors.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As she spoke, Audrey made her inner island “mumble.”
This isn’t a good analogy. As a elderly Psychology Alchemists councilor, he should be a Sequence 4 at least. This is a demigod, one that naturally makes one feel fear, awe, and reserved!
On the sofa, Hvin Rambis chuckled immediately.
“Then I won’t be forcing you. I’ve heard about you from Hilbert. I heard that you’ve advanced from Psychiatrist to Hypnotist in a short few months. I’m very curious about how you did it? Oh, I’ve also heard of the answer you gave Escalante-having the courage to make use of matters. However, I wish to hear something more detailed.”
At this moment, the Hvin Rambis on Audrey’s mind island was observing his surroundings with a deadpan expression, listening the resonating voice. Audrey was already prepared for this as she deliberately pretended to be organizing her words. After a few seconds, she said, “It’s just the superficial meaning of ‘having courage to make use of matter.’”
“Uh… Let’s put it this way. In my future plans, I’ve always had one of my options being a Psychiatrist. Since I’ve acquired the corresponding Beyonder powers, I-I was definitely very happy to try it out and help the people around me resolve their mental and psychological problems.”
While saying that, she showed some signs of embarrassment towards such actions that bordered on childishness. Her mind island faithfully reflected
this.
After a pause, Audrey continued, “During this process, I discovered that my control over the potion’s powers became better until, one day, I felt something in me shatter and fuse into my blood. It also allowed me to vaguely see illusory stars. Mr. Rambis, what does it represent?
Composite Start
Composite End
“Uh, for some reason, I firmly decided to become a Hypnotist from that day. This might also be a cue from my subconscious.”
After saying that, Audrey deliberately stuck out her tongue on her mind island like when she was little, doing things she usually wouldn’t do. It was a way to prove that she was feeling a little embarrassed because playing psychiatrist was no different from playing princess when she was little.
And embarrassment often meant the truth.
Hvin Rambis nodded gently and said, “Very talented. You seem to have figured out the ‘acting method’ by yourself.”
“Acting method?” Audrey wore a surprised and blank look both inside and outside before coming to a realization.
Hvin Rambis said with a genial smile, “It’s exactly as you think it is. By acting based on the potion’s name, and concluding the corresponding principles, that will speed up the digestion of the potion. It is an effective method for reducing the negative influences.”
“However, before Sequence 6, we do not teach it because we do not advocate members using this method to accelerate the digestion of their potions. Surprisingly, you have figured it out yourself.”
“Why don’t you advocate it?” Audrey asked sincerely out of curiosity.
Hvin Rambis sighed and said, “This will make the members not be themselves. Some might even be assimilated by the remnants of the potion.
“To put it simply, the first three Sequences are for one to slowly grasp their powers and get used to being extraordinary. It allows one’s subconscious to be deeper, become clearer, and turn more mature. It aids in resisting the subsequent problems that come from the ‘acting method.’
Composite Start
Composite End
“Of course, I can only give my opinion on the Spectator pathway. As for the other Beyonder pathways, I’m not too sure if they’re the same. But clearly, pathways that focus on the domain of the mind would have some differences in the area of self-consciousness.”
Audrey was unable to determine the veracity of Hvin Rambis’s words. She felt that there was definitely some reason to it, but it was not entirely the truth.
Little Sun mentioned before that one key thing to remember regarding the “acting method” is “remember that you’re only acting”… I find this more appropriate. Yes, I’ve been strictly abiding to it, and will keep doing so in the future… Audrey, you mustn’t be careless. From this moment forth, you must put more emphasis on your self-consciousness! From Mr. Fool’s point of view, this must be trivial and doesn’t require additional emphasis since it’s included in the statement of “only acting.” But to the ordinary person, perhaps it’s relatively more important… As Audrey’s thoughts raced, she asked, “Can you explain the ‘acting method’ in more detail?”
Hvin Rambis explained it to her in a relatively more detailed manner before saying, “You are indeed talented and qualified to obtain the Sequence 5 Dreamwalker potion formula, but before that, I’ll give you several missions. This is out of fairness and also a form of training for you. This is because once you achieve Sequence 5, you will be leading two to three psychological discussion groups. Your every judgment and choice will influence the future and even the lives of the members beneath you. Therefore, we mustn’t allow people who deeply lack experience in handling matters to advance to Sequence 5.”
“Understandable.” Audrey didn’t object to it. “What’s the first mission?”
Hvin Rambis said with a smile, “A simple but rather long-term mission. Every piece of feedback you provide will count towards your contributions.”
At this point, he sighed.
“The fracture between the New Party and the Conservative Party is widening. The more conflict there is, the more divided the kingdom’s internal politics will be. I wish that you can take note of the attitude of your father, Earl Hall. Inform me of some of his views towards various bills and matters. Don’t worry, this will not cause him any harm. We only wish to mend the fractures.”
His final statement was, in fact, not supported by logic. It was solely a promise. But with Hvin Rambis raising his right hand to his temples while on Audrey’s “mind island,” Audrey felt that what he said was very reasonable and deeply relatable.
Floating above her mind world, she immediately snapped to her senses and realized something was amiss.
Chapter 975 A Familiar Feeling
How can you not cause harm to my father from knowing his trump cards? This will bring about negative impacts to matters that he’s trying to push for or object to… Floating in the mind world, Audrey looked down at her island of consciousness, her thoughts were so calm that it surprised her.
Right on the heels of that, she suddenly realized why Hvin Rambis had directed Cuarón’s suicide.
Audrey had always been concerned about this matter. Furthermore, she had obtained information from various sources, giving her a rather clear idea of the overall picture. However, she had ultimately been stumped about the mastermind’s goal.
This trap seemed to be targeted at the purse strings of the Conservative Party, Baron Syndras. As long as he failed to respond properly, this powerful banker would have his problems exposed and end up handled by the official Beyonder organizations. However, the actual process seemed to lack the panache of a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Spectator pathway. It was especially so when Dwayne Dantès reacted unexpectedly, causing the plan to immediately be foiled; yet, there wasn’t any mending of the plan.
As a rather senior Spectator, Audrey had long noticed the incongruity within this matter. However, it was only after hearing Hvin Rambis’s words today that she realized the core of the matter.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Hvin Rambis didn’t care if he had successfully taken down Baron Syndras, as he had already accomplished his goals.
It was just as he had said, the New Party and Conservative Party were fractured!
Although Hvin Rambis claimed to be trying to mend it, his true goal was to deepen the cracks and cause them to completely fall out with each other!
Why is he doing this? Audrey controlled her mind island and didn’t make it show any puzzled emotions.
She then replied to Hvin Rambis, “I can understand your concern for the kingdom’s political situation. I will work hard on this.”
Just as she said that, the gloomy Hvin Rambis on the mind island lowered his right hand from his forehead. Hvin Rambis, who was sitting on a sofa in the real world, said with a gladdened smile, “You are indeed a young noble lady filled with compassion.”
With that said, the old gentleman lowered his right leg which was covered by grayish-blue trousers with lined patterns. He leaned forward slightly as his eyes grew darker.
“Due to your identity and daily environment, you shall forget about me. You will only remember Hilbert, Stephen, and Escalante. You will pass any information through them…
“When there are extremely pressing issues that need reporting, you will subconsciously visit me with the excuse of consulting me on some academic question… When you enter my room, your lost memories will recover…”
Composite Start
Composite End
As Hvin Rambis said those words, the him on Audrey’s mind island opened his mouth and repeated the words. A “rock” took form and quickly plunged into the ground, sinking into the subconscious.
At that moment, Audrey felt as though she had dissociated into two entities.
One was a result of a mind island-she could no longer remember the appearance or name of the elder in front of her. She only knew that she had come to Stephen Hampres’s residence and met a Psychology Alchemists councilor where she received the approbation of the “acting method” and received a new mission.
Another her floated beneath the spirituality sky, acutely aware of everything that had happened. However, there wasn’t much emotional changes. It was more optimistic than gloomy.
Audrey was certain that the one in midair was her true self-conscious. Therefore, she didn’t feel confounded. With “her” as the true self, she controlled her other self and got up in a muddle.
“Yes, Sir.”
After answering him, she rapidly straightened her body, and like a puppet who was being controlled by invisible strings, she walked to the door and left.
At the instant she closed the door, the her in the mind world’s sky and the her corresponding to the island of consciousness fused as one. There were no longer any differences.
The two entities with certain memory discrepancies instantly fused together, giving Audrey a few seconds of confusion. However, with plenty of experience in treating people and hypnotizing others, she very quickly and skillfully identified the differences. She then reconstructed every detail from before.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
What powerful mind-reading and hypnosis… He directly entered my Body of Heart and Mind and even my Soul Body to exert influence via the sea of collective subconscious… Although Audrey had the blessings of The Fool’s angel, she felt that her recollections were like viewing old photographs. They were yellowed and faded, as though they were matters that happened years ago.
I’ll be able to do the same in the future! The blessings of Mr. Fool’s angel is really impressive! Humph, I’ll only inform you of Father’s take on unimportant matters! As Audrey’s mind whirled, her mood turned for the better.
Whoosh!
The steam locomotive that spewed out copious amounts of smoke dragged its carriages as it chugged into Backlund.
After traveling for days, Klein had finally returned to this Capital of Capitals.
As Dwayne Dantès, Klein wore a top hat and a formal suit while holding a gold inlaid cane. He slowly left the first-class cabin and firmly stood on the platform.
Behind him was a man with mixed-blood. He was about 1.75 meters tall, and he carried two luggage bags. He was none other than the marionette, Enzo. Of course, this Winner had already changed his name to Enuni, which sounded more in line with the Southern Continent’s traditions. In the future, he would be the go-to person to establish contact with the Southern Continent’s clientèle for the upstart tycoon and arms dealer, Dwayne Dantès. The non-crucial business would be handled by him, without needing Dwayne Dantès to personally head to East and West Balam.
Of course, this was simply a disguise. In fact, Klein would be the one making the trip.
He had decided to send believers to West Balam in the name of Sea God Kalvetua and get them to represent himself to complete some small-scale deals. After all, Danitz was an infamous pirate over the Five Seas, with a bounty exceeding ten thousand pounds. Furthermore, he had close ties with Gehrman Sparrow, and it easily incurred suspicion if he kept helping Dwayne Dantès.
Composite Start
Composite End
After leaving the station, Klein rode a carriage and returned to 160 Böklund Street.
It was already dark by then. The street lamps on both sides of the street had already lit up, likewise for Dwayne Dantès’s residence. Butler Walter and Housekeeper Taneja led the male and female servants, as well as the gardener and coachmen, out. They stood on both sides to welcome their employer back.
After he arrived in Desi Bay and bought the train tickets, Klein had sent a telegram back to Backlund, informing his butler when he was returning. However, he had instructed him not to send the coachman to pick him up at the station. After all, this was an era when steam locomotives were often delayed. It wasn’t impossible that its arrival would be delayed to the next morning.
Glancing at his servants who stood with a standard, reverent pose, Klein secretly nodded and passed through them as he sighed inwardly.
This does resemble the style of nobility. Even when the employer isn’t around, the butler doesn’t skive… When he arrived at the door, he nodded gently at Walter and Taneja before saying, “It must’ve been hard on you while I was away.”
“It’s our duty,” Walter and Taneja said with a bow.
Klein then turned his gaze to his valet, Richardson. He realized that this good-looking mixed-blood had a somewhat pale expression as he kept stealing glances at his employer’s new valet, Enuni.
Klein smirked inwardly as he nodded at him.
“You did well. However, there’s some business involving the Southern Continent that requires Enuni to handle it.
“Oh yes, be Mr. Walter’s assistant and help him in gathering information for a manor outside the city.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Assistant… Assistant butler… Richardson was first taken aback before he replied in pleasant surprise, “Yes, Sir!”
With this role, it meant that he had broken free from the constraints of being a valet. He had been promoted!
Walter didn’t ask about the manor in detail as he seriously arranged for his employer’s settling in, bath, and meals.
After all of this was done, he and Enuni sent Dwayne Dantès back to the third story before he asked, “Sir, do you plan on buying a manor in the suburbs of Backlund? What requirements do you have?”
Something not too expensive… Who knows how long I can use this identity for… Klein inwardly gave a self-deprecating comment before deliberating.
“One with a vineyard and brewery.”
After completing the arms deal, he had already established himself in Backlund’s high society and had earned a huge sum of money. Therefore, it was necessary for him to own a manor. He couldn’t afford to not be capable of inviting his friends on a vacation and hunt in the suburbs when autumn and winter came. This was a faux pas that could easily make him be viewed with scorn.
Furthermore, the manors in Backlund’s suburbs were rather expensive. One could purchase a huge manor with rubber trees in places like Desi Bay for eight to ten thousand pounds, but here, all he wanted was a vineyard and grain farm, with facilities like a brewery.
“I will gather the information as soon as possible,” Walter replied respectfully.
He knew his employer was exhausted from his traveling, so after briefly informing him of the recent developments, he left the third story and busied himself on other matters. With the new valet’s help, Klein changed his clothes and washed up.
During this process, Klein, who had gotten accustomed to his godhood, couldn’t help but lampoon.
If it wasn’t because a marionette cannot be more than a thousand meters from me, would I have changed valets… Despite being a tycoon, I still have to serve myself… Sigh!
Amidst his sighs, he dismissed Winner Enuni to the adjoining room and walked to the window. He looked at the lamp-lit Backlund, which resembled stars, as he allowed his thoughts to wander.
Next, my goal is MI9’s deputy director, Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor…
As for the captain of the royal guards, Viscount Stratford, I can leave him to the Demoness, Trissy… She has vanished for quite some time. I wonder what he has been busy with. I wonder if she has come up with a way to approach that viscount… I had previously informed her that I have other matters to tend to and wasn’t free via the method she gave me. I’ll later have to confirm that I’m free now and can continue our previous cooperation effort…
After a while, Klein reined in his thoughts and got into bed. Without the help of Cogitation, he fell deep asleep.
After an unknown period of time, he suddenly opened his eyes and sensed that someone had entered 160 Böklund Street!
Here it comes again… Klein couldn’t help but raise his hand to rub his temples.
On the first day of returning to Backlund, he had been awakened in the middle of the night.
Chapter 976 Zealot
Dressed in pajamas, Klein didn’t move. In his spiritual perception, the intruder’s Spirit Body Threads appeared.
This also meant that if he so wished, he could turn everyone in 160 Böklund Street into his marionette without leaving the bed. Of course, to a demigod-a Bizarro Sorcerer—the neighbors a few buildings away were within range.
There are many Spirit Bodies around. One of them is helping him fly. He has landed on the opposite balcony… Is it a Beyonder from the Death pathway, or the Evernight pathway? To be able to do this, he must at least be a Sequence 6… He’s here for Richardson? No, he’s walking towards my bedroom. He has paused and has reached out his right hand to knock gently on my door… He’s certain that I’ve detected him? Klein sat up with a slightly heavy expression.
He had made the initial judgment via the Spirit Body Threads, but subsequently, he did it via direct “sight”-a scene that formed in his mind.
After Klein reached Sequence 4, not only was his danger premonition as a Clown enhanced, the amount of power he could stir and use from the mysterious space above the gray fog had experienced a qualitative boost. With the two combined, it wasn’t difficult for him to use his intuition to have a projection of the intruder’s figure and actions, despite the distance.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In addition, due to his deepened control over the mysterious space, Klein could converge the augmentation effects the gray fog had on him in the real world. This prevented Beyonders of certain pathways from seeing anything. Based on his judgment, by being above the gray fog, augmenting himself with a Card of Blasphemy, and using the Sea God Scepter, the strength that The Fool could direct at the real world was asymptotically closer to that of an angel.
If that weren’t the case, even if the gray fog and the Paper Figurine Substitutes could allow others to maintain their lucidity in dreamlike states, Klein wouldn’t have dared to allow Miss Justice to face a Sequence 4 or even Sequence 3 of the Spectator pathway.
Amidst his thoughts, he left his bed, wore his slippers, and straightened his pajamas. He walked to the reclining chair and leisurely sat down.
“Please come in.”
The door to the master bedroom opened silently, but no cold wind blew in. All it did was spiral in the corridor.
The visitor was a man about Dwayne Dantès’s age, and of similar height. He had black hair and brown eyes. He had cut facial features, a classic example of a Loenese man.
He wore a silk top hat and had a rather thin face. His demeanor was cold but wasn’t one that left others feeling uncomfortable. Instead, it was a manifestation of the night view at a suburban cemetery.
At this instant, Klein saw countless Spirit Bodies hugging a middle-aged gentleman. It made his surroundings dark and stacked, as though a world was hidden within.
Klein’s spiritual intuition told him that this was a demigod.
Composite Start
Composite End
Why would there be a demigod coming to me moments after I arrive back in Backlund… Apart from the Church of Evernight’s Backlund archbishop, nothing has been exposed in regards to this identity as Dwayne Dantès… Having a headache, Klein looked at the door without an expression. It was unknown whether he was feeling angry or alarmed.
After taking two steps, the demigod’s right hand suddenly hung down straight. Together with his waist, it bent like a bow pulled to its limit.
He had bowed deeply in a strange manner, his attitude extremely reverent. Meanwhile, a cold wind blew over, closing the door silently.
Klein was nearly taken aback, feeling at a loss. His mind whirred as he came to a rough guess.
At this moment, the demigod maintained his pose and said in a deep voice, “In response to a revelation, I, Patrick Bryan of the Numinous Episcopate, am here to meet Your Excellency.”
Revelation… Klein controlled the twitching of his facial muscles. Together with his previous guess, he had a rough understanding of what was happening.
The Evernight Goddess had deepened “Her” control of Artificial Death-in other words, the Death pathway’s Uniqueness! “She” was able to give revelations to the high-ranking members of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction!
Klein sighed as he chuckled. He pressed his right hand to his chest, but he didn’t make any additional movements.
“What is God’s revelation?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Bryan slowly stood straight and looked at the gentleman with the white sideburns sitting at the reclining chair. He replied with some level of fervor, “We succeeded. God has finally awakened. ‘He’ has requested me to listen to your commands from this day forth, and to follow your arrangements.”
Klein had already expected this, but he felt his face burn, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
This is making me be a Blessed of Evernight while also part-timing as a Blessed of Artificial Death, so as to silently lead the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction… Is this a bestowment of fate, or a price that had been exacted? Since the Goddess didn’t get the Church’s archbishops or high-ranking deacons to handle this matter, it means that “She” wishes it to be kept confidential… Klein instantly stood up and tried to appear pious in tone and expression.
“As God’s revelation commands.
“God’s wish is my wish!”
After expressing his devotion, he looked at the demigod standing straight in front of him and pointed to the sofa opposite him.
“Please have a seat. Oh, do introduce yourself. That’s the most basic form of politeness, isn’t it?”
Moments ago, as the thoughts ran through his mind, Klein had vaguely grasped the reason why the Goddess had handed him leadership over the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction.
As Gehrman Sparrow, he had close connections with the Death Consul!
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, if anyone were to really discover anything amiss and begin investigating the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction, they would realize that it had something to do with Gehrman Sparrow and be enlightened. They would believe that they had grasped the truth as to why Artificial Death was able to come to life and send a revelation.
Due to this guess, Klein deliberately made Dantès use Gehrman Sparrow’s usual speech.
Patrick Bryan sat on the sofa and said after some thought, “I’m Loenese. I once did business in East Balam and nearly died because of a disease. I was rescued by members of the Numinous Episcopate, and during that ritual, I received God’s grace and survived. Later, I secretly changed my faith.
“The faction I’m in is always being vilified by the other members of the Numinous Episcopate. They believe that we’re engaging in sacrilege, that we’re in a bid to create a new Death. But that’s not the case. We firmly believe that God didn’t perish at the end of the Fourth Epoch. ‘He’ is merely asleep and requires certain things to be done in order to awaken. The facts have proven that we were right. You are witness to this.”
The ancient chronicles I received didn’t say so. Those high-ranking members of the Numinous Episcopate are fully aware that they are emulating the matter of the Hidden Sage to create Artificial Death… Could it be that this gentleman in front of me isn’t a core member of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction? And he also lacks sufficient knowledge regarding the Uniqueness? But how can a demigod not be a core member? Even if the Numinous Episcopate is a remnant of the Balam royal family and Death’s Church, with copious amounts of knowledge and powerhouses, there’s no way they will let a demigod go to waste… Even the seven orthodox Churches wouldn’t do such a thing… Klein was extremely puzzled hearing this as he asked, “What about the other high-ranking members of your faction?” Patrick Bryan said with a reverent look, “When I joined the Numinous Episcopate, God had already awakened a little. This is all the work of the saints of the past. They had sacrificed themselves over the numerous rituals.
“Currently, we have a total of three saints and an angel. They are in East Balam while I’m in charge of Backlund matters.”
That’s not right. Based on the information provided by Leonard, the Numinous Episcopate have their members split into many small teams in Backlund. They aren’t aware of each other, and they only make contact with a specific person in the Southern Continent. There’s no overall person-in-charge… Klein’s first reaction was that Patrick Bryan was lying, but he immediately dismissed it. This was because it was something easily verifiable for a Blessed who had been the focus of a revelation.
He thought for a moment before he asked, “What’s that angel’s name? Where is ‘He’? Are there any other revelations?”
Patrick Bryan answered frankly, “God made me not inform others, nor make inquiries to others about matters.
“Our leader’s name is Haiter, both a last name and first name. ‘He’ was once the archbishop of the Church, and later he became an angel thanks to God’s grace. ‘He’ has always been working hard to awaken the sleeping God, but he was severely corrupted in one of the rituals. Currently, ‘He’ is unable to leave his mausoleum; otherwise, he would directly lose control. ‘He’ is considered my teacher.”
Composite Start
Composite End
This demigod that has existed since the Balam Empire is clearly key in steering the Artificial Death project… Klein asked in thought, “He’ and the other two demigods are Balamese pure-bloods?”
“Yes.” Patrick Bryan nodded.
I roughly get what’s happening… Klein couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
He believed that Patrick Bryan wasn’t an ordinary demigod, but a byproduct of the Artificial Death
project!
Back then, Haiter and the other members of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction had no intention of saving a Loenese. Instead, they had planned on using him for a ritual’s sacrificial item or material. In the end, something unexpected happened during their attempt which they originally hadn’t had high hopes of. Death’s Uniqueness gained some level of instinct or produced other changes. This led to Patrick Bryan’s survival and his establishment of a certain connection with Artificial Death. His spirit and body became special.
Upon witnessing this, Haiter and the other high-ranking members began viewing Patrick Bryan as key to the success of the Artificial Death project. They gave him potions and taught him, proselytizing him with the faith of Death; thus, fabricating a perfect excuse for themselves. And due to Bryan’s specialness, he had advanced rapidly and became a demigod.
Of course, no matter how key he was, he was merely an experimental subject. Patrick Bryan had never been treated as one of the members of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction. Later, he was sent to the Loen Kingdom’s Backlund to lead two or three teams. He did various kinds of rituals in a bid to bring the Uniqueness alive.
Such a guess was in line with the situation which Klein was currently aware of. First, Leonard had mentioned that the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction had placed their experiments in Backlund, planning to destroy the enemy’s capital even if an accident happened. Second, many teams were independently connected to the Southern Continent and Backlund and had no overall person-in-charge. Third, Patrick Bryan’s knowledge of Artificial Death was very different from reality.
This also meant that the people in the Southern Continent didn’t care for Bryan’s life and death, nor did they tell him the truth. Under such circumstances, there was no other explanation unless he was a byproduct of the Artificial Death project.
Hmm, from the looks of it, the Goddess’s control of the Uniqueness is still limited. “She” can only send revelations to one person who is directly connected to Artificial Death. “She” is unable to influence Haiter and the other saints… Klein reined in his thoughts and asked, “What’s your current Sequence?”
Patrick Bryan didn’t hide the truth.
“I’m an Undying.”
Chapter 977 First Sermon
Klein wasn’t surprised at Patrick Bryan’s answer. He nodded gently and said, “Which incarnation number are you at?”
Based on what he knew, Undying died once every sixty years before reviving. They would then lose most of their memories, which needed to be slowly recollected. It was like the beginning of a new life.
This was knowledge that came from the potion, so Patrick Bryan easily understood what the Blessed meant. He deliberated over his words and said, “I’m not 50 yet. I haven’t been an Undying for more than 10 years.”
Klein then asked, “When did you switch faiths to our Lord?”
Here, “Lord” referred to the Lord of the Underworld.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Bryan recalled for two to three seconds before he said, “I had just celebrated my 30th birthday back then.”
Stepping into the world of mystery at 30 and becoming a Beyonder. Becoming a Sequence 4 demigod before 40… This speed either means shocking talent or that he’s a Blessed… Heh, indeed, his spirit and body had been influenced by the Death pathway’s Uniqueness during that ritual… As Klein listened, he became more certain of his theories from before.
Of course, compared to how he had only taken a year to go from an ordinary person to a Sequence 4 demigod, Patrick Bryan’s advancement speed was nothing
On this point, Klein didn’t feel that there was anything to be poignant about, because he was truly a “Blessed.” Furthermore, he had cheats-far greater than one.
The only problem was that he wasn’t sure if everything that he had done was enough to exchange for something
After some thought, Klein asked, “What’s your current public identity?”
“I’m a businessman. I have two garment factories in Backlund. On the surface, I believe in the Evernight Goddess and am a supporter of the New Party…” Patrick Bryan introduced himself.
Klein nearly let out a scoff as he continued, “How many Numinous Episcopate members do you have under you? What are they doing?”
Already prepared, Bryan answered eloquently, “Two teams, a total of twelve Beyonders. Some of them are working at my garment factory while others are in the watch and clock industry. All of them have their own formal occupations.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Typically, they will be careful when proselytizing to the people around them. The progress on this is very slow, nor is it the main goal. We do not have more than a hundred believers.
“Most of the time, they are searching for clues that God had left behind, as well as the different materials needed for the awakening ritual.
“With clues in hand, we will carry out operations. And once the materials are gathered, we will experiment in different awakening rituals and seek out the most effective one. I’m the main person behind this operation, and am also core to the rituals.”
You sound pretty proud of that… Klein asked about other matters and received detailed answers.
Finally, he thought for a moment before saying with a stern expression, “In accordance with the revelation from God, you are to heed my instructions from this moment forth.”
Patrick Bryan immediately got up and gave a solemn bow.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Klein nodded slightly and answered, “First, stop all rituals and stop gathering materials. God has already partially awakened. ‘He’ is in ‘His’ recovery stage, so ‘He’ isn’t to be disturbed by ‘noise.””
From Klein’s point of view, regardless of the changes in Bryan’s awakening rituals, they were ultimately pointed at Artificial Death-the Death pathway’s Uniqueness. This would only increase its chances of coming to life, making it disadvantageous for the Goddess to deepen her control over it.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
And regardless if Klein was happy for this to happen or not, since the Evernight Goddess had assigned Bryan to him, he had to make such arrangements.
Patrick Bryan had zero doubts toward his explanation, because Death had indeed awoken, and “awakening rituals” were, in essence, a form of “disturbance.”
This Undying thought before asking, “Your Excellency, what should we do next?”
Klein smiled with approbation.
“Continue seeking out clues for things that God left behind. This will aid in ‘His’ recovery.”
Upon saying that, Klein originally had a second request, but he was worried that there were too few clues to it, making it possible for the Numinous Episcopate members to stir up trouble with nothing to be done. He added, “In addition, promote reading to all those around you and your subordinates, be it at the garment factory or elsewhere. Establish night schools or learning classes. Let the people around you extricate themselves from ignorance and savagery.”
To make it more convincing, Klein stretched out his right hand and pressed it to his chest. With abnormal piousness, he began preaching, “God said one needs to understand the belief to believe.
“God said that to those who are lost, one has to first strengthen their body and arm his brain. This is because the kingdom ‘He’ promises is one without ignorance and savagery.”
Patrick Bryan didn’t doubt Dwayne Dantès’s words, nor did he find it strange that such records weren’t found in the Numinous Episcopate’s bible. This was because this person before him was God’s Blessed, a representative appointed by God!
Composite Start
Composite End
He earnestly nodded.
“I will heed God’s teachings.
“May every spirit gain eternal life in God’s kingdom!”
As he said that, he used the praying gesture that the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction used. It was to raise both hands high, thumbs facing each other as he held them at his forehead.
In mysticism theory, this was the core to the Underworld contained in every Gatekeeper. It represented Death’s position.
Klein returned with the same gesture and words before saying, “Second, orders from the Southern Continent-no matter who it comes from—has to be handed to me first. They can be done only after I give permission. If no permission is given, you are not to do it in private. You can only give feedback based on what I say.”
This was because he was worried that Haiter, the angel of the Death domain, would still remain fervent about the Artificial Death plan, occasionally instructing Bryan and the others to make new attempts.
Meanwhile, he also had to ensure that Haiter and the other two saints wouldn’t notice anything amiss before the Goddess gained a deeper control over the Death pathway’s Uniqueness. He needed to prevent them from doing anything excessive.
Bryan had no objections on this matter.
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
Composite Start
Composite End
After giving instructions on the two most important matters, Klein wore the same expression, but he inwardly felt relieved. He said after some deliberation, “Third, unless convened by me, do not seek me out. Our usual communications shall be completed via messengers.
“As you know, there are many existences in the astral world who do not wish to see God return.”
Patrick Bryan nodded heavily.
“I understand.
“My messenger’s summoning incantation is ‘Spirit wandering above the world, absolutely friendly creature, Patrick Bryan’s Contract Companion.” Indeed, it’s impossible for a demigod of the Death pathway to not have a messenger… Normally, Sequence 6 Beyonders of this pathway should have one… Klein didn’t hesitate as he answered in an unhurried tone, “Remember, my messenger’s summoning incantation is ‘The spirit that wanders about the unfounded, the friendly creature that can be subordinated, the messenger that belongs to Gehrman Sparrow.’ Oh, be it receiving or sending mail, a gold coin needs to be paid to complete the transaction.”
Klein deliberately revealed that Gehrman Sparrow and Dwayne Dantès were related, in order to determine Bryan’s reaction.
“Gehrman Sparrow…” Patrick Bryan repeated the name in puzzlement before coming to an enlightened state. He exclaimed in pleasant surprise, “Your Excellency, Death Consul?”
Thankfully, although he’s a byproduct of a ritual and is fervently zealous, he has normal intelligence. He can consciously seek out information and do an analysis… Klein exhaled in relief and replied with a smile, “I’m not him. ‘He’ is my teacher.”
Bryan nodded in thought, believing that he had fully understood the entire matter.
Klein guessed at his thoughts but ignored it. Crossing his right leg, he placed both hands on his knee and asked, “What do you know about the other factions of the Numinous Episcopate?”
Patrick Bryan sat down again and said, “The Numinous Episcopate’s strongest faction is the royal family faction. With God’s descendants as the core, they have established many organizations…
“Their leader is currently a descendant with a relatively thin bloodline. Her name is Sia Palenque Eggers. She might be an angel or wields an important relic of God. She calls herself Pale-White Empress…
“Other than her, the royal family faction had five other saint apostles. Some of them are true demigods, while others rely on Sealed Artifacts…
“Other than the royal family faction and us, the other factions are relatively weaker. The main ones are the Repose faction and the Underworld faction… Only by working together do they have three powerful Beyonders who are equivalent to the saint apostles…”
After Bryan finished, Klein nodded indiscernibly.
“That’s it for today. If there’s anything in the future, feel free to contact me.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.” Patrick Bryan stood up and bowed before leaving the room. The door silently opened as the “figure” outside slinked into the shadows and disappeared with the cold wind.
After everything calmed down, Klein glanced at the door that had closed. He walked to the window, drew the curtains, and looked towards the street.
There were a few carriages there at some point in time. Each of them had two lanterns hanging in front of them. Their lights were abnormally pale-white with a tinge of dark green. They illuminated the surroundings into a blur.
Nearly transparent figures surrounded this blurry scene. They were wearing illusory clothes that appeared like formal wear, making them appear rather formal.
After Patrick Bryan landed from midair and returned, the figures bowed and attentively followed the demigod and the spirit beside him onto the hardly-visible carriages. Then, they steered into the distance.
The pale-white light with tinges of dark green grew faint and finally vanished into the darkness as though it had never arrived.
Klein looked away and muttered to himself with a solemn expression, Although the revelation received by Patrick Bryan stems from the Goddess and “Her” considerations, I have a nagging feeling that there’s something dark and sinister about to break out in Backlund or even the entire world.
I wonder when it will stir up some waves…
With this in mind, Klein didn’t delay a second. He immediately contacted Demoness Trissy to confirm that nothing abnormal had happened to her.
Chapter 978 Gift
On a night with clear moonlight, in the garden of 160 Böklund Street.
A gray rat crawled out of its hole, running straight for the master bedroom’s bed.
As a tiny, black, glue-like blob object floated down, the rat held it over its head like an acrobatic act.
It quickly turned around, ran out of 160 Böklund Street, and headed for the sewer entrance.
At this moment, the gray rat raised its torso up and reached out with two of its paws.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
They magically extended as blobs of flesh appeared on its forelimbs!
Then, using its mutated front paws, it moved the manhole cover away without causing a sound!
Without stopping at all, the gray rat headed straight down the sewers, going all the way to the spot where Demoness Trissy previously hid.
It kept digging in a corner until it excavated a mirror fragment from the soil.
Having done that, the gray rat threw the black, sticky object over its head to the side where it was relatively clean. It then retreated to a corner, allowing its body to stretch and turn into a middle-aged man wearing a dark red coat and a triangular hat. He was none other than Admiral of Blood, who had previously been active at sea.
However, this Senor, along with his clothes and body, was just a thin layer, akin to a figurine cut from paper.
“This rat is quite fat…” Admiral of Blood stroked his chin, but his paper figurine-like body nearly flew up as a result of the cold draft in the sewers.
The person who spoke was none other than Klein. He was inside his master bedroom, turning a rat into his marionette by controlling its Spirit Body Threads. He then made it carry the ritual materials and head down the sewers to contact Demoness Trissy.
Senor, whose arms were flailing about due to the draft, bent down and picked up the sticky blob. This was the remains of Trissy’s lock of hair after she burned it with black flames. It could be used for a communication ritual.
Composite Start
Composite End
Right on the heels of that, he wiped the mirror fragment clean and smeared the material onto it.
After this step, Klein made his marionette take two steps back from the “mirror.” With a smacking sound, Senor was plastered to the mossy wall like an oil painting
East Borough. In a room with thick curtains that left it almost dark.
Raven-black, slimy “tentacles” coiled together, forming a huge sphere.
And at the end of these “tentacles,” there were either eyes with clear blacks and whites embedded in them, or there were venomous snake heads attached there. The latter opened their mouths slightly as they shot out their tongues in a rather strange fashion. It was quite a harrowing scene.
Suddenly, they flailed up or retracted as the sphere crumbled, layer after layer.
Enveloped in the middle of a sphere was a curled up girl. She had abnormally sweet looks, but her brows were tightly furrowed. Her expression looked slightly warped due to the pain, a look that stirred up one’s sense of pity.
The slimy and disgusting “tentacles” retracted and shrank, finally turning back into their original form -strands of raven-black hair!
The expression of the girl with soft, long hair soothed as she slowly got up and walked to the side of a tiny bed she had partitioned out. Picking up the sleeping gown that had fallen to the ground, she draped it over her.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Then, she curled her black hair and came in front of the full-body mirror. Reaching out her right hand, she swiped across it.
A black flame burst forth as it burned quietly in the air before being extinguished. It left behind a mirror that had turned dark and profound.
In the mirror, lights drifted and rapidly presented the sewers filled with dirty slush. Thinly plastered to the wall was a middle-aged man with an old triangular hat and dark red coat. He was looking down on the girl across an unknown distance, like a famous painting
The girl with the round face and thin eyes watched in silence before laughing.
As her smile bloomed, the dark room seemed to instantly brighten.
She then lightly opened her mouth and said in jest, “Mr. Gehrman Sparrow, is this your craziness and cruelty as the strongest adventurer?
“Or is it the case where I’m only acquainted with a clown?”
Klein wasn’t surprised that Trissy had recognized him as Gehrman Sparrow. After all, he had previously met her in the image of Admiral of Blood Senor, and this pirate admiral had long been hunted by Gehrman Sparrow.
Back then, Trissy was hiding in the sewers due to an injury and was focused on revenge, preventing her from being kept abreast of the news at sea. It was rather unsurprising for her to be unaware of Admiral of Blood’s demise, but things were different after she finished recuperating and left the area. She would’ve been a terrible Assassin and Instigator if she hadn’t investigated her partner. Clearly, Trissy’s past actions indicated that, despite being evil, it didn’t discount her intelligence.
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein didn’t argue as he controlled the paper figurine-like Senor to smile and simply reply, “Why can’t clowns be crazy and cruel?”
Without waiting for Trissy’s answer, he said, “Any progress on your investigations into the captain of the royal guards?”
Trissy’s expression turned slightly gloomy as she said, “It will need another month at the very least for any results. It might even take two.”
“If you need help, you can seek me out,” Klein emphasized again.
Trissy scoffed and said, “In Backlund, in this game, strength isn’t able to resolve every problem.
“Of course, I’ve never wasted the opportunity to use others.
“Mr. Gehrman Sparrow, since there’s no need to hide your identity, can you give me a more convenient method of contact?”
Why do I feel like I’m being asked to give my cellphone number… Klein thought about it for a moment before informing her of the incantation to summoning Miss Messenger, as well as the important ritual ingredient of one gold coin.
Trissy didn’t speak further. Reaching out her right hand, she tapped on the mirror’s surface.
The black flames burst before disappearing, restoring the full-body mirror to normal.
Composite Start
Composite End
In the sewers, Senor buried the mirror fragment back into the soil and made his body shrink rapidly, turning back into a gray rat. It then ran deep into the sewers, allowing itself to be fed by carnivores.
Back in 160 Böklund Street, Klein drew his curtains and returned to the reclining chair.
To be frank, he regretted cooperating with Trissy.
He felt that she was burdened by some will of the Primordial Demoness and was reckless for revenge. She was like a ticking bomb that might explode at any moment.
If Trissy were to mutate, it’s highly possible that she would create a terrifying disaster… I shouldn’t have spared her back then… Klein sighed and began setting up a ritual. He sent the black blob above the gray fog and attempted to divination Trissy’s present location and recent condition.
Twenty to thirty seconds later, he was met with failure.
This only worried him more because such an outcome implied that Trissy had become a Blessed of the Primordial Demoness to a certain extent.
The next afternoon, Klein, who had had breakfast, began instructing Butler Walter and the newly-appointed butler assistant, Richardson, to deliver the gifts he had brought from the Southern Continent.
This filled an entire luggage bag, of which included Fermo coffee beans, East Balam tobacco, River Valley’s grape wine, and human-bone sculptures.
They were to be gifted to the different neighbors around the neighborhood as a sign of goodwill from Dwayne Dantès. It was also to announce his return to the social scene.
“Oh yes, remember to mention to Member of Parliament Macht or his wife that this bottle of River Valley grape wine is suitable for making cocktails. It’s best matched with lemon juice,” Klein exhorted Walter.
Particular care was needed in gifting others—it had to take into account the receiver’s preferences, and obviously, the most popular product of the Southern Continent at present, Donningsman Hair Tonic, wasn’t suitable as a gift, as it would only appear to be a veiled attempt at ridicule.
Walter solemnly nodded and said, “Yes, Sir.”
After receiving no more instructions from his employer, Richardson glanced at the remaining pile of gifts and asked, “Where will they be sent to?”
“This is for the staff of the bursary foundation. I’ll deliver it myself,” Klein said with a smile.
He then pointed at the golden amulet in his hand and said, “I missed the birth of Dr. Aaron’s child, so I’ll need to express my apologies in person. Heh heh, I’ll head over in the afternoon and plan on gifting this amulet with Southern Continent characteristics to that child.”
Of course, as a baby, Will Auceptin Ceres probably won’t like it… Compared to this, “He”—I’ll just call him he-would rather have ice-cream… Klein grumbled inwardly after answering Richardson. After the butler and Richardson left, bringing gifts and male servants to the different neighbors, Klein got into his carriage and headed straight for the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation at 22 Phelps Street.
After alighting, he headed forward with his valet, Enuni, carrying plenty of gifts behind him. Along the way, he greeted and gifted any members of the staff he saw.
Soon, Klein arrived at the second story and arrived at one of the director’s office. He knocked gently on the door.
“Please come in.” Audrey Hall’s gentle voice sounded.
As a rather senior Spectator, she had already noticed that Mr. Dwayne Dantès had come to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation. She had been patiently waiting for him.
Klein pushed the door and entered, taking out a small gift box from his inner pocket before saying with a warm smile, “I’ve returned from the Southern Continent. Well, my business went very smoothly. I brought some gifts for everyone, hoping to share my happiness with everyone.”
He had specially mentioned this to indicate to Miss Justice that he remembered her request.
“You leave me no reason to decline it,” Audrey said with an expectant smile.
This didn’t mean that she cared for the gift Mr. World gave, but more a result of being curious as to what Mr. World would give.
After receiving the gift box, she tore open the wrapping in front of Dwayne Dantès and discovered an accessory with a white feather adorned with pale yellow patterns as its highlight.
“This is a decorative ribbon,” Klein explained. “People of certain social standing in East Balam will enjoy wearing items with such white feathers on various parts of their body. Out of all the places, it’s considered most noble and meaningful to attach it to a hat. This is said to be a tradition from the worship of feathered serpents. Heh heh, feathered serpents are symbols for Death over there.”
And the feather he got a Southern Continent craftsman to craft into the hat was a byproduct of the Artificial Death project. It could be sacrificed.
Klein had once obtained three of them. He had used one in Bayam by using the copper whistle messenger and summoning the mutated monster which was corrupted by Artificial Death. The other was sacrificed to Artificial Death in the Southern Continent, allowing him to receive the revelation of Ince Zangwill being possessed by an evil spirit. This was the last feather.
As the present Artificial Death was equivalent to the Evernight Goddess to a certain extent, Klein, who was clearly a Blessed, didn’t need to carry out such acts in subsequent rituals. He could use other materials to replace the feather, so he decided to turn the remaining one into a gift for Miss Justice. After all, she was also a believer of Evernight, and she might be able to contact Artificial Death at some critical moment.
Audrey held her present with a smile as she silently listened to Dwayne Dantès’s description. For some baffling reason, an idea flashed in her mind: Don’t tell me Mr. World really plucked a feathered serpent’s feather for this hat…
Chapter 979 Joy of Life
“The traditions in the Southern Continent are really different from ours.” Audrey looked down at the feathered cap in the gift box as she marveled, “But it’s in line with my taste.”
The latter half of her sentence was partially genuine and partially out of politeness. On the one hand, she found the processed feather akin to a piece of artwork, and on the other hand, she found its style too obvious and extreme. It wasn’t something she would use as an accessory.
This was akin to how others would have their interest piqued by items with unique and mysterious patterns when visiting ancient ruins. They would be filled with praise over it, but they would seldom purchase similar items to place it at home or use it as an accessory.
Klein smiled in response.
“There are also many stark differences amongst the Southern Continent traditions. It’s almost completely different in East Balam from the highlands and river valley. Of course, they also have their similarities such as their adoration of gold. They believe that this metal possesses magical powers.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As he said that, he pointed at the feather in Audrey’s hand.
“Legend has it that people who wear such accessories would receive the blessings of the feathered serpent, or in other words, Death.”
He was hinting to Audrey about how she could use the feather.
As a Sequence 6 of the Spectator pathway, Audrey easily read in between the lines. She understood that the hat accessory allowed her to receive a response from the so-called “Death” at critical moments, bringing about certain effects.
As for how she should use it, it was basic knowledge in mysticism. Audrey had a solid foundation and didn’t require Mr. Dwayne Dantès to explain in detail.
She faintly smiled without revealing her teeth and said, “I really like it. I will attach it to my hat in appropriate situations.”
Not bad. It’s so easy talking to Spectators… Klein returned with a smile and pointed at the door.
“I still have presents to hand out.”
“You will be the most welcomed person here today,” Audrey replied with a smile, a euphemistic way of expressing her gratitude.
Composite Start
Composite End
Meanwhile, she was a little vexed. She was hesitant about finding an opportunity to inform Mr. World, who had been embroiled in Cuarón’s suicide, about Hvin Rambis. He had shown some deep interest and importance on the matter.
Oh, it’s almost Monday. I’ll leave it until the Tarot Gathering. It will be much easier to communicate when the time comes… I can also seek advice from Mr. Hanged Man and Ma’am Hermit on how to deal with my current situation, especially the problem of being wary against the cues and hypnotism from a High-Sequence Beyonder. After all, I can’t always pray to Mr. Fool ahead of time to receive an angel’s blessing… On careful thought, such a form of hypnotism is truly terrifying… Carrying out instructions without realizing it… Audrey’s mind was awash with thoughts as they bubbled.
This made her suspect that many people in Backlund’s high society had been hypnotized, acting in ways that violated their true intentions and will.
In addition, she also came to realize something.
Every time her parents attended Mass at Saint Samuel Cathedral, the one in charge of the rites was definitely Backlund’s archbishop. And to hold such a post, he was definitely a demigod of the Church of Evernight!
At times, His Grace will even visit in person to chat with us… This is to prevent such matters from happening? That’s why Hvin Rambis’s hypnosis effect on me didn’t go overboard? Audrey watched as Dwayne Dantès left her office. After closing the door and sitting down at her desk, she picked up a fountain pen and mindlessly scribbled on it.
After she reined in her thoughts, the piece of white paper was filled with interlocking circles. There was a face with cold eyes and scattered lines.
At a glance, Audrey tensed up. She immediately used her spirituality and the friction between items to ignite the paper, turning it to ashes. Her random drawing had, in a sense, reflected her true emotions and thoughts!
And to a good Psychiatrist, interpreting such pictures was a basic skill. Therefore, Audrey hadn’t left any traces behind.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After a while, Klein delivered all his gifts and chatted with a few directors along the way. Finally, he entered a room meant for part-time directors like him to rest. He found a pen and paper, sat on the sofa, and began writing after some thought:
“Dear Mr. Azik,”
While in the Southern Continent, Klein had written about Adam’s obtaining of 0-08, his successful revenge on Ince Zangwill with the help of Leonard and Daly. He then summoned the messenger via the copper whistle and sent it to the sleeping Mr. Azik. Without a doubt, he had yet to receive a reply to date.
Klein wasn’t worried about mentioning Adam and 0-08 in the letter, because the Angel of Imagination definitely knew about his relationship with Mr. Azik. And sharing matters he encountered with someone familiar wouldn’t garner any excessive reaction.
This time, Klein’s letter didn’t involve anything extraordinary. With a smile and gentle scribble, he shared the details about the bursary foundation which he learned from Audrey and the other directors. At the end of the letter, he wrote:
“… This is a really meaningful matter. I feel satisfied and happy about it. Mr. Azik, would you feel the same?
“When you awaken, perhaps you can attempt to do something similar. Every time you revive, you would be able to see the children who had received your help in the past. When that happens, although they might not remember them, they will definitely remember you…”
After finishing the letter and putting down the fountain pen, Klein carefully read it once, and after confirming that there weren’t any problems, he blew the copper whistle, summoned the skeleton messenger, and allowed it to take the letter away.
Following that, he left the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation with his valet, Enuni. He came to the nearby Saint Samuel Cathedral and silently prayed for fifteen minutes in the serene and dark prayer hall.
Composite Start
Composite End
Like before, Klein came to the donation box and threw a stack of cash in-a total of 80 pounds.
Taking this opportunity, he found Bishop Elektra and had a chat with him and listened to his sermon.
This also announced to the Church of Dwayne Dantès’s return.
As for presents, Klein didn’t directly give it since he was inside the Goddess’s cathedral. Instead, Butler Walter would naturally deliver his gifts to the bishops’ residences in private.
…
At tea time in the afternoon, Klein followed his schedule and left 160 Böklund Street and headed to Dr. Aaron’s for a visit-Richardson had already informed them in the morning and had received permission to visit.
This time, Klein not only met Dr. Aaron Ceres, but he also met his wife, Wilma Gladys, as well as the newborn and his elder brothers and sisters who were a few years older.
“What a pity that I wasn’t able to participate in, uh…” Klein deliberated paused and successfully waited for Wilma Gladys to reply “Will” with a smile.
He reorganized his words and said, “Unfortunately, I was unable to participate in Will’s birthday party because of my trip to East Balam.
“This is an amulet that’s rather popular over there. It brings children good luck.”
Composite Start
Composite End
As he said that, he handed the golden accessory to Dr. Aaron.
Aaron Ceres wasn’t a man who was good with words. He accepted it without declining it and nodded.
“Thank you.”
Following that, he held the string and hung the golden amulet into the pram beside him. Shaking it, he asked, “Will, do you like it?”
Wrapped in silver silk, the chubby baby raised his arm, swung it, and flicked the golden amulet away.
Flicked away…
The mood instantly turned a little awkward in the activity room. Klein chuckled and broke the silence.
“This is a reaction all kids have.”
At this moment, a maid had delivered the three-layered tray for high tea, allowing the hosts and the guest to switch topics of conversation, allowing the mood to return to normal.
As Klein drank his black tea and ate the pastry, he began talking about all kinds of interesting customs in East and West Balam. It left the couple and their two other children intrigued as they would question him from time to time.
During this process, Klein suddenly turned to face the pram and asked with a smile, “You don’t seem to enjoy my present?”
As he spoke, nothing abnormal happened to the couple and the rest of the people in the activity room as they continued wearing attentive looks.
In the illusion Klein created, he hadn’t finished his recount!
Will Auceptin, who had fleshy arms, scoffed as he said with a child-like voice, “What’s the point in having such gifts?
“You might as well give me Gwadar. At the very least, that can be drunk!”
Klein smiled as he shook his head and said, “I have some news for you. Ouroboros was injured by a particular person and will likely not be able to continue seeking you out for the time being.”
He didn’t dare mention Adam’s name or title. He didn’t even think about it, afraid that the leader of the Twilight Hermit Order would notice it; thus, discovering Snake of Fate Will Auceptin’s location.
As for a description like Amon’s brother, Klein had temporarily avoided using it. He had no idea if Amon was still in Backlund and if the frequent mention of the Angel of Time’s name would result in a crossing of fate.
However, Klein believed that the Snake of Fate was likely to guess who had injured the Angel of Fate. This was because the only ones who remained active in the real world and were of a higher level than Ouroboros were limited to Amon and Adam.
He had used the words “particular person” to eliminate the possibility of the assumption of the besieging of several angels or the use of Grade o Sealed Artifacts.
Will Auceptin fell silent for a moment and said, “I did tell you that the deviation in your fate is a good thing in the long term.”
After exchanging information, Klein was about to dispel the illusion when he suddenly heard Will Auceptin quip, “Oh, I suddenly have a craving for Gwadar, especially if it’s iced.”
“Such beverages aren’t good for a baby!” Klein wore a serious look as he dispelled the illusion, reaching out his hand to receive the cup of ice-cream a maid had delivered.
Then, under Aaron’s and Wilma’s watch, he scooped some ice-cream with the silver spoon and teased the baby with a smile, “Will, do you want some?
“Do you want some?”
Ma’am Wilma immediately chuckled.
“Our Will doesn’t enjoy that.”
Just as she said that, Klein stuffed the spoon of ice-cream into his mouth.
“Waaa!”
The baby in the pram immediately let out a loud cry.
Chapter 980Choice of Parasitic Target
After some placating, Aaron Ceres and Wilma Gladys finally managed to calm down the baby.
Phew… The thin and tall Aaron heaved a sigh of relief and got up. Nudging his gold-rimmed glasses, he nodded at his guest with an apologetic look. After organizing his words for a few seconds, he said, “Sorry about that. Children are often like this.”
“Indeed.” Klein smiled in reply, indicating that he didn’t mind it one bit.
Following that, he changed the topic of conversation and continued sharing his experiences in East and West Balam.
During this process, he made use of his Beyonder powers once more, making everyone in the activity room fall under the effects of an illusion. Then, he picked up the ice-cream which he hadn’t finished, changed the spoon and got up with a smile. Walking to the pram, he asked gently, “Will, do you want some?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Without waiting for the chubby fellow wrapped in silver silk to reply, he said with a gentle tone, “You’re born now and should be able to fold a paper crane. This way, I don’t have to visit often. You should know how suspicious it is.”
Will Auceptin Ceres glared at him without giving him a reply.
Klein didn’t flinch as he took out a piece of high-quality paper and placed it in the pram.
Then, he bent down, scooping out some ice-cream.
“A price is always exacted for what fate bestows, isn’t it?” Klein chuckled as he swished the spoon in his hand.
In the pram, Will raised his left hand, wiping the tears that hadn’t dried from his face, and mumbled, “For Beyonders of the Fate pathway, the exacted price needs to be paid first before awaiting bestowment.”
With that said, the chubby baby grabbed the piece of paper and folded a paper crane with great difficulty.
Klein stood in front of the pram and maintained the stability of the spoon, watching this scene with a smile.
A carriage set off from Pinster Street and headed for Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Composite Start
Composite End
While passing by 160 Böklund Street, Leonard Mitchell looked out the window and seemingly muttered to himself, “Dwayne Dantès is back as well.”
The slightly-aged voice rang out in his mind:
“Fate will ultimately intertwine.”
“Old Man, you’re becoming more of a charlatan after you woke up.” Leonard couldn’t help but mock.
Pallez Zoroast chuckled without a reply.
After coming to Saint Samuel Cathedral, Leonard entered the study of Backlund’s archbishop, Saint Anthony, under a priest’s lead.
Anthony Stevenson was wearing a black robe with red hues. His eyes were deep and his face clean-shaven. Standing by a cupboard, the shadow created seemed like an unknown existence that observed everything from the darkness. It stirred fear into anyone.
“Your Grace, you summoned me?” Although Leonard had already anticipated it, he still bowed in a rather lacking manner.
Anthony nodded gently and said, “You have already rendered enough services to apply to become a Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock. However, you haven’t finished digesting the Soul Assurer potion; therefore, I’ll be extracting you out of Soest’s team and assigning you some separate missions.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard replied, as per protocol, “I am at your command.”
Anthony picked up a stack of papers on his desk and said, “These are cases with suspected paranormal activity. You are to investigate each case, mainly placating or purifying them. If you require additional assistance, you can select members from the Nighthawks team of each area of jurisdiction.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Leonard would’ve done similar tasks even if Saint Anthony hadn’t instructed him to do so. Therefore, he had zero objections toward such an assignment.
After receiving the stack of papers, he casually flipped through it and said, “Your Grace, what’s Captain Soest’s team busy with at present?” He had been focused on revenge over the past half-year, making himself appear desultory and insular. This prevented him from building strong friendships with the Red Gloves teammates, but despite that, they were teammates who he had fought alongside with. He couldn’t help but be concerned for them.
“They have been assigned to help Crestet finish a mission,” Anthony Stevenson didn’t answer in detail.
His Excellency Cesimir is also in Backlund… Leonard didn’t ask further as he gestured four points across his chest in a clockwise fashion.
“May the Goddess bless everyone.”
“Praise the Lady.” Anthony did the same gesture.
After leaving the archbishop’s study, Leonard headed down to the basement. He wanted to find a quiet room and list down his upcoming mission and run through them in the assigned order.
Composite Start
Composite End
Midway while walking down the stairs, he subconsciously looked at the stained windows above him.
The sunlight was shining in, making the artwork made from the stained windows look even more solemn. It also accentuated the tiny bugs and dust that floated in midair.
Upon seeing this scene, Leonard suddenly recalled Old Man’s description of Amon. He had the inexplicable feeling that the Blasphemer was everywhere.
He trembled inwardly as a thought came to him. He quickly asked with a suppressed voice, “Old Man, I have a question.
“What is it?” Pallez Zoroast asked slowly.
Leonard asked with a suppressed voice, “Back then, why didn’t you parasitize a bug? They’re smaller and more concealed. You can easily hide in cathedrals without being worried that Amon would discover you.”
“How long can a bug live? Continuously switching parasitic targets is extremely burdensome on the body. This way, not only will recovery not be possible by parasitizing it, but it will even worsen one’s condition and shorten one’s lifespan,” Pallez Zoroast harrumphed and said.
Leonard was somewhat enlightened as he pressed, “What about other creatures? Those that live relatively longer lives and can enter a cathedral without being noticed.”
Pallez Zoroast immediately chortled before saying, “From the looks of it, you haven’t kept what I’ve said to heart. This will only serve to make you suffer in the future!
“The higher the Sequence is, the greater the inclinations towards losing control is, and the more madness accumulates. This is a trait of the characteristics, and it can only be resisted and suppressed. There’s no way to eliminate it.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Therefore, for a Parasite, choosing a target for parasitizing requires one to consider these aspects. If one were to parasitize ordinary animals, it’s still alright for short periods of time, but once it goes on for too long, one will suffer the effects of the body’s construct and hormones. Heh heh, everything is reciprocal, isn’t it? A Parasite can influence the target, but so can the target influence a Parasite.
“When one parasitizes an ordinary animal, it’s necessary to frequently talk to someone to avoid forgetting one’s former identity. This way, the chances of exposure is extremely high, and if one doesn’t do that, the host will definitely influence the Parasite, causing them to lose the ability to speak. It will muddle one’s own existence until one doesn’t know he is. It would then result in madness and with the loss of control crushing the Parasite.”
Leonard was left alarmed as he nodded slightly.
“I understand… It’s no wonder you are so strict on choosing a parasitic target.”
“Are you trying to praise yourself?” Pallez Zoroast tsked. “To us, the best parasitic target is undoubtedly Beyonders of the same pathway. All aspects will be synchronized, and by nurturing them one Sequence at a time, they can be made as replenishments for one’s Beyonder powers. It would be the best medicine and a potential option for taking over the body.”
Upon hearing Old Man speak of such vile and terrifying matters so calmly, Leonard frowned slightly as he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. This meant that Old Man wouldn’t do the same to him.
Pallez Zoroast continued, “The second best choice would be Beyonders from the Seer or Apprentice pathways. The absorption of their powers wouldn’t incur too much a burden on the Parasite, allowing them to quickly recover. “The next choice would then be smart Beyonders of other pathways. At the very least, communication would be good and cooperation would be possible.
“As for you, hehe…”
Leonard was just about to retort Old Man when he suddenly saw a bishop walking down from above. He hurriedly shut his mouth, held onto the railings, and sped up his pace.
…
Half-past seven in the evening, 39 Böklund Street, Member of Parliament Macht’s house.
Dressed in a tailcoat, Klein got off a carriage as he buttoned his clothes. Under the lit fountain’s illumination, he entered the foyer and met Maury Macht, who was dressed in an olive-green military uniform with an orange-red sash across his waist. His chest was covered with medals, accolades of his achievements in war.
His wife, Riana, was wearing a shoulder-exposing dress. She greeted Dwayne Dantès with a smile, “Welcome, our traveler. Everyone has been waiting for you to share your experiences at Balam this time.”
“Should I launch a travel column at a newspaper company?” Klein replied with a joke.
Macht knew that Dwayne Dantès had headed for Southern Continent to do business. Furthermore, it was a business he kickstarted. Therefore, after exchanging a smile, he came close and gave him a hug, suppressing his voice by saying, “Well done!”
Klein smiled with a nod and asked, “Do you like the present?”
He was referring to the bottle of River Valley grape wine that could be made into a sour cocktail.
“It was excellent. I still fondly recall the taste,” Macht said earnestly.
Klein was about to enter the hall when he noticed something amiss. He did a cursory glance and asked out of puzzlement, “Miss Hazel isn’t in?
“Has she been sent to study at an all-girls public school?”
Riana sighed as she shook her head.
“No, she’s only sick. She’ll head for public school only in September.”
“She caught a cold?” Klein expressed the concern a guest should have.
Macht said with a helpless smile, “No, she was bitten by a rabid rat when she was at the manor in the outskirts. Her wound hasn’t healed completely yet.”
Hazel got bitten… by a rabid rat… Klein nodded in thought.
“Did she see a doctor?
“Oh, has that rat been caught?”
“The doctor gave her an injection to prevent any infections,” Macht said simply. “That rat still hasn’t been found. Perhaps we need to rear a few more cats in the manor.”
Chapter 981 Hazel’s Decision
After hearing Macht’s reply, and combining what he knew, Klein guessed that the rat in the manor was likely the Marauder demigod which had been by Hazel’s side. As for why it went rabid and bit Hazel, he was unsure.
He nodded slightly and tapped his chest four times in a clockwise fashion.
“May the Goddess bless her.”
After saying that, he walked past the host, entered the hall, and waited for the ball tonight to begin.
In a particular bedroom on the third story, Hazel was sitting on a reclining chair feeling dispirited, her feet curled up.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Her left hand was wrapped in thick bandages, but there weren’t any more signs of blood. Her expression was heavy, nothing like her usual arrogance.
In the manor, her teacher, that was in the form of a rat, had suddenly bitten her. This resulted in her being stuck in a similar state, her entire being turbid and muddled. It was as though it wasn’t her hand that was bitten but her heart.
To Hazel, although her arrogance stemmed from her upbringing, with her ability to absorb new information exceeding that of the average person’s, her outstanding looks, her family’s standing in high society, and her maturity compared to her peers, those feelings were still within normal boundaries before she gained extraordinary powers. None of the aforementioned traits made her feel that she was different from others or that she was fundamentally superior to ordinary people.
Therefore, with her teacher, who maintained her sense of arrogance while being a representation of her fortuitous encounter and the source of her strength, suddenly becoming a real rat—to the point of not being able to speak clearly and even bite her without any reason-it left a deep impact on her. She began to question if supernatural powers represented being extraordinary or a monster.
Amidst her thoughts, Hazel subconsciously pulled her black-green hair to the back of her ear and felt frustrated with the melody that came from downstairs.
At this moment, she heard the creaking sound of the door as she turned her head in hesitation.
Walking in was a gray rat with slick fur. Its eyes were deeper than its kind, closer to dark red.
“Hazel,” the rat said in a deep voice.
Hazel was first taken aback before she reeled in delight. She hurriedly stood up and blurted, “Teacher, y-you’ve recovered?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as she said that, she saw gray rats crawling out from the corner of her bedroom, balcony, and bed. All of them had dark red eyes but could only produce squeaking sounds.
Hazel took a step back in shock, overturning the reclining chair. Her body staggered, almost to the point of collapsing. It took her a great deal of effort to recover her balance.
At this moment, she discovered that the red-eyed rats had vanished. The door had been shut tightly, having never opened.
Everything that had happened was a hallucination or a nightmare that stemmed from the worries inside her!
After a moment of silence, Hazel pursed her lips and sighed.
She sat back down, raising her hand to her temples.
As she massaged her temples, she frowned slightly. She had a nagging feeling that what had happened was too surreal.
Her dark brown eyes darted about slightly as Hazel removed the necklace she wore around her neck, clenching it in her palm.
The necklace’s seven green gems were equidistant from each other. Embedded around them were tiny diamonds.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, one of the gems lit up slowly, emitting a green glow, giving her face a sheen and filling her eyes with mysterious symbols.
The scenes from before surfaces in the girl’s mind as her blurry dream-like state gradually turned clear.
While observing the scenes, Hazel sensed something amiss. She confirmed that she hadn’t been dreaming, nor was it a short hallucination from having her mind go adrift. Instead, she had been thrown into an illusion for nearly ten seconds.
Cryptologist!
This… Hazel’s dark brown eyes widened as she muttered a word filled with horror.
She jumped to her feet and looked around anxiously but failed to discover anything.
But the more she looked, the more terrified she became. She had no idea what she would encounter next, nor did she understand what the person who created the dream was up to!
The only thing she was certain of was that the other party’s level and strength in the supernatural domain far exceeded hers!
This shattered what little pride she had left.
Composite Start
Composite End
After a few minutes, the entire bedroom remained silent. The brisk melody from downstairs instantly connected oneself to the current dance steps.
Hazel finally composed herself, believing that nothing would happen next.
Only then did she have the mood or energy to consider the motives of the person who secretly cast the illusion.
As various thoughts surfaced in her mind, Hazel suddenly came up with a theory:
The person from before was here for her teacher!
Through the illusion, the person had confirmed her teacher’s current situation!
Is it Teacher’s friend, or an enemy? He’s definitely headed off to look for Teacher. What do I do? He likely doesn’t know where Teacher is hiding… No, all my neighbors know that I was bitten by a rabid rat… Hazel was thrown into panic as she clenched her necklace with increasing strength.
She couldn’t be sure of the motives of the other party, nor did she know what she could do.
She wished to head to the manor and inform her teacher, but she was afraid of encountering danger and end up being sacrificed.
Furthermore, her teacher had seemingly lost the ability to communicate. Her warnings might not necessarily be conveyed.
Composite Start
Composite End
Without realizing it, Hazel stood up and paced about in her bedroom. Finally, she made up her mind. Pursing her lips tightly, she walked to the door and said to her lady’s maid outside, “I’m a little tired. I plan on sleeping now. Don’t let anyone disturb me.”
“Yes, my lady,” the maid immediately replied.
After closing the door, Hazel began changing into clothes that allowed for greater movement. Her expression was extremely heavy as her teeth bit down on her lip.
She had finally decided to warn her teacher at the manor.
She didn’t wish to become a seemingly arrogant person but, in actuality, was a coward, one who would abandon all principles upon encountering danger!
She found it despicable of herself!
While the bodyguards were focusing their attention on the ball’s attendees, Hazel took the opportunity to enter the garden using a water pipe from the balcony. When leaving 39 Böklund Street, Klein was holding onto a cup of sweet and iced fizzy wine, discussing business in the Southern Continent with a few gentlemen.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at the garden. He had already noticed Hazel’s actions thanks to his intuition.
…Although she’s not a likable girl, she has quite a kind heart… Klein nodded indiscernibly and praised her inwardly.
He wasn’t worried about Hazel’s actions, because to go from North Borough’s Böklund Street to Macht’s manor in Backlund’s northwestern suburbs would take three to five hours on carriage. And before she arrived, he would’ve already used an excuse to leave the ball, teleporting over directly to confirm the situation.
Although Macht’s manor was in the northwestern suburbs, it was on the other side of the Tussock River. Hence, to head there, one needed to take a detour to an area with a bridge. It was fine in the day, as one could use the steam metro to head to the south side of the Bridge beneath the river. At night, there were only three bridges to consider. It was inevitable to spend five hours traveling.
Of course, as Klein had used Tinder before and had read 2-105 Blood Vessel Thief’s information, he had some idea about the powers of the Marauder pathway. Therefore, he suspected that Hazel, who had an item of a higher level, could “steal” the flight abilities of birds and use that short period of time to cross the river. This way, she might arrive within three hours.
Regardless, I’ll be faster than her… Klein retracted his gaze and began considering who his next dance partner should be.
Ten in the evening, Moose Manor in the northwestern suburbs of Backlund.
This place originally belonged to a viscount, and it had more than a hundred years of history. Macht had bought it after his marriage, spending tons of money to maintain it every year so as to invite friends over during winter weekends for a vacation.
At this moment, the land steward was arranging for the servants to check every corner and to lock all the windows and doors. This was a necessary procedure before they slept every night.
A few maids walked out of the wine cellar in a group, heading straight for the kitchen to ensure that all flames had been extinguished.
The moment they arrived, they heard squeaking sounds as they looked over, only to discover a grayish-white rat gnawing on a table leg.
This rat seemed to sense their gaze, but it didn’t run. Instead, it turned its head and glared at them with its slightly red eyes.
Meanwhile, there were more squeaking sounds as red-eyed rats ran out from the roof beams, storage cabinets, and all kinds of miscellaneous, even appearing beside the furnace which had some water boiling over it.
The maids nearly screamed in fear.
As members of the lowest classes of society, they were no strangers to rats. They had even killed quite a number. However, it was their first time to encounter so many at once. They couldn’t help but feel a heavy blow to their senses.
“We need to get Guede and the others to deal with this,” a maid left the kitchen and suggested in fear.
Another maid nodded immediately.
“Miss Hazel was bitten by a rabid rat… These don’t look normal in any way!”
As they spoke, they retreated a great distance back, distancing themselves from the kitchen.
At this moment, a figure quickly appeared on the table. He wore a white shirt and black vest under a dark-colored formal suit. On his head was a half top hat, and he had a pair of bright leather boots.
This figure slowly lifted his head while holding down his hat. He surveyed the surroundings, revealing his black hair and brown eyes. He had a thin face and cut features. He was none other than Gehrman Sparrow.
Having left the ball ahead of time, Klein returned to Dwayne Dantès’s residence and entered his bedroom. Then, he teleported over with Winner Enuni.
Of course, the latter had been left outside the manor to allow for any instantaneous switches in positions.
The rats reflected into his eyes as Klein pulled the human-skinned glove on his left hand, casting his gaze towards the flowerbed in the manor.
Almost at the same time, the rats in the kitchen stirred as their movements turned sluggish. However, they quickly returned to normal.
They had become a Bizarro Sorcerer’s marionettes.
And Klein could control as many as 50 marionettes, a number that would rise once he finished digesting the potion!
Chapter 982 Bizarro Sorcerer vs Parasite
When he cast his gaze towards the garden, the scene of the area was naturally reflected in Klein’s mind.
In the dark corner concealed by the flowers, grayish-white rats spun around wildly like they had been possessed. They kept squeaking as they attempted to push away their own kind and enter the core area.
In the core area lay a gray rat the size of an adult Loen Shorthair-a particular cat breed. Its eyes were slightly red like congealed blood.
Its tail was swishing about rapidly, seemingly in a bid to vent the irascible feelings within.
And whenever ordinary-sized rats approached, it would grab them and bite them to their deaths, causing rat corpses to pile up around it. But even so, this didn’t stop the other rats from surging over.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly had two thoughts:
First, having his “intuition” boosted by the gray fog was a boon for a Bizarro Sorcerer’s controlling of Spirit Body Threads. This wasn’t apparent in open areas where the owner of the Spirit Body Threads could be instantly determined, but when inside a bustling city or a place with many buildings, Bizarro Sorcerers who lacked “x-ray vision” were unable to determine the owners of the Spirit Body Threads that bunched up from afar. It made it difficult to accurately lock onto an enemy unless they did something special, making them stand out from others. Of course, Bizarro Sorcerers could also ignore the possibility of collateral damage and just indiscriminately control their targets.
Second, the Marauder pathway demigod that parasitized the rat was already on the verge of losing control. Not only was it several times bigger than when Arrodes showed it, but its condition appeared very unstable. It was filled with a violent and crazy aura.
Thankfully, I came in time. If I had waited a few weeks, who knows what kind of tragedy would unfold… A thought flashed across Klein’s mind as illusory black threads appeared in front of him.
At this moment, he was less than fifty meters away from the mutated rat, making it completely feasible for him to control the Spirit Body Threads!
And at this moment, the huge rat with slick fur noticed something. It hurriedly stood up and turned its head towards the kitchen.
A glint flashed in its dark red eyes, instantly leaving the young man wearing a silk hat and black suit pausing in his spot.
It had “stolen” the main thoughts of the antagonizer for the next two seconds, leaving his mind blank. Furthermore, it didn’t do the follow-up actions that a Sequence 5 Dream Stealer would’ve done! Right on the heels of that, this rat raised its right forelimb and attempted to “steal” the enemy’s Beyonder powers.
At its level, it was able to “steal” three Beyonder powers from the same target and possess them for two hours. Of course, one attempt was limited to one power.
Composite Start
Composite End
At this moment, the gigantic rat’s thoughts turned extraordinarily sluggish. The actions of it using its powers seemed to be bound by invisible threads, making it appear extremely lethargic.
Initial control of its Spirit Body Threads had been obtained!
Its success at stealing Gehrman Sparrow’s thoughts and throwing him into a daze was merely an illusion -a Bizarro Sorcerer’s Illusion Creation!
Before Klein properly began controlling its Spirit Body Threads, Klein had already switched places with Enuni. As a marionette didn’t possess any self-consciousness or thoughts, it was immune to the Beyonder powers of Thought Usurpation.
How could something that didn’t exist be stolen?
And in order to trick the Marauder pathway demigod, Klein had used his illusion powers which had experienced a qualitative upgrade. He had also deliberately made Enuni, who wore Gehrman Sparrow’s appearance, put on the corresponding act.
At this moment, he was outside Macht’s Moose Manor, his straight line distance from the gigantic rat exceeded 500 meters. However, this didn’t stop him from controlling his opponent’s Spirit Body Threads. This was because a Bizarro Sorcerer could gift his Beyonder powers to his marionette. This included the control over Spirit Body Threads—the core for converting a target into a marionette!
This also meant that if there weren’t any other restrictions, a Bizarro Sorcerer could use their marionette and extend his control of Spirit Body Threads from 150 meters to an unlimited range. After all, as long as there was a marionette placed every thousand kilometers, he could rely on extending his influence by gifting his Beyonder powers.
Of course, there was no ability in the world without restrictions. On the one hand, Klein’s maximum number of marionettes was fifty, and it was currently impossible to exceed this number. On the other hand, the only thing that a Bizarro Sorcerer couldn’t gift his marionette was the ability to think and be self-conscious. Therefore, the limit of using a marionette to control a marionette was the limit of his control over a marionette—1000 meters!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Once he exceeded this range, the marionette wouldn’t be able to do anything.
In addition, by gifting his Beyonder powers to his marionette, a Bizarro Sorcerer was effectively separating a maggot that was related to his Mythical Creature form. It was transferred into the marionette’s body via the Spirit Body Threads. Unless he had prepared via giving the same marionette additional maggots, the marionette lacked the means of separating another maggot when converting a new marionette or giving the new marionette his Beyonder powers.
And at present, Klein could only split a maximum of fifty. Exceeding this number exerted a huge burden on his Spirit Body and produced signs of his soul fracturing. Recovery was impossible without effective treatment, and it was possible to not recover, even with excellent treatment. It would only increase the possibility of losing control.
Therefore, through Klein’s experiments, the maximum distance he could control Spirit Body Threads was 1000+150 meters. And to be able to fully control a new marionette, it needed to be within 1000 meters. At the same time, if the marionette were to die, the maggot inside the body would return to his body according to the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence. However, there was a chance of experiencing a loss if the process was interrupted.
While the Marauder pathway demigod’s actions turned sluggish, the rats that had previously been turned into marionettes rushed out from Enuni’s side. They aimed at the garden and opened their mouths in a bid to use Air Cannon to cleanse the target’s location.
Suddenly, a dark red glimmer lit up in the gigantic rat’s eyes.
Instantly, Gehrman Sparrow appeared in the dark corner of the garden, amidst the dead rats. As for the Marauder pathway demigod, it had arrived inside the kitchen where there were plenty of items on the table.
It had “stolen” Gehrman Sparrow’s position!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Composite Start
Composite End
The marionette rats shot out their Air Cannons without being able to stop midway, hitting the spot where “Gehrman Sparrow” was standing. It left the soil splattering and threw the flowers into the sky. It alarmed the servants in the manor as their bodies trembled violently. They had no idea what was happening and could only frantically run for shelter. The entire garden was leveled by Air Cannon, thinning the layer of soil within. If Klein hadn’t directed the attack in that direction, the manor’s main building probably would’ve collapsed.
Amidst the flying dust, the rats were left dismembered, but “Gehrman Sparrow” remained standing there, uninjured.
Winner Enuni had just released all the good luck he had accumulated!
However, his control of the gigantic rat’s Spirit Body Threads had been terminated as a result. And there were only a limited number of Spirit Body Threads. The rat marionettes were unable to interfere, for it might create pandemonium and cancel each other out.
Hazel’s teacher, the Marauder pathway demigod took this opportunity to regain its freedom. Then, it turned around and raised its right forearm at “Gehrman Sparrow,” instantly stealing his Beyonder powers of controlling Spirit Body Threads.
As a Sequence 4 demigod, it could accurately “steal” the power of the target. Typically, there were three options, and with better understanding, the higher the chance of success was. And this time, its luck was pretty good.
Of course, if the target’s level was much lower, and if it clearly knew of the target’s situation, it could “steal” anything it wanted.
Just as it lowered its right paw, the Marauder pathway demigod raised its left paw. The rat marionettes slumped to the ground and could hardly turn their bodies.
This was a large-scale “theft” that stole the rats’ ability to walk!
Right on the heels of that, countless magical symbols appeared in the gigantic rat’s red eyes.
Composite Start
Composite End
It rapidly “decrypted” the puzzle and found where Klein was.
With a red glint, it raised both paws and instantly appeared beside Klein.
This time, it had “stolen” the distance between the two!
At this moment, the thin-faced young man in front of the rat vanished. Replacing him was a gray rat.
And around the surrounding trees, worms began crawling out as they opened their “mouths.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Air Cannons bombarded the gigantic rat and ordinary rat.
While Klein was controlling the marionettes in the Moose Manor, he didn’t forget to convert new marionettes around him. This was, after all, a basic trait of a Bizarro Sorcerer. Then, swapping his body with a marionette, he had set up a simple trap!
Dust and soil flew high into the sky as the rat parasitized by the Marauder pathway demigod was completely inundated by it.
After everything settled down, a strong scent of blood emanated from the huge crater. There were pieces of flesh everywhere.
Dead? Klein looked at the blast-filled scene with the eyes of his surrounding marionettes.
However, he quickly frowned because there weren’t any signs of a Beyonder characteristic appearing.
As his thoughts raced, Klein took out a gold coin and flicked it.
As the gold coin landed, scenes surfaced in his mind -revelations from his Astral Projection.
Compared to the past, as a demigod, Klein could use such a simple divination to obtain more information!
Chapter 983 In Your Name
Pa!
When the flicked gold coin landed in his palm, Klein didn’t even see if it was heads or tails. This was because his mind was fixed on a particular scene:
Amidst the woods, the clouds high in the sky failed to completely conceal the stars that dotted the black velvet sky. The humming, clicking, and thrumming sounds of the insects spread far into the night, mixed with the two commotions of the two “explosions” inside Moose Manor.
Klein rapidly used his knowledge from astromancy, and he roughly gauged the exact location of the scene. Then, his body phased away, appearing beside Enuni before grabbing his shoulder.
During this process, Klein collected the transparent maggots he had implanted in the rats and insects before severing the connection of the Spirit Body Threads.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In just two seconds, he vanished from Moose Manor which was gradually turning chaotic and noisy, teleporting to the spot that he had seen in his mind.
The area was identical to the revelation which Klein had received. It was extremely silent, to the point of being able to hear the breeze wafting through the leaves and trees.
Illusory black threads, representing all the creatures with spirituality in the region, surfaced in Klein’s vision.
There were copious numbers of them, dozens being a gross understatement. To sieve through them and determine which was the problematic one couldn’t be accomplished in a short amount of time.
However, he wasn’t in a rush, because he had confirmed one thing:
His divination results could be trusted as long as the Marauder pathway demigod didn’t possess any high-level items. After all, after becoming a Bizarro Sorcerer, not only were his powers elevated, the gray fog’s powers also seeped deeper into reality. With these two combined, it made his divination powers far more outstanding than most saints, even without heading above the gray fog. It was unlikely that he was weaker than a Beyonder of the Fate pathway of the same Sequence. In contrast, the Marauder pathway demigod’s condition was in shambles with its strength at an all-time low.
Therefore, Klein believed that the demigod was hiding in the woods and hadn’t fled far.
Due to such reasons, he believed that waiting patiently was the best solution.
The Marauder pathway demigod was relatively weak, in an unstable condition, and close to losing control. After experiencing that intense battle and abandoning the rat’s body, the situation only worsened. It was impossible to experience an improvement. Under such situations, if she didn’t replenish herself or recover, it was only a matter of time before problems cropped up. Therefore, Klein could wait, while she couldn’t.
Composite Start
Composite End
As the humming, clicking, and thrumming sounds spread, Klein waited as he hurriedly converted marionettes. He made Enuni leave the region and hide about a thousand meters away. Meanwhile, he kept note of the possibility of having his Spirit Body Threads controlled, as he recalled that the enemy had “stolen” the Beyonder power from his marionette.
Suddenly, he heard a sound that resembled the panting that came from deep within the soul.
Right on the heels of that, a hysterical voice sounded from a tree diagonally ahead of him:
“Why are you forcing me?
“Why are you forcing me?
“Why are you forcing me!”
Amidst the sharp voice, the tree’s outer bark rapidly peeled off, revealing the core wood beneath. And on it, holes cracked open as strange worms with about eight circles around them crawled out.
The transparent rings of these worms had many three-dimensional patterns as though time was swirling through them.
Suddenly, Klein lost all his thoughts, losing the Beyonder powers of Air Cannon and Paper Figurine Substitutes. He lost his belt, coat, and hat, making him appear like a sculpture of flesh.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
However, to a marionette, this wasn’t too serious a problem. After all, it was no problem for his actual body. The lost powers could be retrieved by switching maggots.
Yes, upon hearing the panting, Klein had swapped places with Enuni!
And a Winner like Enuni had no need to worry about his pants dropping after losing his belt. His waist swelled rapidly thanks to the powers of Faceless, stopping his pants from falling.
New marionettes in the form of insects and rats crawled out and surrounded the mutated tree.
At this moment, a voice with a hint of a smile sounded from an unknown location:
“Calm down. Don’t be angry. Everything will be resolved.”
The voice was filled with a persuasive force. The mutation of the tree slowed down as the ringed worms slowly shrank back in.
“Is that so?” Inside the tree, the vicious-sounding voice calmed down. There was some level of blankness to the voice, as though it was about to be convinced.
As for Klein, he found the words extremely reasonable. He couldn’t help but reflect on the reason for pushing a demigod to the brink of losing control.
Composite Start
Composite End
He had a vague feeling that he had forgotten something and was unable to recall the true reason for coming
Then, he saw a chuckling figure walk out of the woods.
“Relax, I have the means to stop you from losing control. All you need to do is to follow my instructions.”
The figure was wearing a black trench coat that resembled a robe. He matched it with black trousers and leather shoes. He had a broad forehead and a thin face. Wearing a tall hat and a striking crystal monocle, he appeared extremely refined.
Klein’s gaze froze as a word resonated through his mind: Amon!
The person before him was Blasphemer, Angel of Time, King of Angels, the son of the Creator-Amon!
Although he knew that it was merely an avatar, Klein didn’t waste any time. He immediately abided by the deepest cries of his heart and used Creeping Hunger to phase away.
During this process, Enuni snapped his fingers and lit the matches in his pocket and fallen leaves a distance away, allowing him to appear beside Klein with Flaming Jump.
Klein grabbed him and vanished with him.
In the event that Amon tried to stop him, or if Enuni wasn’t able to return fast enough, Klein’s plan was to abandon his marionette and Travel far away.
Composite Start
Composite End
Under such circumstances, the death of a marionette to ensure his survival was definitely worth it!
Luckily, Amon’s attention was placed on the peeling tree. He didn’t stop him or, should it be said, it was the case that he didn’t have the time to stop him.
After Klein and his marionette vanished, Amon halted and turned to look at where the two were originally standing. As though in thought, he nodded slightly and scoffed.
“A Bizarro Sorcerer of Evernight.”
He then retracted his gaze and looked at the half-mutated tree and asked with a smile, “A descendant of Jacob?”
“Y-yes, do you know my ancestor?” Inside the tree, the rat demigod asked as though it had grabbed onto a floating board while drowning.
Amon stroked his chin and nodded indiscernibly.
“Of course.
“They tasted excellent.” Inside the tree, the descendant of the Jacob family fell silent. Only after a few seconds did a voice filled with horror utter:
“Y-you are Blasphemer Amon!”
Inside the tree hole, the worm with rings began crawling out.
However, they quickly stiffened and froze in their spots.
Amon adjusted the crystal monocle and said with a smile, “That’s too late now, isn’t it?
“It might’ve been of some use if you had struggled and resisted from the beginning, but now… Do you believe that I’m here on my own?”
As he spoke, the trees around him shook as the leaves of different trees ruffled. Birds leaped onto the branches and let out crisp chirping. And even the night breeze had an indescribable feel to it.
“You…” The Jacob descendant inside the mutated tree’s speech came to an abrupt halt. Amon stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trench coat and casually laughed.
“I heard that your family has split into tiny families with zero interaction, afraid that the lot of you will be caught by me, right? Ah right, didn’t you establish a secret organization with Zoroast’s descendants, as well as other Beyonders of the Marauder pathway? I believe it’s called the Hermits of Fate.
“You’re probably a member, aren’t you? Let me see if I can replace you and infiltrate that organization. Heh heh, a secret organization meant to defend against Amon and deal with Amon has Amon participating in it. Just the thought of it is rather interesting.”
Having said that, he glanced at the mutated tree that was vigorously shaking and said, “Unfortunately, from what I can see from your fate, you didn’t undergo a good education in mysticism. You can’t be a member of that organization. Are you the only one left of this Jacob family branch?
“You wished to seek out a secret treasure left by the Jacob family in Backlund, but you ended up seriously injured for some reason and ended up sealed?
“Ha, you even parasitized an ordinary animal. Yet, there are signs of you not talking to humans for an extended period of time… Aren’t you very puzzled as to why you didn’t receive any ‘warnings’ about this from the knowledge contained within the potion or the murmurs when you advanced to Sequence 4? Yes, it’s because I’ve deleted them.”
“No!”
A sharp scream filled with anger and viciousness sounded. There was an indescribable pain in it.
The mutated tree’s tremblings intensified until it calmed down at some point.
Streams of light flew out from within and surged into Amon’s body.
Taking out a piece of silk, Amon took off his monocle and wiped it as he mumbled, “How foolish. She actually believed me when I said it’s too late. One flaw with fellows who are on the brink of losing control is that they’re brainless and easily fooled.
“If she had carefully thought about it, how could she not realize the problems within? If I could quickly finish her off and steal her fate, why would I be wasting so much time chatting with her? An avatar is an avatar after all…”
After Amon wore his monocle again, the stream of light that flowed out of the mutated tree had been completed absorbed by “Him.”
At this moment, a figure was passing through the woods-Hazel in hunting gear.
She seemed to sense something as she subconsciously looked over, only to see Amon.
Then, she revealed a surprised smile.
“Teacher, have you recovered?”
“Oh, someone has noticed a problem with you. It’s best that you hide!”
Amon listened in silence before curling the sides of his mouth slowly.
“Alright.”
Chapter 984 Active Response
Klein didn’t directly teleport back to 160 Böklund Street. Instead, he went to sea with Enuni, found a secluded spot, and chanted the honorific name of The Fool.
Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog. With a beckon, he summoned a paper figurine.
Immediately after that, he picked up one of the Cards of Blasphemy on the long bronze table in front of him, and he placed it inside his body.
Klein suddenly had an additional dark red robe. This appearance seemed to look like rust and settled gunpowder that had been stained by copious amounts of blood. As for his face, it was covered by a dark gold mask. The patterns on its were ancient and set off a contrasting appearance with the crown he wore that was embedded with gems that sparkled red, blue, and green.
This was a change that the Red Priest card brought about.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
After repeated experiments, Klein had confirmed that certain traits of the Red Angel card were very compatible with the Paper Angel’s interference effect with fate. It allowed the relevant powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to be further enhanced. Therefore, he had chosen it instead of the Black Emperor or Tyrant cards.
After completing this, Klein, in the form of the Red Priest, picked up a paper figurine and shook it. He then fused it with the gray fog that surged over, throwing it at the rippling blob of light that represented him offering a prayer.
The paper figurine quickly burgeoned, turning into an angel bathed in golden light. Flames crisscrossed behind it, taking on the form of twelve pairs of wings.
This War Angel then used the secret connection that was generated from a prayer to descend upon the world and enveloped Klein and Enuni with its fiery wings.
Only with this done did Klein relax. Putting down the Red Priest card, he returned to the real world.
He first sought out food for Creeping Hunger before returning to 160 Böklund Street with Enuni. One transformed back into Dwayne Dantès, while the other turned into a young man with mixed-blood.
After combing his hair, Klein walked to the balcony of his master bedroom, looking far into the distance where Macht’s residence stood. He discovered that the place remained brightly lit, a clear indication that the ball hadn’t truly ended.
Typically, a ball continued until midnight, and of course, people were permitted to leave before then. After all, most people that were willing to dance late into the night were young adults.
Phew… Amon is truly terrifying. Just a battle involving a Marauder pathway’s demigod was enough to garner his attention, even if one was in the city and the other was in the suburbs… At “His” level, the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence should be extremely substantial. Yes, I can’t eliminate the possibility that the demigod’s mutation while being on the brink of losing control had caught Amon’s notice… Klein couldn’t help but recall everything that had happened, afraid that he would find a thin, monocle-wearing young, refined man sitting in the reclining chair behind him while sipping from a glass of red wine when he turned around.
Composite Start
Composite End
He felt lucky that he had already become a demigod and could converge the aura of the gray fog to prevent Beyonders of particular pathways from detecting it. Otherwise, with the interest Amon had shown in the past, “His” focus definitely would’ve been placed on Gehrman Sparrow instead of the Marauder pathway demigod. If that had been the case, he might not have left so successfully by teleporting As the Amon in Backlund was likely only an avatar, Klein was still rather confident of the Paper Angel’s interference. He believed that this King of Angels had no means to trace him all the way to 160 Böklund Street from a trail of breadcrumbs and also determine that he was Dwayne Dantès.
But this still didn’t ease his mind. This was because the Marauder pathway demigod was involved in Böklund Street as well!
She had encountered Admiral of Blood here and had been forced to trigger the explosives, finally parasitizing a rat… Here, she had been warned by a mirror, learning about the Marauder pathway angel who was in need of replenishments and that Blasphemer Amon was on the way… As she had refused to answer the mirror’s question, she was struck by lightning, and had to move to Moose Manor… In addition, Hazel—the target she attempted to parasitize but was her student on the surface—was influenced by a powerful illusion tonight, exposing her teacher’s condition… All of these factors combined might make Amon pay a visit… The more Klein thought about it, the more unsafe he found Böklund Street.
From his point of view, just the warning about a Marauder pathway angel in desperate need for replenishments was enough for Amon to take up “residence” in Böklund Street for a period of time!
Of course, there was an extremely small chance that the Marauder pathway demigod escaped and that nothing was divulged. However, Klein believed it was impossible. After all, even he had the confidence of handling the matter himself, much less Amon who had a certain level of control over Marauder pathway existences!
Sigh, I shouldn’t have been wary against the grandpa in Leonard. If I wasn’t worried that “He” would achieve another stage of recovery and cause Leonard harm, everything would’ve been settled rather quickly. I wouldn’t be in this situation of attracting Amon… What do I do next? Regardless, I need to do something. Otherwise, not only will my identity as Dwayne Dantès be at risk, I might even implicate Leonard on Pinster Street and the ordinary people on Böklund Street. Who knows if Amon will suddenly parasitize them or not… As Klein’s thoughts whirled, his expression grew heavy as he began seriously considering eliminating Amon’s avatar.
His first idea was to establish contact with Leonard and come up with a plan with the grandpa in him, Pallez Zoroast. With this Marauder angel’s knowledge of Amon who shared the same pathway, it was likely that “He” could come up with a good plan.
Klein immediately took out his pen and paper in preparation to write. But after making a few scribbles with the fountain pen, he paused.
He found the confidentiality lacking because describing in detail might result in having an effect on fate, allowing Amon to notice it ahead of time!
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The more secure method would be to pull Leonard above the gray fog. The discussion can be held there and have him relay it and discuss it with Pallez Zoroast… Apart from this, what else can be done? Report it to the Church and get them to “disinfect” all of Backlund? Klein put down his fountain pen and muttered silently as he considered other proposals.
He soon gave up the thought of reporting Amon, because Leonard hadn’t done so previously. With the understanding that the grandpa in him had of Blasphemer Amon, it implied that this method was useless. Either there was a huge flaw, or it might end up affecting oneself.
It’s better to ask Leonard first and gain a better situation of the exact situation before coming to a decision… Klein quickly made up his mind.
He temporarily suppressed the urge to draw the symbol to ask Arrodes or use the paper crane to contact Snake of Fate Will Auceptin. After dismissing Enuni, he entered the master bedroom’s bathroom, took four steps counterclockwise, and arrived above the gray fog.
Sitting at the seat of The Fool, Klein conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made the fake person pray piously:
“Honorable Mr. Fool, please inform Leonard Mitchell that I’ve discovered traces of Blasphemer Amon. I hope that he can head to your kingdom as soon as possible to discuss the subsequent actions. The time will be up to him to decide.”
After throwing the prayer’s content into the crimson star representing Leonard, Klein added as The Fool, “There’s no need to hide it from Pallez Zoroast.”
In the outskirts of North Borough, in a sparse forest.
Leonard extended his right hand and held down a blurry wild wolf’s figure.
Composite Start
Composite End
The wolf whimpered as the flames burning in its eyes dissipated, returning to normal.
Its body faded away and vanished into the wind. However, it no longer had the bloodthirsty feeling it previously exuded. All was calm and serene.
In the Northern Continent, after the Pale Era, the seven orthodox Churches, along with the various nations, jointly pushed for a Cemetery Burial act which had been strictly carried out to this day. As the number of humans that turned into ghosts were rare, the only exception involved the difficult-to-detect deaths in the slums or drowning victims that couldn’t be fished out in time. However, the spirits of the deceased weren’t only limited to humans. All kinds of wild animals and all kinds of creatures with spirituality could become specters under certain conditions. Furthermore, it was impossible for them to head to human cemeteries to have themselves interred.
This often resulted in rumors of ghost sightings in the wild.
Just as he put the wild wolf to rest, Leonard suddenly saw a boundless grayish-white fog appear before his eyes as The World Gehrman Sparrow’s prayers resounded in his ears.
Traces of Blasphemer Amon. “He” is still in Backlund… Leonard’s eyelids twitched as he tensed up immediately.
As he had received Mr. Fool’s instructions, he didn’t hesitate to speak with a suppressed voice:
“Old Man, did you see it? Did you hear it?”
Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice resounded once again:
“No.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Although I sensed an anomaly, I didn’t see or hear anything. It will only happen if I deepen my parasitization of you, allowing me to directly control your Astral Projection.”
Do you think I’m a fool? Hmm, from the looks of it, Mr. Fool’s response is done through the Astral Projection… Leonard thought before he said in deliberation, “Old Man, Klein informed me via Mr. Fool that he has discovered traces of Amon. He wants me to head over to Mr. Fool’s kingdom to discuss this matter.
“Do you have any suggestions?”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a few seconds before he let out a long sigh.
“If he wishes to deal with Amon’s avatar in Backlund, tell him that unless he has the blessings of concealment, the outcome will be as you expect it to
be.”
By saying this, Old Man is giving preconditions. “He” means that “He” will only be willing to cooperate with the blessings of concealment? Leonard’s mind raced as he immediately found a dark corner and informed The World Klein via prayer that he could do it immediately.
As for the danger that resulted from losing control of his body in the wilderness, Leonard wasn’t worried since he still had a Marauder pathway angel in his
body.
Before long, he saw a crimson tide surge towards him and inundate him.
Chapter 985 Blessed of Concealment
Above the boundless grayish-white, inside the magnificent palace.
Just as Leonard Mitchell’s figure appeared to the side of the long bronze table, he subconsciously stood up and wanted to bow to Mr. Fool.
However, when he looked over, he found the seat empty. No one was sitting there.
Doesn’t Mr. Fool usually sit there? A thought flashed through Leonard’s mind as he cast his gaze to the other end of the long mottled table.
The World was sitting there silently as though he was fused with the gray fog in an indistinct blur.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“… There’s only the two of us. There’s no need to deliberately use Gehrman Sparrow’s appearance,” Leonard casually said to The World as he sat back down.
After discovering Mr. Fool’s absence, he instantly became relaxed. He wasn’t as reserved as he was in the previous Tarot Gathering—just short of throwing his leg up on the table.
“It’s a habit,” Klein replied succinctly.
Leonard nodded in thought.
“I heard that Gehrman Sparrow’s persona at sea is a cold, reserved, refined, and polite person. Your current performance matches that description very well. However, you wasn’t like this in the past, Klein. You have to remember that you’re only acting. Do not be affected by your persona as Gehrman Sparrow.”
Hey, I pulled you up here to discuss Amon, not to have a chat! Why do you show so little concern towards your grandpa’s matters? Klein had indeed made it a habit to use The World’s persona in such situations. But when this was pointed out by Leonard, he was a little embarrassed to change back into his original appearance. He tersely acknowledged that he would keep it in mind.
“Did Pallez Zoroast teach you about the part that ‘you’re only acting?”
“Yes,” Leonard answered frankly.
This grandpa seems pretty good. He mentioned such crucial information to Leonard… Compared to “Him,” the rat demigod from before was really up to no good. She didn’t teach Hazel any of the most common knowledge. Even if she did, she distorted some of it. Heh heh, no matter how unaffiliated you are, how could they not know anything at the level of a demigod? Even that half-crazy sea serpent, Kalvetua, knew how to respond to rituals or obtain sacrificial items. It even knew some theurgy and how to perform bestowments… Klein established a first impression of Pallez Zoroast.
Composite Start
Composite End
However, he wasn’t hasty to make a judgment. After all, fishing was an activity that required bait. Just one instance didn’t prove much. Seeing Klein being silent, Leonard cut the small talk and got down to business.
“Where did you discover traces of Blasphemer Amon?”
Klein went straight to the point.
“I was pursuing a demigod of the Marauder pathway who was on the brink of losing control. However, I ended up encountering Amon in the outskirts of Backlund. All I could do was use Mr. Fool’s powers to directly escape.”
“Amon’s avatar really is still in Backlund…” Leonard sighed before he asked in a rather curious and desultory manner, “Why were you pursuing a Marauder pathway demigod who’s on the brink of losing control?”
After he asked the question, he realized something and swiftly added, “If it involves some plans of Mr. Fool, pretend as though I never asked.”
Why? Isn’t dealing with Beyonders on the brink of losing control or those who have lost control the duty of a Nighthawk? Klein sighed when he heard Leonard’s question.
It stirred up memories of his time in Tingen City.
In that short two plus months, he had handled many similar matters. It included the Mandated Punisher of the Church of Storms who turned into a monster, Hood Eugen’s loss of control, and Old Neil’s corruption by the Hidden Sage. Although they were only a handful, they left a deep impression on him. It drilled certain actions deep to the bone.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Therefore, after taking into account everything that he knew, and coming to the conclusion that the Marauder pathway demigod was on the brink of losing control after rabidly biting someone, he didn’t hesitate and used his illusion from downstairs. From that, he gained confirmation from Hazel and didn’t even wait a day or two to make preparations. All he did was do a divination above the gray fog and came up with a rough plan before taking action.
Such matters were emergencies for him!
In addition, Klein had long had the intention of getting rid of the Marauder pathway demigod because the malintent she had shown when dealing with Hazel was obvious. Furthermore, she had tried to entice Miss Magician to seek out treasure that was in actual fact a trap. If he wasn’t a demigod back then, which meant a great difference in strength, he would’ve taken action back then. Besides, he was also afraid that he would trigger unnecessary accidents.
It was precisely because of this that he followed his predetermined plan to eliminate her once he confirmed the Marauder pathway demigod’s condition.
The first stage of his plan was to lure the enemy out of Moose Manor to prevent her from producing her incomplete Mythical Creature form before dying, as that would’ve affected the ordinary people. The result was pretty satisfactory. With himself as the bait, he achieved his goal, but he failed to use the Air Cannon bombardment to finish the battle. This made the Marauder pathway demigod flee into the woods and parasitize a tree.
Klein actually had a second stage to his plan and had even prepared contingencies in the event he failed to eliminate her. To his surprise, Amon suddenly appeared, making him terminate all his plans and flee without any hesitation. Klein’s contingency was to let a marionette escape the battlefield and write to the experimental demigod byproduct of the Numinous Episcopate, Patrick Bryan, to get his help. This Undying likely possessed the ability to traverse the spirit world after all. And if there were any additional unforeseen circumstances, he could summon Miss Messenger and make payment after the deed.
As his memories surfaced, Klein replied to Leonard with a sighing tone, “A secret.”
After pausing for a second, he asked, “Why didn’t you find an opportunity to inform the Church of Evernight about the arrival of Amon’s avatar in Backlund?”
Leonard hurriedly gave an explanation, indicating that if Amon’s actual body were to arrive, a deity’s descent was almost certain. He also explained that Amon could use the death of “His” avatar to see the corresponding changes in destiny; thus, finding the source of the stir and figuring out the activity range of the mastermind. It was also Amon’s style to circle about a superficial avatar but hide a dozen, dozens, or hundreds of avatars. Amon’s avatars could parasitize all kinds of creatures with spirituality. If one wasn’t a demigod, they wouldn’t even notice the parasite.
Composite Start
Composite End
Towards the end, Leonard informed Klein in detail about the example Old Man had raised of how Amon would steal one’s destiny.
This sent a chill running down Klein’s back, thankful that he hadn’t been rash in dealing with Amon. Otherwise, Mr. Fool might’ve been replaced.
It’s no wonder Leonard didn’t report the matter… For Amon to appear so openly, “He” is actually fishing. Furthermore, he has even more avatars hiding in secret, and “He” can parasitize the microbes in the air… This alone sends my scalp tingling. The creatures I can control at the moment can’t even reach that state. The smaller the creature, the harder it is to see the Spirit Body Threads. It’s quite a special case… Sigh, I can’t use the Church’s power, unless it’s done by someone who is without any problems in every aspect… Klein commiserated as he gained a deeper understanding of Amon’s terror. It left him a deeper impression.
From his point of view, Leonard was an excellent candidate to report the matter to the Church of Evernight, but with Pallez Zoroast parasitizing him, he didn’t dare expose his existence to Amon.
In addition, The Hanged Man could also shoulder this responsibility, but he was unable to provide the source of the news. This meant problems that deserved deeper investigations into.
One choice after another flashed across Klein’s mind. Finally, he paused on himself-his identities as Klein Moretti and Gehrman Sparrow!
As a Blessed of Evernight, it’s entirely reasonable for me to inform the Church about Amon’s appearance in Backlund. Amon won’t be able to pick faults with that.
And having involved myself with the battle with the Marauder pathway demigod tonight, as the Bizarro Sorcerer who witnessed Amon and is now in possession of the knowledge that the Angel of Time’s avatar is here in Backlund, it’s also very normal and not something that will garner Amon’s suspicion. At the same time, as I’m a Blessed of Evernight, just the loss of an avatar likely won’t incur “His” full wrath for revenge. After all, “He” might be facing a very possible trap-a deity’s descent! Having a backer really feels good… However, a price is always exacted for what fate bestows… Klein quickly came to a conclusion over the matter.
Then, he habitually changed his point of view and began considering this matter from Amon’s point of view.
Amon is definitely no stranger to Bizarro Sorcerers. “He” can determine my pathway from my control of the marionettes and my swapping of locations.
Composite Start
Composite End
Since Amon allowed a Bizarro Sorcerer to flee, “He” must’ve made preparations to be exposed. “He” might even be hoping to attract the target “He” is looking for.
I was using Gehrman Sparrow’s face, but that doesn’t imply anything. A Faceless’s appearance is the least of one’s concern… Hmm, then how would Amon determine my identity? A powerhouse that lurks in the dark and a demigod of the Seer pathway… As the Church of Evernight and the Secret Order are in control of the formulas, ingredients, and a mermaid, there are almost no unaffiliated Bizarro Sorcerers. The descendants of the Antigonus family have all been wiped out. Therefore, a Bizarro Sorcerer is either from the Secret Order or a secret proxy that the Church of Evernight secretly nurtures…
Together with me being in Backlund, the answer is almost obvious…
Due to these reasons, Amon wouldn’t find it difficult to determine that the Church of Evernight is aware of “His” whereabouts and will begin an operation to wipe “Him” out. My reporting of “Him” will be within expectations. Not doing so would be abnormal…
Yes, “He” will definitely be hiding. Even if “He” replaces the identity of that Marauder pathway demigod, “He” wouldn’t come to Böklund Street anytime soon!
Having made this judgment, Klein immediately felt a little more relieved because it meant that he would have plenty of time to prepare!
“What ideas do you have?” Seeing Klein’s prolonged silence after he finished his description, Leonard couldn’t help but ask.
Klein reined in his thoughts and asked without answering him, “What suggestions does Pallez Zoroast have regarding this?”
“He’ said that if you wish to deal with Amon’s avatar in Backlund, you have to first obtain the blessings of Concealment,” Leonard replied truthfully.
Blessings of Concealment… Pallez Zoroast is openly trying to test me. Half the symbol behind The Fool’s seat represents concealment… Using Paper Angels and the Red Priest card, I can stir the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, making it possible for me to disrupt Amon’s avatar. However, it’s probably unable to prevent “Him” from prying into fate itself… However, I still have another identity as Evernight’s Blessed, and another title of the Goddess is the Mother of Concealment… Is eliminating Amon’s avatar considered paying the price or receiving a bestowment? Seems like both… Klein thought before replying in a deep voice:
“Tell Pallez Zoroast that I’m a Blessed of Concealment. I will attempt to pray for help.”
He was referring to being the Blessed of the Mother of Concealment, but it was certain that Pallez Zoroast would understand it as being The Fool’s Blessed.
Chapter 986 The “Infectiousness” of Parasitizing
So Mr. Fool also has authority in the aspect of concealment… Leonard came to a realization as he understood why Old Man had specially mentioned the need for the blessings of concealment.
Without waiting for his reply, Klein added, “In addition, tell Pallez Zoroast that Amon might very well know that there’s a Marauder pathway angel in the vicinity of Böklund Street.”
This… Leonard’s pupils dilated as he blurted out, “How would ‘He’ know that?”
It’s not convenient to tell you why… Klein mumbled inwardly before replying rather sternly, “It’s not like I’m Amon.”
“Which of ‘His’ actions or words made you come to this conclusion?” Leonard asked subconsciously.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
No, it’s me who “told” “Him”… Klein chuckled as a response.
Indeed… Leonard nodded and said, “No problem. I’ll inform Old Man of this.”
He paused for a moment before asking, “Are you waiting for ‘Him’ to give a detailed plan?”
Klein tersely acknowledged.
“When it comes to the knowledge of Amon and the Marauder pathway, few are better than ‘Him.””
Having said that, Klein, who had determined that Amon wouldn’t come to Böklund Street any time soon, calmly added, “There’s no need to be in a rush to respond. Give me the feedback at tomorrow’s Tarot Gathering.”
From the looks of it, things haven’t reached a critical stage yet… Leonard figured out the most important information from Klein’s words. He nodded slightly and said, “Alright, we will discuss this in detail at tomorrow’s Tarot Gathering.”
After settling this matter, Klein immediately got up and bowed in the direction of the “door of light.”
“Mr. Fool, we are done.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard stood up, but before he could do anything, his vision became a blur as the crimson stellar light inundated him.
When he snapped awake, he found himself in the sparse forest on the outskirts of North Borough.
“Is there anything you wish to tell me?” Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice sounded.
Leonard cleared his throat and said, “Klein told me that he’s a Blessed of Concealment. He can attempt to pray for help.”
“Blessed of Concealment. Indeed…” Pallez sighed and said, “Tell him that as long as he can really gain the blessings of Concealment, I’m willing to provide help when it comes to dealing with Amon and finding all ‘His’ avatars hiding in Backlund.”
Leonard wasn’t surprised by this answer as he chuckled.
“Old Man, you don’t sound as weak as you make yourself out to be!”
Pallez Zoroast chuckled without a hint of anger in his tone.
“Didn’t you read through Roselle’s Quotes? I recall that there’s a saying that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“That will depend on the breed of horse and camel,” Leonard retorted habitually before asking, “Old Man, how should we deal with Amon? Do you plan on using yourself as bait?”
“Ahem!” Pallez snapped back, “If that were the case, what we’ll be facing will be Amon’s actual body and not ‘His’ avatars. When that happens, there’s a high chance that it will instigate a deity’s battle. I might still have a chance of escaping. As for you, perhaps you will return to Evernight’s Tenebrous Heaven.”
“…” Leonard could only reply with a chortle.
Pallez Zoroast continued, “Unlike the similar powers of other pathways, Amon’s avatars can rapidly strengthen ‘Himself’ by absorbing the Beyonder characteristics of the Marauder pathway, thereby splitting even more Worms of Time, allowing him to parasitize different creatures. As long as there’s enough Beyonder characteristics, this process can keep happening…”
“I-isn’t this like the spread of a plague?” Leonard felt a chill run down his back once again.
If one had enough Beyonder characteristics of the Marauder pathway, Amon’s avatars could go from parasitizing one person to the entire city!
“Pretty much.” Pallez Zoroast affirmed Leonard’s guess and sighed. “To deal with Amon, this is the only way to take action. Using Marauder pathway Beyonder characteristics at the demigod level to bait ‘Him’ out. As long as you successfully finish off one of his avatars, there are ways to seek out and eliminate the rest. However, Amon is a master of deceit. We need to be careful; otherwise, it might appear like we are baiting ‘Him,’ but in actual fact, ‘He’ is baiting you. On this matter, concealment is of utmost importance!”
“I understand.” Leonard sighed and turned to ask, “How strong can Amon’s avatar be?”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a few seconds as though in recollection. Finally, he said, “In theory, ‘His’ strongest avatar can reach the equivalent of a Sequence 1, but it’s almost impossible for ‘Him’ to do so. This will make his mental state unstable and show signs of losing control.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Typically, one of ‘His’ avatars is a Worm of Time, each starting off as a weak Sequence 4. However, each possesses the trait of an angel capable of shattering Beyonder characteristics. By absorbing sufficient amounts of Marauder pathway Beyonder characteristics, such an avatar can reach a level equivalent to a Sequence 2. However, Amon seldom does so. ‘His’ avatars will automatically fracture and create even more avatars.
“Furthermore, with the actual situation in Backlund, it’s very difficult for ‘Him’ to gather enough Beyonder characteristics that can raise ‘His’ avatar to Sequence 2.”
Leonard thought carefully for a moment before asking, ‘So, we will be facing a group of Amons. Amongst them, a majority have the strength of a weak Sequence 4, with a minority having the normal standards of a Sequence 4, while an extremely small minority reaches Sequence 3?”
“With Amon’s style, it’s likely the case. However, you have to remember that Amon is good at deceit,” Pallez Zoroast warned. “In addition, based on the time since Amon’s avatar arrived in Backlund, the number of Marauder pathway Beyonder characteristics ‘He’ has gathered to date can’t be too much. After all, this is Backlund. Also, if the situation isn’t right, ‘His’ avatars will use the strongest one as the center and automatically gather together to achieve an elevation in strength. The most important matter when dealing with Amon is to not let matters develop to this stage. Otherwise, there’s no stopping Amon from escaping even if an angel of the Concealment domain arrives.”
“It’s truly difficult to deal with ‘Him.” Besides, it’s just an avatar ‘He’ randomly threw out to develop themselves. As expected of a King of Angels…” After Leonard made a poignant sigh, he suddenly recalled Klein’s reminder and hurriedly said, “The Angel of Time has apparently already locked onto a Marauder pathway demigod. Klein said that he encountered Amon while pursuing the demigod. Also, Amon seems to know that there might be a Marauder pathway angel hidden in the region around Böklund Street…”
Pallez Zoroast fell silent once again, remaining that way for a pretty long period of time.
After a while, with Leonard unable to stop himself from prodding for a response, “He” lamented with a sigh, “Why is your former colleague as troublesome as you?”
“What?” Leonard wore a blank look.
Palle Zoroast said in a peeved manner, “The reason why Amon knows that there’s a Marauder pathway angel around Böklund Street is likely due to him!”
“Old Man, y-you have the ability to decrypt?” Leonard asked in puzzlement.
Composite Start
Composite End
Pallez harrumphed.
“I was using my brain!
“Otherwise, why do you think there’s the prefix of Böklund Street?”
… That’s true. Anything that has to do with Böklund Street can’t avoid Dwayne Dantès… Could it be some problem that fellow, Klein, created? Only then did Leonard come to a realization.
At this moment, Pallez sighed.
“Thankfully, he only said an angel and not my name. Otherwise, I suggest that we immediately leave Backlund.
“Tell him that there are currently two solutions:
“First, it’s to seek out a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact of the Marauder pathway or find a demigod of the Marauder pathway. Using them, we design a trap. This entire process requires the blessings of Concealment. Furthermore, it needs to be natural, reasonable, normal, and in no way incur suspicion.
“Second, wait for Amon to enter Böklund Street. He might do a combination of ‘replacing someone’s identity’ and ‘infiltrating through the air.’ Therefore, your former colleague needs to see through the grafting of fate or notice the abnormalities in the microbes. Otherwise, no matter what plans are employed, it will simply be feeding Amon.”
Leonard’s eyelid twitched when he heard that as he solemnly nodded.
“I’ll discuss these matters with him tomorrow afternoon.”
“Alright.” Pallez Zoroast sighed and said, “Also, if all the Amon avatars in Backlund can be eliminated, most of the Worms of Time left behind will belong to
me.”
As a form of replenishing himself? It’s no wonder Old Man is willing to take the risk… Leonard asked in enlightenment, “Do those Worms of Time have the Beyonder characteristics of the Marauder pathway?”
“It might be the case in my hands, but not necessarily for others,” Pallez explained simply. “The Worms of Time left when Amon’s avatars die will indeed contain a sufficient amount of Beyonder characteristics in the beginning, but they will quickly deplete and return to the main body. The corresponding power is needed to prevent this phenomenon from happening.” Leonard first nodded before asking in confusion, “Why was the Luck Siphon charms made from the Worms of Time so powerful?”
Pallez instantly scoffed.
“Have you forgotten what the essence of the charm
is?
“Its essence is the power obtained from a high-level existence. It then uses a material that can handle this power, as well as the powers obtained from the corresponding symbols, to stabilize it. The Worm of Time’s role is to be a unique vessel. If the level is high enough, its essence is compatible, and there is sufficient spirituality, the requirements will be met.”
“Therefore, the power of the Luck Siphon charm actually comes from Mr. Fool?” Leonard asked in thought.
Pallez Zoroast chuckled and said, “Yes, you can try praying to Amon as well and use ‘His’ power to create Luck Siphon charms.
“Of course, the uniqueness of the vessel material will also affect the effects of the final product. In other words, different special materials will lead to different characteristics in power based on the response. Sigh, charms are a very profound and complicated piece of knowledge. It’s not something that can be completely grasped by having some cursory education. You have to put more effort into
it.”
Leonard immediately felt somewhat ashamed.
On Monday afternoon, using the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to check on Hazel’s family to confirm that there weren’t any problems in the meantime, Klein patiently waited for the convening of the Tarot Gathering.
Dark red beams shot up in the ancient palace before gradually calming down.
Without a pause, Audrey got up and bowed towards the end of the long mottled table.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~”
Chapter 987 “Warehouse Clearance”
After the greetings, everyone took their seats. Audrey swept her gaze across the third Card of Blasphemy placed beside Mr. Fool’s right hand. She suddenly came to a realization that she had forgotten to obtain Roselle’s diary entries from the Psychology Alchemists this week.
I’ve been caught up with the problem with Hvin Rambis all week… Audrey, who felt that she had already brightened up, instantly felt a little melancholic.
At this moment, Cattleya had looked towards the seat of honor at the end of the long mottled table. She bowed her head and said, “Honorable Mr. Fool. I haven’t received any Roselle diary entries this week as well.”
Queen Mystic hasn’t provided any of the emperor’s diary entries for two consecutive weeks. Did something happen? Leisurely sitting in his high-back chair, The Fool Klein felt somewhat puzzled as he couldn’t help but have pessimistic thoughts.
However, he swiftly denied this possibility because Ma’am Hermit didn’t show any anxiety or concern!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With the way Admiral of Stars presents herself as a fledgling in need of her mother in the dream world in the ruins of the battle of god, she definitely wouldn’t be this calm if Queen Mystic doesn’t reply to her for two consecutive weeks. Her anxiety might even prompt her to seek The Fool’s help… That also means that she has received a reply from Bernadette in the past two weeks, but none of Roselle’s diary entries were provided… Klein nodded gently and replied Cattleya calmly, “No hurry.”
After saying that, his thoughts raced as he began analyzing the reason for Bernadette’s actions.
First, Klein eliminated the possibility that she no longer had any more Roselle diary entries. Combining the frequency at which the emperor wrote diary entries, he surmised that the compiled diary would exceed ten standard books. Even if Bernadette only had a third of that, she was definitely capable of producing one or two books. In addition, the diary entries she had previously provided were just a tiny minority which touched on crucial intelligence.
Second, Klein didn’t believe that Queen Mystic had gained the entire truth from the answers he had given.
Finally, he was also certain that she couldn’t decipher the simplified Chinese she had in hand from the tidbits of feedback she received. After all, he didn’t give a detailed translation, but vague answers comprising of a few words.
Combining all three points, he suspected if the diary entries Bernadette planned on providing next would be even more important. They were more key and pointed to a certain secret or extremely special, questions that made one unsure if they wanted to know the answer. Thus, this Queen Mystic was presently in a dilemma!
It’s likely the case… I wonder what the emperor will write about. Besides, how is Bernadette able to know the importance of the entry… I should remember to get Ma’am Hermit to pass on my requests… While in thought, Alger had already turned to look at Leonard.
“I apologize. There’s still no news of mystical items that meet your request at the moment.”
“That’s very normal. That’s right. Uh, mystical items from Sequence 5 and 6 aren’t common to begin with.” Leonard nodded in understanding.
Composite Start
Composite End
He was originally sitting very straight, but when he found that The Moon and The Magician weren’t so uptight, he also relaxed, relieving the straightening of his back.
Upon seeing this, Klein controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow and said with a hoarse voice, “I have a mystical item that suits your requests in various aspects. It’s just that it has quite a number of negative effects that make it difficult to avoid. Do you want to consider it?”
He was referring to the Word of the Sea.
Klein had never had the intention of selling this item that almost required sealing to Leonard, as he felt that his dear poet friend couldn’t withstand the negative effects of Word of the Sea. The belting of songs that didn’t discriminate between ally or foe, the trait of tripping the wielder, or the flaw of being prone to lightning strikes weren’t easily avoided. Klein was only able to use it by teaching the Word of the Sea above the gray fog a good lesson, and having Winner Enuni wield it to not be affected. He had even converted the flaws into something that could aid him.
However, after considering how Leonard had a Sequence 1 Marauder pathway angel parasitizing him, Klein had the feeling that Leonard might have the means to resolve the problem. Therefore, he ultimately made an inquiry.
“Oh, tell me about it.” Leonard believed that Klein wouldn’t scam him, so he expressed his intentions of getting to know the exact situation.
The World Gehrman Sparrow glanced at The Hanged Man and said slowly, “It can release lightning on a target…”
He roughly described the Beyonder powers of the Word of the Sea and the negative effects, leaving Leonard somewhat enticed despite frowning.
It can actually be used as a staff to allow me to fly… Even at Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock, I’ll need to seek out a suitable spirit before I can fly… Besides, the offensive strength really is formidable. There are quite a number of traits… But the three negative effects are quite terrifying… I’ll return to ask Old Man to see if “He” has any means to reduce the negative effects… Leonard pondered for a few seconds before saying:
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I’ll take some time to consider it. How about I give you an answer next week?”
“No problem,” The World Gehrman Sparrow replied without any hint of surprise.
As for the other members, even if they were interested in the beginning, all of them gave up the thought of inquiring about the price once they heard the negative effects that the Word of the Sea possessed.
At this moment, The Fool Klein’s mind was focused on another matter. He was wondering if he should take this opportunity to do a “warehouse clearance sale.”
He had advanced to Sequence 4, and after becoming a demigod, many of the items and characteristics he had before were no longer of much use.
I can keep Creeping Hunger. I should keep it just for Traveling alone. In addition, it can Graze one Sequence 4 saint. It has room for further growth. Furthermore, the combination of the various Beyonder powers it has is pretty good… The value of Death Knell is no longer that great, but after activating Lethal Attack mode, the damage it does on a fixed target exceeds that of Air Cannon. At the very least, I can still use it at Sequence 4. Yes, it also has room for growth… The first two items that surfaced in Klein’s mind were the two items he frequently used.
From his point of view, as long as he obtained more powerful bullets, he could produce terrifying effects with Death Knell. The only problem was that such bullets were equivalent to high-level charms, nothing that could be easily found. Even if he sought out the materials to make them himself, he had to consider the chances of success when praying to some high-level existence or if it was possible for there to be a backlash.
On this aspect, Klein came up with a few planspray to the Goddess; request Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin to provide help; go through Leonard to get Pallez Zoroast’s help; use the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog and also get Leonard to make a trip back to Tingen under the guise of a mission, so as to steal some of the powers of the Eternal Blazing Sun’s divine blood from 3-0782, the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.
Flaring Sun Bullets are definitely the nemesis of creatures like evil spirits… I have some idea on how to use the materials via borrowing the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog. Amon’s Worms of Time can be used to make Luck Siphon charms. My Worms of Spirit can also be made into Beyonder bullets. As for how it can be done, I’ll need to ask Pallez Zoroast… Klein began anticipating the upcoming chat with Leonard.
Composite Start
Composite End
Worm of Spirit was the name he gave to those transparent maggots.
Following that, he began considering the other items and characteristics.
Sun Brooch? I currently lack such powers and items… Although I can use the control over Spirit Body Threads to deal with evil spirits, I can keep it and allow my Paper Angel to have one more additional change. Besides, I can also lend it to Danitz from time to time.
Flower of Blood? I can’t sell it. The Tarot Club doesn’t have any Aurora Order members. I’ll continue letting my marionette use it. Having one additional life is one additional hope.
Green Essence? I can sell this. I can transfer my ailments already. Creeping Hunger also has a Doctor grazed.
Murloc Cufflink? There’s no need for this either. If I have a sudden need for its powers, I can transform into a huge fish. And in the long term, I can just head above the gray fog to use Sea God Scepter to augment myself with the effects.
Broken Finger? I wonder if anyone would want it. Besides, I haven’t fully investigated why the rat demigod was sealed. It might be of use.
I have 1 purifying bullet, 6 demon-hunting bullets, and 2 exorcism bullets left. I’ll just randomly use them. There’s no need for me to sell them.
Biological Poison Bottle? Sigh, I haven’t been able to sell it all this time.
Blatherer’s aura? This can be used to make charms or bullets. I’ll temporarily not sell it. But herein lies the problem, am I to pray to the Dark Side of the Universe? That can be struck off the list of options. I’ll see if there are any replacement plans in the future.
Composite Start
Composite End
An Interrogator Beyonder characteristic, a Lunatic Beyonder characteristic, 15 ml of a Thousand-faced Hunter’s blood, 40 grams of Spirit World Plunderer powder, an eyeball of a six-winged gargoyle… Tarot Club members have no need for these. I might be able to reward the believers of Sea God or the Resistance in Rorsted Archipelago… As these thoughts flashed across his mind, Klein quickly made a decision.
As for items which were at least at the demigod level such as the Sea God Scepter, Groselle’s Travels, the Giant King’s Court key, he didn’t consider selling them.
Then, he made The World Gehrman Sparrow say, “I have two mystical items for sale. Their levels are relatively low.
Cattleya immediately replied, “A low level doesn’t mean it’s useless. Many Low-Sequence Beyonders powers can even turn the tides of battles involving Sequence 5 Beyonders. I’m rather interested in knowing the detailed situation of those two mystical items.
Klein nodded gently and described the uses and flaws of Murloc Cufflink and Green Essence. After he was done, he said, “Murloc Cufflink for 500 pounds, Green Essence for 1,000 pounds.”
Just as he said that, Audrey raised her arm.
“I wish to buy the Murloc Cufflink.”
She actually wished to say that she wanted both. After all, the two mystical items have extremely minor negative side effects. However, considering how others might have their needs, she found it inappropriate for her to take them all. Audrey finally decided to only take Murloc Cufflink.
This could provide her a layer of illusory scales, preventing her from being easily caught. And more importantly, she didn’t know how to swim. This could effectively make up for her weakness. As for the heat and the dry weather easily causing fatigue, she wasn’t too worried about it. This was because, be it in East Chester County or Backlund, the temperature seldom exceeded 300C. The humidity was also rather high.
Seeing Miss Justice having her eyes on Murloc Cufflink, the other members wisely gave up without raising the price, allowing the trade to quickly come to an end.
Following that, Alger bought the Green Essence ring. To him, although the water domain had certain restorative spells, they were inferior to a dedicated item. As a Beyonder who often had to engage in melee battles, it was of great importance.
As for attracting mosquitoes, Alger wasn’t bothered. This was because he had illusory scales beneath his skin, preventing him from being afraid of bites.
After the transaction segment came to an end, Emlyn cleared his throat and asked a question.
Chapter 988 Joint Operation
Emlyn couldn’t help but clasp his hands together, lift up his chin, and say to Miss Magician diagonally opposite him, “I’ve already confirmed that the ancient abandoned castle in Delaire Forest is an internal test that the Sanguine had given me, having hidden the key situation.”
With that said, he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest. He no longer felt as hesitant, embarrassed due to the difficult situation he was in.
He surveyed the area and looked for Ma’am Hermit’s and Mr. Hanged Man’s reaction. He realized that they appeared to have expected it, showing no signs of surprise.
From the looks of it, they had already an idea when Miss Magician mentioned the problem with the intel… Emlyn nodded his head in secret and added before Miss Magician replied, “I’m very sorry. I will refund you the 300 pounds for the intel fee. In addition, I’ll pay you another 300 pounds. Also, I will punish the Sanguine who deliberately omitted information.”
Although Mr. Moon always wears a proud demeanor, he’s rather sincere when a mistake has been made. He didn’t find an excuse to push the blame onto… However, I’ve already obtained the ancient wraith’s cursed item and remnant spirituality, so the matter is already over. He didn’t deliberately wish to cause harm to me and Xio. There’s no need for me to get so much compensation… Fors remembered Xio’s exhortations. Without looking at her, she said, “It’s only a matter of oversight. There’s no need for compensation. Just refunding me for the intel fee is sufficient.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Just as she said that, she suddenly thought of something. Since the ancient abandoned castle was a test of the Sanguine, didn’t that mean that Xio and herself had been targeted by the Sanguine?
Fors finally couldn’t hold back as she turned to glance at Xio. She found Miss Judgment shaking her head slightly, indicating that she hadn’t discovered anyone monitoring them.
This… Fors felt puzzled and found it inexplicable.
She then allowed her thoughts to wander as she recalled the situation back then.
We did the exploration only after quite a while. The Sanguine had already lost their patience by then?
The boss of the town’s inn knew of the ancient abandoned castle. He was a Sanguine in disguise? That’s not right. Many of the locals knew of this matter. However, that place was too far away and there wasn’t anything of value left inside. That’s why, unless one was out hunting, people usually wouldn’t head in that direction…
That’s not right. If the ancient abandoned castle were that dangerous, why are the people who use it for shelter from the rain completely fine? They only describe it as creepy and a little scary? Yes, the Sanguine would usually seal off the passage that heads underground. They opened it for the test? This means that there was some form of monitoring…
Uh, because the ancient castle is too dangerous, the monitoring was done outside the forest and not inside? As Xio and I got lost, we circled around the monitors and weren’t detected?
Mr. Fool didn’t mention anything about it. It’s probably not a huge problem… More attention needs to be taken when I return!
Composite Start
Composite End
As Fors’s thoughts raced, Emlyn said after some pondering, “…Okay.”
He didn’t insist on additional compensation, because he believed that the best form of compensation was to punish Ernes Boyar instead of giving money.
Then, he waited for Miss Magician to ask about the punishment, hoping that he could take the opportunity to make an inquiry to the other Tarot Club members. He wanted to see if he could get any good suggestions.
As for Fors, upon considering that it was an internal matter for the Sanguine and that although she was a victim, Mr. Moon hadn’t offered a plan for action, she decided not to press further in consideration for his feelings. Instead, she decided to wait for the conclusion to see if it was satisfactory.
The palace that looked like a giant’s residence turned silent as the mood turned odd.
Audrey looked opposite her and glanced to the side. Pursing her lips, she “curiously” asked, “Mr. Moon, how do you plan on punishing that Sanguine?”
Phew… Emlyn silently exhaled as he subconsciously looked at The World.
“He did so because of orders from the higher-ups. I believe that this mistake isn’t something that deserves payment with his life.”
In between the lines, Emlyn was implying that Mr. World didn’t need to intervene in this matter. There was no need to escalate the matter.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing The World having no objections, Emlyn cast his gaze forward.
“I plan on leading that Sanguine to a particular cathedral of the Church of Earth Mother in Backlund.”
Having participated in so many Tarot Gatherings, even if he couldn’t be concerned about certain details, he knew the requirement of hiding matters regarding himself in the real world. Therefore, he didn’t mention the Harvest Church.
The Church of Earth Mother only has one cathedral in all of Backlund. That’s the Harvest Church! The rest are all in the outskirts and surroundings villages… Leonard held back his laughter as he looked up at the dome above.
“You wish to have the Beyonders of the Church of Earth Mother purify that Sanguine?” Fors blurted out in surprise.
From her point of view, this was no different from directly killing the person in question!
“Uh…” Emlyn was momentarily at a loss for words.
At that moment, Cattleya interrupted:
“The Church of Earth Mother has the habit of inducting the Sanguine into the church, converting their faith and making them priests or bishops.”
Composite Start
Composite End
I see… With thoughts in mind, Audrey glanced at Mr. Moon without letting him notice it.
Getting that Sanguine to become a member of the clergyman, to pray daily at the cathedral and do voluntary work, so as to cleanse the heart. He would be stuck doing this for a very long period of time… Mr. Moon’s plan for punishment is really vicious… However, I like it! That fellow nearly made me and Xio turn into ancient wraiths due to the corruptive powers behind the door… Fors instantly felt her interest piqued as she asked, “Mr. Moon, how do you plan on luring the Sanguine into the cathedral of Earth Mother? Have you worked out a plan? Perhaps I can provide some help. Uh, you have to be careful. You mustn’t enter the cathedral of Earth Mother in order to punish him. Th-that way, the only thing you can do is to request Mr. Fool for help.”
Of course, that might be something Mr. Fool wishes to happen, allowing “Him” to have someone on the inside of the Church of Earth Mother… After saying that, Fors silently added. Upon hearing that, Leonard nearly laughed out. He was extremely certain that Mr. Moon was the Harvest Church’s Emlyn White. Clearly, this Sanguine was already a priest of Earth Mother!
This is slightly akin to a drowning person pulling others in… Leonard held back his laughter, glanced at The World, and he found that his former colleague didn’t seem perturbed. He appeared extremely somber.
He couldn’t help but think, Is this the power of a Clown, or is it a state that Klein is accustomed to?
At the end of the long mottled table, The Fool Klein nearly covered his mouth.
He never expected Emlyn to be so creative!
This was a little like multi-level marketing, yet it’s a little different. After all, it’s not necessarily a good thing for Emlyn to know of that… Klein leaned back into his chair as he awaited the development with piqued interest.
He had always kept in mind Miss Justice’s advice during his last treatment session about not always wearing a thick mask. He tried his best to do so when opportunities arose so as to maintain a healthy mental state.
Upon hearing Miss Magician’s words of concern, Emlyn felt even more awkward because he went to the cathedral of Earth Mother several times a day on a daily basis. He felt uncomfortable even if he skipped the weekends.
Composite Start
Composite End
He cleared his throat and said, “I temporarily do not have a thought-out plan. I wish to get some suggestions from all of you. Yes, I hope that we do not have too intense a battle. It’s difficult to ensure that the matter doesn’t escalate, and I also do not wish for my identity to be directly exposed.
“Miss Magician, there are no problems regarding your participation, but we will absolutely not be meeting each other.”
His idea of not directly exposing his identity meant that he didn’t mind that Ernes Boyar and the other Sanguine could guess that he did it. It was a way to instill shock and awe in them, but it was best that there wasn’t any obvious evidence.
Fors tersely answered as she mimicked the other experienced members of the Tarot Club.
“First, you need to tell us what Sequence that Sanguine is roughly at and what he’s good at.”
Emlyn was already prepared as he answered, “It’s equivalent to Sequence 5. He’s quite experienced and is good at creating the effects of the full moon…”
Effects of the full moon? Fors was taken aback as she turned agape but was unable to say a word.
After Emlyn finished the introduction, Fors said with a hollow chuckle, “I recall that I have other matters to tend to. It might not be convenient for me to participate in this matter.”
When in a state similar to the full moon, she would hear Mr. Door’s ravings!
And this meant that she would instantly be heavily injured by the target, losing all her combat strength! Emlyn frowned slightly, displeased with Miss Magician’s sudden change in attitude.
At this moment, Xio, who had been listening silently, said, “I can participate. I just need a portion of the spoils.”
Miss Judgment’s tone is very firm. It’s like she wants to exact vengeance… Emlyn mumbled silently to himself and glanced at Ma’am Hermit and Mr. Hanged Man, only to discover that they temporarily had no intention of speaking. It appeared as though they wished to observe what kind of plan the Backlund members of the Tarot Club could come up with.
As this involved her friends and how it could be the first mission that the Tarot Club members would participate in at the same time, Audrey was rather intrigued. After some observation, she said in deliberation, “I can hypnotize that Sanguine, allowing him to enter the cathedral of Earth Mother himself.
“However, to not expose ourselves and to ensure a high chance of success, it’s best that he’s in a lost or half-dazed state while I hypnotize him. Mr. Moon, can you do that?”
Emlyn was summarizing his powers and items to consider a solution when Leonard suddenly laughed.
“That’s simple, but I’ll only be responsible for making that Sanguine unconscious.
“Of course, the premise is that there’s sufficient intel, and it depends on how we go about taking action.”
Just as he said that, Xio nodded and said, “I’m good at tracking and investigation. You can leave intel matters to me.
“Alright. First, Mr. Moon will have to inform me of that Sanguine’s name, address, and appearance.”
“Alright.” Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief before saying in a somewhat lost manner, “Then what’s my part in all of this? Also, what kind of payment do you want?”
Chapter 989 Mentor Alger
Upon hearing The Moon’s question, the rest of the Tarot Club members realized that the main instigator for the punishment had ended up with nothing to do!
According to the established plan, all he needed to do was provide the name, address, and appearance before waiting for the outcome. Miss Judgment was in charge of tracking and investigations to figure out the target’s patterns. Miss Justice and Mr. Star would then choose a suitable location based on the feedback before Mr. Star threw the Sanguine into an unconscious state without attracting any attention. Miss Justice would then take this opportunity to complete a hypnotism act and make the target proceed to the predetermined location.
In this entire process, there was nothing for The Moon.
Uh… Audrey deliberated and said, “Mr. Moon, what you need to do is to ensure that the hypnotized Sanguine doesn’t encounter any accidents on the way to the cathedral, without him struggling or being rescued…”
Upon saying that, Audrey suddenly realized a problem in the plan as she hurriedly added, “If that Sanguine is extremely resistant towards the Church of Mother Earth, the hypnotic effects wouldn’t be as effective. Therefore, I plan on avoiding this point if possible. I will imbue in him the thought of nabbing some target he hates so that he wouldn’t realize that he’s entering the intended cathedral during the pursuit. Uh, how about letting you be the target of his hatred? This will require you to be able to ensure your own safety while maintaining a distance without being caught.” “…It’s not a problem,” Emlyn answered after some thought
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With Duke Olmer removing the mental corruption of the Sequence 5 Artificial Vampire Beyonder characteristic, Emlyn just needed to wait till a full moon to become a viscount. That would place him equal to Ernes Boyar. And this opportunity was available next week. When that happened, he didn’t believe that he would be caught up to by a viscount just like him when he was equipped with the Ancestor’s ring
If it really won’t work, I can borrow Miss Magician’s spellbook. I recall that there are powers in the wind domain… Emlyn was rather confident.
By the side, Leonard felt a baffling sense of horror when he heard the conversation between Miss Justice and Mr. Moon.
To him, no matter how terrifying a head-on battle was, it was nothing compared to the horror of doing something that went against his own will without him realizing it.
He paused for a moment and replied to the second problem that Emlyn had raised.
“My payment is the same as Miss Judgment. I want a portion of the spoils.”
To Leonard, this entire matter required him to determine the time and location to pull the target into a dream before he left. He didn’t need to care if the operation was successful or if any accidents cropped up. It was as simple as heading to a coffee shop to order a cup of Desi coffee. The only thing that needed him to take into account was to not expose himself. Therefore, he couldn’t bring himself to ask for an advanced payment, planning to obtain a cut from the final spoils of war.
In addition, he believed that this was a necessary thing to do in order to fully blend in with the Tarot Club. He didn’t need to nitpick on such matters.
Audrey turned her head and glanced at Xio before retracting her gaze. Revealing a smile, she said, “My request is the same as Mr. Star and Miss Judgment. I’ll take a quarter of the spoils of war.”
Composite Start
Composite End
In fact, she wasn’t insistent on getting payment, because she believed that the Sanguine had bullied a Tarot Club member and her two friends. Punishing him was something she expected of herself. The reason why she took a portion of the spoils of war was to take into account Mr. Moon’s feelings. She was afraid that her voluntary help would leave the prideful Sanguine embarrassed and angry.
Furthermore, Mr. Moon doesn’t have any money, so the payment can only be the spoils of war… Audrey added silently.
Although she didn’t deliberately keep count, based on her ability to take note of details and the memory of a Spectator, she believed that Mr. Moon, who had spent 5,000 pounds to purchase the Sequence 5 Artificial Vampire Beyonder characteristic, wasn’t in the best financial state. Furthermore, he had to refund the intel fee that he earned.
Four participants, with each obtaining a piece of the spoils of war… That’s very fair… Emlyn nodded and surveyed the area.
“Any other suggestions?”
Fors asked in disbelief, “It’s that simple?
“That’s a Sanguine equivalent to a Sequence 5. The plan you came up with sounds like it would succeed very easily…”
In her mind, Sequence 5 Beyonders were the strongest among unaffiliated Beyonders. Some were even the host of gatherings. Even the powerful pirate admirals were of that Sequence, but now, in the conversation of The Star and the others, such a Sequence 5 was to be finished so simply. There didn’t seem to be any difficulties!
Upon hearing her question, Leonard thought and said, “As long as that Sanguine doesn’t have any items that resist my powers, even if he’s equivalent to a Sequence 5, I’ll definitely be able to throw him into an unconscious state for some time. It will just depend on Miss Justice to grasp this opportunity.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“If I arrange the location and make preparations ahead of time, I’ll be fine,” Audrey replied in a confirmatory tone.
She was actually a little uneasy. After all, this was her first time in battle, but her confidence over her Beyonder powers and knowledge in psychological mysticism allowed her to say those words with confidence.
After Fors heard the response, she suddenly felt her mind a little adrift.
Without realizing it, apart from Mr. World, the rest of the Tarot Club members have the ability to finish off Sequence 5 Beyonders as well…
That’s right. Miss Justice is already a Sequence 6 Hypnotist. With the cooperation of a Beyonder of the same level, there really is a relatively high chance of hypnotizing a Sequence 5 Beyonder…
Just as Emlyn felt that this matter had been settled without needing any more questions to be raised, Alger, who had been observing from the side, spoke:
“As members of a secret organization, I believe that everything needs to be considered at a deeper level.”
“Ah?” Emlyn and Leonard cast their gaze at Mr. Hanged Man with a puzzled look.
Audrey and Xio were taken aback before they realized something
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger cleared his throat and looked at Derrick.
“Since Delaire Forest’s abandoned ancient castle was a test, why isn’t the obvious Sanguine a test as well?”
Exactly… I knew that Mr. Hanged Man would’ve given a warning… The Fool Klein controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to nod. Cattleya then looked at The Hanged Man with a look of approval and agreement.
This… Emlyn’s pupils constricted, at a loss for a retort.
In an instant, he found himself too careless!
Leonard was taken aback. Immediately, he realized that he was too desultory. He had involved himself without fully understanding the details and without consideration of any latent risks.
Of course, this style had to do with his identity as an official Beyonder and its thought processes.
As expected of Mr. Hanged Man. He considers all the details with such meticulousness… Audrey, you need to build up more experience! Audrey focused on something else as she asked, “So we need to abandon the punishment and take action when the Sanguine are unable to maintain the secret surveillance?”
Alger chuckled and said, “There’s no need to. Just a few acts of misdirection would do.”
He then looked at Emlyn and said, “First, hand the investigation of the Sanguine to bounty hunters in Backlund. Use their existence to hide Miss Judgment’s actions. Second, when determining the location, try to do it near an orthodox deity’s cathedral. This will effectively disrupt any subsequent divinations. Third, before Miss Justice and the others take action, you have to do something that leaves one suspicious but is nothing eye-catching. Make it seem like you will be exacting revenge somewhere else so as to attract the ‘eyeballs’ of the secret monitor away; thus, creating the desired opportunity. This is combined with the first point. Fourth, only after the Sanguine is successfully hypnotized do you become the bait.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Having said that, Alger paused.
“If there’s the addition of anti-divination and anti-prophecy at the demigod level, this entire matter will be flawless.
“Of course, Miss Justice, Mr. Star, you must be disguised during the operation, without leaving behind any traces.”
This speech left most of the members taken aback, especially Derrick. He couldn’t help show his respect and amazement.
Although he had no means of participating in this punishment operation, as a member of the Tarot Club, he couldn’t help but be concerned and pensive about such matters that required a clear line of thought. He hadn’t noticed any problems with the original plan of Mr. Moon and company, so now, he couldn’t help but be impressed by Mr. Hanged Man’s ability in such matters!
Emlyn thought and said, “You mean that I should use a superficial form of punishment to hide Miss Justice’s and Mr. Star’s secret operation? “It’s like… It’s like I would make it appear that I’ll take action in a particular corner of a square after the target leaves a coffee shop, attracting all the attention, but in actual fact, Miss Justice and company would have already completed the hypnosis inside the coffee shop without anyone realizing it?”
Alger nodded gently.
“That’s right.”
I learned something new! Mr. Hanged Man really is an experienced Beyonder! Audrey felt overjoyed receiving an epiphany.
“The problem now is where are we to find an item or charm with anti-divination and anti-prophecy effects at the demigod level?” Leonard also felt that he had enriched himself greatly as he asked.
He wasn’t too worried about himself since he had an angel grandpa in him.
Fors made an utterance before saying, “I can lend out Leymano’s Travels. On it there’s Angel’s Embrace. I can also take one portion of the spoils of
war.”
As she said that, she secretly glanced at The World Gehrman Sparrow, heaving a sigh of relief when he saw the gentleman silent.
Unbeknownst to her, The Fool Klein had a very simple thought: Angel’s Embrace… That sounds so much better than Paper Angel…
With the punishment operation finally confirmed, Audrey didn’t hesitate as she surveyed the area.
“I met the Psychology Alchemists’s councilor, Hvin Rambis, last week.”
What? Hvin Rambis is a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists? Leonard sat up in surprise. He had the urge to immediately report it to the archbishop and gather a team to arrest him.
It was an occupation hazard.
Chapter 990 Inner Fears
Almost instinctively, Leonard looked around the table and realized that none of the other Tarot Club members showed any hint of surprise. Instead, they were listening attentively.
They knew of it long ago? That’s right. This is only my second gathering. I haven’t had the chance to learn about many things… The secrets that get exchanged here sure are plentiful… Leonard retracted his gaze and returned to his original sitting posture.
After a slight pause, Audrey glanced at Xio, who sat two seats away from her, before casting her gaze at Mr. Hanged Man. She continued, “He attempted to cue me to interact with different nobles and understand their true attitude over different matters. I would then inform him of them. Thankfully, Mr. Fool had provided me with the blessings of an angel. So I wasn’t influenced in any way. Uh, what should I do next?”
You can even get blessings from an angel? Leonard looked around in surprise once more, only to see no reaction from the other members of the Tarot Club.
Obviously, he wasn’t surprised that Mr. Fool had a few angels in existence under “Him.” After all, the name and title corresponding to Death Consul was one that he had heard numerous times.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He was just surprised that the Tarot Club members were able to pray for assistance at that level. He viewed this secret organization in a new light, finding it more impressive.
Meanwhile, Xio keenly caught onto a few keywords:
Noble… Psychology Alchemists…
Combining it with the blonde hair, emerald-green eyes of Miss Justice’s blurry figure, she began to connect it to a particular friend: Audrey Hall!
However, she couldn’t be sure because blonde hair, black hair, blue eyes, and green eyes were common among the Loen nobles. People just had different combinations. Besides, no one knew how many members the Psychology Alchemists had developed in the noble circles. Therefore, Xio couldn’t directly point it at Miss Audrey from the traits she noticed.
As she tried to do a deeper level of observation, Alger had said, “There’s no need to pay too much attention to this. The various orthodox Churches will provide protective measures to their believers with a rather important status. They will prevent them from being assassinated or hypnotized. This comes from experience that has been built up over a thousand years of history. It wouldn’t be that easily overcome. From another angle, if the Psychology Alchemists really can control the nobles that simply by hypnotizing them, the ones ruling the country wouldn’t be the royal family and the three Churches. Clearly, reality is in conflict with that.
“Yes, just as you said, Hvin Rambis only gave you a cue to observe the true attitudes of the different nobles on different matters. This means that he’s holding himself back greatly, afraid of doing anything too overboard. It’s to prevent himself from leaving behind any clues. In addition, your true status among the nobles should just be in the periphery. You have no way of directly involving yourself in various political matters. Therefore, in contrast, the protection and monitoring over you wouldn’t be too strict. This is also why Hvin Rambis targeted you.”
Mr. Hanged Man’s analysis is really detailed… Although he often taught Little Sun and the others, he would secretly gain something during the process, wishing that he could get more useful information from the feedback. However, there’s none of that this time. Hmm, it’s the same for the suggestions for the punishment operation from before as well… On careful thought, his change has been happening for quite some time. It just wasn’t too obvious in the past. I even missed out on it… Audrey’s professionalism stirred up as she quickly did a mental analysis of The Hanged Man.
She quickly had a theory, suspecting that Mr. Hanged Man was trying to transform his standing within the Tarot Club!
Composite Start
Composite End
Ever since Ma’am Hermit joined the Tarot Club and showcased her resources and channels at sea, Mr. Hanged Man has been unknowingly been searching to transform himself in a bid to distinguish himself from her… Before problems cropped up with the Artisan, this transformation wasn’t that obvious. Even Mr. Hanged Man didn’t realize it himself. It was only recently that he seemed to finally come to a realization and thought it to be true… Indeed, to maintain one’s standing in the Tarot Club, the raising of one’s strength is one aspect, but providing help to the entire group is another aspect… Audrey’s mind raced as she turned her attention back to the topic at hand.
She pondered for a moment and subconsciously, her tone turned heavy.
“Does this also mean that the orthodox Churches will have certain levels of surveillance, control, and guidance for the important nobles?”
This was something that she had thought about while in the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation’s office.
She had subconsciously drawn a scene that represented her concerns on this matter!
In psychology, elements she drew out in such a state often didn’t point to something particular. It was more like an abstract expression. The “cold eyes” mostly represented her fear for people monitoring and controlling her and her family.
Combining it with her subconscious drawing, her worry of Hvin Rambis’s cueing, and the celebrant of the Mass at the Church of Evernight her parents attended being Backlund’s archbishop, Audrey’s interpretation was that not only was she afraid of the hypnosis and cues of the Psychology Alchemists, but she had also become fearful of the othordox Churches. She couldn’t be sure if they would directly use their Beyonder powers to imbue thoughts into aristocratic believers with high standings, so as to guide them into doing actions that violated their true will.
This was sacrilegious and rebellious to Audrey, who had received an orthodox education from a young age. Therefore, she had tensed up back then, immediately burning that drawing.
After hearing Miss Justice’s question, Alger scoffed.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Isn’t that very normal? When living in human society, one has to accept a certain level of surveillance, control, and guidance.
“I know what you’re afraid of, but think about it. Compare someone using their power conferred from their standing, using money and weapons to control and guide others, to using Beyonder powers to do something similar. In essence, is there any difference?
“The difference is that one knows that they don’t wish to do it but ends up having to do it; the other is that they do not even have the thoughts of being unwilling to do it.”
Audrey nodded and said, “Yes, this means the loss of freedom of one’s mind and thoughts. It’s the most terrifying.”
Alger chuckled once more.
“How can there be a completely free mind and thoughts? By choosing your faith and beliefs, you’re naturally bound by your faith and beliefs. Yes, let’s focus only on the Loen Kingdom. The three Churches are equal, and together with the royal family, this creates a balance between each other. If the Church of Storms goes overboard towards its believers, that believer can easily convert their faith to the Church of Evernight. Therefore, under most situations, the orthodox Churches will tend to use their standing and beliefs as a religion to guide important believers instead of using Beyonder powers.”
Balance… Audrey pondered over this term. She came to a new realization of the kingdom’s upper circles and the entire world. This was something she had come into contact with before but had never deeply understood the word.
At this moment, many of her thoughts matured.
“Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Hanged Man.” Audrey sincerely addressed him with an honorary title. “Then, how should I deal with Hvin Rambis?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Alger calmly said, “The problem with him isn’t anything to panic about. You fully have the ability to run circles around him. You can provide him unimportant information while keeping the core secrets to heart. You can seek this opportunity to obtain potion formulas and even their Beyonder ingredients.
“After some time, when there are corresponding changes, you can consider switching strategies. Of course, you can’t be too careless. Duke Negan is an example of this mistake.”
Just as he said that, sitting at the bottom of the long mottled table, The World Gehrman Sparrow glanced at Miss Justice. He said with a hoarse smile, “When the time comes, even if Hvin Rambis were to die, no one will suspect you.”
Even if Hvin Rambis were to die… die… He’s a demigod… Mr. World has plans of attacking Hvin Rambis? Uh, it’s possible. He has always been investigating Cuarón’s suicide case. He was even the one who informed me of Hvin Rambis’s true identity… Audrey’s eyes widened slightly as she felt perturbed.
Even when she hated and felt the most fear towards Hvin Rambis, she had never had thoughts of killing this Psychology Alchemists councilor. All she considered was the means to avoid being guided. On the one hand, it was because she didn’t have such thoughts, and on the other hand, it was because he was a demigod.
This meant the top-ranking power in the kingdom and Churches!
“I understand what needs to be done. Thank you, all of you.” Audrey drew a breath and politely thanked them.
…Klein sure sounds bombastic these days. Yes, he even wishes to get rid of Amon’s avatars in Backlund. Hvin Rambis is really nothing… Leonard looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow with mixed feelings.
Cattleya and company also remained silent.
With the topic of the Psychology Alchemists coming to an end, Klein controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to make him look towards himself.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Honorable Mr. Fool, I wish to communicate privately with Mr. Star.”
Klein temporarily didn’t wish to let the other members of the Tarot Club learn about the eradication of Amon’s avatars. It wouldn’t be good for keeping the matter confidential, and it might lead them to be targeted by Amon.
“Sure.” The Fool Klein naturally didn’t deny his own request.
As Leonard was feeling poignant at the possibility of private communication, he informed Klein of the main points in Pallez Zoroast’s reply. It also included the problem of the Worm of Time Beyonder characteristics loss.
This made Klein suddenly realize how he could use his Worms of Spirit to create charms and bullets.
Split off a few and kill them. When the characteristic contained in them return to my body, the remaining material can also be used like a Worm of Time!
The only problem is that killing Worms of Spirit deals a certain level of damage to myself. After all, each Worm of Spirit contains a part of my Spirit Body. Yes, I have to limit the number each time. Only after I fully recover can I do it again… In thought, Klein got The World Gehrman Sparrow to reply, “I will try my best to confirm if a blessing of Concealment is possible before I give you an answer.
“If there’s no problem, we can attempt to seek out Sealed Artifacts of the Marauder pathway at the demigod level. Of course, I will try to think of the means to identify the grafting of fate.”
Klein wasn’t sure if “observation” from above the gray fog would allow him to see the truth of fate, just like how he was able to see his believers being parasitized. Hence, he planned on using the Paper crane to contact Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin and gain his expert opinion.
“Alright.” As Leonard grumbled about how Old Man would’ve recovered further if demigod-level Sealed Artifacts at the Marauder pathway were that easy to find, he nodded slightly in response.
Chapter 991 A Ritual Without A “Reply”
After ending the private communication, Klein made The World Gehrman Sparrow look at Cattleya.
“Please inform Queen Mystic that I wish to meet her to talk about something. The exact time and location is up to her.”
Queen Mystic? So Ma’am Hermit represents the royals above the Five Seas… Leonard was first taken aback before he came to a realization.
What’s the matter? Cattleya frowned slightly in a wary manner.
“I will forward her your intentions, but I cannot provide any guarantees over her agreement.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Okay.” The World Gehrman Sparrow nodded simply, indicating that it was fine.
At this moment, Derrick finally had an opportunity as he asked, “Everyone…”
He glanced at Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. World before continuing, “The ritual needed for me to advance to Priest of Light requires pure darkness. I need to bury my entire body in ice that usually doesn’t melt. In the City of Silver, such ice isn’t difficult to find. However, how do we create pure but safe darkness?”
So that’s the Priest of Light’s advancement ritual. Little Sun sure is honest and simple… Due to her lack of experience and knowledge, Audrey was unable to provide any substantial suggestions. All she could do was cast her eyes at the person she believed was capable of resolving the problem: The World Mr. Gehrman Sparrow.
And at this moment, The World raised his hands to pinch his temples. As for The Fool Klein, he was rapidly trying to think of a solution.
Sigh, if this were the outside world, pure darkness is extremely easy to obtain. Ice that normally doesn’t melt would be the most troublesome thing to obtain, but the City of Silver is the complete opposite… There, darkness is too dangerous. Just being within it will result in one’s disappearance or suffering the attacks of strange monsters…
I can get Leonard to provide charms from the Evernight domain, and then I can stir some of the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. Using Little Sun’s prayers, I can provide an area of artificial darkness. But the problem lies in me being unable to determine if this would bring the normal danger that the City of Silver encounters. This is not something that can be answered with divination. When matters do not involve myself, I can only determine if a matter is dangerous or not, or when matters should be done. And under such situations, there are too many elements involved, and the sources of danger are diverse…
Yes, I’ll summon Arrodes later and ask it…
Klein had previously been considering the problem over Little Sun’s advancement, but he had never been able to find an answer.
Composite Start
Composite End
Seeing The World silent, Leonard, who had originally wanted to say that “creating pure darkness is extremely easy” slowly shut his mouth. He began pondering over The Sun’s words and caught notice of a word that he had ignored: Safe!
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, in the City of Silver, darkness is equivalent to danger? Leonard roughly grasped the key idea, but due to his lack of understanding, he was unable to provide any suggestions.
Finally, it was Alger who spoke.
He glanced at Derrick and said, “I will help you gather information and seek out solutions. But in the process, you might need to provide some help to confirm that it can be done.”
“No problem!” Derrick answered without any hesitation.
Right on the heels of that, he added, “There’s no need to rush it. I still have about a month before I can finish digesting my Notary potion.”
Alger nodded gently, indicating that this wasn’t something that needed any reminders.
At this moment, Cattleya deliberated for a moment and said to Derrick, “Perhaps we can consider this problem from another angle. Your advancement ritual wouldn’t last too long. We can simply increase the time you can survive in pure darkness to resolve this matter.
“I remember that you’ve mentioned that after being left in darkness with zero light, there are two dangers. The first would be the attacks from strange monsters that come from unknown origins, and the second would be a baffling instance of disappearance that is akin to evaporating.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“The former situation is easy to resolve. You can make a request to your Chief for certain Sealed Artifacts, or you can get him to stand guard by your side. As for the second case, I don’t know enough. You can attempt to ask your Chief.”
Derrick thought about it carefully and suddenly felt that this was a viable train of thought with a rather significant chance of success.
He immediately replied in pleasant surprise, “Thank you, Ma’am Hermit.”
The exchange and learning session continued until the gathering slowly came to an end. Seeing that it was almost done, The Fool Klein rapped gently on the table’s corner.
“Let’s end it here for today.”
“Your wish is our will!” Audrey and company stood up and bowed reverently.
After they vanished from above the gray fog, Klein left the area and returned to the real world.
He first took out his wallet and got the paper crane which was folded by Will Auceptin. Spreading it across the table, he picked up a pencil and simply wrote: “There’s something!”
After folding the paper crane and stuffing it under his pillow, Klein got into bed and genuinely took an afternoon nap.
Composite Start
Composite End
In his hazy dream, he once again saw the pitch-black plains and the towering steeple.
Passing through the plains and through the wooden doors, Klein arrived at the familiar corner.
A black pram came out of the thick shadows as Will Auceptin, wrapped in silver silk, sucked at his right thumb and derided angrily, “You are getting more and more impolite!”
Klein laughed dryly and said, “With our relationship, there’s no need for such pleasantries, right?”
Will Auceptin harrumphed and said, “Speak, what’s the matter?”
“This is the thing; I recently encountered Amon’s avatar,” Klein said directly.
The baby’s mouth widened a little as though he was about to cry. It took him great effort to control himself as he said, “I haven’t been born for more than a month!”
“…There’s nothing I need from you. I only wish to ask you a question,” Klein quickly added.
Will Auceptin raised his fleshy arm and waved it.
“What is it?”
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein immediately said with a smile, “Amon’s avatar can steal the destiny of others and appear while replacing their identities. I wish to know how I can see through such a terrifying matter.”
Will Auceptin chuckled as he pointed up at the sky with his index finger.
“Pray for help.”
From the looks of it, using the powers of the gray fog can be used to discover the grafting of destiny… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he felt even more certain.
When he thought of the word “using,” he was referring to using his marionette to pray to The Fool while he entered above the gray fog. Through the point of light representing his believer, he could survey the surrounding area to seek out any abnormalities. In a sense, this was equivalent to The Fool’s observation, an equivalent to an augmented “true vision.”
But the problem is that I can’t stay above the gray fog to observe for grafting all the time. It might be the case that, in between two of the observation periods, Amon could’ve entered Böklund Street and have done something… Klein thought before asking with some deliberation:
“Anything you would like to remind me of?”
Will Auceptin turned his head away without looking at him as he mumbled, “You have to visit me and my parents once this week. During high tea…”
“No problem!” Klein agreed without any hesitation.
Only then did the baby turn his head back and giggle.
“Next week, around Wednesday or Thursday, there might be some changes in your destiny.”
Is that so… Klein nodded in thought as he watched the black pram slowly retreat into the shadows.
After waking up from his dream, he packed up his items and began setting up an altar without any rest.
This time, the target of his prayer was the Evernight Goddess “Herself,” and not Artificial Death. This was to prevent Amon from prying upon the source of the stirring via the changes in destiny and, thus, noticing something wrong.
How could the Evernight’s Blessed be praying to Artificial Death?
After setting up the ritual, Klein wiped his face and turned into the cold-looking Gehrman Sparrow, causing his height to drop a little lower.
After igniting the first two candles in front, Klein made the ordinary candle representing “himself” burn with a yellow flame. There were two candles in front. One was a candle made of night vanilla and slumber flower to represent Evernight, and the other was a candle made up of white chestnut flowers and wild rose to represent “Concealment.”
Following that, he created a wall of spirituality, dripped Full Moon Essential Oil, and burned some herbal powder that pleased the goddess. Bit by bit, he completed the ritual.
Towards the end, Klein took two steps back, activated his Spirit Vision, and chanted softly, “I pray for the power of the dark night.
“I pray for the power of the mystery.
“I pray for the Goddess’s loving grace.
“…I encountered Blasphemer Amon’s avatar in Backlund. He was gathering the characteristics of a Marauder pathway demigod…
“…I seek for the blessings of Concealment so as to complete the mission of eradicating the Blasphemer’s avatars…
“Night vanilla, a herb that belongs to the red moon, please pass my supplication to the Goddess! “Moon flower, a herb that belongs to the red moon, please pass my supplication to the Goddess!”
After he was done chanting, Klein patiently waited for a while, but nothing happened. There wasn’t any reply.
This… The Goddess is in a critical period of gaining control over the Death pathway’s Uniqueness and is unable to respond beyond anything normal? Should I try to pray to Artificial Death? After all, if there are the blessings of Concealment, Amon wouldn’t be able to see it. If it doesn’t, then the source of stirring destiny wouldn’t point to me… Klein frowned little by little as he ended the ritual and cleared the altar.
He felt that he needed to find other solutions.
After he finished clearing the desk and turned around, prepared to head for the reclining chair, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him!
The figure wore a simple linen robe with signs of patching. By the figure’s waist was a belt made of tree bark. Raven-black hair cascaded down freely as the figure’s feet didn’t wear any socks or shoes, making them covered in dust and wounds.
It was a lady. She had extremely normal facial features. Her ghostly black eyes were no different from the common person, but just looking at her left Klein feeling a sense of extreme peace and serenity. Even though feelings of alarm rose up within him, they were unable to overpower the peacefulness.
Chapter 992 Arrodes’s Congratulations
“You are?” Klein asked in a rather complicated state of calmness.
The lady in a simple robe nodded and said, “Arianna, Servant of Concealment.”
Servant of Concealment… Arianna… Klein’s eyes constricted, as he knew who the lady was.
As a former Nighthawk, how could he not be aware of the name “Arianna”?
She was the Evernight Cloister’s matron, head of the thirteen archbishops, a likely candidate for the future Pope. Regardless of which identity she had, she was part of the general knowledge that couldn’t be avoided in religious studies and mysticism!
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
As for the name, Servant of Concealment, Klein had read about it in Emperor Roselle’s diary. Considering the similar name of Attendant of Mysteries, he suspected that this pointed to an angel. Meanwhile, based on the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation, with a Sequence o in existence, it meant that Attendant of Mysteries couldn’t be a Sequence 1 angel. Therefore, Klein believed that the Servant of Concealment was likely Sequence 2 of the Evernight pathway.
This… It isn’t that the Goddess didn’t reply, but that she used a very special way to respond… “She” directly sent her servant over… Klein felt mixed emotions that could hardly be described.
He fell silent for a few seconds before giving a solemn bow.
“Good afternoon, Your Eminence.”
In the various Churches, if a demigod at the angel level walked the land, there was a need to address them as “Your Eminence” as a show of respect. Likewise, towards the pontiff, pope, and chief shepherd-representatives of the deities-one had to use “Your Holiness.” In addition, a Church’s head was synonymous with the Holy See or Apostolic See. Of course, many a time, the Holy See could also represent the Church’s headquarters itself.
Arianna tapped her chest four times in a clockwise fashion and replied in a pious manner, “May the Goddess bless you.”
She then said, “I’m an ascetic. You can just call me Ma’am.”
“Yes, Ma’am Arianna.” Klein didn’t insist.
Arianna looked at him calmly for two seconds and directly asked, “You plan to deal with Blasphemer Amon’s avatars in Backlund?”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Yes, I wish to obtain the blessings of Concealment,” Klein frankly replied.
At this moment, he felt a little stumped because this was different from what he expected.
He originally expected the Goddess to answer by blessing him. Then, he and Pallez Zoroast could join forces to wipe out all of Amon’s avatars in Backlund. During this process, it wouldn’t expose Leonard or the Marauder pathway angel. But now, with the blessings becoming something corporeal that would be involved in the battle, Pallez Zoroast would be immediately be discovered once “He” took action. When that happened, it was hard to predict what would ensue!
Don’t tell me I don’t need to ally with Pallez Zoroast? I’ll only get “Him” to provide intel and then split some of the spoils of war? Klein’s thoughts rapidly ran through his mind as Arianna spoke unhurriedly:
“I can provide the power of Concealment to shield everything that happens from the prying of fate. However, I cannot guarantee that I can eliminate all of Amon’s avatars in Backlund.”
Pallez Zoroast said that “He” has the means of doing so… The person who understands Amon the best is indeed a Sequence 1 of the same pathway… Klein thought and said, “Ma’am Arianna, I have already come up with a well-thought-out plan. All you need is to provide the power of Concealment. You do not need to be involved in the actual battle. Leave the rest to me.”
Arianna nodded and raised her right arm as she spread her palm.
Points of light lit up, profound and resplendent as they quickly outlined an emblem in her palm.
This emblem was completely crystallized, as though it was made of obsidian. It made one realize its existence when looking at it, but it appeared to vanish when not looking at it.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“This is my Evernight coat of arms. It doesn’t possess any characteristics or power by itself. The only use is that, when triggered, it will establish a connection with me, regardless of where you are in the real world,” Arianna explained simply. “Before you begin your operation, remember to use it. I will provide you with the power of Concealment. If you need more direct assistance, use ancient Hermes to chant ‘Arianna’ when triggering it.” This is equivalent to an itemized altar and ritual that points to her… Oh, at the level of angel, the range of responding to prayers has extended to the entire world? Klein instantly grasped the true nature of the Evernight coat of arms.
As a Bizarro Sorcerer, he did not have the means to reply to prayers. This was a trait that could be obtained only at Sequence 3. Of course, as Sea God and The Fool, he was very well-versed in such matters.
Klein didn’t stand on ceremony as he accepted it and bowed sincerely.
“Thank you.”
After saying that, he tapped four spots in a clockwise manner on his chest, forming the sign of the crimson moon.
“Praise the Lady!”
This way, he could still join forces with Pallez Zoroast. As long as he triggered the Evernight coat of arms without using ancient Hermes to chant Arianna’s name, everything would be fine.
“Praise the Lady,” Arianna replied piously.
Her figure then vanished as though she had been erased by an eraser.
Composite Start
Composite End
This is a departure by entering a concealed state? Klein pursed his lips in thought.
Meanwhile, he was filled with suspicion over Arianna’s swift arrival. After all, the Evernight pathway wasn’t well-versed in methods such as teleport. To go from Winter County all the way to Backlund required a significant amount of time.
My ritual isn’t the kind that prays for a direct descent… Could it be that Ma’am Arianna happened to be in the vicinity, in the Backlund diocese? Isn’t that too much a coincidence? If it isn’t one, it only serves to exacerbate the problem. What is “She” doing in Backlund? The undercurrents are stirring… Klein retracted his gaze and patiently waited a while before turning back into Dwayne Dantès.
He found a pen and some paper once again and drew the symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying.
When the final stroke was written, the full-body mirror in the master bedroom produced a dark but pure light, as though a silent undercurrent was surging out from the bottom of a lake.
Right on the heels of that, fireworks appeared, bursting in the sky.
Colors of gold, silver, red, and blue exploded as words formed in the mirror:
“Welcome back, Great Master!
“Your humble servant, Arrodes, has witnessed the retrieval of a portion of your authority. I’m thrilled that you are gradually recovering your aura. You will eventually return to your supreme position and make the entire world turn silent under your watch!”
This is really… passionate… There’s always something new… Klein nodded in silence.
Composite Start
Composite End
Amidst the fireworks, those words dissipated and formed into a new sentence:
“Great Master, what instructions do you have for me?”
“I have a question,” Klein said calmly. “In a place where being in darkness can result in danger, how should one create a safe but pure darkness? There are two kinds of dangers involved. One, it will make a person directly vanish in the darkness, and two, it will cause strange monsters to appear and attack.”
The fireworks in the full-body mirror calmed down as aqueous light rippled. Silver words surfaced one after another:
“Great Master, are you referring to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?”
This magic mirror actually knows quite a lot. He also gave me a free question in passing… Klein nodded and said, “That’s right.”
Without any breaks in between, Arrodes’s full-body mirror produced new lines of Loenese text:
“The formation of the Forsaken Land of the Gods is related to the second Creator’s fall. The danger of night there stems from the transformation of two essential powers.
“First, it’s the remnants of the Evernight Goddess’s divine powers. Second, it’s the influence left behind by the Creator. “He” wielded partial authority over shadows, darkness, fallen, corruption, and mutation. The former makes creatures vanish into thin air, while the latter produced monsters in the darkness.
So the two types of dangers stem from different powers. It’s no wonder that there’s such huge differences… Arrodes called the ancient sun god the second Creator… This is very close to my theory… Amon’s and Adam’s father isn’t the reawakening of the original Creator, but a transmigrator who inherited a huge “inheritance”? Klein asked in thought, “In that case, the Evernight Goddess was involved in the fall of the second Creator?”
This was something Klein had vaguely expected. This was from the trait of humans evaporating in the darkness of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. It was very similar to the strange disappearances if one didn’t sleep at night in the ruins of the battle of the gods. And based on Little Sun’s description, King of Demonic Wolves, Flegrea, who wielded control over the Evernight and Concealment authorities, had long perished in the Second Epoch. It was impossible that “He” had done it.
Therefore, unless there was another deity of the Evernight pathway born in the middle, it was difficult for the two abnormalities to not have the Evernight Goddess involved.
On the surface of the mirror, the silver light rapidly converged forming a short sentence:
“That’s right.”
That’s right… Klein was just about to press on when he immediately shut up. He had just recalled one of his identities—Blessed of the Evernight. Therefore, even without anyone watching him, he had to show respect to the deity and not seek out relevant secrets. Of course, time in the mysterious space above the gray fog was excluded.
He was just about to focus on the main question from before to urge Arrodes to list out solutions when he saw the silver words in the full-body mirror change:
“Great Master, your loyal servant, Arrodes, wishes a small favor from you. C-can we not discuss matters regarding the Evernight Goddess?”
At the end of the question, a simple stick figure was drawn.
Just as I wished… Klein deliberately pondered for two seconds and said, “Okay.”
The silver swirls on the surface of the mirror immediately turned brisk as words began taking form:
“As for the question you asked, there are two solutions:
“One is to accept the corruption and let oneself transform into monsters of the darkness. The reason why these creatures do not vanish into thin air during the night is because they have received the protection of the ‘Fallen’ authority. This way, all the darkness is equivalent to safety.
“The second is to create a darkness that comes with the dream world. This will allow the Spirit Body to receive the protection of the dream; thus, slowing down the encroachment of danger at night.”
Chapter 993 Another Possibility
Allowing the Spirit Body to receive protection of a dream to slow down the encroachment of danger at night… This is similar to the necessity to sleep when night fell in the ruins of the battlefield of the gods…
Also, the powers in the Forsaken Land of the Gods likely isn’t under the Goddess’s control. Once one vanishes in the darkness over there, they definitely won’t enter the foggy town… Where will it point towards? Or would they stay in the same spot, unable to interact with companions and the real world until they die of starvation or old age… After reading Arrodes’s reply, Klein was somewhat enlightened as he roughly grasped the crux of the issue.
However, he felt that this wasn’t necessarily useful, because The Sun only required pure darkness so that he could be buried in ice that normally wouldn’t melt to consume the Priest of Light potion. Once he entered a dream, there was no way for him to control his own body to complete that critical step. That way, even if he could remain in the darkness for prolonged periods of time, it would be meaningless.
Yes, I’ll wait until Little Sun asks the chief of the City of Silver before coming up with an actual plan based on his answer… Of course, before that, I can try to get a corresponding solution from Leonard to figure out how to create darkness with a temporary dreamworld… Klein nodded slightly, acknowledging the answer provided by the magic mirror.
As for the first option of accepting corruption and turning into a monster in the darkness, it wasn’t even considered. In the extraordinary world, this was equivalent to committing suicide which almost couldn’t be reversed.
Upon considering how he still had one question left to ask, Klein deliberated and asked, “Where can I obtain the potion formula of the Seer pathway’s Sequence 3, Scholar of Yore?”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
The full-body mirror’s surface had aqueous light ripple once again as it reflected a dark cathedral without any natural light.
Klein found this scene very familiar as he immediately recalled what it represented—this was where Zaratul, who had turned into a monster, hid!
However, this time, deep inside the cathedral, the cluster of blurry and huge maggots were no longer present.
Just as Klein’s pupils dilated, the silver words appeared beneath the scene depiction:
“Great Master, Zaratul has vanished!
“I can’t find ‘Him’!”
Vanished… Klein momentarily forgot to breathe.
Although he had long known of Zaratul’s return, since he was the one who began the chain reaction by opening the door to the foggy town, he never expected this big shot to secretly leave the cathedral; “His” whereabouts becoming unknown!
Even Arrodes is unable to locate “Him”… What is “He” plotting? The more Klein thought, the more a chill ran down his back.
Composite Start
Composite End
Having become a Sequence 4 demigod, he could confirm one thing:
His control over the mysterious world above the gray fog was still insufficient. He could temporarily only converge the leaking specialness that it had augmented him with in the real world, making it difficult for Beyonders of corresponding pathways to see it, but it was unable to repress the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence. As for the gray fog, it had proven time and time again that he had an invisible form of attraction towards Beyonders of the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway. Amongst them, the effects on the Seer pathway was most evident!
Besides, I myself am quite an attractive Sequence 4 Bizarro Sorceror. It’s not impossible for Zaratul to suddenly come to Backlund one day… Klein maintained a deadpan expression and said to the full-body mirror that was switching scenes, “Got it.”
Antigonus presented another scene which Klein was equally familiar with. It was the Antigonus family’s “treasure trove” at the peak of the Hornacis mountain range.
Below this scene, silver words quickly surfaced once again:
“Great Master, there’s another possibility, but I can’t tell. I just know that it’s easier than the first two.”
The Antigonus family’s notebook isn’t there this time? That’s right. It will lead the wielder to the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range to seek out the Antigonus family’s treasure trove. It’s basically the same as the previous option… What’s the possibility that even Arrodes can’t tell? Based on what I know about the factions in control of the Seer pathway, it’s implying that I should pray to the Goddess for it? The Goddess is the Mother of Concealment, so “She” can choose whether Arrodes can see it or not… Klein’s thoughts scattered and quickly made a connection.
Of course, he didn’t believe that directly praying for the Scholar of Yore potion formula would allow him to get it. It was too ridiculous, as though it was child’s play.
From his experience as a Nighthawk, he suspected that he might need to make enough contributions before he could obtain the Scholar of Yore potion formula from the Evernight Goddess via a ritual.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Making enough contributions… This sure is a familiar phrase… Klein sighed as he began having some ideas.
Clearly, he had hints on how to do so-handle the Artificial Death faction of the Numinous Episcopate!
However, Klein suspected that the Goddess only had up to the Scholar of Yore Sequence for the Seer pathway potion formulas, and not the subsequent ones at the angel level. This was because the Antigonus family’s angel didn’t perish immediately back then but had hidden in a secret palace, losing control to become a monster and was in a half-sealed state. In addition, The Fool card was also there and hadn’t been retrieved yet.
At this moment, Klein had the intention of asking about Amon’s avatars, but he suddenly recalled that within the memories of the rat demigod, the warning about the Marauder pathway angel and Amon had been given by this very mirror!
As his thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein narrowed his eyes, looked at the full-body mirror, and nodded.
“Alright, that’s it for today. Head back. If there’s anything in the future, I’ll summon you again.”
“Yes, Master! Goodbye, Master~ Your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is constantly waiting to return to your side!” Light gathered on the mirror’s surface, depicting a stick figure waving its hand.
After everything returned to normal, Klein turned around and picked up the paper with the previously drawn symbol. With a snap of his fingers, he made it burst into scarlet flames.
The ash floated down as he spread open his left hand. In it were two maggots shimmering with solid mysterious symbols.
Composite Start
Composite End
The two maggots squirmed gently, using their lifeforce to fill the entire bedroom with madness and bizarreness. The surrounding lights then dimmed and brightened from time to time in a non-uniform fashion. They were none other than the Worms of Spirit which Klein had separated from himself.
Suddenly, Klein reached out his right palm, suddenly pressing them towards the two transparent maggots.
Instantly, his palm paused, just short of touching the Worms of Spirit. He raised his palm again, lowering it only to pause. He repeated this several times until he finally exerted his strength with a deadpan expression.
Amidst an invisible and illusory cracking sound, his head suddenly felt a stabbing pain.
This made his soul feel like it was being ripped apart. It was even more painful than encountering a gunshot or a slash wound.
Klein used his Clown powers to control the twitching of his facial muscles. After a few seconds, he raised his right hand to rub his temples, inwardly mumbling, Indeed, the death of every Worm of Spirit deals damage to the Spirit Body. My current limit is six. Hmm, I’ll temporarily stop trying. Let’s see how long it takes to recover.
Thankfully, this is a tolerable matter. Otherwise, it would be dangerous if a marionette is destroyed while the Worm of Spirit isn’t able to be collected in time due to an intense battle…
Yes, it’s different from Amon’s Worms of Time avatars. A Bizarro Sorcerer’s Worms of Spirit will not necessarily die when a marionette is destroyed. Most of the time, a Bizarro Sorcerer is able to retrieve them in time. It’s because the distance between the body and the marionette isn’t that exaggerated…
After confirming the situation, and waiting for the Beyonder characteristics contained within the Worms of Spirit to return to himself, Klein rummaged for some materials and set up a ritual to pray to The Fool.
After a series of tasks, Klein used the carcasses of two Worms of Spirit, two silver plates, and the complicated symbol which he had previously recorded down to make two silver-black bullets-of which the latter came from Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin.
Composite Start
Composite End
The two bullets were carved with strange, indescribable patterns. They kept extending inwards as though they were coming together in the middle at one point. Their entire bodies were gloomy but not dark. Just one look at it made one’s thoughts sluggish.
Klein flicked a gold coin and used divination, together with his spiritual intuition, to swiftly determine the abilities of the two bullets—the target would immediately enter a state of paralysis upon being hit!
The length of time that one was left in this state depended on the potency of one’s Spirit Body. Even Sequence 3 saints would be in a state of stiffness for a second or two!
This already exceeds my powers. Of course, the premise is that contact can be made. Oh, this is a result of the gray fog’s augmentation… These two bullets should be at the same level as the Fate Siphon charms. Although my Worms of Spirit can’t be compared to Amon’s and Pallez’s Worms of Time, the amount of power I can now draw from the mysterious space above the gray fog is clearly superior to what I could do in the past… I shall call them, uh-Control Spirit Bullets… Klein drew Death Knell from his underarm holster, snapped open the cylinder wheel, and stuffed the two silver-black Control Spirit Bullets inside.
Following that, he spread open a piece of paper beside the altar and wrote:
“…Next, your mission is to seek out relatively high-level charms and Beyonder bullets. May God be with you.
“XXX who raised three requests from you.”
This letter was written to Patrick Bryan of the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death faction.
With a subordinate at my disposal, why let him go to waste? As Klein mumbled, he folded his letter. At the altar from before, he summoned Patrick Bryan’s messenger.
The surface of the desk burst into pitch-black flames and quickly gathered together, forming a translucent bird with dark feathers.
This spirit world creature glanced at Klein before slowly lowering its head to bite at the envelope.
Watching it disappear, Klein nodded slightly and inwardly muttered, Patrick’s Contract Companion isn’t of a low level either…
He quickly reined in his thoughts, took out another letter, and fluidly wrote:
“…I have already obtained the blessing of Concealment. You can attempt to gather items at the Marauder pathway demigod level. In addition, I’ve found a way to crack the theft and replacement of destiny. You don’t have to be too anxious.
“…Do you know how to create a darkness that includes a temporary dream world?
“…If you have the time, can you head to Tingen and help me use 3-0782 to create Flaring Sun Bullets. The Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem has the divine blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun hidden in it… Only by sufficiently raising your strength can we be more confident at dealing with Amon’s avatars…”
Chapter 994 Prelude
At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard, who had specially returned home to participate in the Tarot Gathering, was just about to head to Saint Samuel Cathedral’s basement to read the dossiers so as to make preparations for his placating of souls at night when his vision suddenly went into a blur. He saw the messenger in a dark, full dress holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.
As a Soul Assurer, he could already see such creatures with Spirit Bodies.
After taking Klein’s letter, Leonard didn’t even have the chance to say thank you when Reinette Tinekerr turned around and walked into the void. She didn’t even stay for long.
“…Old Man, why does Klein have a messenger of this level? Is this a perk of being a Blessed?” Leonard couldn’t help but ask Pallez Zoroast with a suppressed voice.
He originally fantasized that it was standard for every Tarot Club member, but he later realized that he had been imagining things.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Pallez Zoroast’s slightly-aged voice chuckled immediately.
“It is likely to solely belong to Klein Moretti. Everyone receives some special fortuitous encounter, isn’t that the case? Isn’t it the same even for a fellow like you?
“Heh heh, I thought you would use ‘incomplete angel’ to describe ‘Her,’ but you ended up using ‘messenger of this level.’ Not bad, you still remember my warning.”
Leonard curled the corners of his lips, spread open the piece of paper, and read the content on it.
“He’s indeed the Blessed of Concealment and Fate…” Pallez Zoroast quickly scanned the heading through Leonard’s eyes.
Leonard didn’t look at the ground. Instead, he took a few steps back and threw himself into the embrace of the sofa before saying, “Klein can see through the theft and replacement of destiny… Then, we don’t need to rush to seek out items at the Marauder pathway demigod level.”
“Even if you were in a hurry, you have no idea where to seek them out,” Pallez scoffed.
Even for the gathering of the Hermits of Fate, similar items needed years to appear even once. And the next gathering was to happen at the end of the year.
Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words and could only cast his gaze at the last two paragraphs.
Composite Start
Composite End
After a brief silence, he chuckled.
“I’ve always been curious as to where Klein received the high-level charm of the Sun domain when facing Megose. I thought it was provided to him by that Death Consul, but I couldn’t understand why a Death domain angel would be gathering high-level charms of the Sun domain. Wouldn’t that be suicide? Now, I finally understand.
“Old Man, I wielded 3-0782 before as well. Why didn’t you notice that there was a drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun’s divine blood hidden in that? If you could’ve stolen some of its power back then, things wouldn’t have…”
Leonard originally wanted to mock Old Man, but as he went on, he fell silent.
Pallez Zoroast sighed in his mind.
“If that drop of divine blood could be so easily discovered, that Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem wouldn’t have been in Tingen.”
Leonard fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “Then how am I to create an opportunity to get that Sacred Emblem to create the Flaring Sun Charm?”
Although Klein made it sound simple in his letter, Leonard knew that it wasn’t an easy task. This was because he wasn’t a Nighthawk of Tingen City. Even if he returned to visit his former colleagues and teammates, he had no authority to enter Chanis Gate.
Upon hearing his question, Pallez Zoroast replied in a peeved manner, “Why are you asking me something as trivial as this? Can’t you think for yourself?”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Leonard coughed uncomfortably as he began thinking seriously to seek out a solution.
“I’m currently working alone, but the archbishop has given me the authority to get the help of the local Nighthawks in the region of question.
“Hmm, if all the souls in Backlund have been placated, and if I haven’t finished digesting my potion, wouldn’t I have to do it at other dioceses?
“When that happens, if Tingen happens to have a paranormal accident, it will be very reasonable for me to return and get two Nighthawks and use 3-0782…”
After Leonard finished muttering to himself, Pallez Zoroast chuckled.
“Not bad. You came up with an idea so quickly.
“But have you thought about it? You are placating them, not purifying them. This is contradictory with obtaining 3-0782. It will easily incur suspicion.”
Leonard, who had been praised, immediately laughed.
“Old Man, that’s because you aren’t aware. Back when I joined the Nighthawks team, there was one line in the education I received: Only under the premise of having the ability to purify can placating achieve the best results.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Emperor Roselle had also once said that to solve problems, you need a stick in one hand and a carrot in the other.”
Pallez Zoroast immediately tsked.
“Then follow your plan. Of course, that’s assuming that you can finish Anthony Stevenson’s missions in a week or two. If you haven’t obtained the Sun Flare Bullets before the actual operation of eliminating Amon begins, then it would no longer be necessary.”
Leonard recalled the list of missions written on the pieces of paper as his forehead twitched.
He then forced himself to forget about his worries and mumbled, “I wonder when the mission to punish the Sanguine will begin…
“I wonder if the Sanguine has a Sealed Artifact at the Marauder pathway’s demigod level. “Temporary dreamworld… I can create it myself. I’ll find a chance to make some charms, but can power at this level be able to resist the corrosion of the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods?”
In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.
Fors took out a novel, sat on the sofa, and watched Xio walk towards the lobby as she wore her boots to head out.
Finally, Fors couldn’t hold back her puzzlement as she said, “There’s no rush. That gentleman said that he wouldn’t assign the mission that quickly.”
Xio shot her a glance and said, “I’m a bounty hunter. I have other missions.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Upon saying that, she paused and said after some deliberation, “Fors, do you think that Miss Justice resembles Miss Audrey?”
Fors was taken aback for a few seconds before she snapped back to senses. She subconsciously waved her hand and chuckled.
“How is that possible…”
Just as she said that, the similarities began flashing through her mind, her eyes widening in response.
After a while, she whispered, “It’s not impossible.
“Spectator pathway, Psychology Alchemists, noble lady, blonde hair and green eyes… She’s the only noble I know that meets those criteria… Of course, I don’t know that many nobles. Furthermore, I have no idea if the ones I’m familiar with have anything to do with the Psychology Alchemists…”
Xio silently listened to her friend and said after some thought, “Fors, do you still remember the missions assigned to us by Miss Audrey? I originally thought that it was issued by Earl Hall, but on second thought, perhaps it came from the Tarot Gathering…
“Also, how did we know of Mr. Fool’s honorific name? Do you remember? It was from books we borrowed from Viscount Glaint! In the book cover was a strange ancient slip!”
Fors nodded in enlightenment.
“If we could discover it, as a good friend of Viscount Glaint, Miss Audrey, has a chance of discovering it as well! This can explain why she joined the gathering…”
“Yeah,” Xio agreed with Fors’s guess.
Fors opened her mouth and was just about to say something when she recalled that the matter with the Sanguine wasn’t completely over. She immediately looked around warily and said, “Xio, we should lessen our discussions of gatherings in the future.”
“As for Miss Audrey, we can visit her once every week or two. We can continue observing when the time comes.”
Xio snapped to her senses and nodded heavily.
“Alright!”
She then opened her door and went to a particular bar in East Borough and sat by the bar counter.
Rapping on the table, she said to the bartender who looked up, “Any new missions today?”
The bartender gave a rough list without mentioning any investigations of a particular Mr. Ernes Boyar.
Indeed, I’ll have to wait till tomorrow or the day after tomorrow… Xio looked around, retracted her gaze, and asked in puzzlement and concern, “I haven’t seen Sherman in a while. Do you know where he’s been?”
Sherman was a young man who thought himself as a woman-one of Xio’s informants.
The bartender chuckled.
“Perhaps he ran off with some man. You do know that he’s happy to do so if a man fancies him.”
“This isn’t something worth ostracizing him about,” Xio rebutted seriously, feeling a baffling sense of concern.
She then exerted strength in her palm and jumped off the high-stool, prepared to seek out Sherman in the places he was usually seen.
Backlund Bridge area, Iron Gate Street, Bravehearts Bar.
Holding down his hat, Emlyn pinched his nose as he passed through the crowd that exuded all kinds of smells before finding the red-eyed Ian in the card
room.
“Mr. White, what is it this time?” Ian smiled as he led Emlyn into an empty billiard room.
Emlyn took off his hat and quipped, “Something trivial. Help me put up a mission to the bounty hunters. The details of the mission is to track a man named Ernes Boyar. Figure out his daily activities. The bounty reward will be 100 pounds.”
“100 pounds?” Ian subconsciously asked.
For investigations like tracking, 100 pounds was quite a ridiculous reward. One had to know that if a bounty hunter was able to complete this mission on their own, they could rest for an entire year, even if they were supporting a family!
Emlyn nodded.
“The target is rather dangerous.”
After the discussion back with the Tarot Club, he had already thought it through. He believed that tracking Ernes Boyar was an easy mission. The Sanguine Viscount would definitely pretend as though he didn’t notice anything and deliberately follow a fixed trajectory.
Therefore, this 100 pounds was in fact payment for Miss Judgment to take the risk of participating in this operation. Of course, to aid in the misdirection and concealment, it was almost certain that more than one bounty hunter would complete this mission, allowing them to earn different portions of the reward. All Emlyn could guarantee was that Miss Judgment would earn the most.
“I see.” Coming to an understanding, Ian extended his hand. “Down payment, exact address, level of danger, looks and characteristics. It’s best if you have a portrait.”
Ernes Boyar then gave 30 pounds in cash and Ernes Boyar’s portrait.
“Red eyes?” Ian flipped through the pieces of paper in his hand and couldn’t help but blurt out.
“Yes.” Emlyn nodded gently and looked around him. He suppressed his voice and said, “There’s also something else. Help me seek out clues regarding the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund.”
“… Rose School of Thought?” Ian was taken aback as he asked in puzzlement, as though he had never heard of the name.
Chapter 995 “Conjoined Person”
Emlyn glanced at lan, raised his hand to pinch his nose, and chuckled.
“It appears you don’t understand me. It’s okay. A more simple description is to gather information about foreigners that come from the Southern Continent, especially from the Star Highlands and the Paz River Valley.
“What information do you want exactly? There are plenty of pure-blooded people from the Southern Continent in Backlund. Those that you’ve mentioned are also common,” Ian calmly asked without flaring up due to the contempt he received.
Emlyn laughed.
“The ones that are a bit more abnormal. They do things in a fishy manner and seem to all be mysterious. You should understand what I’m getting
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
at.”
“There are definitely many people you describe. In Backlund, they are either servants, workers, or thieves-being part of gangs. As the latter will all meet your criteria of being abnormal, fishy, and mysterious.” Ian sincerely pointed out how unpragmatic Emlyn’s request was.
Emlyn was already prepared for this. With an unobvious smile, he nodded slightly.
“Then, give me all the information that meets those criteria. I’ll do the filtering. Oh, I’ll pay 50 pounds as down payment for this commission as the standard fees for the early-stage investigations. The subsequent payment will be counted based on how much information of value is provided. Each one will cost 20 pounds.”
“Who is the one to determine its worth?” Ian asked after a few seconds of thought.
For him, having a 50-pound income for preliminary work like this was enough for him to accept the job. It was more than enough to hire a dozen people or so to investigate the areas from East Borough to Cherwood Borough for half a month.
He didn’t mind how much he could only from the 50 pounds, as there were many people here who relied on him for their survival. He needed to arrange jobs with payment for them to do from time to time; otherwise, he would never be able to be kept abreast with the latest developments.
Emlyn sized up Ian and scoffed.
“Of course it will be me. You should know how trustworthy I am.”
Composite Start
Composite End
“Detective Moriarty never told me that…” Ian mumbled and sighed. “Alright. Our last cooperation was still pretty good. I choose to trust you.”
Emlyn nodded in satisfaction, took out his wallet, and counted another 50 pounds worth of notes.
During this process, Emlyn momentarily felt the pinch when he realized he only had 407 pounds in savings.
And now there’s only 357 pounds… He looked away from the notes and handed the cash to Ian.
He didn’t stay. Putting on his hat, he walked out of the billiard room and left the Bravehearts Bar.
On the street, Emlyn stopped pinching his nose and looked up at the flame-like clouds. His expression gradually fell heavy as he silently muttered, That Wraith from before isn’t around… Where did it go?
Humph, Ian acted as though he had never heard of the Rose School of Thought, but his racing heartbeat had betrayed him…
Also, he actually didn’t ask if Sherlock Moriarty is back in Backlund. He didn’t even show any concern… Could it be that Sherlock has already returned to Backlund and that he has already met him?
Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
In an area near the harbor, Admiral of Stars Cattleya had brought along Frank Lee, who had his sleeves rolled up which revealed his brown hair, to an area outside a house with gas wall lamps. They came to an empty corner and watched as a figure appeared out of the shadows.
It was Bloodless Heath Doyle who was in charge of monitoring Artisan Cielf. He was thin and his skin was so pale that it was transparent. He looked so frail that a gust of wind could topple him.
“Did anything strange happen recently?” Cattleya nudged the gold-rim glasses on her nose.
Heath Doyle tersely acknowledged.
“Three days after you left, a stranger visited Cielf. He stayed for about fifteen minutes. I didn’t approach for fear of being discovered.
“Based on your instructions, I sent men to tail the stranger, but they lost his trail.”
“What did that stranger look like?” Cattleya asked with a slight nod.
Heath Doyle took out a piece of raw beef from a leather pouch by his waist. The blood on it remained fresh, but it didn’t show any signs of contamination. It appeared to be a pure piece of solid meat.
Right on the heels of that, this piece of beef melted in Heath Doyle’s hand, dripping to the ground like water. They then squirmed like they had life, drawing a portrait.
Composite Start
Composite End
“This is the effect I want!” Frank Lee’s eyes shimmered as he watched this scene, expressing his intentions with excitement.
Under his gaze, Heath Doyle, had the intention to run, but he slightly slanted his body and pointed to the ground.
“Roughly like this.”
At this moment, a blood portrait had already taken form. It was that of a man with a mustache, with facial features that resembled that of the Paz River Valley. His greatest characteristic was the three ear studs on both his ears.
“Golden ear studs, thin body, not much fat, very athletic,” Heath Doyle added.
Cattleya retracted her gaze from the ground and asked, “And then?”
Heath Doyle tersely acknowledged.
“No one visited Cielf after that, other than his temporary servants and chef he hired. I got men to investigate them. They are clean.
“Cielf has an evening stroll at a fixed time every day. He will bring a prostitute home, allowing her to leave only at daybreak… I’ve been constantly tailing him, but I never discovered any contact with odd people.”
“He has been acting very normally all this time?” Cattleya asked with a frown.
Composite Start
Composite End
From her point of view, not having any abnormalities made it most abnormal!
After all, this involved Rose School of Thought members that believed in the Primordial Moon.
Heath Doyle nodded in affirmation.
“Yes.”
Cattleya turned her head to look at the building’s main door and said after some thought, “I actually planned on using Beyonder powers to infiltrate and bring Cielf under control in the fastest speed possible before taking him away to prevent any accidents. But from the looks of it, the best solution is to knock on the door.”
Unknown danger was what terrified people the most.
At the thought that he had been busy with his experiments recently and hadn’t done his duty as first mate, Frank Lee hurriedly said, “Captain, I’ll go with you.”
Cattleya took off her thick glasses and hung them by her waist of her black warlock robe before nodding.
“Okay.”
With that said, she left the shadowy corner and walked towards the main door of Cielf’s residence.
As she approached, she looked up at the crimson moon that could be seen penetrating through the clouds. She curled her fingers and tapped thrice on the door.
Before long, footsteps approached and the door creaked open.
Cielf didn’t show any obvious changes from the previous time. He remained thin and dark. His eyes were somewhat puffy, and his brown eyes were trying hard to force a smile.
“Admiral, is there something this time?”
He stood by the door, blocking the gas wall lamp’s light behind him. It made the area appear dark and gloomy, as though he was sinking into the shadows.
Cattleya stared at him for a few seconds before saying slowly, “I have a new idea. I plan on making you a part of my crew.”
She stood there motionlessly without any intention of stepping inside.
Cielf’s expression warped as his voice turned somewhat dark.
“Why?”
Cattleya’s eyes seemed to freeze as she slowly said, “Because I’m a pirate.”
Pirates didn’t need reasons. They did whatever they did out of their own desires.
Cielf’s facial muscles twitched as a smile suffused his eyes once again.
“I can be your sailor, but as an Artisan, I’ll be of much greater use in a city.”
“I agree,” Cattleya destroyed his resistance. “But before then, I need you to spend some time on the Future to be partners with others.”
Cielf’s expression gradually turned cold as he replied in an ethereal voice, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself. I have a strong urge to procreate every day…”
“Strong urge to procreate?” Frank Lee’s eyes lit up as he asked, seemingly in confirmation.
Cielf was taken aback as he wasn’t sure whether to nod or shake his head.
Frank then looked at Cattleya and asked in excitement, “Captain, is he going to be my assistant for my experiments?
“I love this trait of his!”
Cattleya fell silent for a few seconds before nodding heavily.
“Yes.”
Frank immediately revealed a bright smile and offered his right hand to Artisan Cielf.
“Pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce myself. First mate of the Future, Frank Lee.”
Cielf’s expression returned to normal as he shook the man’s hand with puzzlement. Then, he said, “Am I really going to spend a short period of time on the Future?”
“I guarantee it with my reputation on the line,” Cattleya sincerely replied before inwardly adding, It wouldn’t take long before Her Majesty personally handles you…
“Alright. It’s not like I can beat you.” Cielf shrugged. “Please permit me to pack my personal belongings.”
He then took two steps back, turned around, and walked to the staircase at the end of the foyer.
As he walked, he suddenly paused and said in an ethereal tone to Cattleya and Frank Lee, “Today’s moonlight is as beautiful as it always has been, isn’t it?”
Without receiving a reply, he proceeded forward and vanished from the staircase.
At this moment, Cattleya’s heavy expression became obvious.
After Cielf opened the door, she had already noticed an abnormality with her eyes.
In the past, Cielf’s Spirit Body was that of an ordinary human, but now, he was a conjoined person!
Under the illumination of the moonlight, this “conjoined person” was being nourished and was rapidly growing stronger.
This isn’t a problem I can resolve. I have to write to Her Majesty. Also, I mustn’t forget Gehrman Sparrow’s request for a meeting… Cattleya sighed silently as she subconsciously looked up.
High in the sky, a crimson moon remained bright and silent amidst the thin clouds.
Backlund, Hillston Backlund, East Balam Military Veterans Mess.
Dwayne Dantès and Macht got off their separate carriages and entered the lobby together.
Chapter 996 Card Game
After entering the East Balam Military Veterans Mess, Klein handed his cane and hat to his valet, Enuni, only to see Colonel Calvin of the Loen Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense wearing an army uniform, waiting at the foyer with a glass of red wine in hand.
This long-faced officer smiled as he raised his cup at Dwayne Dantès.
“Long time no see.”
“It really has been a while.” Klein smiled as he walked over.
Colonel Calvin immediately offered his right hand.
“Congratulations. You did pretty well. Everyone was very pleased.”
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“I was very pleased as well.” Klein used a Loen-styled euphemism to express his pleasure in cooperating. He then shook hands with him.
Calvin retracted his arm and glanced at Macht before he said with a laughing sigh, “Back when you first introduced Dwayne, I was quite distrustful of your judgment, but now I understand how you’re a Member of Parliament.”
“Anyone who interacts with Dwayne can easily tell that he’s an expert at this,” Macht accepted the colonel’s approbation with the same Loen-styled euphemism.
Calvin retracted his gaze, sipped some red wine, and smiled at Dwayne Dantès, asking in passing, “How much did you earn this time?
“Don’t worry, I won’t raise prices in the future because of it. I’m simply curious.”
“20,000 pounds in gold,” Klein gave the midpoint value as an answer.
In actual fact, he had earned 25,000 pounds, but after paying Miss Messenger 10,000 pounds for “Her” services, he had only earned 15,000 pounds.
Calvin nodded.
“Not bad. If you need to convert those gold bars into gold coins, I can introduce you to someone from an imperial mint factory.
Composite Start
Composite End
“How was it? Did you notice anything abnormal around Maysanchez’s area?” Klein said directly without thinking, “Yes!
“There was a place called Revival Square under his control that was destroyed by lightning.”
“That, I’m aware of,” Calvin replied with a rather heavy expression.
But you probably do not know that the person before you was the one who created the lightning… Klein smiled and then said, “Also, Maysanchez seems to be maintaining a fragile balance among many factions, but in actual fact, he has already secretly aligned himself with a particular faction. Of course, I’m not exactly sure who it is.”
He had no intention of betraying the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. All he did was divulge a little to win the trust of the Loen military.
“The only thing that can be confirmed is that it isn’t us,” Calvin nodded and said with a deep look in his eyes.
“It’s unlikely to be Intis.” Klein helped him eliminate one of the wrong choices.
Calvin tersely acknowledged.
“That isn’t a bad thing either. The few factions surrounding Maysanchez are supported by Intis. If he wishes to expand, there’s no way he can circumvent them. When the time comes, perhaps we will have more arms sales on our hands.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With that said, he offered a toast.
“Holy Lord of Storms, to riches for everyone.”
As believers of the Evernight Goddess, Klein and Macht smiled in response without giving a direct answer.
After taking another sip of red wine, Calvin pointed at the second floor.
“Dwayne, I brought you here today to play cards with a VIP. Texas Hold’em.”
“Which VIP?” Klein asked with piqued interest.
Calvin’s expression turned solemn as he said with an unobvious smile, “Admiral Amyrius. He has been given a post and is currently in charge of the Ministry of Defense.”
Admiral Amyrius… The admiral whose younger brother was stripped of his post as governor-general, had his mistress corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire, and ended up losing his post as highest commander of the Central Sonia Sea’s navy? I’ve worked with him before and even pretended to be him for some time… Indeed, when it comes to a demigod, as long as they didn’t screw up too badly, and if they are willing to hold it in, they will always be able to step out of the nadir… Klein recalled everything that had happened at Oravi Island, turning wistful.
Towards Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt, he still felt some guilt towards him. Although most of what happened back then didn’t have anything to do with him, his mistress’s anomaly was ultimately a result of the Mother Tree of Desire’s wish to control him.
Composite Start
Composite End
“That is to say that our future cooperation requires His Excellency’s approval?” Klein asked in enlightenment.
“That’s how it is.” Calvin nodded and pointed up the stairs. “Let’s head on up.”
When they arrived at the second floor, they stopped in front of a pair of dark red double doors. Calvin turned his head to glance at Dwayne Dantès.
“Your mission today is to lose money.”
Lose money? Klein sized up Calvin as he curled the ends of his mouth.
“I’ll try my best.”
By the side, Macht said with a laugh, “There’s actually no need to be too deliberate. Admiral Amyrius has excellent card-playing skills. It’s almost impossible if you wish to win any money. Heh heh, I always lose. Sigh, I just hope I won’t lose too much today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even dare to return home.”
Klein nodded thoughtfully.
“I only brought 200 pounds in cash. Would that be enough?”
“Definitely not.” Calvin chuckled. “I’ve already changed chips worth 1,000 pounds for you. Just remember to return it.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Loen’s best lawyers only earn about 1,000 pounds a year on the surface… You bunch of profligates… Klein sized up Calvin again.
This colonel didn’t notice it as he knocked on the door.
After a while, the double door creaked open, revealing the scene inside.
It was a hall paved with thick, soft carpets. There wasn’t a lot of furniture, making it appear rather spacious.
In the middle of the hall was a card table that could accommodate more than ten people. Surrounding it were luxurious-styled high-back chairs.
By the sides of the hall were gold-plated cutlery, marble-carved sculptures, coffee tables with books and newspapers, and a series of leather sofas.
Klein looked over and saw Amyrius Rieveldt sitting at the seat of honor. This admiral didn’t look different from before. His black hair was neatly combed backward, with his blue eyes dark and profound. The corners of his lips drooped slightly, and his face was clean-shaven. He had an austere temperament, and he wore dark blue clothes with an epaulet. He was meticulous in every detail, appearing extremely serious.
When he swept his gaze, Klein found another “familiar person.”
He had thick but neat black brows with a short and hard crew-cut of the same color. He had dark blue eyes and a high nose-bridge with a bushy mustache spreading out from his mouth. He had a long face with accentuated outlines as well as callous curves.
He was MI9’s deputy director, Qonas Kilgor!
He was one of the targets for Klein’s return to Backlund. He was the middle man in the dealings between the Demoness Sect and a particular faction in the royal family. He was one of the accomplices of the Great Smog of Backlund!
This brigadier general had abnormally broad shoulders, making his white shirt and black vest abnormally tight. He was playing Texas Hold’em with great focus.
There are two, no—three demigods at a card table. How can this even be played? Interesting… Klein sat down and began observing the others at the table.
During this process, an attendant delivered a huge stack of chips, worth a total of 1,000 pounds. In the first few rounds, Klein folded after looking at his cards. He acted very cautiously, acting as though he never called or raised unless he had good cards.
As for Admiral Amyrius, his style was the complete opposite of him. He was in no way conservative. He called almost every round, constantly raising in an extremely aggressive manner.
Every round that he was involved in seldom reached the point where everyone showed their cards. Most people failed to withstand such aggression and, with the admiral’s domineering force, they would call a round or two before folding. At times, someone would attempt to call Amyrius Rieveldt’s bluff, only to encounter four nines. The color in his face instantly drained as though he had been passed the death verdict by a judge.
Qonas Kilgor had a completely different style as well. He would occasionally lose a round, but the chips lost wouldn’t be much, preventing him from having too great a loss. And in the next round after his loss, he would often be able to wipe out the person who won all his chips the previous round, forcing him to spend money to buy in again.
Is there a need? Why are you using powers to cheat when dealing with Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders or even ordinary people? Others might not be able to tell, but would I be fooled? One has the Arbiter pathway’s dominance, and the other has the Baron of Corruption’s Bribe… Klein looked at his Five of Hearts and Nine of Clubs as he shook his head indiscernibly.
He couldn’t help but consider which powers of a Seer pathway could provide him help if he wanted to cheat.
Turn all my opponents into marionettes? In that case, I can win as much as I want. I’m practically invincible, but it’s of no pragmatic value. It’s not like I’m planning for some deathmatch poker tournament…
Unfortunately, there aren’t any mosquitoes here. Otherwise, I can use their Spirit Body Threads and turn them into marionettes to help me check out their hole cards…
Faceless only allows me to change myself, not the cards…
Magician’s Illusion? The effects would likely be pretty good when playing with ordinary people or Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders. But there are two demigods here…
Use a Clown’s ability to swap cards? It’s useless. The dealing and shuffling of cards are done by the croupier…
As his thoughts raced, Klein realized that apparently only his powers as a Seer was of use here.
He threw out his two hole cards to indicate a fold before taking out a metal chip and allowing it to move between his fingers.
At this moment, Amyrius Rieveldt suddenly looked up at him and retracted his hands before pushing all his chips in.
Indeed… Klein nodded inwardly without a hint of surprise.
During his last cooperation, he knew that Admiral Amyrius was able to distinguish ordinary people from Beyonders from his “position.” He suspected that he could even determine a Beyonder’s level, or in other words their “position.”
However, Klein wasn’t too worried, because a Bizarro Sorcerer had concealment powers to a certain degree. This was also why he could converge the augmentation effect the gray fog had on him after he reached Sequence 4. This made him confident that Amyrius wouldn’t be able to determine his level. However, he didn’t attempt any corresponding interference, as he suspected that Amyrius was able to tell that he was a Beyonder.
Therefore, he decided to reveal a tiny problem, making it easy to be seen through and be grasped.
Chapter 997 “Gambling God” Dwayne
The core rules of Texas Hold’em were very simple. It was to use two hole cards and five community cards to form a hand with any five-card combination. Whoever had the biggest hand won. And the community cards were dealt in three phases. Three community cards to form “the flop” in the first phase, a fourth community card called “the turn” in the second phase, and a fifth community card called “the river” in the third phase. Each phase allowed players to fold, check, call, or raise. This continued until everyone was done or until one person didn’t fold.
Klein fiddled with the chip in his hand as he divined the existence of any lucky instances within the next few rounds. However, he was unable to tell which exact round it was. After all, it was only a quick and simple divination with average effects.
Using this method to play with ordinary people and Low-Sequence Beyonders wouldn’t be a problem as long as the correct strategy is used, but it’s definitely inadequate against demigods. It’s already quite a challenge to defeat a Mid-Sequence Beyonder… Must I close my eyes each round and do a complete dream divination? Heh heh, if that were the case, Dwayne Dantès might end up with the title “Sleeping Gambling God”… Klein sighed inwardly. He continued watching the round play out as he sat by the side. At present, he had already lost a big blind[1] and a small blind[2] when it was his turn.
At this moment, Klein noticed one point: The MI9 deputy director, Qonas Klein, had lost 20 pounds to Admiral Amyrius.
A successful Bribe… Admiral Amyrius should be able to tell that Qonas is using his powers as a Baron of Corruption, but he might not know that this MI9 deputy director is a demigod… The next round will be interesting… Hehe…
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Klein jolted to attention as the new round began. He didn’t check his hole cards when the croupier handed him two new ones. Instead, he placed the metal chip he was playing with in his hand onto his hole card, taking on the stance of not planning to look at them.
After two people folded, the stern and old-fashioned Amyrius Rieveldt casually took a look at his hole cards. After counting five pounds worth of chips, he threw it into the middle of the table, having raised the stakes without garnering any surprises.
Another person folded as Macht called. Right on the heels of that, Qonas Kilgor, who had an unyielding personality, raised the stakes, throwing out a total of 20 pounds.
Calvin confirmed his hole cards once again before calling After one last person folded, Dwayne Dantès didn’t do an actual count. He grabbed a handful of chips and threw it out.
The croupier who was in charge of counting the chips glanced at it before precisely announcing Dwayne’s action, “20 pounds. Call.”
“I thought it would be 50 pounds. From the looks of it, I’m still not very used to these chips,” the white-sideburned Dwayne Dantès with an outstanding temperament said with a laugh.
However, he didn’t add on the additional 30 pounds.
At this moment, no one made a move. It was Amyrius Rieveldt’s turn again.
This admiral didn’t even glance at the remaining players. Picking up five ten-pound chips, he threw them out.
Composite Start
Composite End
“Another raise.”
He didn’t show any perturbations in his emotions, acting as though he was ordering a cup of black tea. However, that indescribable sense of dominance and the act of repeatedly raising the stakes pre-flop made the mood at the table freeze.
Such situations often implied that Admiral Amyrius had excellent hole cards. Perhaps they were a pair of Aces or a pair of Kings, or an Ace and King.
Macht decided to fold. Qonas Kilgor rubbed his high nose bridge and glanced around with his dark blue eyes before saying, “Call.” Colonel Calvin confirmed his cards again. After ten seconds of hesitation, he chose to fold.
Dwayne Dantès touched the metal chip on his two hole cards and smiled.
“Call.”
After a round of expressing their intentions, there were only three players for the round. Then, the croupier flipped the three community cards in the middle of the table for the flop.
“2Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3, 9
, KSpade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3.”
The person who was up first was Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt. He leaned forward slightly and said in a domineering manner, “50 pounds.”
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He had immediately raised the stakes to 50 pounds!
Macht, Calvin, and company, including those who weren’t in the game, felt stifled for some baffling reason.
“…” Qonas Kilgor trembled slightly, but he ultimately grabbed 50 pounds and threw it out.
Dwayne Dantès glanced at the deputy director of MI9. Completely unfazed by the pressure, he said with a smile, “Call.”
Upon hearing this, Calvin turned his head and nodded at Dwayne Dantès with his deep blue eyes that resembled a nighttime lake, indicating his approval.
From his point of view, Admiral Amyrius’s domineering stance didn’t affect a person who came to lose money. At this moment, the red-vested croupier revealed the fourth card—the turn.
“9Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3.”
There were three Spades, increasing the chances of a flush tremendously. However, Admiral Amyrius still didn’t hesitate. He calmly pushed a stack of chips.
“100 pounds.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Qonas Kilgor’s fingers tapped on his hole cards, showing his lack of confidence. But ultimately, he choose to call.
Dwayne Dantès glanced at this deputy director once again and maintained his warm smile.
“Call.”
At this point in time, he had yet to see his hole cards, making Calvin somewhat worried. He believed that such an act was going overboard-a clear act of throwing money away. It wasn’t something Admiral Amyrius, who was relatively conservative, might find acceptable.
At this moment, the red-vested croupier revealed the final card—the river:
“2Club Suit on Apple iOS 13.3“
As such, the community cards took form:
“2Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3, 9
, KSpade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3, 9Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3, 2Club Suit on Apple iOS 13.3
“200 pounds.” Admiral Amyrius pushed a pile of metal chips in with an extremely domineering attitude.
Qonas Kilgor took a deep breath before pushing two stacks of chips.
Composite Start
Composite End
“500 pounds.”
This amount of money was half of his purported annual salary.
Is he trying to bluff? Calvin and Macht exchanged looks, believing that Brigadier General Kilgor had made it too obvious, making it easy to see through him.
One had to know that when playing Texas Hold’em, apart from doing risk management and probability calculations, it also involved psychological battles most of the time. Be it in terms of body language, expression, or the style used for raises, they made it easy to expose one’s hidden cards.
Of course, good players could also use these details to deliberately misdirect their opponents.
Dwayne Dantès sized up Qonas Kilgor before he laughed. Then, like the previous few times, he said, “Call.”
Amyrius raised his hands, prepared to push all his remaining chips, to pressure his opponents into folding.
At this moment, he suddenly paused. His deadpan expression wore a look of solemnity.
After a few seconds of silence, he calmly said, “Call.”
At this point, the hole cards could be revealed to compare each person’s hand.
Admiral Amyrius flipped his card first. It was an ASpade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3 and 10Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3. It formed a flush with the 2Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3, KSpade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3, and 9Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3. It was a rather high-ranking hand, with the only ones bigger than it being a full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush.
“It’s your turn,” Amyrius then urged Qonas.
Qonas first flipped open a single card-KDiamond Suit on Apple . It made two pairs with the K and 9 from the community cards.
Following that, he picked up his second hole card. At that moment, the remaining poker cards at the red-vested croupier’s end blurred.
Pa!
The hole card was flipped open, revealing itself: “9Club Suit on Apple iOS 13.3!”
“What?” Macht and company exclaimed, hardly believing their eyes.
This meant that Qonas Kilgor had obtained a full house-nines over kings!
It was bigger than a flush!
“Sorry about that. Full house,” Qonas looked at Amyrius and said with a smile.
Then, he turned to look at Dwayne Dantès.
“You can reveal your cards.”
“I’m also very curious as to what my cards are.” Dwayne Dantès smiled. He picked up the metal chip that he had placed down on his cards and very casually flipped the two hole cards.
“Eh…”
“What?”
Calvin and company rubbed their eyes.
Dwayne Dantès’s hole cards were a very weak pair: “2
, 2Diamond Suit on Apple “
There happened to be a very small pair in the community cards: “2Spade Suit on Apple iOS 13.3 , 2Club Suit on Apple iOS 13.3“
They formed a four of a kind—the smallest rank when it came to four of a kind, but it was higher ranked than all the full houses!
“Praise the Lady!” Dwayne Dantès drew the crimson moon across his chest in pleasant surprise, looking as though he had never expected it.
“An interesting round.” Amyrius was taken aback for a moment before he gently clapped.
Qonas Kilgor gave Dwayne Dantès a deep look and said with a laughing sigh, “I never expected the final winner to be you.”
Klein wiped the smile from his face as he inwardly grumbled, It’s only right that I win over the two of you. On the one hand, Admiral Amyrius enjoys pressuring others and doesn’t really rely on his Beyonder powers to cheat. As for you, you placed your focus and Beyonder powers on Admiral Amyrius; thus, ignoring me. On the other hand, the one playing cards with you is actually named Winner Enuni.
Without even looking at his hole cards, it was obvious that he was relying solely on luck!
At the moment he placed his chip on the hole cards, Klein had already swapped positions with Enuni as they switched faces with each other!
Although Colonel Calvin had gotten him to deliberately lose 1,000 pounds, Klein decided to win a killing after he saw Qonas Kilgor.
This wasn’t because he couldn’t bear to part with the money; instead, his main motive was to garner the attention of this MI9 demigod. He wanted to get familiar with him and build relationships!
Only by doing this could Klein have an opportunity to obtain intelligence from Qonas Kilgor and even carry out an assault on him. After all, he was a demigod. To deal with him in Backlund required sufficient care and caution. He would rather give up an operation if he lacked the confidence to guarantee a kill or lure him away from Backlund. Otherwise, he was bound to expose himself, ending up being surrounded by demigods and even angels in Backlund.
In the subsequent rounds, Klein won and lost different rounds. In the end, not only did keep his 1,000 pounds in chips, but he had even won nearly an additional 1,000 pounds. During this process, Calvin had gestured to Dwayne Dantès to lose, but he was left stupefied by the latter’s ridiculous good luck that left him undefeatable.
After the game came to an end, a person walked over to Dwayne Dantès with a smile—Qonas Kilgor.
[1] “big blind” is equal to the minimum bet.
[2] The “small blind” is normally half the big blind.
Chapter 998 Establishing Relations
With dark blue eyes, Qonas Kilgor, who had crew cut hair which was seldom seen among members of high society, held a cup of champagne as he walked up to Dwayne Dantès. He said with a smile, “You had great luck today. You also had plenty of courage.” 1
If he’s referring to me immediately folding after receiving a Bribe, with me rather losing a big blind, that’s not luck but knowledge… As for the other times, playing cards with all of you has pretty much drained all of Enuni’s recently accumulated good luck… Klein swirled the cup with pale golden alcohol in his hand and said with a laughing sigh, “For a person who doesn’t care about the outcome, there’s naturally nothing to fear.
“Heh heh, Praise the Lady!”
He was using a Loen-style euphemism to indicate that he was mainly here to lose money and that his good luck was all thanks to the blessings of a deity. It had nothing to do with himself.
Qonas hadn’t lost much tonight-approximately one to two hundred pounds. Although this was already a considerable amount when compared to his purported salary, to a brigadier general deputy director of MI9—a hidden demigod—his salary was the most trivial part of his income. Therefore, he didn’t mind it. He shook his head with a smile.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
“Humans often have no way of seeing through the arrangement of fate.
“You are an interesting person. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
His final sentence was both a form of praise and also a part of the formalities. It indicated that their conversation was over.
However, Klein had “acted” all night to acquaint himself with this demigod of the Black Emperor pathway, so how could he give up? He first replied, “It’s my pleasure as well.” Then, he asked in a seemingly random manner, “Your Excellency, are you familiar with the manors in the Backlund suburbs? It’s best if they come with forests for hunting.”
According to the information Klein had received from Miss Justice, Qonas Kilgor didn’t enjoy holding banquets, balls, or saloons at his place. Neither did he accept invitations on such matters. It was unknown if it was a problem with his character or due to his job.
He had very simple hobbies. First, he enjoyed smoking cigars, especially Chieftain Cigars from East Balam’s Mikent-recognized as the best cigars in the world. Second, he enjoyed playing cards, especially Texas Hold’em. Third, he enjoyed hunting. He often headed to the Backlund suburbs during autumn and winter. He even headed to Awwa County or East Chester County for hunting.
Klein was already planning on buying a manor, an expenditure meant solely to integrate himself into high society. He hadn’t made any decisions yet, but after meeting Qonas Kilgor today, he suddenly added this request in a bid to garner his interest. When the time came, he could even invite this MI9 deputy director to hunt in the suburbs over an enjoyable weekend. He could then seek out an opportunity to take action.
Qonas Kilgor drank a mouthful of champagne and said after some thought, “I’ll help you take note of it. If there’s anything suitable, I’ll send someone over. Böklund Street, right? Yes, someone will inform you there.”
“Thank you very much,” Klein earnestly replied.
Composite Start
Composite End
At the same time, he pitied his former valet, Richardson, who had now become an assistant butler. This young man who wished to better himself recently went out early in the morning and returned late at night. He had been gathering information about manors in Backlund’s suburbs, filtering out those that met the requirements and the ones which were on sale. He had been personally visiting them in a bid to list down options which were all flawless. He didn’t wish for his employer to spot something he fancied only to find out that it wasn’t for sale, or that the actual conditions were far worse what was described.
And after Klein suddenly changed his request, all the work that Richardson had done was undoubtedly made useless.
The all-evil “Party A” in contracts always changes their requirements and requests… Yes, after this is done. I’ll get Taneja to raise his annual salary by 5 pounds. As an assistant butler, he should naturally earn more than his time as a valet… 5 pounds… It was gone in just one or two raises in today’s game… Richardson’s annual salary is only enough to play a few rounds of Texas Hold’em… Klein sighed inwardly when he sensed eyes looking at him.
He directly looked back and realized that it was Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt.
This old-fashioned and stern middle-aged man nodded gently and retracted his gaze. He had no intentions of communicating with Dwayne Dantès, nor did he get anyone to arrest this unaffiliated Beyonder. After all, he was considered a working partner of the military, and it wasn’t rare for a merchant, an adventurer with wide connections, to be able to obtain a potion.
At this moment, Colonel Calvin and Member of Parliament Macht walked over to Dwayne Dantès with wine glasses in hand.
“What happened?” Calvin asked with an exasperated and suppressed voice.
As Dwayne Dantès had won nearly 1,000 pounds, he and Macht had to change their strategies to prevent Admiral Amyrius from losing any money. They went from a tight strategy to an unrestrained one. They felt quite the pinch from losing several hundred pounds each.
As such, adding to everyone’s losses, Admiral Amyrius had won a total of nearly 300 pounds.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
With regards to this, Klein spread his hands.
“I didn’t even look at my hole cards!” In between the lines, he meant that this was simply the blessings of some deity that controlled luck.
At the moment, the deities, angels, and secret existences who had authority in the fate domain included, but were not limited to, the Evernight Goddess, The Fool, Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin, Pallez Zoroast, Blasphemer Amon, and Snake of Fate Ouroboros.
“This is really such a vexing matter,” Macht said with a bitter smile while shaking his head. “Calvin and I don’t even dare to return home after what we’ve lost.”
They had roughly lost about half their purported annual income.
Dwayne Dantès, with grayed sideburns, revealed a surprised look.
“When did you guys lose?”
He then pointed at the pile of chips at his seat.
“I just happened to retain the 1,000 pounds I bought in at the beginning. The rest are yours, isn’t that so?” 1.
Composite Start
Composite End
Calvin and Macht were taken aback as they exchanged looks. Then, they revealed smiles.
“We must’ve counted wrongly due to the anxiety.” Calvin gave an approving nod.
Klein laughed and immediately changed the topic. He then began looking at supper that was placed on the coffee table beside him.
City of Silver, in the spire of one of the twin towers.
Derrick Berg once again met the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad.
“You said that you have something you would like to ask me about?” Colin, who had quite a number of old scars on his face, calmly asked the youth who wasn’t considered too tall.
Derrick bowed and replied frankly, “Yes, Your Excellency. In the advancement for Priest of Light, I need pure darkness, but once I do it, it will be extremely dangerous. I’m wondering if there are any solutions.”
Colin Iliad listened seriously before nodding.
“You have to confirm one point: Is it pure darkness, or darkness with zero light? These two concepts are very different.
“If it’s the latter, you can obtain that in the spire’s underground dungeons. You’ve been there for some time, so you should know what I’m talking about.”
Composite Start
Composite End
Derrick had a deep fear for the spire’s dungeons because it was there that he first met Blasphemer Amon. Not only did he see the former captain of the expedition team, but he had even been parasitized. Unless it was necessary, he really didn’t wish to recall it.
At this moment, after receiving the chief’s reminder, he began to slowly jolt his memories. He discovered that, under the spire, although each cell was given candles, one would have to wait for the guards to deliver food and medicine and ask for more once they finished burning. This didn’t happen frequently, with it happening only thrice a day with the gaps in between being very long.
And in such an environment, phenomena like the appearance of monsters and the vanishing of humans never appeared.
Derrick recalled that he had been in darkness with zero light for some time without encountering any danger.
He pondered for a moment and hesitantly said, “The darkness with zero light at the bottom of the spire has external powers involved?”
It was this power that prevented the darkness from making people disappear or producing monsters? Colin Iliad looked at the two swords that were hung up in a cross-like fashion on the wall. He looked up and sighed.
“Yes, that’s why it’s called darkness with zero light, not pure darkness.”
Derrick frowned slightly as he tried to recall.
After a few seconds, he said without certainty, “If that’s the case, the darkness outside the spire’s basement isn’t pure darkness as well. In many historical records, the nights before the Dark Ages didn’t make people vanish or produce monsters. Now, the darkness must’ve undergone an abnormal change or had some other forces mixed into it to turn it dangerous.”
“Not bad. For you to make such connections shows that you’ve improved… Therefore, let me ask you again. Do you need pure darkness or darkness with zero light?” Colin’s light blue eyes revealed a hint of surprise.
This… Could it be that pure darkness only exists outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods? Derrick turned gloomy before he pumped himself up.
“Your Excellency, I’m not too sure either. I’ll take some time to confirm this.”
He believed that the experienced and strong Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. World, and the other members of the Tarot Club could give him a good solution.
Colin Iliad didn’t ask further as he said with a nod, “Go on then.
“Once you reach Sequence 5, even if you aren’t able to become a demigod for a long period of time, you will have the chance of wielding certain Sealed Artifacts.” 1
Backlund, Hillston Borough, Xio changed into a brown jacket and wore a cap, pretending to be a very ordinary short man.
She had officially taken the commission and had begun tailing and investing the gentleman named Ernes Boyar. There were also a few other bounty hunters who participated in this mission.
Ernes Boyar lifted his top hat and pointed his cane forward as he instructed the carriage driver, “To St. George Borough.”
It was southeast of Backlund, separated from East Borough by the Tussock River.
Once he got on his carriage and took his seat, Ernes sniffed. He looked out the window and suddenly grunted.
As a Sanguine Viscount, how could he not have discovered the clumsy bounty hunters’ tailing him?
Chapter 999 Instigation
When Ernes left on a carriage, the few bounty hunters hiding in the vicinity immediately appeared. Without being stingy about the costs involved, they immediately stopped any rental carriages that passed by. Some memorized the target carriage’s traits and attempted to take shortcuts through the cramped, isolated paths to catch up to it. Others rode on the bikes they had prepared ahead of time, swerving through the crowds and carriages with their bells ringing. It was very easy for them to keep pace.
Among them, only Xio was completely composed. She remained in her spot, watching Ernes and her peers leave.
This transportation tool known as a bicycle is more useful than I imagined. It’s no wonder so many bounty hunters have saved up to buy one. This can save expenses from taking carriages and save time walking… If one often has such tracking missions, then the money saved is enough to buy a brand new bike… The only problem is that this mode of transportation tool has very few models available. All of them have high seats… Xio was enticed.
At this moment, a tracked carriage drove over from the crossroads and stopped in front of her.
Xio happened to be at a station.
#M518858ScriptRootC902273 {min-height: 350px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
Glancing at the double-decker that stopped on the iron tracks, Xio took out a few pennies, walked over, and sat down by the window.
Such public carriages could seat nearly fifty people with its double decks. It wasn’t too crowded, allowing Xio to easily observe the scenery outside.
However, she didn’t admire the scenery. Her mind was quickly outlining the exact appearance of her target: brown hair, red eyes, pronounced features, a nose bridge that was so high that it looked deformed, and an oil painting catalog in hand.
With her supernatural senses as a Sheriff, as well as the distance between them not being too great, Xio could vaguely grasp her target’s current location and predetermined destination.
Therefore, she remained very calm and even took off her cap while using the glass windows to tidy up her coarse and stubborn blonde hair.
After several stations, Xio suddenly got up when the public carriage came to a stop as she alighted.
This was the Backlund Bridge area. She had sensed that the target had already changed direction and was preparing to head towards the bridge.
Xio immediately went on foot, planning to enter another street at the bend up ahead to board the public carriage that headed for the south bank of the Tussock River.
She had good luck, with a public carriage driving over just as she arrived at the stop.
Composite Start
Composite End
Xio silently exhaled and took out another batch of pennies she had prepared, her urge to buy a bike strengthened.
This tracked carriage was very crowded, but with her domineering aura as an Arbiter, she was able to easily pass through the crowd, head up to the upper deck, and find a seat.
The carriage moved slowly as Xio casually looked out the window when her gaze suddenly froze.
She saw Sherman who she hadn’t been able to find anywhere!
This young man who thought himself as a woman was carrying a paper bag with a few long loaves of bread and a stack of newspapers as he entered a narrow alley.
His brown shoulder-length hair had grown longer, and his gray-patterned trousers seemed tighter. 1
Although his figure disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared, making it impossible for the average person to notice, Xio, who was a Sheriff, easily made the necessary judgment.
Sherman stopped renting his place in East Borough and moved here? Seeing that Sherman was fine and that she was still tracking her target, she held back her urge to jump off the carriage to chase after him to ask him about his recent situation.
Sherman carried the paper bag with several long loaves of bread and a stack of papers as he passed through alleys and streets, making a huge detour before entering an apartment building. He followed the cramped stairs to the third story, took out a key, and opened the door to where he lived.
#M518858ScriptRootC904594 {min-height: 300px;}
Composite Start
Composite End
He seemed to possess some pretty good anti-tracking skills.
With a creak, the door opened as Sherman’s eyes lit up. He saw a lady wearing a black dress in front of him.
This lady had a sweet, supple face and an impeccable figure. Even while standing at the window and blocking out the sunlight, making herself become cloaked in the shadows, she seemed to be gilded, making her appear holy and beautiful.
“Why are you here?” Sherman stared at her in surprise but couldn’t help but size her up.
His unobvious Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
The next second, he turned his head and looked to the side as though he didn’t dare look at her head-on.
“Ma’am T-Trissy…” Sherman stammered a greeting.
Trissy slowly smiled as she allowed the poorly-lit room to appear to become brighter. Then, she asked with a teasing tone, “Why don’t you dare to look at me?”
“I-I don’t know. I-1 like men. W-why do I still have odd thoughts when looking at you…” Sherman continued looking at the ground to his side as he stammered an answer.
Composite Start
Composite End
Trissy’s expression immediately turned mixed before smiling as though nothing had happened.
“Females can also appreciate the charm of beauty within their gender.”
She paused for a moment before saying, “I came here today because I have a mission for you. Your original progress has been very fast, leaving me very satisfied. But it seems like it has recently stopped.”
Sherman’s face immediately wore a look of horror as he subconsciously took a step back.
“I-I don’t think there’s a need to do such things…”
Seeing Trissy silent, Sherman’s gradually eloquently stringed his words.
“I really don’t wish to instigate others into stealing, robbing, and murdering. That’s too evil, too despicable!
“Even at the very beginning, those people you got me to assassinate seemed to be a little overboard. Although they had indeed cursed me, beat me, ostracized me, and spread bad rumors about me, using all kinds of means to harm me in exchange for joy, their actions didn’t require them to pay with their lives.”
Unsurprised, Trissy smiled and said, “That’s not what you said back then. You hated them and had wicked feelings for them. Once you obtained Beyonder powers, you were so eager to seek revenge on them. I just made a tiny suggestion, and you planned several assassination missions. I always remember how you looked-stained with blood, trembling in excitement and fervor.”
Sherman couldn’t help but retreat as he heard that until he was stopped by the door which had closed at some point in time. He then covered his face with his hands, shouting, “No!
Composite Start
Composite End
“I have nightmares every night, dreaming of them surrounding me, covered in blood. They chase after me, bite me…”
Pa! The paper bag fell to the ground as the long loaves of bread were scattered. The stack of newspapers happened to drop just beside them.
“This is very normal.” Trissy cut off Sherman. “This is a necessary psychological change for an Assassin. Think about it. Didn’t you wish to kill them when they were bullying you?”
“…Yes,” Sherman answered hesitantly.
Trissy then chuckled.
“Just treat it as self-defense when being bullied; thus, killing them.”
Her speech had a natural allure that made one wish to listen and believe. Sherman rapidly calmed down and nodded.
“From this point of view, it does seem much better…”
Upon hearing that, Trissy’s dimples appeared as she teasingly added, “Besides, they weren’t your match when they were alive, so what’s there to be afraid of when they’re dead?
“Even if they become ghosts or specters, it’s nothing. You just need to seriously complete the ritual and consume one more potion, and then you’ll be able to burn all those souls to oblivion!”
“B-but I can’t bear seeing people turn ugly, crazy, and evil under my acts of instigation.” Sherman still seemed rather unwilling.
Trissy indiscernibly curled the ends of her lips as she said with her smile maintained, “Those are evil thoughts they had to begin with. It has nothing to do with you. Even without you, those evil thoughts will erupt at specific moments and situations.
“Also, the missions I arranged for you are all related to the gangs. Aren’t you most aware of what those people are like? Getting them to fracture and kill one another is mercy and kindness for people like you and the innocent people of East Borough.”
Sherman subconsciously widened his mouth, swallowing the words he was just about to say.
He instantly fell silent.
Trissy’s eyes swept past him and continued with a soothing voice, “You’re just one step away from your target. As long as you complete the remaining ritual, you can drink the third potion to completely become a woman.
“When that happens, you can use the name Shermane that you’ve already picked for yourself. What a nice sounding name it is, isn’t it? Then, you can leave Backlund as a woman, heading for Midseashire or Desi Bay where you can begin a brand new life. You will no longer have anything to do with this place. Yes, you will definitely be filled with charm. Many excellent men will court you, and you can choose the one you like the most and are most satisfied with, walking down the aisle in a cathedral. You will have bubbly kids, and you can bring them up to be healthy children. You can bring them to Winter County for skiing, Desi Bay for holidays, and to the hunting grounds which are pleasures that only nobles have…
“Didn’t you say that you were willing to do anything to regain your true self?”
Sherman’s lips quivered, and after pursing them tightly for a while, he separated them and said, “Ma’am Trissy, I understand. I-I will proceed according to your instructions.”
After saying that, he seemed to lose all his strength as he stumbled to the ground. He subconsciously reached out to hold onto a coat rack beside him.
During this process, his gaze happened to sweep past the stack of newspapers.
It had already spread apart, revealing a particular report:
“…Tycoon from Desi, Mr. Dwayne Dantès, shows interest in purchasing the Larryway Steel Company, believing that it has excellent profitability and a promising future…”
…
“Sir, are you really planning on buying Larryway Steel Company?” Enuni asked while walking upstairs at 160 Böklund Street.
Dwayne Dantès shook his head and smiled.
“That news is just pure fabrication. I’ve only met the owner of the Larryway Steel Company, Mr. Phil La Rivie, at a ball last week and had a chat.”
By the side, Butler Walter heaved a sigh of relief as he warned, “Sir, the Larryway Steel Company is indeed seeking a buyer. There are quite a number of people who are considering the option.”
That also means that this piece of news was released by the reporters under Phil’s instructions so that he can sell it at a better price? Klein nodded in thought. He entered the room with the half balcony and prepared to head up above the gray fog. He wanted to use Enuni’s praying point of light to see any abnormalities at Hazel’s place.
This was something that he had been doing daily for the past few days.